Technical Trailers - Show & Tell

I find myself getting ready to start looking for a trailer to use for dragging new projects home and pull my car around and possibly store it when I'm finished. I tried to search around here to see what kinds of stuff you guys are using and didn't come up with much. I'm trying to figure out how big of a rig I'm going to need and see what kind of clever stuff y'all have done. I've seen a few conversions of HAMB friendly era trucks and campers around, so if you've got something like that i definitely want to see (but I think a lot of us first time trailer shoppers on here would benefit from seeing any and all HAMB haulers you've got in your yards).

 

the hard part is figuring out what you need. If you are only going to use it to haul junk home, then you don't need much. If you decide you later need to haul off the left over scrap, you still don't need much, but making some wood side boards to fit it would be handy. The problem is that once you get a trailer, then you decide that maybe you could haul your finished car on it somewhere....then the escalation starts.

Good luck! it's tough. Here are some examples of what I've done with my 16' tandem axle trailer, over the years. It started out just hauling junk home, and occasionally hauling a project car somewhere to get something done. then I hauled a lot of scrap with it, then I fixed it up and hauled my "race car" all over the place. I'm still resisting the temptation to buy a nicer rig.

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Everyone wants to borrow it, tear it up, and let you pay for the tags. Might be cheaper to rent one than to own it. Or borrow a buddy's and pay him in liquid refreshments or buy the tags for a year. and bring it back better than you got it. I like the IDEA of owning a trailer, but the reality is not quite the same.

 

This is exactly the kind of guidance and examples I'm looking for! Figuring out what's going to be big enough has had me scratching my head most of all. 16' seems a safe length for lots of duty, but how wide is that rig's deck?

I'm actually considering an old Horse Trailer or Camper to give me cover that I don't need to build myself but OTOH the cover may be in the way with some tasks. I'd love to see it if anybody runs a rig like that.



Keep'em coming! Show your rig!

 

Mine is almost wide enough. The deck is around 76" wide, and most older cars and pickups will fit on it. But I've also overloaded it a few times, hauling stuff like a Lincoln, an Imperial, and the bread truck. and the fenders get in the way of opening the door on most cars.

Hauling scrap, it's real nice to have an open trailer so the magnet can grab it all. much easier than unloading by hand.

 

My personal favorite is a 16' trailer also. With a wood deck and sides that are like a foot tall. So many uses, scrap, cars, trucks, furniture, whatever. Carson trailers are junk. Put LEDs on it or heavy duty lightbulbs.

 

I bought a very nice enclosed trailer several yrs ago. Thought I would use it more-used it twice-inlaws used ot to move their household goods and store them too. Has been in storage for 4 yrs! Need to get rid of it. I use our open trailer instead. Much more versatile. Just my 2 cents.

 

I have a 12,000 lb, 24 ft. Pace steel frame enclosed.

The upsides are: it fits my 1962 Mercury wagon (21' long car), pulls really nice and smoothly, and doubles as a storage unit in the winter.

The downsides are: it is heavy, 3/4 Ton tow truck at a minimum (my '76 F-250 extended cab may even be a bit light), and it can be a pain to load anything that isn't on wheels.

It works for what I need it to do, but a 16' flatbed is awfully nice from time to time. The '76 is a bit out of HAMB spec, so no pictures for me.

 

I have a 24' enclosed, most the time I love it, others it's a PIA. Upside it's a portable garage, sleep better at night when I'm out of town + I've parked a car in it a few times when there wasn't room in the shop. Also nice when hauling projects or parts, if something falls it's still there, not somewhere out on the highway! Down side your limited what will fit easy, gotta clear the door, trucks can be an issue. It also sucks fuel and generally more of a pain to park, ect. All that said, not ready to go back to an open trailer.
BTW, if you want to buy a piece of crap that will fall apart in less then 10K miles buy a Haulmark. Ask me how I know.

 

I have 3 trailers, a 12 foot single axle for bikes, a 16 foot double axle car trailer with a winch, and a 30 foot gooseneck for farm equipment. All my tow vehicles are OT so we won’t discuss them. I’ll haul stuff for buddies but nobody borrows my trailers.


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We used an enclosed when we raced, made a nice spare garage. Also nice to come home when it's raining, things stay dry.

When we quit racing we sold the enclosed and bought a 16' + 2' tail aluminum trailer. Winch and battery in the right tool box and tiedowns, jack and some tools in the left box. Fenders are removable if you want to load something from the side with forks or loader. Adjustable hitch s nice but a waste of money as far as I'm concerned. Had this trailer since 2013 and we've never moved the hitch height once pulling it with 5 different trucks.

Mine is 83" between the fenders, get as wide as possible. Most horse trailers aren't wide enough for a car to fit between the fenders. We always have 2 axle brakes and LED lights are a lot nicer and brighter. Also a big fan of torsion axles over springs.

Shop used trailers, there are always a ton out there.

 

Agree with these. I don't play favorites. No one borrows my trailer. If I don't let you borrow my trailer, you get mad. If I let you borrow my trailer and you return it with the lights broken the wiring messed up or you have damaged one of the fenders then I get mad. I think it is better that you get mad and my trailer not be destroyed.

Most of my friends understand by this point that I'm not going to let anyone borrow it doesn't matter how much you beg. If we're buddies and you have helped me out in the past I will haul whatever for you as long as you pay for gas in my truck.

I also agree with several of the other posters above that unless you need to have an enclosed trailer, an open flat deck is far more versatile. Mine has a 20-foot deck and it has hauled all kinds of stuff over the years. It has a pair of 3500 pound axles with brakes on all four wheels. Also, one with a solid deck is far better than one that is open in the center. The ones that are open in the center get all kinds of Road crap thrown up on whatever you're hauling. Plus you can't haul scrap very well with one that is open in the center. I have also found that by keeping the paint semi clean the Wheels semi clean and matching and the reflective stickers in place properly and all of the lights working keeps the ministry off my tail as far as bugging me about the trailer. If your equipment looks like junk they're going to pull you over to check it.

 

This usually stops EM from borrowing to move household furniture...

 

No truer words spoken! My list of qualified trailer borrowers has become extremely short over the years.

 

One thing I personally like, not a deal killer, but I have an 18' open car hauler with a steel deck no wood to replace. If it sits outside eventually you will replace the wood deck.
Just my 2 cents worth.

 

Making it longer--- Far from done

 

An early photo. Trailer is now all white.


Plenty of room inside for the T Roadster.

 

What ever you get a few options on it can really be nice. Examples of that are but not limited to a winch; spare tire; 15 inch load rated tires; heavy duty axles; extra tie down mounts; electric brakes. I have over bought and under bought trailers in the past. The experience is the same with both. You get what you pay for. The companies can save the most money on tires; axles; hubs; under coating and brakes. Make sure you look at the dates on the tires. Cheap trailers have tires that while new can be several years old. The pri show is coming up in december. Its held in indy. All of the trailer brands will be there. They park them outside. Its a great way to shop and compare. Show specials are going on and upgrade packages are offered. I narrowed my list down to two. United and vintage. Both are located about five miles apart from each other. After phone calls to both for a factory tour it was a easy choice to go with a vintage. I do alot of traveling while racing. My needs are a little different i understand. You still dont want flat tires and broken axles while towing. The options on todays trailers are amazing. What ever you can dream up they can make. Heres my 40 foot 2017 vintage. It has a queen size bed; full bathroom and shower; 32 foot awning; double side doors etc. Its loaded. My belongings are always safe and dry.

 

I really like the low, open, Uhaul car trailers. Low center of gravity and just the perfect size. With a solid deck they would be perfect. The only thing is they are built like a tank for rentals. I keep thinking of renting one for a day and plotting out a set of plans that I can fab at realistic weight, with a .250 diamond plate deck. It'll give my neighbors something else to borrow.....

 

After years of dragging my junk around on a no-brakes, converted boat trailer, last year I found this new aluminum trailer on sale at a trailer dealer in a nearby town. One of the best purchases I've made. Trailer brakes are awesome. I added a winch and it's a one man show. Tows nice, stops great, I'm sure the old F100 is loving it, I know I am.........

 

I bought a suretrac 20' steel deck with 2-5k axles. All LED lights, full size spare, ramps can be placed anywhere along the back, removable driver side fender. I put a 12k winch on it and some loading lights and going to add some more lights for loading/backing at night. I've had everything from a lawn mower to a full size 3/4 ton truck on it and it doesn't flinch. Like others have said no one borrows my trailer. If I had to buy another one that'd be the one I buy.








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21 years ago I thought over a trailer purchase. Do I "really" need it? Where am I going to keep it? Is it enough capacity, is it too much capacity. Am I going to use it enough?

Well I bought it and towed the car I needed to tow. A week later I started to wonder how I got along without it. Out of all the stuff I have I think I use that trailer the most. It hauls anything I could ever want over the last 21 years. Been thru 5 sets of tires. Hauled steel, 24' sticks too, lumber, scrap, debris, brick, block, concrete, sand, shingles parade float, flee market stuff, cars for transport, does tow truck duty, houses contents, kitchens, siding, fork lift, water, skids, machinery, motorcycles.

16' flat deck with 2' beaver tail 18' total. 2 3500 axles 4 electric brakes by Appellation trailer. It's a low deck car hauler and wide at the fenders. Some big tire 4x4s won't fit without using stock tire's up front. Pisses me off that my gantry crane won't straddle the fenders. It's channel construction, square front corners and a long tongue.
I installed a winch and HD Jack.

 

^^^^^^^^^widen the gantry crane..

I have an 18' flat deck, all steel with 5200# each dual axles and electric brakes on both axles and a winch with remote control. Used to have similar trailer with 3500# axles, but bought a forklift and it weighs 6500# by itself. Both the 7000# and 10,000# are/were Sloan's Kwik Load tilt deck trailers. Work very well for all kinds of duty. However, a non-tilt, especially with 'beaver tail' can work very well also.

I also do not loan my trailer. If we are pals, I'll haul your load for fuel costs. Not everybody needs a trailer, but I've had a tandem for 20 years, use it often and could not imagine NOT having one at my disposal.

Ray

 

I have an H&H 20' aluminum tilt trailer with a winch inside the tool box. Both the tilt and winch have remote controllers. I use a preservative on the wood deck twice a year. It's stored under cover when not in use. Steel or diamond plate decks are hazardous to your health at 6:00 am when it's 25 degrees outside! I do loan my trailer to another HAMB member with the same last name as mine.

 

4x4 is an unusual last name..........must be related.

Ray

 

I'm very happy with my brothers, denis4x4, purchase. I had a 24' tilt deck and I think that influenced his decision. It is so fast and easy to load when you don't have to deal with ramps. I sold my trailer with my fab shop. I'm grateful that I can use his trailer when I need it. The aluminum sure makes towing easy.

 

Then I'd have all sorts of troubles sneaking it around the shop.

 

my open trailer for the fiat.

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They can be hazardous when it's 100 degrees outside as well! Nothing like branding a diamond plate design on your arm.