car trailer questions

[ldw208]

I'm looking for recommendations about a car trailer purchase.

I'll be using it for cars--1930's on up, hauling lumber/building materials, and small equipment (mowers, old farm equipment). I'm thinking 18 foot, 7000lb, not enclosed. Not sure if a tilting bed is a good idea or not. In checking prices, seems new isn't too far from well used prices.

I've got a 2010 F-150 for a tow vehicle, will not consider a different tow vehicle.

Any thoughts on what to look for? Any dealers/brands to trust or avoid? I'm about an hour SW of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Price is of course a concern, but I want something that will work for many years to come. Thanks......

 

[vectorw8015]

trailerworld.com

 

[Sterff]

Go for a 10K trailer no matter what you get. You will wish you had down the road if you get a 7k. Also if you get a tilt bed that's just one more thing that can break/ needs maintained.

 

[zmotorsports]

The size you are looking for sounds about right. I have a 26' Haulmark Edge that I use for my sand toys but for general use and hauling broken cars I have an 18' Big Tex that seems to work well.

I bought it used about ten years ago. It was in pretty rough condition but the price was right at $400.00. I got it home, stripped the decking off of it, welded a mount for a removable winch on the front and a spare tire mount, had the gawdawful puke brown paint sandblasted off and re-painted it gloss black with polyurethange enamel.

The winch I bought used locally and the tires were bought used. I had a set of take off Chevrolet wheels with bowtie hubcaps from a previous project that were also installed. I put new brakes on it and new 2"x10" planks for decking.

All in all it has been a great trailer for what I am into it. Overall spent on the trailer is $850.00 including the price of the trailer.

Keep your eyes open on your local classifieds and I bet you will find something to fit your needs, especially if you are not afraid of a little work.

I personally wouldn't go with a tilt deck as more moving parts and with a heavier vehicle they are cumbersome. I also feel they rattle much more than I like, even for a trailer. I would recommend one with removable ramps that slide underneathe or ramps that fold up.

I mounted my ramps underneathe the rear that slide under from each side. I also attached strips of conveyor belting along the tracks the ramps slide on to avoid rattles.

Mike.

 

[59 wagon man]

just my opinion but i like my tilt bed trailer yeah sometimes the battery is dead and i have to jack it up with a bottle jack but when the battery is charged it sure is slick i've had both kinds with ramps and the tiltbed and i find when winching a disabled car the tiltbed is easier . the ramps would slide and lift off the little channel they slipped into . no problem with the tilt bed . i picked up my 59 ford parts car with the tiltbed . about 100 ft off the road and pulling at a 45 degree to the truck with 3 flat tires .just kept the harbor freight 8,000 lb winch pulling ,someone walking next to the car and steering and it went right up on the trailer .

 

[Zeke]

Keep an eye on the ads for used trailers. If the used prices are that close to new, something is wrong. Not too much can go wrong with an open trailer. If you go in planning on new wiring (simple job) and new bearings (simple job), both of which are cheap, you won't be afraid of much you see.

Add in that this used trailer needs new tires, you will have a big negotiating advantage and you get new tires. Bear in mind that a 16 to 20 trailer is what everyone is looking for, so you have to be patient.

If you know what trailer it is, you can even buy some bearings on the way there or on the way home. You can stop and get tires anywhere, but an unloaded trailer will run a long way on skin. What I'm saying is that if you have to drive 200 miles to save a few 1000 bucks, wouldn't you do that?

Take along some tools and some auto elec stuff. Don't worry if the trailer brakes don't work, you won't need them empty. Just be sure they are free.

Here's what I mean:
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/ant/rvs/2590477611.html

For $1400 wouldn't you at least look?

You can build/buy ramps all day long.

 

[Doc]

I have an 18' all steel bed double axle trailer. Dove tail. I welded a bunch of extra recessed tie downs on the bed a a bunch of d rings on the sides. I have hauled everything from cars to ATV's to full size toolboxes to tons of lumber. Have had to repaint once and redo the electrical wiring due to the cheap materials initially put on otherwise it does everything plus what I need. Oh and it has stake pockets that I built a removable bed rail system for. Paid 2600 for it new

 

[rsanter]

for hauling cars this is what you need to watch out for....can you open the doors when the car is on the trailer. you would be amazed at how many people I see climing in and out of the window of their expensive show car because they cannot open the door to get in or out. this alos means that you cannot roll the window up all the way when you hauling the car.
it *****, I have had to do it when using other peoples trailer so when I made mine I was sure to design it so that was not a problem

bob

 

[nit2wn]

I inherited dad's trailer which is a standard utility 16' trailer. I've used it for hauling vehicles and such, but as stated it's a pain for the cars due to doors not opening. I've been looking at an 18-20' car hauler with a short dove tail and maybe have them add a rail down the sides about 4-5'' off the deck to tied down too besides the normal ones in the bottom for autos. Going one step farther would be putting ''stake pockets'' on those rails so you could add some higher sides for moving furniture and such. I've roughed it up in my head, just never priced it built.

 

[mad57]

There is nothing wrong with a good tilt trailer, the one i have has two releases up front and when you drive up it starts to tip, very much needed when your trying to move low profile cars like vettes ect, also like mentioned check to make sure u can open doors with car on it, mine holds 7500lbs and ive moved everything with it, your truck is a bit light but should be fine for what your gonna play with, if you can get a trailer with elec brakes thats a huge plus as you trucks lighter brakes wont have to work as hard, i prefer an all metal deck , my dad has wood on his 2 trailers and its a pain to keep refinishing them or replacing boards, mine also has an open center which some trailer queen guys dont like because road debri can poss come up and hit the car, your pref. good luck with ur purchase , id look cl for a good used on expect to spend about $1800 the dove tail ones are popular but wouldnt be my first choice .

 

[bigdav160]

I have an 18' dovetail. Great trailer.

The best thing I've done to it is put an aluminum floor on it.

And I can open the doors on my Corvettes when loaded

 

[denis4x4]

I have a 20 dovetail with a winch. Bought it from a local manufacturer and had them weld a winch plate at the front. I pressure spray the wood deck once a year and apply a sealer to keep everything looking good. With the winch and toolbox, I'm in it for $2600 brand new.

 

[Mike K.]

You may want to consider an aluminum trailer if you plan on storing outside. They never rust & they hold there value. I bought an ATC 18' new on eBay for $3600, used for 3 years & sold it for $3900. I replaced it with a 18' Featherlite w/ an air dam. It was used, I paid $4500 & I'm sure I could sell it for that.

Also they are easy to tow because of the lighter weight.

Mike K.

 

[TWX]

Buddy of mine has a pretty standard, fairly inexpensive wood-decked car trailer that he pulls with his Dodge 1500 regular cab short bed. He has pulled a '72 Dodge Monaco station wagon with a 440 on it, which is a very heavy car, as well as a '60 Imperial LeBaron Southampton sedan. He's also used it for cargo. He has at least one axle of trailer brakes.

I can ask him for more information if you'd like, like what his axle ratings and total length are. I know that the deck itself isn't all that long, as the '78 Magnum that lives on it sticks out the back a little bit. Deck is probably 16'

 

[NUTTSGT]

I have a 16' open trailer, it works fine for me. I just came back from Menards with a load of siding for the garage. I have used it numberous times to get building materials, which is why I would recommend a solid deck, not an open deck trailer.
I prefer wood as I don't hink it's as slippery when it's wet or gets oil/****** fluid on it. I also have stake pockets and at one time made an inexpensive set of side boards to haul shingles to the land fill.
I'd also recommend a dovetail on the back, brakes on atleast one axle and a small tool box on the tongue for straps and a few blocks of wood. Mine is big enough that I also have a small "el-cheapo" floor jack in it.

 

[mdbeck1]

Mine's a 16' car hauler with a 2' dovetail. It has wood floors with stake bed pockets. Dual axle, one axle has brakes on it. One of the first projects was to make wood sideboards (two treated 2X6's high). Another one I haven't finished is a toolbox for the tongue. It will hold a small winch, battery, tie down chains, straps, and the break-away brakes that I need to install. I'm also planning on getting a spare tire winch off of a pickup to put my spare underneath out of the way.

I bought it new and have had it for several years. The wood is holding up just fine so when it finally goes....... maybe I'll go steel???

In fact I just got back from picking up my jeep with it.

 

[ldw208]

Any dealers in this area you would recommend (MN--Mankato, Hutchinson, Twin Cities, Rochester, St. Cloud areas)?? I'm still looking at both used and new.

 

[Carl B]

I had an 18' open trailer with dovetail - rated at 7000 lbs. Then switched to a 20' enclosed trailer. Pulled them both with a 1/2 ton Yukon XL and/or Chevy 1500. No problem at all. I'm using a Chevy 2500HD Crew Cab now - much easier to control at highway speeds, better truck brakes, but not really necessary for shorter trips.

Some Questions You Need To Know The Answers Too:
Does your F-150:
- - already have a factory trailer towing package with Reese Hitch in place? If not that will be an added expense.
- - Do you know what your trailer hitch is rated to pull?
- - Do you know what your truck is rated to carry or tow? {Read Your Owners Manual Carefully and Follow the Factory Recommendations}.
- - Do you know if your F-150 has a transmission temp. gauge or can it display that information somewhere on the dash?

So some recommendations:
a) I agree - if you can afford it - get an aluminum trailer. Around here they start at $6,500.00 for a brand name 18'. If you can find a really good used one - go for that. The trailer weights less, so you can haul more on it.

b) a built in DoveTail is good for car hauling, Lowers the load angle.. 16' plus 2' dove tail=18' trailer

c) Long and Wide Loading Ramps - - -Look closely at how the loading ramps are made, how wide they are, how they store in the trailer. If you are going to be driving a car up on them - - get a trailer with the widest and longest one's you can find. Makes the load angle lower and so you can see over the nose of the car while loading. {one reason I went to a 20' enclosed was the full width pull down loading ramp - much easier to load a car}.

c) Tie Downs - most open trailers have at least 4 "O-Ring" tie downs in the deck - better to pay a little more and also have stake pockets welded to the sides and front.

e) In most States you will have to have a license plate - make sure you have a place to mount it and a registration light there..


Keep in mind:
1. A trailer rated at 7000 lbs - usually has to axles rated at 3500 lbs each - so that 7000 lbs rating includes the weight of the trailer. A steel trailer with wood deck - can weight 2300 lbs so that means the car you carry can't weight more than 4700 lbs.

2. You will need a "Trailer Brake Controller" added to your truck ... to operate the electric brakes. So if you don't have one - plan on buying one. I'd go right to one of the better one's. I'd highly recommend doing business with etrailer.com The Tekonsha P-3 Proportional is really good.. at $139.95
http://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Brake_Controller.aspx?gclid=CNuvzcmLlKsCFZAs7AodNxT_kw

3. If you don't have one - you'll need a trailer hitch with ball sized to match the trailer.

4. Really good idea to have a Tongue Lock - to prevent or at least delay thieves.


good luck,
Carl B.

 

[DGC15]

I have an 18 ft steel deck trailer.The ramps slide in from the back, which makes it easy to set up. Some ramps slide in from the side and you have to pull them out and carry them around to the back, They are HEAVY. I have a rail with stake pockets down both sides and rings on the deck. There is a tool box on the tongue to store the straps, winch control,etc in, I have a 6000# winch mounted on the front deck. Winch has cable long enough to reach the front of the truck. I just hook on to the truck battery when I need the winch. Fenders are low enough to open the doors when the car is loaded. Has elect brakes. Tows like a dream. Been all over Texas with my truck on it and to Florida with a 51 Chevy on it. Love it. I got rid of a tilt bed to get this one. This is much better.

 

[denis4x4]

A couple of other thoughts; mount a small battery in the tool box for the winch. When you get old, you'll really appreciate an electric tongue jack! A 7-pin connector will provide the power to charge the trailer battery to run the tongue jack and winch.

 

[DGC15]

A couple of other thoughts; mount a small battery in the tool box for the winch. When you get old, you'll really appreciate an electric tongue jack! A 7-pin connector will provide the power to charge the trailer battery to run the tongue jack and winch.

I did that for a while, but had trouble with the battery when I didn't use the trailer for a long time. That's why I went to the long cables to reach the truck battery. I just clip them on like jumper cables.
I know what you mean about the electric tongue jack !!
It's H**L to get old !

 

[mikester]

I own an 18' Big Tex. Its been a great trailer. I bought it new in 05 and up until a month ago I was towing it with an 05 Chevy 2500 crewcab 4x4. I havent tried to tow it with the GMC 1500 that I just bought but since its going to be all local use I think it will do OK. The trailer is pretty well built although the factory paint isnt the greatest.

 

[ibedayank]

do NOT tow a cartrailer with a bumper mounted hitch ball
Make sure the brakes work
know the weight of what you are hauling overlad the trailer and you could wreck it... blown tires bent axles
better to have more trailer than you need then not enough
a 1ton truck will be to much weight for a 7k trailer to haul

 

[J Persons]

I have a Texas Bragg 20' with a dovetail. I bought it in California and towed all over Southern Cal before moving to Louisiana. I've had to replace the wiring, clearance lights and the brakes. It originally had single axle brakes and I upgraded to two axle. It's an easy upgrade if you have Dexter axles and brakes, everything is interchangeable. In my opinion, brakes on all four wheels provide much smoother stopping than single axle brakes. When I rewired it, I installed a trailer battery recharge module. Whenever the trailer is hooked to the truck, the emergency brake battery gets recharged. I tow with a 2006 F-150, and have never had a problem.

 

[diggerrick]

I haul my rail on an 18ft open trailer and I'll never get another beaver tail - for a rail. I wish I would have splurged for a tilt trailer. An enclosed trailer was out of the question for me because I originally towed with a 6 cyl Dakota, and now with an 8 cyl 1/2 ton Silverado 4x4. The guys I talked to at the track love their tilt trailers.

 

[V-10 Killer]

A couple of other thoughts; mount a small battery in the tool box for the winch. When you get old, you'll really appreciate an electric tongue jack! A 7-pin connector will provide the power to charge the trailer battery to run the tongue jack and winch.

True, but watch which one you buy. I just took my electric tongue ******** this spring for a good old fashioned crank style one. The electric jack was so tall, that I couldn't open the tailgate of any vehicle I tried pulling the trailer with.
And having an electric winch and battery on the trailer is such a nice thing. I never needed one til I bought a trailer, then I had vehicles break down like 6 times that year. I might consider no tilt, but never again will I go without a winch.
Mine's a tilt bed 18' trailer built by koditten here on the boards. The tilt sure is nice, but with a winch, a dovetail is just fine loading my lowered Trans Am. Just need a decent set of ramps. I've never had a friend/relative borrow the trailer and say "gee, it's a great trailer, but I wish it didn't tilt".
And I don't buy the "more stuff to break" philosophy. By those standards, we'd never use ratchets or impact wrenches for the same reasons lol.

 

[davidj]

I bought a cheap car trailer to tow my jeep with. I didnt spend too much money on it and anyway it has these home made ramps on it... they ****. they are too short and the trailer is too tall. it isnt a problem for my jeep... i could still get up the trailer fine with no ramps, however I cant haul any cars or low to the ground vehicles which has caused problems in the past.

my moms van broke down 3 hours from home so I went to go get it and we found out the hard way it wouldnt fit up the ramps. we had to park the trailer in a ditch to get the ramps low enough to get the van on it. unloading it at the trans shop was fun too. it involved several 2x4s and some hopes and dreams.

moral of the story low trailer and long ramps.

I know this is out of the question for you, but one day ill get a low 2 car hauler gooseneck. thats what Im after next!

 

[Hoot]

I'm getting ready to buy a trailer next month myself, and decided to go with a manual tilt from a place called Stateline Trailers http://sltrailers.com/ in Iowa. I have not actually seen these trailers in person, so this is all information I've picked up from internet research and emails.

He is a dealer for Hull Trailers, which I believe used to be the original H&H manufacturer. I think his prices are fairly reasonable for what you get . I would definitely recommend the 9,990lb upgrade, as someone else already mentioned. Along with upgraded axles and tires, you get 14" on center cross beams (most are 16" and some are a lot more). He can also work with you on options that are not listed on the website.

I would definitely spend some time with your truck as well. I plan to tow mine with an older C1500 extended cab, and have done some upgrades. I have added a 10K frame mounted hitch, transmission cooler, and brake controller. And just ordered a set of XL rated (2183lb) tires and Bilstein HD shocks last night. I'm also planning to purchase a weight distribution setup in the near future since I am going to be right at the towing capacity for my truck.

A good website to check out for parts and upgrades is http://www.etrailer.com/ Their prices are pretty reasonable, and shipping is insanely fast. I ordered from them twice now and had notifications that it was ready to ship within a few hours.

Hope that helps....

Houston

 

[StingRay]

I have a 20 ft trailer and the back 16 ft tilts. It's really an equipment trailer. It's hauled everything I've ever needed it to and the tilt makes it a dream to get low clearance items onto it. Actually a trailer with two 3500 lb axles will be carrying as much as 15% on the tongue. Around here that trailer will have 8050 gvw on it's tag.

 

[dirttracker18]

You may want to consider an aluminum trailer if you plan on storing outside. They never rust & they hold there value. I bought an ATC 18' new on eBay for $3600, used for 3 years & sold it for $3900. I replaced it with a 18' Featherlite w/ an air dam. It was used, I paid $4500 & I'm sure I could sell it for that.

Also they are easy to tow because of the lighter weight.

Mike K.

ALuminum may not "rust" but it does rot especially in the rust belt. Believe me. I ice race so need my trailer all winter. I will not buy another aluminum unit unless I never plan to to in the winter. My steel trailer is handling the winter much better than the aluminum one I sold that was only good for storage after I was done with it. 3

Personally I like the tilting bed and that will be my next purchase. +1 on the winch as well

 

[mdbeck1]

ALuminum may not "rust" but it does rot especially in the rust belt. Believe me. I ice race so need my trailer all winter. I will not buy another aluminum unit unless I never plan to to in the winter. My steel trailer is handling the winter much better than the aluminum one I sold that was only good for storage after I was done with it. 3

Personally I like the tilting bed and that will be my next purchase. +1 on the winch as well

NOTE: Aluminum will OXIDIZE. You will usually see it as a thin white film.

FURTHER NOTE: What we normally call "Rust" is actually Iron Oxidation.

Salt and water will speed both versions up.

 

[Falcon67]

I have the same basic trailer as DGC15 - Maxey 16' steel bed with dove tail and rear exit ramps. You REALLY need to make sure you get rear exit ramps. The side load ramps are not good for tight spaces (Our Big Tex trailer has side store ramps - hate 'em, can't use them at the strip). 7000lb is plenty for just about everything. If you want a bit more safety, order it with dual axle brakes. Use a quality brake controller if the truck does not already have one. I put 7 pin RV connectors on both trailers so that just about any full size modern pickup can pull the trailers. I have a storage box on the front of each trailer for straps and such - $20 ammo boxes from the army surplus store.

Also note - if you plan to haul "equipment" think about the equipment. The bitty skid steer I used on the shop foundation work was a Cat 150. It weighed 6000 lbs. That, maybe mini excavators, etc is about all you can haul on a 7K or even a 10K trailer. Backhoes run around 14K lbs and up - not gonna haul that with a 1/2 ton. Well, not safely.

Note 2 - Unless you have some idea of how the trailer was kept, I'd encourage you to buy new. Most people neglect the hell out of trailers. And never loan it out unless you are going along. People can tear borrowed **** up like you wouldn't believe. If you do buy new, inspect the brakes and the tire dates - I'd budget for tires on just about any used trailer because people HATE to buy trailer tires. $$$.

 

[StingRay]

I know it depends where you live but here hauling over 10K even for personal use you need a different license endorsement. There may also be restrictions on hitch type and vehicle gvw required to tow it. An 8050 gvw can generally be handled by a half ton with a weight dist hitch.

 

[TWX]

Note 2 - Unless you have some idea of how the trailer was kept, I'd encourage you to buy new. Most people neglect the hell out of trailers. And never loan it out unless you are going along. People can tear borrowed **** up like you wouldn't believe. If you do buy new, inspect the brakes and the tire dates - I'd budget for tires on just about any used trailer because people HATE to buy trailer tires. $$$.

Heh. Even my buddy with his trailer that his car lives on tore the **** out of it before he finally refurbished the thing. We were in a junkyard once (the only one I know of that will let one drive in) and he was hotdogging around, and caught a fender on the bumper of a '70 Polara wagon. Needless to say, the Polara didn't lose. We had to pull the wheels and drop the fender on to a jack stand to bend it back out.

I borrowed a friend's single axle trailer to use to move and I had to repair the deck. There had been a fire on the back right corner apparently and they just threw a sheet of plywood over. It would collapse if any weight was put there. I ended up cutting his trailer boards at the support joist and adding my own patches in. Not the greatest, but much better than it was before. His lighting was messed up too, ended up having to use lights normally used for a car tow dolly.

If I ever buy a trailer, since I live in a salt-free environment I'll probably go for aluminum if money permits, and I'd like, also if money permits, to have one with the same wheel bolt pattern as the expected tow vehicle. Right now that's looking like it'll eventually be the '82 Dodge D350, so 8 on 6.5" with about centered offset. The advantage of the trailer having the same bolt pattern as either the tow rig or as the vehicle on the trailer is that one has more spare tire choices. One can run an LT truck tire on a trailer, so just get that kind of tire for the spare on the trailer and if possible, the same outside diameter tires on the trailer as the truck's spare. That way, if you do something dumb with either the trailer or the truck you're not SOL.

 

[J Persons]

"The advantage of the trailer having the same bolt pattern as either the tow rig or as the vehicle on the trailer is that one has more spare tire choices"

If your trailer has a different bolt pattern than your tow vehicle, different hubs/brake drums are available in Ford or Chevy 5 lug patterns, and are easily interchangeable.