Enclosed Trailer Help! Newb

[Try2paz]

Curious as to everyone's opinion's on trailers. I'm looking at moving from a Rollback trailer to an enclosed. I've got two cars both around the same weight 66 mustang / 67 nova. I really like TPD trailers as the ones I've seen have been top notch. I found a 20ft 2005 in Modesto that seems to be in great shape, it's half price of a new one. The guy wants 10k, new is 18k + tax / lic.

I spoke with TPD today and they said the 20ft trailers come with the 3500lb axels and have an overall rating of 7k. So if I factor 3000lb for the car, + 3250 for trailer that leaves me with 3-400lb for gear etc.

Is there any issue running right up to the 7k limit ? should I be worried, or should I continue to search for a 24ft?

Also i've been told to look at ATC Raven Plus? Any others I should keep a lookout for?

[dontlifttoshift]

What are you towing with?

I personally think 20' is too short for anything but a miata sized car and would keep shopping for a 24'

I would also be looking for 5,000 lb axles if you are going to 24' I would prefer more wiggle room than 400 pounds, which can disappear fast.

[CJD Automotive]

I'd go 28'. It's a pretty standard size that's easy to resale and will fit your stuff. You never know if you'll decide to haul a golf cart, SXS, etc with the car. You WILL run out of room no matter what size you go with. Just works that way.

I have an aluminum ATC and think it is one of the best trailers made.

[jlwdvm]

I just went through the same thing. I have a '13 Boss, '16 GT350, and a '69 Firebird track car that will all see trailer time. I will be pulling with a '13 F150 with Ecoboost. I ended up ordering a 24' Haulmark Aluminum that has an escape door, finished interior, red in color, aluminum wheels, 10k axles, a 4' flip out ramp extender with extra tall bumpers (so I won't have to use race ramps), etc. I will have less than $11k in in after it is all said and done...that is brand new. It also has a wedge front and sloped front roof (so it will actually be a little larger than a square-front 24' trailer. I looked for a good used one for a long time, but the difference between new and used wasn't enough for me to forgo the 6 year warranty, ability to get exactly what I want, and piece of mind when traveling.

[clill]

A friend has a 24' Featherlite in Woodland for sale for 12K and almost new.

[David Pozzi]

You need a 9800 lb GVW trailer. My 22 foot feather lite all-aluminum trailer weighs 8400 lbs with a Camaro & tools/gear.

[GregWeld]

I've used a 24' enclosed - twin axle - trailer for years. That size is really all you need unless you're a pro racer and need to haul all manor of spares etc. The 24' I just sold had a generator compartment - cabinets - and plenty of room for all my race related spares.

[dontlifttoshift]

I'd go 28'. .

I would too, I just thought that was too big a swing from a 20'.....and still waiting to see what the tow vehicle is. 24' is really the practical limit with a 1/2 ton.....IMHO, YMMV, yada,yada,yada.

...but yeah, my next one will be a 28' with rampovers so you can actually use the drivers side escape door and to make it waaayyy easier to tie off the car.

[ironworks]

I would too, I just thought that was too big a swing from a 20'.....and still waiting to see what the tow vehicle is. 24' is really the practical limit with a 1/2 ton.....IMHO, YMMV, yada,yada,yada.

...but yeah, my next one will be a 28' with rampovers so you can actually use the drivers side escape door and to make it waaayyy easier to tie off the car.

only with a big enough truck. I have 28" with an extenned tougue. 35ft total. Got the super spread axles and it its awesome. Even empty in the wind.

[Try2paz]

A friend has a 24' Featherlite in Woodland for sale for 12K and almost new.

PM me the details.

Ok so the 20ft is out, I think the 24ft is really the way to go.

I ordered a new truck also, the wife pulled my Yukon for baby duty only. The truck is a 2017 F250 Diesel so issues pulling anything really.

Greg is that the brand new trailer you had earlier this year? bummer I wish I knew!

[GregWeld]

PM me the details.

Ok so the 20ft is out, I think the 24ft is really the way to go.

I ordered a new truck also, the wife pulled my Yukon for baby duty only. The truck is a 2017 F250 Diesel so issues pulling anything really.

Greg is that the brand new trailer you had earlier this year? bummer I wish I knew!




What happened is Chet took my brand new one - 24' InTech - and I think the one Charley mentioned might be either Charley's old feather lite or Chet's.


That will be a really nice truck!!!

[Try2paz]

is Chet planning on hitting up T-HIll in october? any update on his mustang getting back together.

thanks! I'm overly excited about the truck! I just spoke with Mike on the featherlite he is sending me pics.

[Try2paz]

Thoughts on this one?

Seems like a lot of trailer for the $$

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/fod/5748669025.html

I've also heard good things about the ATC line of trailers.

[AMSOILGUY]

I just went through the same thing. I have a '13 Boss, '16 GT350, and a '69 Firebird track car that will all see trailer time. I will be pulling with a '13 F150 with Ecoboost. I ended up ordering a 24' Haulmark Aluminum that has an escape door, finished interior, red in color, aluminum wheels, 10k axles, a 4' flip out ramp extender with extra tall bumpers (so I won't have to use race ramps), etc. I will have less than $11k in in after it is all said and done...that is brand new. It also has a wedge front and sloped front roof (so it will actually be a little larger than a square-front 24' trailer. I looked for a good used one for a long time, but the difference between new and used wasn't enough for me to forgo the 6 year warranty, ability to get exactly what I want, and piece of mind when traveling.

This seems like the deal. Something wrong with haulmark since nobody replies to this?

[DBasher]

Nate, this is what we used for Thunderhill earlier this year. The trailer is a 20' and doable but you end up running out of room after the track supplies are loaded.
The truck, no issues. Super comfortable, quiet and would pull any hill from Seattle at 70+. I'd look down and realize I was doing 85, never felt like the truck was working. The bad, even on the flats of Northern Cali we couldn't get any better than 9.5mpg. Hackster was laughing at us as he was pulling his truck down on an open trailer with his older Cummins knocking down 16-17mpg.

:cheers:

[Try2paz]

what type of trailer is that 20ft? Also what type of axels? that seems to be coming up a lot on the 20ft for being at max weight capacity pretty easily.

If you add cabinets, generator, etc i could easily see being at 7k.


Dang! 9.5MPG I'm hopeful the new 2017 does better than that. I'm told the biggest gas killer in the new diesels is the regen process.

I spoke to the lead from Charlie today and his comment to me was even if you dont buy my trailer dont get anything less than a 24!

[ironworks]

That ATC is pretty good already on the west coast. Mine was 20k and I had to go to Indy. Mine had options though. I would get some more d rings.

Fords always get horrible mileage. My drama got 12.5 pulling 10k the 75 plus for 2700 miles a month ago. I would buy a dramatic. They town great and ride great when loaded. Mine is awesome. My Ford was a pile of junk and didn't work like my 3500 does.

[DBasher]

I think it's a Continental and am almost positive the axles were 5200lb. It's basic, cheap carpet, diamond plate on the ramp and thin ply half way up the walls...no frills. Everyone around here has open trailers, we rented this one to make the trip down not wanting to deal with the winter weather, which we ran into, none.

As far as the truck, I can't say much because I don't buy anything new. I do know it had the power and was nice and comfortable. If it's anything like the older diesels you'll see better mpg the more miles you put on it. Come to think of it, we were laughing about how it seems to go into regen when you need the power...:lol:

If I had a tow rig, it'd be an older Kodiak QuadCab with the D-Max and Allison:bigun2:

[Try2paz]

ok E Track in trailers? Who has them, who uses them? Are they worth it?

[GregWeld]

ok E Track in trailers? Who has them, who uses them? Are they worth it?



My latest trailer had "AIR CRAFT" track (the round "slots") in it the whole way front to back. GREATEST THING EVER!! You can strap anything down anywhere you need it! Loved it.

[CamaroAJ]

I just bought a new 2016 24'x8'6" Hallmark Passport V-nose enclosed trailer a few weeks ago for $7300 out the door with 5200lb axles, upgraded lights, floors, and .030 metal.

And before anyone says anything, no my truck isn't hooked up to the trailer in the pictures, it had a 4/7 drop on it and I traded it in last week on a diesel anyways.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c80/CamaroAJ/hallmark.jpg (http://s25.photobucket.com/user/CamaroAJ/media/hallmark.jpg.html)

[Blake Foster]

My latest trailer had "AIR CRAFT" track (the round "slots") in it the whole way front to back. GREATEST THING EVER!! You can strap anything down anywhere you need it! Loved it.

I put the same in our 53 ft on the upper deck to strap down display stuff best invention ever. hard to think it can hold as much weight as it does!!

I have a wedge nose 24. it is an old interstate that needs to be replaced one day. and I find it tows funny when you pass or get passed by a semi. It seems to get sucked into the larger truck. and when it is raining the water spray coming off the front of the trailer and out into your mirror vision and into the lane beside you was CRAZY!! that was towing with a DRW Dodge if that matters. also the tongue is short and I doubt you could put an equalizer on it. I also think it reduces the turning radius when backing up as opposed to a long tongue flat front trailer.

[Ron Sutton]

In my 38 years of racing, I've had quite a few car trailers ... 30+ ... from open flat bed 16' to 53' Nascar "transporters" ... from budget to luxurious ... and everything in-between.

I had one trailer the walls separated from the frame !

I have come to the conclusion that ...
A. You get what you pay for ... most of the time.
B. Nothing wrong with a lower cost trailer if you're not going to use it much & can protect it from the elements.
C. If you're going to use it & want it hold up, for Pete's sake buy a good one.
D. Really take the time to make sure it fits your needs.
E. If you need to cut the budget, cut the frills not the quality of the structure.
F. Get more brakes than you think you need.
G. If you have one built ... go see the factory first. Lot of tell-tale signs where they're built.

I would add a few tips from experience:
* Torsion axles ride better than spring axles (beats up your car & stuff less).
* Air rides better than anything else, but that's for bigger trailers than you're looking at.
* Get the longer tongue. 5' is much better than 4'.
* Consider resale when shopping brands. Higher end brands hold their value better.
* Ignore "maintenance free bearings". All that means is you need to replace them instead of inspecting & repacking them.
* Be a little cautious of buying a bigger trailer than you need. If there is space, you will fill it & that adds weight.
* Will your truck tow it?
* Nothing is worse to drive ... or more dangerous ... than an unbalanced trailer. Too much or too little tongue weight is bad.

Lastly ...
* If you live on the West Coast, especially in California, TPD is a great option. Not only do they hold up amazingly well over 10-15-20 years ... the resale is awesome too. I've had 4 TPDs. Best short trailer I've ever owned.

:cheers:

[cjsgarage]

http://www.cjsgarage.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/IMG_14971-225x300.jpg

I bought a 20' enclosed (24' total) some years ago to use as a portable garage on race days and at home, work. I'm fairly certain it has 5000 lb torsion axles and it made a trip to Idaho weighing in at 10000lbs. It tows smooth at 85 if you ever get up that high and holds everything. The picture above is glassman (Mike's) Camaro when I picked it up to bring to the shop. His car is a 70 1/2 Camaro and the transmission is laid behind the car on the ground. It has room up front for cabinets (though I've never installed any) or a 18" or 24" deep toolbox. 12" would probably be perfect. It has hauled 48" SnapOn toolboxes with cars without issues. I am really happy with it. Space hasn't been an issue.. especially because I don't need ramps and I'm usually using a truck to haul it.. (the truck bed has room for stuff). The man door in the front is totally useful.

I also have the E-Track running the length of it along the walls. I ought to run it along the floors, but the wall stuff has been more than enough in the last five years.

on a side note, parking this trailer is not always easy.. backing up can be difficult visibility; and parking lots don't always have the space; and getting in and out of gas station pumps would be much harder with a bigger trailer. I wouldn't want a 24 footer for me.

[cjsgarage]

that image is huge. Can I resize it without putting in on photobucket?

EDIT: fixed it

[TheJDMan]

I would add one thing to the list that Ron posted. Get a minimum of 5200lb axles and 7000lb is even better. I ordered my 20ft United Expressline with optional 5200lb axles and have never regretted having the heavier axles. One other piece of advice, if you buy a trailer with wood lined interior, paint the walls and ceiling white. You would be amazed at how much it brightens up the interior.

[Roger Poirier]

What are you towing with?

I personally think 20' is too short for anything but a miata sized car and would keep shopping for a 24'

I would also be looking for 5,000 lb axles if you are going to 24' I would prefer more wiggle room than 400 pounds, which can disappear fast.

I agree completely. Roger

[Ron Sutton]

I would add one thing to the list that Ron posted. Get a minimum of 5200lb axles and 7000lb is even better. I ordered my 20ft United Expressline with optional 5200lb axles and have never regretted having the heavier axles. One other piece of advice, if you buy a trailer with wood lined interior, paint the walls and ceiling white. You would be amazed at how much it brightens up the interior.

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Try2paz]

Well step one is done.. I picked up the new truck.

It's insanely quiet for a diesel, and rides as smooth as some of my friends 1/2 tons. The interior is finally big enough for the whole family.

Line X goes in next week and a folding cover.

http://i1307.photobucket.com/albums/s591/Lightning2k/0EE9DBF9-9AF9-4B73-B911-8AFABD3AD4F2_zps5brnhnhx.jpg (http://s1307.photobucket.com/user/Lightning2k/media/0EE9DBF9-9AF9-4B73-B911-8AFABD3AD4F2_zps5brnhnhx.jpg.html)

http://i1307.photobucket.com/albums/s591/Lightning2k/AB34A951-EA08-4558-923C-38E4370CC2F1_zpsuinyupk3.jpg (http://s1307.photobucket.com/user/Lightning2k/media/AB34A951-EA08-4558-923C-38E4370CC2F1_zpsuinyupk3.jpg.html)

I found a used 2005 24ft TPD in Sac and it was sold in a matter of hours.

The search continues.. i'm still eyeing the 24ft ATC in San Jose.

[DBasher]

Meow that's a nice looking truck!

Is the badge on the fender a vent or just decorotive? After a brief conversation with Sutton I'm now noticing all the little aero tricks the manufactures are building into the new vehicles.

Might as well look at 28' trailers....you won't even know you're pulling anything with that rig.

:cheers:

[sanddan]

One thing to keep in mind with TPD's is the spacing between the inside wheel wells, it is narrower than typical enclosed trailers. OAW to outside of the walls is 8' vs 8'6" on other trailers. I loaded my MINI in my 20' trailer and couldn't open the doors enough to get out. Forget about a bigger car. Either plan on adding a winch for loading or look for a different brand. The TPD's are very popular for ATV's and other sand toys, I hauled 4 in mine and later hauled a sandrail and 2 ATV's, just not as good for cars.

[jlwdvm]

It's close, but it will work for the lowest car I have!http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii533/jlwdvm/004_zpsspx8co0b.jpg (http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jlwdvm/media/004_zpsspx8co0b.jpg.html)
http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii533/jlwdvm/002_zpsglhyus1u.jpg (http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jlwdvm/media/002_zpsglhyus1u.jpg.html)

[Ketzer]

Good looking rig!

[Ron Sutton]

One thing to keep in mind with TPD's is the spacing between the inside wheel wells, it is narrower than typical enclosed trailers. OAW to outside of the walls is 8' vs 8'6" on other trailers. I loaded my MINI in my 20' trailer and couldn't open the doors enough to get out. Forget about a bigger car. Either plan on adding a winch for loading or look for a different brand. The TPD's are very popular for ATV's and other sand toys, I hauled 4 in mine and later hauled a sandrail and 2 ATV's, just not as good for cars.

That's interesting. Sounds like you had a 8' wide version. My Kart trailers were 8' wide. But my car trailer was 8' 6" wide.

:cheers: