Need advice on buying custom enclosed trailer: ORDERED ONE

[Gary_Ash]

I want to get an enclosed trailer that will haul my 1932 Studebaker Indy car project as well as my 1948 Studebaker M5 pickup.  The Indy car is only 14 ft long, the truck 15 ft long.  The real problem is the truck is almost 6'-9" tall so it won't fit through the door of most trailers even if the roof inside is 7 ft tall.  The truck weighs 2800 lbs, the Indy car less.  I'm thinking of a trailer 18-20 ft long inside, 8.5 ft wide.  It doesn't have to be an exotic fancy one, but it should be durable, leak tight, and not too heavy.  I'll pull it with my 2012 Expedition EL (weighs 6000 lbs).  I currently have a  heavy 16 ft flatbed car hauler with beavertail that has been used for the truck many times, but I'd like to keep the truck out of the weather on future hauls and the Indy car definitely needs to be inside.  I'm planning on selling the flatbed afterwards.

 

What brands does anyone recommend for a tall trailer, probably custom?  Any particular accessories besides side door and tie downs that are "must haves"?  I could even drive out to Elkhart, Indiana to pick one up from one of the builders out there, though it's about 900 miles.  Georgia is a lot farther.  I'm in Massachusetts.  I'm thinking I should be able to do this for about $6000. 

Edited August 13, 2018 by Gary_Ash (see edit history)

[Joe in Canada]

I went with Wells Cargo and happy with it. Make sure the metal frame work has a barrier to help insulate the outside aluminum walls from electrolysis. You ever see an Airstream with corroded aluminum sides?  16 inch roof bow centres for a better snow load is a must in the northern climate. Torsion suspension, Dexter axles, dual braking with a name brand tires as you do not want Chinese stuff underneath. Do not like screw less sides again electrolyses. Ask what kind of studs on the walls. There is  Z studs what you do not want, top hat the most common and the best is square tubing. The aluminum sides come in different gauges and the heavier the better for obvious reasons. Drop down jacks at the rear for better load and unloading. Locking mechanism,  hinges and door hardware should be aluminum or stainless so 5 years down the road you will not have rust running down the sides. Look at the hitch on a Wells Cargo that you can adjust up and down plus the length of the tongue.

If you buy a new trailer that was a much lower price you got a much cheaper built trailer. You pay for what you get.

[Spinneyhill]

There has been at least one other topic about this, not many months ago. ... Maybe I am thinking of this one.

 

Edited August 14, 2018 by Spinneyhill (see edit history)

[vintagerodshop]

I currently own a 36 foot Wells Cargo and a 38 foot Pace. They are both enclosed gooseneck trailers. The wells cargo is a 2002 year and the Pace is a 2007. I custom ordered the pace to be exactly to my specifications. Over height and custom tie downs with particular options. I was wanting to replace the Pace with a new trailer as I was wearing it out. The Pace is a steel frame with a scoreless exterior. Never had a problem with it. My new trailer I currently have a order is a all aluminum Intech trailer. I looked for three years at big shows, events, and auctions at trailer vendors and sales guys. The Intech is the best built trailer I could find for the dollar. New trailer is a 44 foot gooseneck enclosed with a 96 inch door and head height inside. Custom tie downs, in floor winch. The works.

What I am trying to say is buy exactly what you want, pay a little extra to get the best quality you can. You will never regret it.

Kirk Stevenson

[Trulyvintage]

I haul every day.

 

I have been designing my own custom bumper pull enclosed car hauler trailers ever since I started hauling - I have helped a lot of folks out over the years design their trailers.

 

It is a courtesy I extend - no commission or kickback to me.

 

I recently began offering turnkey custom enclosed car hauler trailer design.

 

 

Jim

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 14, 2018 by Trulyvintage (see edit history)

[Bhigdog]

I have a 24' HaulMark. Seems well made and no problems. FYI they are made in Eastern PA about 20 Minutes from me. A lot closer for you, Gary, should you be interested..............Bob

[alsancle]

The 16 inch wheels with 8 lug tires seem to be a requirement to stay away from the car tires.   The guys that haul a lot will tell you that tire failures are a real issue with the 15 inch wheels.

[mercer09]

Not so sure you are going to be able to buy the quality everyone mentions for the 6k

 

would be nice if folks gave some pricing comparisons for all of us to ponder.

[vermontboy]

Pricing is noted in the thread linked by Spinneyhill above - it is substantially in excess of 6k.

[edinmass]

Seems like 90 percent of the trailers are the cheapest way you can make them brand. Gary, resale dictates at least 24 feet or a very hard sell at giveaway prices. Many trailers have a ladder style frame with light weight stringers extending past the Center section......not a good idea. Trailers are a get what you pay for item. Ed

[charlier]

Gary, My advice to you BEFORE you start looking at trailers is to CRUNCH THE NUMBERS for your Expedition with regards to towing.

The last thing you want to do is to buy a brand new trailer and then find out you need to buy a new tow vehicle because your new trailer exceeds one or more of the weight ratings for your current tow vehicle. One should NEVER exceed the tow ratings for one's tow vehicle. In fact one should have a build in safety factor (ie be UNDER the max weight ratings) when it comes to the various weight ratings for a tow vehicle

 

Be advised that there are a LOT of numbers to crunch when it comes to towing and NOT JUST the Towing Capacity number that truck makers boast about. NOW is when you have to do your homework. If you are not into crunching numbers then you need to find someone who can explain all the various capacity numbers that are important when it comes to towing and assist you with the calculations.

 

Also be advised that with your budget of $6K you will be VERY hard pressed to find a trailer with the features you want that is a quality product and will last. For $6K you will get a very basic trailer with floor/wall and roof supports 24" on center (not 16"), a leaf spring suspension (not a torsion suspension) and most likely lower quality and/or thinner flooring/walls/roof, no escape door and no extended height. For trailer makers to hit lower price points these and other items are skimped on in a base trailer and made options. Once you start adding the optional and quality related features and the extra height you need the price of a trailer WILL get more expensive.

 

Then there is the lack of build quality that some manufacturers put out these days. That is a whole other set of horror stories when it comes to cheap trailers.

Like others in this thread already said, you get what you pay for when it comes to a trailer.

 

Best of luck with your trailer search.

 

Charlie

Edited August 15, 2018 by charlier (see edit history)

[Trulyvintage]

For the OP:

 

The tow capacity for your vehicle is iisted as 8700 to 8900 pounds.

 

But that is not a realistic figure - manufacturers calculate excessive tow capacaties - the real world limit for safe towing is probably 75% of that.

 

That is your starting point.

 

If you go with a realistic tow capacity of 6600 pounds - deduct the heaviest curb weight of the vehicle you plan to haul in the trailer - what remains is the curb weight of the empty trailer you can safely pull behind your current tow vehicle.

 

Jim 

Edited August 15, 2018 by Trulyvintage (see edit history)

[R Walling]

 Gary,

 Is it worth $6000 to tow your truck mabey 10 or 15 times? ($400 each time)

 Buy a smaller trailer and keep the flat bed.

[Paul Dobbin]

I had both a enclosed 20'  Horton Hauler and a open 16" Aluma.   Sold the Horton after a 10 load move to NC.  The open aluminum car trailer is the best hauler I ever used.  4 wheel brakes, two torque flex axles and only 1100 pounds.  No wind dam to tow and we we get to a tour, washing the car is not a problem.  Suits us fine for our needs,  buy what you need, but pay attention to weight and wind drag.

[Gary_Ash]

Lots of good advice here, thanks. Yes, my $6K figure is too optimistic. Roger’s suggestion of keeping the flatbed is good, and I realized there are other things I haul on it that would be difficult to load into an enclosed trailer.  I have used my Expedition EL to haul the Studebaker truck on the flatbed on 1000-2000 mile trips, including the Skyline Drive coming back from Charlotte, so I’m not worried about weight of a new trailer with the Studebaker Indy car (~2500 lbs) on board.  I’m also not worried about resale value, as I’ve told my wife that when I croak, she and my grown kids will just have to deal with the mess. On the other hand, it may be time to teach my wife how to back up a trailer, so a shorter trailer may be more useful than a longer one. 

 

It’s probably time to visit some dealers and see what the differences are between brands and quality levels.  Thanks, all!

[charlier]

12 hours ago, Trulyvintage said:

For the OP:

 

The tow capacity for your vehicle is iisted as 8700 to 8900 pounds.

 

But that is not a realistic figure - manufacturers calculate excessive tow capacaties - the real world limit for safe towing is probably 75% of that.

 

That is your starting point.

 

If you go with a realistic tow capacity of 6600 pounds - deduct the heaviest curb weight of the vehicle you plan to haul in the trailer - what remains is the curb weight of the empty trailer you can safely pull behind your current tow vehicle.

 

Jim 

Jim,

 

You posted some good numbers and you are right that is the starting point for Gary. He also needs to keep in mind some of the other capacity rating numbers for his vehicle as well which could easily bite him in his butt and require him to buy a new tow vehicle with sufficient capacity.

 

First question I have for Gary is does the 2012 Expedition EL that he owns have the "Heavy Duty Trailer Tow Package" option from the factory? Since this was a factory option and not standard equipment it is possible that Gary's vehicle may not have it.

If it does, Great then he has 8700 or 8900 pounds of towing capacity depending if his Expedition is a 4x4 or 4x2 model. If is does not, then maximum tow capacity for his vehicle is only 6,000 pounds which means there is absolutely no way on earth he can tow and enclosed car trailer like he wants with a 2,800 pound truck inside it.

 

Next, Gary posted the weight of his Expedition as being 6,000 pounds. Was that weight measured on a Certified CAT scale with all the people and cargo he would haul when towing the trailer? If it is Great. If not, he needs to load the Expedition with all the cargo and people that will be in the vehicle and go weigh it on a CAT scale. Gary might say, "Why do I need to do that?". This needs to be done for two reasons. First, the actual weight of the vehicle needs to be added to the tongue weight of the trailer to determine if that combined weight exceeds Ford's published Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) for the Expedition. If this weight exceeds the GVWR then this tow vehicle is not a candidate to tow the trailer. Second, the actual weight of the vehicle needs to be added to the actual weight of the loaded trailer  to determine if that combined weight exceeds Ford's published Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating (GCVWR) for the Expedition. If this weight exceeds the GCVWR then this tow vehicle is not a candidate to tow the trailer.

 

Now let's talk about hitches. Based on the photo Gary posted, it appears that his tow vehicle is squatting on the rear axle. I say that because it appears there there is a noticeable difference in the wheel well height above the tires between the front and rear axles. That seems to suggest that Gary is not using a Weight Distributing hitch on the trailer in the photo. When it comes to an enclosed trailer, Gary will ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY have to invest in a good weight distributing hitch (WDH) if he does not have one. Some may ask WHY? Well Ford's published Towing Capacity standards for the Expedition EL REQUIRES a Weight Distributing hitch in order to tow 8700 or 8900 pounds. Without a WDH the rated towing capacity is 6000 pounds.

 

Next let's talk about the rated tongue capacity.  With a WDH the Expedition EL is rated for a tongue weight up to 890 pounds. Without a WDH the the rating is 600 pounds. With a trailer weighing 6600 lbs the tongue weight could range from 660 lbs (10%) to 990 lbs (15%) depending on the position of the load.  One thing to keep in mind is that the general percentage many use when it comes to tongue weight (ie 10-15%) are estimates. Actually weighing a loaded trailer with a tongue weight scale is the ONLY way to get an ACCURATE tongue weight. Tongue weight can be reduced somewhat by moving the vehicle in the trailer towards the back of the trailer. If the new enclosed trailer is only 18 feet and the truck is 15 feet you might not be able to reduce much tongue weight especially given the beaver tail on the trailer and the location of the "D" rings used to secure the load. When I first got my trailer I assumed my tongue weight was 10% of the trailer weight. Then I bought a tongue weight scales and weighed my loaded trailer and boy did I get a BIG surprise. I was about 200+ lbs heavier than I thought I was. I was able to correct that by moving the car in the trailer back about about 1 foot. In my case the trailer is 20' long and the car was about 14' so I had enough room. If I had purchased a shorter trailer I might not have been able to reduce my tongue weight very much

 

Lastly, what is Ford's published cargo capacity weight rating for this vehicle? That number is important because Gary needs to add up the weight of all cargo plus the actual tongue weight of his loaded trailer to determine if that combined weight exceeds Ford's published cargo capacity weight rating for this vehicle.

 

Some here might say I don't need to do all those calculations. I am good to go with just knowing that the weight of the trailer I am towing is less than the Max Towing Capacity. People who think that are asking for trouble if they tow a vehicle that is involved in an accident involving serious injury or death. First thing  a good attorney will do is crunch ALL these numbers to see if the tow vehicle and trailer exceed the vehicle manufacture's published, rated capacities. If they do exceed the published ratings, the owner of the rig will lose any lawsuit brought against them.

 

Bottom line for Gary is DO NOT go shopping for a trailer until you answer the questions (at least for yourself) that I posted and crunch the numbers. There are too many unanswered question based on your original post that could easily eliminate your current tow vehicle from being (legally) able to tow the enclosed trailer you are looking for. 

 

Like I said in my first post there are a LOT of numbers to crunch when it comes to towing. Most vehicle manufacturers dumb down the numbers to just "Towing Capacity" for the sake of bragging rights and marketing. Then in the "fine print" they casually mention all these other capacities and ratings which can bite one in their butt after they bought the vehicle.

 

Sorry guys for this long post but just staying under the Towing Capacity of a tow vehicle will not cut it in the lawsuit crazy world we all tow and live in these days.

 

Charlie

Edited August 16, 2018 by charlier (see edit history)

[Mark Shaw]

Last year, I bought a 20' V nose all aluminum trailer from Mission Trailers.  http://www.missiontrailers.com/ located in Maine and MT.  

I suggest you get the drop down legs at the back corners so you can load and unload with less stress on the hitch.

 

Mission Trailers is an ALCOM LLC. (Aluminum Company of Maine) product line. We build over 70 models of open and enclosed aluminum trailers for a wide variety of uses. Our combination of price and quality has fueled our tremendous growth.

 

One of our specialties is custom car haulers. From a 16' Open Car hauler to a 28' Enclosed Car Hauler - loaded with cabinets, wardrobes and lights - Mission is your source.

 

ALCOM LLC is a NATM (National Association of Trailer Manufacturers) Certified company. We manufacturer to established industry standards and U.S. DOT’s Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).

 

We're proud to be an American owned company focused on designing and building the highest quality aluminum trailers available.

 

Edited August 15, 2018 by Mark Shaw (see edit history)

[ron hausmann]

Gary - I have a lot of hours towing my Kissels in an enclosed trailer with my 2012 Ford Expedition and now with my 2015 Ford Expedition with heavy-duty-towing-packages. I echo the cautions you are getting regarding capacity. If your Expedition doesn't have a HD tow package, and if your truck or car weigh more than say 3000#,  you will probably be close to the max manufacturer's limits with an enclosed trailer of any manufacture. Do your homework and math when you buy an enclosed trailer. In my case WITH an HD tow package equipped Expedition, my enclosed trailer, wood-framed Kissel sedan, luggage, and equipment can get close to 80-90% of the manufacturer's max numbers. The weight of the trailer is really the only big variable you can control.

You CAN tow a lot with an Expedition, but that is different than towing safely!

You will appreciate that caution when you are towing in rain or snow.

My humble opinions. RON 

[Bob Hill]

I have been pulling enclosed car haulers for about 27-28 years now.  I will tell you that there is no way I would put the trailer you need behind the Expedition.  You will need a taller than the average enclosed trailer which will (1) increase weight both at tongue and overall and (2) increase frontal area for the trailer.  I would not personally feel comfortable pulling a trailer like that behind the Expedition.   To be honest, pulling a trailer with additional height is your biggest obstacle IMHO.  

 

Bob

[MochetVelo]

Gary, you mention a shorter trailer being easier to back up than a longer one, but I think the opposite is true. Any comments? 

Also, Ford offers a cool trailer back-up feature available on all their new pickups (and maybe other vehicles). You turn a knob to where you want the trailer to go and the vehicle steers itself. It's not an expensive option.

 

Phil

[Bob Hill]

I think a longer traielr is MUCH easier to back than a short one personally.

 

Bob

[JACK M]

7 minutes ago, MochetVelo said:

Gary, you mention a shorter trailer being easier to back up than a longer one, but I think the opposite is true. Any comments? 

 

Distance from the hitch ball to the axels is that variable.

The more distant the easier to back up.

A short distance makes the trailer respond to quickly.

When I tow with my motor home which has a huge distance from the truck axle to the hitch ball I can easily put the trailer where I want as long as I have room for the motor home to follow.

My all aluminum 26 ft enclosed cost in excess of 20K new Even the chassis is aluminum..

The best cabinet package.

Generator

Lights inside and out.

Compressor

winch

brakes on all four

torsion suspension.

Electric jack

On and on.

I got it used for less but still over twice your budget.

And yes, tires are a nightmare.

I don't know why but this trailer seems to eat them. Two blowouts on my last trip and that was about 200 miles each way is all.

And I don't buy cheap tires either. And I try to avoid scrubbing them. And I keep them covered.

My open deck trailer is much easier to deal with, but sometimes we need the enclosed.

 

I found the enclosed on a site called racingjunk.com several years ago. Those drag racers seem to have big budgets.

[Bhigdog]

2 hours ago, charlier said:

First thing a a good attorney will do is crunch ALL these numbers to see if the tow vehicle and trailer exceed the vehicle manufacture's published, rated capacities. If they do exceed the published ratings, the owner of the rig will lose any lawsuit brought against them.

 

On a related note: I picked up a load of gravel at the quarry. When I had it weighed to get the price the weigh master walked out to my truck opened the door and checked the MGVW sticker. She walked back to the weigh shack, came out with a shove and told me to remove 200 pounds of gravel. She said someone left over the MGVW, got in an accident and the quarry was sued and lost. NO ONE leaves over weight.....................Bob

[Verne L Frantz]

You can't go wrong with an InTech. All aluminum construction and custom built exactly to your specifications. Amish workforce in Indiana.

 

Verne

 

 

[jrbartlett]

What does the Intech pictured above cost as shown?

[Bhigdog]

21 minutes ago, jrbartlett said:

What does the Intech pictured above cost as shown?

 

 Googling around I found a new Intech 24' modestly optioned for $1000 per foot. And as they say:   Taxes, tags, and delivery not included...............Bob

[Verne L Frantz]

4 hours ago, jrbartlett said:

What does the Intech pictured above cost as shown?

 A little over $20K. It has many features that you can't see.

 

Verne

[charlier]

19 hours ago, Bhigdog said:

 

On a related note: I picked up a load of gravel at the quarry. When I had it weighed to get the price the weigh master walked out to my truck opened the door and checked the MGVW sticker. She walked back to the weigh shack, came out with a shove and told me to remove 200 pounds of gravel. She said someone left over the MGVW, got in an accident and the quarry was sued and lost. NO ONE leaves over weight.....................Bob

 

Bob, you are not the only person I heard this same story from in recent years. One has to wonder what the legal/financial impact on the person who was overloaded, had the accident and got sued was. Could have been devastating if their insurance company denied coverage for the accident on their policy due to the vehicle owner's negligence (driving overloaded). 

 

Related to your related note....

 

The township I live in here in Eastern, PA conducts period truck safety inspections (usually ever 4-6 weeks during spring/summer/fall). During those inspection days they pull in ALL Commercial (Tractor trailers, box trucks, landscape companies pulling trailers) and NON COMMERCIAL rigs (personal pickups towing travel trailers, cargo trailers car trailers, etc). Last time I got pulled in for inspection I was on my way to Fall Hershey towing one of my cars in my enclose car trailer. They asked me for my license, registration for my tow vehicle and trailer and proof of insurance. While they went over the paperwork they pulled me onto their scale and weighed my rig while doing a visual check of my rig and also checking the current inspection stickers on my tow vehicle and trailer. They did not check the weight rating sticker on my door jams. Apparently the software they were using on their laptop gave them the weight information using the VIN, year and model information from my tow vehicle registration.  From what I am told, any rig found to be unsafe (visual inspection) or exceeding it's weight rating is given a citation and is required to park the rig until the violation is fixed. BTW, yes I have seen non commercial rigs (pickup trucks with all kinds of trailers attached) parked in the impound area during/after these safety check days.

 

I would be willing to bet that my township is not the only local government entity that is performing these safety inspections in Pennsylvania or other states that permit such inspections. Just one more reason for crunching the numbers for one's tow vehicle and trailer and knowing one is not exceeding one's weight ratings.

 

Charlie

[John348]

Gary,

I strongly agree with the others the tow vehicle dictates everything and is the most expensive part of the equation

[SC38dls]

Gary if you get a gooseneck I think you would be very happy. I’ve hauled horses (I know it’s not the same thing but) from Wyoming to New Mexico and Florida to Quebec and most places in between with tag alongs and goosenecks. The goosenecks ride easier, stop better and handle a lot better, the horses seem to like it better too! 

Heck you can haul it with that Studebaker and load the Expedition onto the rig. 

Have fun.

Dave S 

[Bhigdog]

48 minutes ago, charlier said:

 

Bob, you are not the only person I heard this same story from in recent years. One has to wonder what the legal/financial impact on the person who was overloaded, had the accident and got sued was. Could have been devastating if their insurance company denied coverage for the accident on their policy due to the vehicle owner's negligence (driving overloaded). 

 

Related to your related note....

 

The township I live in here in Eastern, PA conducts period truck safety inspections (usually ever 4-6 weeks during spring/summer/fall). During those inspection days they pull in ALL Commercial (Tractor trailers, box trucks, landscape companies pulling trailers) and NON COMMERCIAL rigs (personal pickups towing travel trailers, cargo trailers car trailers, etc). Last time I got pulled in for inspection I was on my way to Fall Hershey towing one of my cars in my enclose car trailer. They asked me for my license, registration for my tow vehicle and trailer and proof of insurance. While they went over the paperwork they pulled me onto their scale and weighed my rig while doing a visual check of my rig and also checking the current inspection stickers on my tow vehicle and trailer. They did not check the weight rating sticker on my door jams. Apparently the software they were using on their laptop gave them the weight information using the VIN, year and model information from my tow vehicle registration.  From what I am told, any rig found to be unsafe (visual inspection) or exceeding it's weight rating is given a citation and is required to park the rig until the violation is fixed. BTW, yes I have seen non commercial rigs (pickup trucks with all kinds of trailers attached) parked in the impound area during/after these safety check days.

 

I would be willing to bet that my township is not the only local government entity that is performing these safety inspections in Pennsylvania or other states that permit such inspections. Just one more reason for crunching the numbers for one's tow vehicle and trailer and knowing one is not exceeding one's weight ratings.

 

Charlie

 

Now you've given me a wake up call, Charlie. I've had my trailer inspected only once in the 12 years I've been towing with it. Guess I'll spring for the $30 inspection fee.

The guy at the inspection station said other states can't enforce not having a PA sticker since it's not their state's law violation. Might be B.S., Don't know........Bob

[John348]

10 minutes ago, Bhigdog said:

 

Now you've given me a wake up call, Charlie. I've had my trailer inspected only once in the 12 years I've been towing with it. Guess I'll spring for the $30 inspection fee.

The guy at the inspection station said other states can't enforce not having a PA sticker since it's not their state's law violation. Might be B.S., Don't know........Bob

 

Inspections are state by state.

[JZRIV]

Many responses with a lot of good info but I did not notice where anyone suggested a trailer that has the entry height clearance Gary needs. Once a trailer is found/selected with an acceptable height, then the numbers/specifications process can start. Most likely cost will rule it out from start. Bob Hill made reference in post 19 and accurately indicated how an extended height trailer will affect weight.

 

Many common manufacturers do not even list the entry clearance height and they have a standard height trailer across the board which is too low for Gary's truck. Extra height requirement makes it "special". Special = expensive. They are available but price goes way up, double and almost triple the $6k budget and that doesn't take into account a new tow vehicle to pull it which will almost certainly be required as so many referenced.

So......the extended height significantly affects cost on many fronts not to mention specifications that trickle down.

 

Gary you will need to decide how bad you want to protect that truck hauling enclosed and weigh the costs along with practicality and safety. You may decide open is just fine!

[Gary_Ash]

I stopped at one of the local trailer dealers.  He focused on a Cargo Express aluminum-frame model, 8.5x20 ft, spring axles (with shackles, not slipper), ~2800 lbs weight, Vee nose, flat 1-piece roof, screw-less exterior, 6" extra height for 84" door height (my Studebaker pickup is actually 78" high),  36" side door, rear jacks, side posts/bows/cross members 16" O.C., 15" aluminum wheels.  Price is $10,600, delivery 3-4 weeks currently.  Same trailer with steel frame is about $4000 less, but the weight penalty is 700-1000 lbs.  If I go for the aluminum version, the loaded trailer will still be well under 6000 lbs with either the pickup or the Indy car on board. 

 

Apparently, prices on aluminum trailers have gone up a lot recently due to the new tariffs on imported aluminum, steel trailers up 6%-7%.

 

I'll shop around a bit, see what else is offered.  Not many Mass. dealers carry car haulers.

[JACK M]

You will be disappointed with a trailer that short.

Mine is 26 which might be a bit long for your needs.

But an extra 4 feet or so will give you some room for accessories and be much easier to sell if that day comes.

[Bhigdog]

22 minutes ago, JACK M said:

You will be disappointed with a trailer that short.

Mine is 26 which might be a bit long for your needs.

But an extra 4 feet or so will give you some room for accessories and be much easier to sell if that day comes.

 

Agreed.................Bob

[John348]

1 hour ago, Bhigdog said:

 

Agreed.................Bob

 

Double agreed to that !!!!  

 

One thing I had found with the "V" nose trailer is that it really does not make any difference with fuel milage or handeling. I have a 8.5' high trailer also (which I don't need) and the higher the trailer the bigger pounding the side walls takes from the wind. A friend of mine  bought the same identical tow vehicles, (2500 Sierra Crew Cab Diesels) we pretty much towed identical cars but he had a 6' or  6'6" high trailer and he was getting (so he said) 13-14 mpg  and I was getting 9-10 mpg. I also must mention I get the same MPG loaded or empty, the wind drag is huge!  Like Bob mentioned, when the time comes a short box is hard to sell.  I had just has too much grief with an open trailer, damage from road debris, and the final straw was a blowout that tore up the side of my car. I never felt comfortable with an open trailer again. I had a big deck open Featherlite trailer which at the time cost about as much as a cheaper enclosed. I just could not afford a 2500 series truck. The trailer weighed about 1500 pounds and I was towing mostly full size early 60's Chevy's. I was close to 5000 pounds give or take. I was towing it with either a Yukon or a Sierra both 1500's and while they could tow it and were rated for it,  long did take a toll on the vehicles.

When I decided to give up on the open trailer and bought a closed trailer, I sucked it up and bought a new 2500 Sierra gas powered truck, which was a HUGE MISTAKE!  I was getting 6 to 8 MPG with a 27 gallon tank. I live 200 miles from Hershey and would have to stop for fuel  half way because it would just be that close. You would be surprised how much added time to the trip stopping for fuel every 1 1/2 hours on the road adds. So I lost my shirt traded it in after 18 months and went for the diesel. Even though both trucks are 2500's it was comparing apples to oranges when it came to towing. (and price).

 

I strongly suggest to see if you can for your truck in a  6' trailer, you will save on weight, fuel, and wear and tear on the tow vehicle. You just want it to be a a relaxing experience getting your vehicle to and from an event. Also you want to have two spare tires with you for the trailer.     

 

Good Luck

[Bhigdog]

37 minutes ago, John348 said:

Also you want to have two spare tires with you for the trailer

 

I carry 3 mounted and one unmounted spare. Having just one spare sucks. When you have a blow out 300 miles from home and put your spare on. Now you are 300 miles from home with NO SPARE. Been there, done that , no fun.......Bob

[Grimy]

8 minutes ago, Bhigdog said:

I carry 3 mounted and one unmounted spare. Having just one spare sucks. When you have a blow out 300 miles from home and put your spare on. Now you are 300 miles from home with NO SPARE. Been there, done that , no fun.......Bob

Not to mention that occasionally when one tandem-axle tire blows, it takes an adjoining tire on the same side with it, leaving you on the side of the road needing TWO spares.  I have two 3-axle enclosed trailers, each with two spares and one unmounted tire.  The 3rd (presumably good) tire makes it much safer to get to a safe tire-changing location.

[Bhigdog]

20 minutes ago, Grimy said:

Not to mention that occasionally when one tandem-axle tire blows, it takes an adjoining tire on the same side with it, leaving you on the side of the road needing TWO spares.  I have two 3-axle enclosed trailers, each with two spares and one unmounted tire.  The 3rd (presumably good) tire makes it much safer to get to a safe tire-changing location.

 

Not to hijack the thread but a "trailer aid" tire changing ramp is a MUST have. Makes the tire change a breeze. Only hassle is the semis whizzing by at 70 MPH. I HATE TRAILER TIRES..............Bob