Car Trailers...need some advice.

[Deaf Bob]

Scrap car hauler with a rollback said the aluminum deck gets gouged. Steel slides

One of my trailers is steel decked. A shove can send a car sliding off if it does not have rubber. Done it.. Needed a couple inches, laid shoulder on it and went off the side a bit..

Wood, different animal.. Best wood plank trailers are those with plywood on top of the planks.
We run space savers on our derby cars and are always blowing the planks. Plywood spreads the load..

Weights. My Big Tex is about 1200#.
3 axle equipment hauler with ramps that folds up and used to have the pintal type hitch weighs 3500#.

Whether the doors open or not, I'm too unmobile (read fat too) to climb out windows..
I've seen the flip fenders and the doors open and you can get out.. Usually only driver's side flips.

Many times we wished we had lockable trailers and beds.

[Eliteman76]

Well, it's been a while, but I scored a manual tilt bed car trailer, with a 20 foot deck. Came with a beat up toolbox with a decent sized winch and 2 year old car battery.
Needs some tweaking and minor things...but has more than paid for itself. After using it a hand full of times to load and unload stuff. Absolutely in love with her.

Best part was the $2250 price tag, and only 2 years old.
I wanted a 24 foot deck trailer, but this works for my basic needs for the time being.

Only planned change is upping the axles from 3500# to 5200# axles, and replace the emergency breakaway trailer battery kit as I don't think this one is functioning properly.

[DanStokes]

Trailer look just right to me. Remember that the longer it is the harder it is to park and maneuver (I've found myself in some tight spots even with my 18" bed). Wish I had the tilt but we get by. The winch is a good thing and something I plan to add as time goes along.

Dan

[Russell]

What are you hauling to need 5200# axles? I love the winch on my trailer. I would rather winch it on and. Off than drive it. I need to buy a battery for the winch but I don't use it often so I normally just take it out of the mustang.

[SuperBuickGuy]

........... I don't use it often so I normally just take it out of the mustang.

If you bought a car that ran, this won't be an option

[squirrel]

Good to see you found almost what you were looking for.

I've noticed that we're all pretty good at making do with something that is pretty close.

[Russell]

If you bought a car that ran, this won't be an option

I would be willing to bet that my percentage of running cars is greater than yours.

[SuperBuickGuy]

I would be willing to bet that my percentage of running cars is greater than yours.

darn good question.

1994 Suburban - Yes
1971 FJ40 - Yes
1976 Corvette - Yes
2014 JoKe - Yes
2018 Colorado - Yes
2009 CRF450 - Yes


1979 Fiat - nope
1964 Buick - nope
1950 Buick - nope

70%?

not counted, garden tractor/lawn mower, yes, backhoe, yes (poorly, according to the tractor shop).

[squirrel]

two of my three non running won't really fit on the trailer, so I'm good

[SuperBuickGuy]

I suppose I could put an asterisk by the Fiat and the 50 Buick because the motors in each do, actually run...

[Russell]

I suppose I could put an asterisk by the Fiat and the 50 Buick because the motors in each do, actually run...

Will they move under their own power? 6/9 = 67%

1987 Mustang - Yes
2003 Town car - Yes
2003 Chevy 2500HD - Yes
2007 Nissan frontier- Yes (will be for sale soon)
2001 Chevy Suburban -Yes

1961 - Ford Falcon - no, never has, have not worked on it in the last 20 years and it not even "on the stove"
1985 - thunderbird - no, technically it my Dad's I told him to send it to the crusher but he didn't.

5/7 = 71%
5/6 = 83%

[SuperBuickGuy]

Will they move under their own power? 6/9 = 67%

1987 Mustang - Yes
2003 Town car - Yes
2003 Chevy 2500HD - Yes
2007 Nissan frontier- Yes (will be for sale soon)
2001 Chevy Suburban -Yes

1961 - Ford Falcon - no, never has, have not worked on it in the last 20 years and it not even "on the stove"
1985 - thunderbird - no, technically it my Dad's I told him to send it to the crusher but he didn't.

5/7 = 71%
5/6 = 83%

so what you're saying is 100% of your non-running vehicles are Fords....

and wait one cotton-picking-minute.... you stole the battery out of the Mustang... that's a non-runner. Boy, some people and their Ford-owning children. That said, you don't have enough cars - thus to level the playing field we have to add two, non-running cars to your fleet (because obviously if you don't own them they don't run).... thus 5/9 = 55%.....


or we can subtract one non-runner from my fleet (the 50 Buick) because it's not titled in my name.... 6/8 = 75%... vs. your 5/8

[derbydad276]

My 2 cents worth...
the ultimate tow vehicle.. is a van.. not a pickup/ SUV or a 4X4
the Club wagon I had could tow 10-K with a weight distributing hitch and it was GAS not Diesel
what ever you do .... or go with .... get a weight distributing hitch ... the difference is night and day going down the road

[SuperBuickGuy]

My 2 cents worth...
the ultimate tow vehicle.. is a van.. not a pickup/ SUV or a 4X4
the Club wagon I had could tow 10-K with a weight distributing hitch and it was GAS not Diesel
what ever you do .... or go with .... get a weight distributing hitch ... the difference is night and day going down the road

buy a vehicle that meets your needs - that's the perfect tow vehicle. For the occasional days when it's not enough, rent or hire. Let me illustrate - in my car life I've hauled everything from bicycles to motorhomes and moving vans. That said, if I bought a truck capable of towing motorhomes and moving vans I'd look pretty silly at the velodrome where I race bicycles....

and with that said, if I were only doing bicycles and motorcycles - it'd a van. Because I haul greasy stuff, I like my pickup despite the lack of security.

[Dan Barlow]

so what you're saying is 100% of your non-running vehicles are Fords....

and wait one cotton-picking-minute.... you stole the battery out of the Mustang... that's a non-runner. Boy, some people and their Ford-owning children. That said, you don't have enough cars - thus to level the playing field we have to add two, non-running cars to your fleet (because obviously if you don't own them they don't run).... thus 5/9 = 55%.....


or we can subtract one non-runner from my fleet (the 50 Buick) because it's not titled in my name.... 6/8 = 75%... vs. your 5/8

There is some serious lawyering going on here !