Car Trailer Storage

[turbofreak403]

Hey guys, Hows it going?

I did some searching but didn't seem to find any info on it.

I have a open car trailer that i would like to store in my garage but i don't want to loose that bay to keep a car in it.

I could put the car on top of the trailer and then back into garage but if i wanted to drive the car it would be quite the hassle.

I was wondering if anyone has an idea so i drive onto the trailer while its not connected to a truck.

I was thinking maybe cement in a area to hold the ball but not sure how safe that would be.

Any insight would be awesome.

Thanks Guys!

 

[rsanter]

You have the idea, you would need to cement a post with a ball on it to anchor the trailer so you can safely drive on and off the trailer

The other way is buy a lift and put the trailer on the lift then park the car under it

 

[NWOhioChevyGuy]

You could use epoxy anchors and fabricate up a ball mount ontop of a steel "stand" this way you could remove it if trailer was not in there.

If concrete is good then I see no reason to cut it up

 

[dave89iroc]

fixed mount, and to limit the loading on the ball, leveling jacks, or at least jack stands, at the rear of the trailer so driving on/off doesn't try to lift the front up

 

[Schurkey]

CONCRETE A HITCH-BALL INTO THE GARAGE???

Chock the wheels, use the screw-jack at the tongue to maintain height. My trailer has additional jacks at the rear for stability.

 

[6768rogues]

If the trailer it a tandem axle, I would get the kind of trailer locks that go between the tires and expand to lock the tires to each other. Maybe also put a piece of framing lumber from the trailer to a structural member in the back wall of the building just in case. Then the trailer will not move. Then put a couple of drop down jacks on the back of the trailer and you are all set.

 

[finn]

Block the rear up and chock the wheels or rig a battery or charger to lock the brakes.

A car trailer takes a lot of floor space.

I garaged mine for a few years, but it was always in the way.

It sits under the snowbank now.

 

[EOC_Jason]

fixed mount, and to limit the loading on the ball, leveling jacks, or at least jack stands, at the rear of the trailer so driving on/off doesn't try to lift the front up

^^^ That, and also chock your wheels...

If your jack on the tongue has holes in it for a foot / wheel, maybe figure out a way to utilize that to anchor it to the ground and pin it.

 

[lutter94]

Why does the trailer need stored in the garage?

 

[turbofreak403]

Thanks for all the responses.
Lots of great info already.

Id like to store it in the garage to keep it from the elements to extend the life and to clean up my driveway.

Garage is plenty big to store it. but if needed i can always put it back outside if i need to open up one of my 6 bays

 

[audioworks04]

Is your garage a pull through? If not how do you plan to pull the trailer in and still be able to load a car? Also if you are to anchor a post in the slab I would think it would need to fold flat so that you could drive over it?


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[manwithtools]

How in the hell do you get the trailer in and out of the garage when you want to use it - if the tongue is pointing away from the garage door? Or am I misunderstanding your description of what you want to do?

Also, be sure you check the width of the trailer and your garage door, many car haulers wont fit in a standard single width garage door.

 

[captain14]

And is your bay door tall enough to allow for the angle of the car coming off the trailer?

 

[turbofreak403]

Garage is wide enough to spin it around inside the garage. or i could roll in forward if other bays are full.

Doors are 10' wide and 10' tall but the garage is deep enough where i would still be inside the garage when i drive off of it.

 

[bczygan]

Garage needs a big addition....pure and simple!

This IS Garage Journal, after all.

Bill

 

[turbofreak403]

LMAO, garage just underwent big addition

went from a 24 x 24 with 10' ceilings
to a 41 x 38 with 13' ceilings

biggest i could fit LOL

 

[AldeanFan]

I do this all the time with both my enclosed trailer and my open trailer.

Block the wheels and put jack stands under the rear so the tongue doesn’t lift when you drive up the ramp.
Take it easy on the brakes driving on and off and you’ll be fine


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[turbofreak403]

Thanks AldeanFan, i will try it this way and go slow. tough part is its a cable clutched car with a unsprung clutch, not the smoothest of engagement

 

[mike93lx]

Its a trailer. Leave it ouside. Splurge for a tarp if you want.

 

[matt_i]

I've had good luck with my trailer being outside with the following things...every couple of years I hit the PT wood with Thompson's water seal. I'm going to touch up the paint this spring and then hit the metal with Fluid Film. And lastly I reduce the tire pressure to around 30psi when not using the trailer. I have heard from sources that I trust that the increased oxygen pressure inside accelerates decay of the tire rubber, proportionally.

 

[Bert_]

If you want it out of the weather just build a lean to or something. It wouldn't even need four walls. No need to waste heated shop space to park a trailer.

 

[turbofreak403]

this is true. but if the cars ontop of it im not loosing much extra space as just the car being in there.

 

[PurdueSD]

This sounds like a giant pain in the *** taking up a huge portion of your shop. Trailers are cheap. I get it, i hate my trailers siting outside... luckily i have an old beater barn to keep em in.

But in your case, you're gonna spend more time and money tripping over it than the trailer is worth. Park it outside! A couple hours of yearly maintenance and it will be great for 10+ years. At that point sell it for half of what you paid for it and buy a new one. My 22' tilt bed cost 2800 new 5 years ago. Similar used trailers go for close 2k.

 

[unslow1]

I never found a good solution and ended up selling a 16ft open that I really wanted to keep. I kept it out of town for a while but then I would never use it because it was a pain to pick it up and take it back. Then I stored it on a back patio for a while and it was really in the way. I did see one where a guy rigged up something to store one on it's side against an outside wall.

 

[EOC_Jason]

This bad boy works great on concrete... Single axle trailers you can move with ease, tandem's don't want to turn as easy but one person can still do it...

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200631784_200631784

How in the hell do you get the trailer in and out of the garage when you want to use it - if the tongue is pointing away from the garage door? Or am I misunderstanding your description of what you want to do?

Also, be sure you check the width of the trailer and your garage door, many car haulers wont fit in a standard single width garage door.

 

[AldeanFan]

Thanks AldeanFan, i will try it this way and go slow. tough part is its a cable clutched car with a unsprung clutch, not the smoothest of engagement

If it’s a problem just winch the car on and roll it off


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[garagelogician]

How big/tall is the trailer? How tall is your shop and how tall is the vehicle you want to store in the same footprint?

If the trailer is small enough, could you store it on a 4 post lift and park underneath?

I plan to purchase an 8x10 utility trailer, and plan to store it on a 4 post lift so I can park a car underneath.

 

[T_R]

Just put jack stands under the trailer and you can load/unload cars. I have done it many times.

My car trailer just sits outside. It was $2500. If it rusts oh well, I will just buy another one. Not like it is a huge investment to be protected.

 

[manwithtools]

This bad boy works great on concrete... Single axle trailers you can move with ease, tandem's don't want to turn as easy but one person can still do it...

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200631784_200631784

I've used that thing before. It's still a pain in the *** to turn around a tandem axle car hauler. If you are going to turn a 16 - 18 foot car hauler around inside a garage you will need 4 of his 6 bay garage spaces empty - might need the whole garage emptied out.

It's also impossible to do with a car on it by yourself - unless you are a member of the Olympic power lifting team. This whole plan sounds like a gigantic pain. Wait for the first time a shin get's torn open on that trailer, or he forgets the tongue of the trailer is there and backs into it with another car.

Depending on the frequency of use of that car, I'd park it on the trailer and move it in and out of the garage with a truck or tractor. I seriously would not consider that plan much more work if you do it infrequently. If you need the car frequently, then park the trailer outside and cover it.

 

[crewchief888]

We leave our equipment trailers outside 24/7/365
Most are wood decked.

 

[gahrajmahal]

I would think cribbing the trailer frame with wood timbers would make it pretty secure pulling a car on if you use a cable to drag it up onto it. Driving the car back off is easier to do. Try the whole on - off thing outside with helpers observing the operation.

 

[turbofreak403]

If it’s a problem just winch the car on and roll it off


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good thought.

 

[turbofreak403]

How big/tall is the trailer? How tall is your shop and how tall is the vehicle you want to store in the same footprint?

If the trailer is small enough, could you store it on a 4 post lift and park underneath?

I plan to purchase an 8x10 utility trailer, and plan to store it on a 4 post lift so I can park a car underneath.

Good Idea, already buying a 4 post to store to other cars.
maybe just grab 2,

 

[turbofreak403]

Just put jack stands under the trailer and you can load/unload cars. I have done it many times.

My car trailer just sits outside. It was $2500. If it rusts oh well, I will just buy another one. Not like it is a huge investment to be protected.

this is also a good point.

Might add a small portion to driveway in spring when i tar it and just store the trailer there.

 

[turbofreak403]

I would think cribbing the trailer frame with wood timbers would make it pretty secure pulling a car on if you use a cable to drag it up onto it. Driving the car back off is easier to do. Try the whole on - off thing outside with helpers observing the operation.

thanks for the ideas!

 

[turbofreak403]

Guys i really appreciate all the input. lots to think of here.

 

[apollo11]

This sounds like a giant pain in the *** taking up a huge portion of your shop. Trailers are cheap. I get it, i hate my trailers siting outside... luckily i have an old beater barn to keep em in.

But in your case, you're gonna spend more time and money tripping over it than the trailer is worth. Park it outside! A couple hours of yearly maintenance and it will be great for 10+ years. At that point sell it for half of what you paid for it and buy a new one. My 22' tilt bed cost 2800 new 5 years ago. Similar used trailers go for close 2k.

^^^^^ this

 

[jgorm]

I modified my ramps so I can attach them to the tongue side. I chock the tires and drive on. Just don't drive past the axles!

 

[Falcon67]

With the others - trailers park outside. Our 18' flat bed is a 2004 model, no worse for wear.

 

[Technologyteacher]

Let all your friends know you have a trailer and you won't have to worry about storing it. They will all be borrowing it!