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Hi every one!
I have a bit of a different question for you all. I started to look for an enclosed car trailer. I found trailers from $5000 to $35000. Some things are obvious upgrades but I am not sure what are the “must have” things for a trustworthy and quality trailer?
I think 26′ or 28′ would be a good size to have for the duel cowl phaeton and room for storage. Any suggestions and or experience with trailers you loved or hated would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Rick
A 22′ or 24′ is all that is needed, the additional length makes for a lot of extra weight, difficulty parking and maneuvering the rig.
I have a 22′ V-nosed trailer as well as a 20′ round nosed trailer, the 20′ is enough for a 16′ car to be strapped down and still have room for a spare tire and a few smaller boxes and a small tool box.
I used to have a 28 foot trailer, and it towed empty like my 22′ one tows fully loaded with a 5500# car.
Greg Long
Hey, where did you find that photo of the ’32 Convt. Coupe Roadster ??
Greg
For me 24 is the minimum. Be sure to get eight lug 16 inch wheels,, or you will have lots of tire problems. If you run fast or heavy, a triple axle or 17.5 wheels are a must. Here is my new 34 foot tag with a v nose. It is HUGE, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Lots of room for luggage , parts, a motorcycle or golf cart. It’s rated for 21,000 pounds, be sure your trailer is rated for 12,000 do not get a 10,000 pound trailer. Also, order it new with a heavy reinforced door, you won’t be sorry. Also 16 inch on center with a 3/4 inch floor. Ed.
My advice is to strongly consider an all aluminum trailer.
They are lighter and last so much longer (no floor wood rot).
They tow better and keep their value.
Thanks for the advice everyone. The pic of the 32 was found on line during my never ending search for colors. lolo 
24 Ft. is a good compromise. Get the HD wheels and 12,000 lb. rating. Slope or V-front is essential to reduce drag. My 24′ is now over 20 years old and still very serviceable, but looking a bit shabby. I like the metal floor and tracks for strapping that was optional when new.
I have an 80″ door with sloping tail and wish it was taller as my 1247 clears by only an inch.
Aluminum is the best way to go if you can afford it, but it will take many years to recoup any significant investment through fuel savings.
Finally, tow with a diesel!
Aluminum is great, but a unit that is 12,000 will be very expensive, and remember, if bent or damaged they must go to the factory for repairs. I get 20 years out of a new quaility trailer. I also buy the longest and tallest that I will ever need. The 34 foot tag unit is much more difficult to maneuver than the 24.
That trailer looks great, Ed, assume you have a CDL license to use it? If I read the regulations correctly, combined rated weights of trailer and truck combined over 26,001 pounds requires a CDL.
I have an older 24 foot Haulmark enclosed trailer, 10,000 pound, and it has no trouble holding my ’31 phaeton with room to spare. The phaeton is around 4800 pounds I believe, so you’re not over loading the trailer. I agree the 12,000 pound trailer might be better with 16 inch wheels, the 15 inch on my trailer are fine, but you have to keep on top of inflation, wear, and age of the tires, or you will have blow outs. I carry one of those small ramps in the trailer, so changing a tire is very simple with no jacking required, but it’s still no fun to look in the mirror and see pieces of tire flying around.
You want a trailer with a ramp door, and access door on the middle driver side of the trailer for easy in/out from the car. Marine deep cycle battery, winch, and electric tongue jack sure make life easier.
I worked on some early cars owned by a new car dealer, and he had taken some of the brackets used for tying down new cars to transport rigs, and modified them to fit his ’37 Cord, Packard Darrin, and others. It made tying his cars down in a trailer a snap. Guess you might lose a point at judging if someone noticed them.
As far as tow vehicle, I like the 2006 and back 3/4 ton Suburban with the 454 gas engine, as that was the last year it was offered. I know a lot of people like diesels, I just don’t, for personal reasons, as they do tow well and get better gas mileage. I have a 2001 3/4 ton Suburban that I found 3 years ago with 36,000 miles, 454 and all the goodies on it, bought for a fraction of what new Suburbans are going for, and better for towing. I had salesmen telling me the new engines were “engineered” such that they pull like the older 454, even went and hooked my loaded trailer to one to test, the pull is just not there. You need torque, which the diesel or the older bigger engine gives…..
CDL not required. All are exempt under federal regulations if NOT USED FOR GAIN. No need to stop at weigh stations either. 15 inch tires in summer heat at speeds over 60 will fail. Even 16 inch at high speed in summer heat loaded close to max will fail. If you have a big and heavy car today trailering and tire issues are the norm. I went to the triple axel set up. It tows like it isn’t there, more stable and less young weight than standard. The wheels do scuff in parking lots, but it is much safer than two axles. Last year in the desert near the salt flats we suffered a blow out at 70 mph, a loud bang and we slowed down right away, before we came to a total stop, the other tire on the same side failed…….never again. If I were running a two axel trailer and a heavy load (v12 or other monster) I would run 17.5 wheels, same rolling diameter as the 16 wheels, but with twice the weight rating.
The whole CDL question is widely discussed on the Internet. As long as it’s for personal use, you receive no money for hauling a car nor bringing it somewhere to use for money (i.e. a movie role), and have “not for hire” prominently displayed, you’re OK with your regular license in most states. If you get stopped and are hauling someone else’s car, or if they can prove you’re making money with it, or if the Trooper just doesn’t understand the laws, you may get a ticket.
I agree that the tires are the weak point on any trailer.
There is a long thread on the AACA forum regarding the various state police and DOT officers interpretations of the need or requirement for a CDL. I do not have one, but all my trailers are ‘rated’ at 10,000, not higher.
I have never had a trailer tire blow out if it is 3 years old or less, but after 3-4 years, that tire is on ‘borrowed time’. Modern trailer tires very rarely wear out, the time out. For some reason, they just start to de-ply, and soon toss a tread.. Just about guaranteed after 4 years.
Ed: how old were those tires you blew?
If the tires are Trailer RADIAL Tires, they will run 75* or more cooler than a Bias ply trailer tire, even if the Bias ply tire is at 85psi inflation, and the Radial is at 55psi inflation.. I’ve experienced this, had a Bias tire go bad, it developed a huge bulge in the sidewall, I changed to my RADIAL spare, but was concerned that it only was inflated to 55psi, but 20 miles down the freeway, at 70mph, at nearly maximum load, I pulled into the next rest area, and used an infra-red thermometer to measure the tire temps.. The Bias tires were at 220*, they were inflated to 85psi, the RADIAL tire was at 145*, and inflated at 55psi.
If I went to lots of shows, and needed a golf cart, or more storage, I’d have to go with a trailer like Ed’s, but I’ve found that I just end up carrying way too much stuff that I never use. I have two spares bolted to the wall on one trailer, and a very large ‘V’ nose, with it’s own door, and it has a LOT of storage space, and it’s 22′ long plus the 5-6foot ‘V’, this is an older Hallmark trailer.
A triple axle does wear out tires faster than a double, but there is the added safety.
For a dedicated car hauler, the gooseneck or fifth-wheel design trailers are much easier towing, less sway and dive and dip. The trailer hardly is felt at all.
As for the tow vehicle, my personal preferences are for diesels. I just can’t stand having a truck downshift out of overdrive and listen to the engine run at 3500-4000 rpm for minutes [seems like hours] for every hill on the freeways. A diesel has peak torque around 1800-2200rpm, a big block gasoline engine has peak torque around 3000 rpm.. and it really shows when you tow with one..
.
For added safety, a dual rear tire truck adds double the tires and tire sidewalls to the pulling axle, this is a big plus, but a dually is a pain in the butt to drive around when off the freeways.
Hope this helps.
Greg Long
I am looking at a photocopy of the permissible trailers chart (“California Driver License Classes Valid as of April 1, 2012”) that I keep in a document protector in my truck. This chart is found inside the front cover of the California Commercial Drivers Handbook.
**California** Class C (regular driver’s license) licensee may tow **with** a 2-axle vehicle with a GVWR of 26,000 lbs or less (motor home or truck) the following:
* a single vehicle with a GVWR of 10,000 lbs or less, including a tow dolly if used
* trailer coach (travel trailer) not exceeding 9,000 lbs gross
* trailer coach or 5th wheel travel trailer under 10,000 lbs when towing is not for compensation
* 5th wheel travel trailer exceeding 10,000 lbs but not exceeding 15,000 lbs GVWR, when towing is not for compensation and with endorsement.
So there is a reason that most car trailers are rated (like mine) at just under 10,000 (mine is rated at 9,995).
My point is to recommend that each of us find the rule for his/her state and carry a copy in your tow vehicle.
As the owner of a 24-ft (near perfect length for me) 3-axle trailer with 15-inch tires (drat!), I urge getting a trailer with at least 16″ wheels. If you are licensed in California, try to find a trailer with an axle combination that exceeds 10,000 rating but the entire trailer is rated at under 10,000. The point is not just avoiding tickets, but also protecting yourself from allegations of wrongdoing in the event of an accident.
I do love the stability of the triple axles.
Lots of good advice on trailer specs (22-24′, heavy duty axles, minimum 16″ wheels, etc.) so let me chime in on the benefits of towing with a diesel unit. I bought my 1-ton K3500 2004 crew cab dually used in 2007 with 90K miles on it. I’ve added 140K miles since. At an average fuel price of $2.50/gallon, the better mileage of the diesel has saved $20K in fuel cost vs. the gas dually I had previously. That’s over 3 X the $6K cost differential between a gas unit and a diesel unit. Break even is around 60K miles; and well worth considering when tow-rig shopping.
Correction..break even is 42K. (check your math, Tony, check your math!)
I’ve never looked at the economics of diesels, and I know that they are considered better tow vehicles. I like gas, as mentioned, for personal reasons…less noisy, not smelly, and so forth.
Here’s an interesting study of total cost of ownership for diesel vehicles, including pickups. A few years old, so would need to be adjusted for current pricing of vehicles and gas, but the interesting point is that MOST vehicles are more economical overall in diesel, but the two exceptions show are Dodge Ram pickups (with comparable cost of ownership gas to diesel) and gas being MORE economical overall for the Ford F-series trucks!
http://www.dieselforum.org/files/dmfile/20130311_CD_UMTRITCOFinalReport_dd2017.pdf
Greg, tires were new. BUT we run fast……..75 mph, heavy……..at the limit of the equipment. Most tires today are made in China…..Junk! Be sure to buy good, heavy, quaility tires. Goodyear makes a great 16 inch trailer tire that are 300 each, but well worth the safety and peace of mind. Too many bad stories with tires on trailers…….Interesting note…….if you order a new trailer, you can request two vin I’d tags, one at the correct weight, another at a lower one if you like. Helps out in some states. The interstate commerce The interstate commerce all says law means that if you legal in your own state, you’re fine in any other as long as you are on a federal highway . Get off the Federal highway in the states like California and you could have problems Issues.
Sorry for the above paragraph my spellcheck changed things around on me .
My lady Peg says, 1 You can never be thin enough, 2 You can never be rich enough, and Ed adds number 3 You can never have a heavy enough tow vehicle or trailer when hauling a Pierce Arrow. Safety for life and limb is number one, safety of our cars is next. As cars and trucks become manufactured with modern methods the total towing capacity has been dropping. Sane safe procedures require good, heavy equipment. There is very little margin for error today. Take a Pierce 12 on a 147 inch chassis, your looking at 6400 pounds with just the car. Add the trailer and you will always be over weight with a 10,000 unit. Add extra parts, clothes, tools, and four people in the Crew cab truck and you are over by a lot. One other thing to consider, a 7,000 or 8,000 pound axle on a trailer are the same, it is the brakes on the axle that give it the higher rating. This, when replacing brakes, always go to the 8,000 set up. They fit right on, no modifications, and they stop much better than the 7,000 units.
Dannnngggg! Lololo
I had no idea the issue of trailers would prompt such a great response. Thank you all very much. I know it was not a pierce question, so I apologize to the site purists.
Thanks again to all. Rick
It’s Pierce related. And it’s important that members understand trailers and the safety issues related to them. You car is much more likely to be damaged going in and out of a trailer than driving it down the road.