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Need advice for a trailer for hauling a car
For the trailer experts, I'm in need of some trailer selection advice. Bear in mind I've never towed a trailer on the road.
I need a trailer to haul stuff around for a car restoration project. It will be pulled by my 07 Tacoma with V6 and factory tow package.
The car being hauled is about 13.5 x 5.5 feet and weighs ~2200 lbs.
What would I look for in a safe but inexpensive flatbed trailer? Would a single axle work or would tandem be better? What kind of deck would suffice? What kind of brakes would be best? Do I need a brake controller installed on the truck? What sort of tie-downs do I need to do the job safely? It will need ramps and a winch (manual would be fine) to pull the car onto the deck but is there any other "must have" features?
I'd love one of those enclosed auto trailers but those get pricey fast.
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Need advice for a trailer for hauling a car
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Ken, I am far from a trailer expert but if me I would want dual axles even if you could have a single axle rated for that load. But my biggest reason to reply is look at Craigslist here there are some decent enclosed trailers hitting there at low prices.
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I've seen some good deals on Craigslist but still don't know what features to look for. What's the benefit of tandem axles? Seems like more maintenance and money for what benefit? Maybe just easier to balance?
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Need advice for a trailer for hauling a car
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Dual axle, brakes on at least one axle, brake controller, 7000lb. GVWRmin., for lightness an open deck with 2' wide runners, slide out ramps (fold up ramps may not fold up and hit the car, 16' deck min. , forget hand winch--install $150 Harbor Freight 3,000 lb. elect winch--bring extra battery and connect with clamps, most trailers have places to tie down to, consider a 5,000 lb. weight distributing hitch system---if you haven't tried one you need to! Use ratcheting web strap-type hold downs that go over the 4 tires--offers better ride since car can absorb bumps rather than being part of the trailer per se. Fold-down or removable fenders a plus--otherwise you can't open doors to get in or out. Get trailer with real trailer tires, not car tires--too squishy and reduces control.
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Now that's some good information! Thanks EW.
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Need advice for a trailer for hauling a car
My question was a bit ambiguous. I'll be hauling everything from a rolling chassis to a body to big parts to a complete car so the plank deck makes a lot of sense.
You guys have given enough info for what to ask for, now to start the search. Thanks a bunch.
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Need advice for a trailer for hauling a car
It's a 71 Opel GT. I had one in high school that I rebuilt and it was totaled when a guy turned in front of me at an intersection. Now I'm buying another for a project. It was a fun car!
They are about 13.5 feet long, 5.5 feet wide, 4 feet tall and weigh about 2200 lbs soaking wet.
The idea of screwing blocks to planks as needed is a good one.
A dealer told me today that a 7x14 7000 lb Iron Eagle trailer (box frame, pull out ramps, sloped rear end for cars with low ground clearance, full pressure treated plank floor, tandem axle with brakes on both axles, winch mount, D-rings for wheel bonnet tie downs, fixed fenders) would run about $3000. Another $200 for a brake controller. He claimed that the weight distributing hitch probably wasn't needed for my truck and this load but hooking it up and loading it would tell.
I dunno about that.
This one had fixed fenders and he said if I needed a few more inches clearance to open the car doors I could screw some additional planks down for the tires to ride on that would raise it up.
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Need advice for a trailer for hauling a car
I've been reading up on weight distributing hitches.
Howstuffworks dot com says this:
The most important thing to keep in mind when picking out a weight distribution system is the weight of the load you'll be towing. Weight distribution systems are rated in two ways: the gross trailer weight they can haul, and the tongue weight they can distribute. You want to make sure both of those ratings are above the amount you're looking to tow -- but not too far above it.
For example, if the weight distribution system has a 1,000 pound (454 kilogram) tongue weight capacity but the trailer is loaded with only 300 pounds (136 kilograms) of tongue weight with 50 pounds (23 kilograms) of cargo in the trunk of the towing vehicle, you're about 650 pounds (295 kilograms) under the rating. That can make the distribution unpredictable and dangerous. On the other hand, if the system is rated to 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms) of tongue weight but you're attempting to distribute 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms) of tongue weight, the system won't be able to distribute the weight effectively and you'll also have some serious problems. Keep that infamous rule from "The Price Is Right" in mind when choosing a weight distribution system -- you want to bid the closest without going over.
That makes it seem that a different hitch would be needed for running empty or loaded.
That can't be right.
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Need advice for a trailer for hauling a car
I dug out the Tacoma manual and it does appear to be well within weight limits. The manual recommends a WDH and if there's no downside that may be best for a newbie tow driver.
The car needs to be picked up next Thursday so I'll just pay a tow company $250 to bring it home 75 miles. That's a little spendy to do all the time. I'll keep an eye out locally for a used trailer like you guys are recommending and it will be a few months until I'll need to tow it myself (it will take awhile to strip the body due to cold weather and short days).
One more question. I will be going up and down a five mile gravel road that can get some bad washboard at times. Should I look for a boxed frame or do you think angle iron would be sufficient?
Thanks for all the good advice.
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Need advice for a trailer for hauling a car
I had a wacky idea and am curious how feasible it is.
With this new car the garage will be getting a little crowded. There's room to park everything but restoring a car takes about two parking spaces.
Would it be reasonable to buy an enclosed trailer and use it as a place to park the tractor when the trailer is not being used? It isn't used much in the winter except for the few times we get snow.
The tongue of the trailer would have to be firmly anchored but other than that, is there any downside to doing this?
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Need advice for a trailer for hauling a car
I remembered the shipping container idea that was talked about a few years ago but had thought *maybe* the trailer would do the same job. Since it may be unstable I'll revisit the shipping container.
We really need a shop. Hope my wife finds a new job soon 
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Need advice for a trailer for hauling a car
There are lots of shipping container companies around here that work with the Port of Portland so availability shouldn't be a problem. Tomorrow I'll do some price shopping. A 20 footer should be OK but I'm hoping to find a taller one so the tractor roll bar won't have to be dropped first. That would be an accident waiting to happen.
Security isn't so much the issue as is protection from rain and snow. After all a sawzall can cut through a framed wall or garage door pretty easy too.
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Need advice for a trailer for hauling a car
Called a couple of places on a 20 foot container.
Prices range from $1695-1895 depending on how many dents I'm willing to accept, plus ~$200 delivery (40 miles).
There's a good place next to the house for it to sit, but in the future I may want to move it behind the house. Are there any tricks to moving a 5000 lb. container with a 32hp tractor?
Maybe instead of buying a 7x16 flatbed trailer a wider one would be better so the container could be winched and moved.
Once the shop is done it sure seems like these would be a good place to season firewood (assuming ventilation and no condensation).
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Need advice for a trailer for hauling a car
Thanks, Murf.
I'm taking a welding class at the local community college starting in January. Maybe I'll make some container axle and hitch ends as my project
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Need advice for a trailer for hauling a car
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Some 10' Schedule 40 or 80 6" pipe works great too. The area should be free from anything that will prevent easy rolling like small rocks---think: grocery basket caster stuck on a pebble. When I moved portable garages I did it this way using only my 33hp blue. I used the box blade as a pusher. You can guide it or steer it easily this way. And as far as steering, per se, whatever way you arrange the logs/pipes generally the unit will follow, think: roller conveyor used to move boxes in a factory.
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I think rolling on pipes will be out, it will be placed on gravel
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12-09-2009, 15:56 
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