Need Advice About Car Hauler Trailer

I could use some advice about selecting a closed car hauler trailer. I have a T-bucket that I am planning intend to take to an event that is about 1300 miles away. I would like to drive it, but know I can’t. An open car, buggy spring suspension, arthritis, and two hip replacements isn’t a good combination for a long road trip. The car won’t fit in many trailers because it has the usual T-bucket big and little wheel and tire combo and the outside dimension at the rear tires is 86” across. That means it would fit inside the standard 8-1/2 feet wide trailer, but either wouldn’t go through the rear loading door opening or would just barely go in with very little clearance on either side. Of course I could either get narrower wheels and tires or use smaller ones for loading and unloading (like they do with monster trucks), but I don’t want to.
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I have been doing a lot of internet shopping and have found two companies that make trailers with wide loading doors. Haulmark has a trailer with a 94” door and Pace has one with a 96” door. I keep the car in a single car garage with a 96” door opening and it fits through easily if lined up just right. The price for the Pace is about $500 more, but it also has some other extras in addition to the wide door. It is no surprise that the Pace salesman said that their quality is a little better and they are the only ones with a 96” door, but he seemed to be knowledgeable and willing to work to keep the price as low as possible. He compared the Pace to other brands in terms of the years they would stay in good condition and keep a higher resale. Has anyone had experience with either Pace or Haulmark trailers? Is there a lower priced trailer out there with a wide loading door?

 

Whether or not you want to use the narrower tires for loading and hauling it IS the best option for ease of loading, tie down, and unloading. A quick and simple tire change at the bottom of the loading ramp, throw the loader wheels in the trailer and lock her up, and you're ion your way.

You can make up a simple tire rack in the front of the trailer for the biggies.

 

I agree with you that the smaller wheels and tires is a very good option and it was the first thing I thought about when I started planning this trip. It would give me many more choices for lower priced trailers and I know many people who read this would think it is stupid to spend a lot of money for a wide-door trailer when you could get junkyard wheels and tires that would be cheap and work just fine for the time the car is in the trailer.

My problem is that I am not only stupid but also stubborn (along with other many faults) and I want to be able to load the car, haul it, and unload it without taking the time to change the wheels. I admit this is probably not the most logical thing, but I am trying to make it work. If I do decide not to use the smaller tires, I will have to pay a high price for a premium trailer that I really don't need.

I am still mulling the whole thing over and I do appreciate your very logical and practical advice.

 

Lots of HAMBers have trailers ...
Most just do not want to admit it

I bought my first Pace enclosed trailer ( 8.5 X 22 ) for use in my fireworks business in 1994.
It served me well and held up good. I also hauled my roadster in it ... I kept the first Pace for years ( until 2007 ) and sold it for over 60% of it intial purchase price. Pace trailers do seem to retain their value ... and ... The new owner is still very pleased with it

In 2007 , I bought another new Pace. This time I bought a V-nose. The V-nose is worth about 2 miles to the gallon ... in fuel mileage savings. My new trailer is a 8.5 X 20 . With the V-nose ... I have about the same usuable space I had with the 22 foot one. The floor space is 20 foot PLUS the V-nose.

Haulmark and Pace both sell decent trailers. Both have different levels of trailers from very basic to " Top of the Line ". Be sure sure you compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges when comparing the two trailers. My local Haulmark dealer was CRAZY ... and a BUTT. The Pace dealer would NOT deal either. So ... I traveled over 250 miles to order my new Pace ( but I do prefer the Pace ) I went to Dorsey Trailers ... just outside Savannah GA ... and saved almost 2 grand over what the local dealers prices and ordered the trailer exactly as I wanted it. Here is their internet site http://www.dorseytrailersales.com/ They are very easy to work with ... and are one of the largest Pace dealer east of the Mississippi.

I ordered mine and bought a AeroSport " Limited ". It is a mid level trailer. I ordered it with the upgrade 5200 lbs axles and aluminum rims. My Silverado has 6 lug wheels and so does a 5200 lb axle.( the 3500 lb axle is only 5 lugs ). Make sure the trailer has tires on it for " trailer towing " only on it. Passenger car tires do not last as well. I ordered mine with the LOW CAR option. The floor is beaver tailed at the lay down rear door to make loading and unloading a low car easier. I wanted the galvanized floor in mine, along with the spare tire option in the floor. I suggest you get one with the larger side door also. It makes getting in/out of the box a lot easier ... and with my trailer ... the door is right where I stand to tie the car down. The photo below shows the 32 roadster loaded ... where it sits today ( in storage )



Buy a LONGER trailer ...
Than the vehicle you intend to haul ... you need a few feet at the front and the rear of the trailer so you can move the T-Bucket forward/rearward to get the T-Bucket's weight riding over the axles and NOT be tongue or tail heavy. Also ... the Pace makes for a good storage unit ... I have used mine to keep my roadster in the dry ... but out of the shop ... when working on another project.

If you need to ask anything more ... feel free to PM me. And by the way ...
I am not connected with or have any financial interest in Dorsey Trailers. Just a satisfied customer.

Also ... you may want to look at Racing Junk ... a site with a good many used trailers for sale. That's where I sold my old 22 foot Pace.

http://www.racingjunk.com/category/13/

One factor to consider IMHO

A 20 foot or larger 8.5 wide enclosed trailer will be a LOT easier to sell ... if you decide to sell the trailer after your long trip. The guy who bought mine is a racer ... and a small, narrow trailer does not work for most racers.

 

buy a name brand trailer if you ever wish to sell it for good money.

If your door clearance is going to be tight, consider a floor mounted winch with a remote. You can attach it to an axle strap and pull it in all by yourself, under control and at a very slow pace. Still quicker and easier than changing wheels.

 

WE change our front tires to tall ones to haul our Bonneville race car. We can't get the car up the ramp, it's to low. We complain about it but, its really not that big of a deal. If it were me I would get a standard trailer and change the rear wheels. If you try to get an odd size trailer it will cost you a bunch.--TV

 

True ... but a 8.5 wide Pace is pretty common.
My Pace dealer always has 6 or 8 in stock.

 

I have a Vintage trailer that I have hauled all over the country. Great quality and it pulls nice. Buy a brand name like Cargo Mate, Vintage or Pace. Lots of cheap junk out there.

 

GOOD ADVICE ... both on buying a Name brand and the winch. I have a Warn winch in my Pace. It comes in handy when loading
a " non runner " like Hotrodprimer's wifes 54 wagon. The above photo shows it going home from the paint shop.

 

Why are you buying a trailer to haul your bucket to an event
Maybe a HAMBer here will help you out .....

 

Thanks for the advice from each of you - I am still open to more comments. I know the trailer will be an expensive luxury, but will use it for travel to other meets once I have it. We aren't rich, but we love our T-bucket and buying the trailer would allow us to drive it more than our frequent local rides. We have always wanted to take the car to other events and take it with us on a trip to the beach. We are about 5 hours from the Redneck Rivera and it would be fun to have a roadster to drive around when we stay there. I'm still not wanting to change the wheels to facilitate loading and unloading, but I may have to change my mind because it is a very practical and low-cost solution. I have already purchased a winch, but it is a cheap one from Harbor Freight rather than a high-quality Warn. I already admitted to being stupid - it may not be a good idea to use a cheap winch with an expensive trailer but I think I could drive the car into the trailer through the wide door and may only use the winch if I have a breakdown or am too chicken to try driving it in. I could probably get a ride for the car from a HAMBer or my T-bucket association, but I want to keep a very flexible schedule for this trip and future ones. I also wold like to have it as a portable garage to shelter and secure the car when we take it away from home.

 

How 'bout just one spare for one side - like a mini spare? That should work for loading / unloading only and not be too difficult to change nor difficult to store when you are out cruising. And they are dirt cheap in the junkyards.

 

You built a Hot Rod why not build your trailer? That way you get exactly what you need.
Doc.

 

The mini-spare for one side is a novel idea that I never even thought of. It might work, but the car is pretty low and the much smaller OD of the mini-spare might drop that side so far that it would hang up. Then again, it might work and I should give it serious consideration. I have seen some trailer plans on the internet but don't have the fabrication skills necessary to build one. I had even thought about getting a open hauler and building a cover out of 2 x 4's and plywood, glued and screwed together for strength. I do have fair carpentry skills. I even downloaded some info about the weights of building materials and I think the total weight of such a beast would not be heavier than a manufactured enclosed trailer (assuming I didn't make a calculation mistake). It probably would be cheaper also. I haven't been able to locate anyone (with an internet search) who has done that although I did find one guy who made a wooden slide-in truck camper. I am not interested in looks, just practicality and expense. Even if I did make it, I would be afraid that it would fall apart while on the road and I wouldn't want to find that out while driving on the interstate. It is probably a dumb idea but I did give it some thought.

 

It sounds like you plan on using this trailer quite a bit. Do you really want to get were you are going and change tires all the time? I know i would that is 20 more minutes or cruisin. Just my outlook by what you need the first time so you don't have to worry about it.

 

I used a 4 horse stock trailer for years to haul my Zipper (see avatar). It had a pair of swinging doors that I was able to massage to get the entry width I needed. I used aluminum ramps for loading. Wear a cowboy hat when you're hauling and the cops will leave you alone in western states!

 

I have a kingdom trailer ordered to my specs, a lot cheaper than anyone else and will order my next one from them , been all over with it and very happy so far. They are in Georgia , I drove from STL to get it .
Buying wider may NOT help with resale if it is not a commmon size, 24ft seems to be most popular in terms of resale . Brand helps but once it's 3 or more years old it isn't going to matter, cheaper will sell faster. TO wide can hurt resale as it may not fit in peoples garage, retarded but some people have the money and space to store a trailer inside .
when looking at options, decide if you can perfrom them yourself such as extra tie down points, E tack or D rings, rear stabilizer jacks , electic vs hand crank up front , inside lights are all easy to upgrade yourself in spare time and usually a LOT cheaper than paying them .
You can buy open trailers and install a shild on front to keep wind and rocks off it

 

Buy the Pace American, with torsion axles, and brakes on all four wheels. Get the tie downs in the floor and have the floor re-inforced underneath at the factory. Buy one oversize tires if they offer it. Treat the wood on the inside. Been there, done that, had fun. Happy towing!

 

Sheet metal and square tube frame, even buy a cheaper open tandem and build the body your self?
I know a lot of guys that built their own trailers, even if your not the best welder its something great to learn on.
Doc.

(PS, Dont take the 'not the best welder' as a jab at you Im just saying its good to polish skills on.)

 

My guess is the arthritis and two hip replacements mentioned in the original post are why the reluctance to change tires.Buy the big enclosed and go have fun.You've already paid for it,body wise.Winch on...winch off.

 

It would be nice to have a door on the driver side for easy steer if you winch it up and easy to get out of.Get a spare thats the same as whats on it,if you have a tire thats 3 inches smaller than what you have id take a air tank and a plug set cause you might as well run it flat if a plug cant fix it... haha small tire on one side make a nice little sway from side to side.Isaid LITTLE.................YG

 

I sold trailer for over ten years and run my own business servicing and repairing them now. Pace trailers are real good, haulmarks are generally at the bottom end of the scale. I would not own a hallmark. Every manufacturer from wells cargo to hallmark have a standard line with torsion axles, brakes all four corners, usually three eights thick plywood walls. Then they have the economy line, interstate it is a loadrunner, mirage called theirs an excell, etc. They usually are a grand or so less, have cheaper tires, quarter inch walls, and leaf spring axles. This is okay. Once the trailer is loaded the ride between a torsion axle and sprung won't be noticed, the tires and the wall thickness of the plywood I think is the biggest letdown on the economy models. Then you usually have a more premium model that is an upgrade from the standard model, but not in terms of construction quality but in options, like a taller stoneguard, maybe LED lights, more domelights, a larger side door, flat roof versus a radius roof.

I appreciate your post clarity, and your responses to others, you have clearly listed why you want the trailer, have done a fair amount of research and it shows.

A couple things to consider, even though your car is light, if you get a trailer over 20 feet do not get a 7k, get a 10k. A trailer that long weighs enough that your payload is so low it is worthless for any other type of car. And the resale will be very low as your buyers would be almost limited to a guy wanting a larger 22 24 foot trailer for quads. A guy needing that size of a trailer for a car most likely has an impala or anything large or wants a bench in the front and will require a payload that a 10k will offer. Whatever you buy get the wider side door on the pass side, get a 48". It can come in handy. Any questions just keep asking, Joe

 

<o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com<img src=" images="" smilies="" redface.gif="" border="0" alt="" title="Embarrassment" smilieid="2" class="inlineimg"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com<img src=" images="" smilies="" redface.gif="" border="0" alt="" title="Embarrassment" smilieid="2" class="inlineimg"></o:smarttagtype>I see that I need to check the board daily - I thought the thread had died and didn't look at the latest posts until today. I had been doing all my shopping for a trailer on line because I now use the internet for many purchases just for the wide choices and convenience. I have received a quote from an internet Pace dealer for the trailer I am interested in. I could buy the trailer from that dealer and either pay for delivery or drive to their plant in <st1:country-region><st1>Georgia</st1></st1:country-region> to pick it up. I decided that I would go to the local Pace dealer (duh-only about 5 miles away) and see what his price would be, even though I didn't think he could beat the internet price. To my surprise, his price was $100 less (for my pickup in <st1:country-region><st1>Georgia</st1></st1:country-region>). In addition, he was a very nice guy and answered many questions I had. I didn't give him a deposit yet, but so far he has the best price. I have also requested a quote from Dorsey Trailer Sales, as suggested by Deuce Roadster. I have decided that the 8.5 X 20' Pace Rallye with the 96" loading door would fit my needs the best. I will check on the price of a wider side door - that was a good suggestion. I did get a spare included in the quotes so far. The Pace is most definitely much higher in price compared to other brands, as A Rodder said in his post. Pace has a good warranty and the dealer said they have the most number of dealers throughout the country, which could be helpful if I had trouble on the road. In addition to all that, Pace is the only brand I could find with the 96" loading door so I can get the T-bucket in and out without changing tires.

Sorry for such a long-winded post but I want to thank you guys again for showing enough interest in my request for help to share your knowledge and make excellent suggestions. I posted the very same question in another board I use frequently and received zero responses. It is a board for owners of a specific vehicle rather than rods, but I know for certain that many of the members have trailers and some of them also have hot rods they haul around. Thanks again - HAMBERs rock!! <o>></o>>

 

This is the trailer we have its a 24ft aluminum and the entire top cover and frame slide off for making it use as a flatbed too. It has zipper doors all over it and on the drivers side it has a section of frame that is pined so you can unhook and move the bar so you can get in and out of the car. It came with a 4500lb winch and 2 large counter sunk rings in front and 2 in the rear. We do a lot of sand sports so I installed 8 tracks so that I can hood rings where ever I want! it also has a counter sunk pocket enough for the 20 tie downs I carry and a spare tire. The fenders remove quickly if needed. Because its all aluminum except for tounge and top it pulls like a dream. Mine is a 1999 they have made some changes for the better on the new ones.

Heres a link to the company that makes them

http://www.tommystrailers.com/new/1car/del_price.htm

 

Try www.jimglo.com They will build to your specs. They are some of the lightest and are real user friendly! Take it from a lazy old man!

 

A LOT of folks have and USE trailers ... but a LOT of them do not want to talk about using them.

They do not want to admit the use ... ( trying to make folks they drive their stuff every where )

 

I just sold my 20 ft. haulmark...it had an 87" wide door.

it was fine for what I used it for....if I was pulling every weekend to a race in another state I would like a nicer one....but for what you are talking about I dont think you need a super high dollar trailer.

my question is always "What are you pulling it with?"

 

I checked out the TommysTrailers - they make some very nice aluminum trailers and the toppers are pretty cool. I had looked at aluminum trailers because they are light and I don't have a truck with a heavy duty towing capacity, but they are too expensive for my budget. Even if I bought a lower priced open steel trailer and put their topper on it, it might be a little lighter than the enclosed Pace I have my eye on but the price would be almost the same. In addition, I am almost paranoid about securing the car and I think the enclosed trailer would make me feel better. I know it is only a T-bucket and not a high-dollar rod, but I like it a lot.

I had checked out Jimglo during my initial internet searching , but didn't get a quote because their specs show a 92" door. I called them today to see if they can make a bigger one and am waiting for an answer.

If I got a Haulmark with an 87" door, I would have 1/2" clearance on each side of the rear tires to get the car into the trailer. I don't think I would be able to do that very well and I know I don't want to try it even once. You are right - I don't need a high dollar trailer for occasional trips with a low dollar rod, but I the only trailer I have been able to find with a wide loading door is the Pace Rallye. As I mentioned in earlier posts, I really don't want to use small wheels and tires to get the car in and out of the trailer and replacing them with new ones that aren't as wide would be about as expensive as the difference between a Pace and a less expensive trailer. Besides that, I really like the big meats and am willing to pay the price to keep running them.

I will be pulling the trailer with a 1500 Avalanche, which is not a tow beast by anyone's definition. I have researched that topic also, and know the combined weight of the trailer, T-bucket, and Avalanche is less than the maximum for this vehicle. Sure, I would rather have the F450 Super-Duty Dually Diesel Ford pickup I owned for a short time because it would be able to pull more than twice as much without even breaking a sweat. I traded the Ford for the Avalanche because it was the most unreliable vehicle I have ever owned. It was an '03 I bought used. Ford changed their diesel engines that year and I was lucky enough to get one of the many bad ones. Check it out on the internet if you don't believe me - I wish I would have before I bought it. I'm not knocking Fords, I just had the bad luck to get a very bad one.

Sorry for that rant, but I appreciate all the suggestions, questions, and concerns. At least you HAMBERs have shown enough interest to keep this thread going by contributing to the discussion.

 

A short follow-up to my last post. I just got a call back from Jimglo. They can build a trailer with a 97" door, which is an inch wider than the Pace. Their base price on a 20' hauler is $17,995 and I didn't even ask how much more it would be for the wide door. I have a lot less than that invested in my T-bucket. I could buy 3 Pace trailers for the more than $18,000 for the Jimglo, but I'm sure it is a very high quality unit. I guess we all have a different definition for what is high-dollar.

 

Lots of HAMBers have trailers ...
Most just do not want to admit it

Use a well known MFG. when you are on the road ,ya don't want trouble........And use good Tires.... Ol Deuce