What to look for in a car trailer

BBD,
Unless they've recently changed Dayton made the 14.5 inch tires in the US. Farm supply stores usually stock them.
Gus,
You nailed it. I loaned my car trailer twice. First time it came back with with the doors on the tool box screwed up. The other time I loaned it to a buddy who's wife had just left him and took most anything he had of value. He borrowed one of my trucks and the trailer. The next morning there was a picture in the paper of my rolled truck with a heavy duty wrecker picking the trailer up off the roof of the truck. The truck had full length tool boxes (loaded with my tools). He put two dirt bikes in the bed, loaded an Econoline van (which was filled with his tools , parts and what little belongings his old lady hadn't taken) on the trailer. He ran over something on the entrance ramp and cut a trailer tire as he was entering the interstate. The tire blew and jerked the rig sideways where he hit a jersey barrier in a construction zone which caused the trailer to come unhitched. The truck rolled and landed right side up in the median. The trailer pulverized the jersey barrier. The van broke free and landed on it's side balancing on a couple of jersey barriers. The trailer after hitting the barrier and sheding the van, made a left turn and landed on the roof of the truck in the median.
I don't loan my trucks or trailers anymore.

 

Yes, Yes, Yes!!!

I have done this both ways. Old ones and new ones.

No more old ones.

For what its worth, I have a 24' featherlight enclosed. Bought it new and use it for work all the time. Love it.

For a open trailer I have had all kinds. I like the heavy torsion axels and the roll back style. With the right wench, you can get anything on the trailer. Getting it off is another issue.

I will not let anyone borrow my trailers!!!! Not no one, not no how. Too many bad experiences!

 

Brakes

 

Marcosmadness: It's not a case of tongue weight on my trailer . I have had for years , a Sherline Tongue Weight Gauge.( My trailer weighs #4800 and has #480 tongue weight..10% as recommended) I use the gauge on my business trailers when I change loads.
http://www.sherline.com/lm.htm

But, I will agree with your point that tongue weights make a tremendous difference.
Thats why I invested in a gauge, but this trailer obviously has other problems. A test-tow would have changed my mind from the get-go
Stan

 

With all the feedback replies you should be able to narrow your choice. When you get one and take it to a swap meet or show, park it away from food vendors. If not when you come back the food mongers will use it as a bench and table, leaving leftover ketchup fries, empty cups, bear cans, etc all over it. I had to chase Hugh Jazz and his wife Laura Jazz off my trailer one year, they were so big they bent my fender

 

Everyone gave you good advice. I'll give you this. My old car trailer was stolen. Even had a parts car on it at the time. It was loaned out to a relative. My insurance covered nothing. It wasn't connected to my vehicle and wasn't on my property. I bought a new car trailer and insured it separately. Now its covered no mater where its at or who has it. And buy a lock for the tongue. It wont stop a thief but it might slow them down. My new trailer has a tool box built into the front deck and slide out ramps in the rear.

 

The best deal I got was on my bigger enclosed one, had been looking for a 24'-28', and found a 20' Wells Cargo on craigspay for $3000 Had a lot of what I was looking for including the big barn door on the left side, just wish it was a 24' and was 8.5' instead of 8' wide, but my '62 Galaxie fits in it just fine, and I can open the door and climb out, and still have almost 3' of room in the front. The guy who had it was an electrical contractor and had put two systems of very nice hooded flourescent lights overhead and outlets everywhere, even 3-way switches at the side & rear doors, and a covered external through-plug to plug it all in. Came with 3 Pingle motorcycle wheel chocks and E-Track rails all the way around with the tie-downs. Saw the ad during lunch at work, called and told him I'd come right away with the cash, and took the afternoon off, went and parked in front of his house. He had a gal call and offer him more than the $3K when he told her it was sold, and she got pi$$ed He said "I guess I priced it too cheap- got 7 calls after you"

 

NEW ...

Is the only way to go.





My wife says I never saw a trailer I did not want to own. I like trailers. I have a Pace enclosed, a Wells Cargo small enclosed and a open 16 foot trailer.

NEVER lend your trailer out ... NEVER.
Most folks who do not have a trailer cannot safely pull one. The trailer WILL come back damaged. Insure your trailer. It is fairly inexpensive ... and well worth the $$$ for the peace of mind you get.

Buy a name brand.
Featherlite is a good brand. So is Pace.

.

 

A lot of good advice..................brakes on both axles, check to see how its wired, test tow, 5200lb axles ect............If you are buying an open car trailer make sure the thing is powder coated!!!!! If you look underneath at a lot of these trailers the only surfaces that are painted are the ones that are visible.

I bought a used Texas Roll Back, love the concept but the paint came off like dandruff!!!!!! If I had to do over I would buy aluminum with 5200lb axles but I know sometimes this is not within ones budget.

 

This just about says it all... and saves me from typing. Good info here. For most hot rod trailers, a dual axle trailer with single brakes work well. Just don't use it for running cars, drive them.

 

I will not let anyone borrow my trailers!!!! Not no one, not no how. Too many bad experiences![/QUOTE]

THAT is GREAT advice...I thought I was helping friends. NOT!!! NEVER AGAIN!!!!!

 

You never know what you might want to haul in the future. With that in mind brakes on both axles should be considered a necessity. Also as many tiedowns as you you think you need than a few more. I have I think 30 D rings on my 24 ft open. Mine is open center and I have them down both sides of the treads. I started with less, than after the first long haul after the redo I added two more on each side near the back

 

When I bought mine I had a few things I knew I wanted

Long ramps to make loading really low cars easier
Lots of D-rings for different size loads
Heavier axles than you think you will need.
And always buy the trailer a little longer than you think you might need.

 

One thing I will mention for an enclosed trailer. There are a lot more things to contemplate, but something I've noticed on a couple lately.
Ask the seller to run a sprinkler under the thing and on the roof.
I saw a trailer that had huge gaps and holes all over the floor.
I've seen a lot with leaky roofs. Might as well buy an open if the darn thing isn't weather-tight!

 

The aluminum ramps rated at 4500 pounds from HF will not handle a older Monte Carlo. They failed miserably for a buddy. I used 3X12 red oak five feet long for my trailer. Heavy as all get out, they loaded an F6 once with no problem. Like 48 Chubby says above, brakes on both axles, a good controler, and trailer tires. Buy the big tie-downs and good ends. Dont let a nylon strap rub anything. Use chains for the ends.
Update of the ramp story. The fellow took the bent up aluminum ramps back to HF where he bought them. As it turns out, they were actually rated for 1100 pounds, not 4500 as he was told. The clerk on duty had given him the wrong ones. The correct 4500 pound capacity ramps were behind the counter waiting for him to return for them. The new ramps look much better and handle the Monte well. He be a happy dude.
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