Starting the search for an enclosed car trailer, SOOO many choices out there my mind is going fuzzy. Looking in the 20'-24' range, more so a 20' with a v-nose front, or a 24' flat front.

Any recommendation or expriences would be appreciated, i definitely want all aluminum to keep the weight down as i'll be towing with my 04 silverado ss, not the most stout suspension, but will be grabbing a leveling hitch.

So far my pick is a Cargo-Pro 2000 series aluminum enclosed, lightest weight, like the looks and not crazy money.

Thanks!

 

what car you going to be hauling with it? i would see if you can goa little bigger. we had a 28' and it was tight was you put all the crap in there. we had tool boxes generator floor jack jack stands winch. you will think it is big but will fill up quickly. think of a garage no matter how big you build it will be too small lol.

 

my 99 trans am mostly, possibly the corvette here and there??? but only a handful of times. I was thinking a 24' should be plenty

 

talk to JL-ws6, he has REALLY been researching for a enclosed, and he does have room issues so he is looking for the deal that can do the job and keep it at the house.

 

A 24 foot V nose will fit the car and a small ATV, golf cart if you're lucky, and that's only if you put all overhead cabinets so you can pull teh car right up into the V nose portion of the trailer.

I've done ALOT of reasearch on this, as stated I have limited room to keep the trailer @ my house.

As for the weight, the alum ones are alot lighter, but you're looking at abotu 3 times the cost compared to a comparable steel one, I don't know what you want to spend, but the price difference is huge.


There's so many places that make trailers now I can't even reccommend any specific one as they all have their good points. One thing that everyone tells me is to buy the biggest you can right away, because you get a minimum for what you need now and you'll be wishing you bought a bigger one in no time.

 

good advice jl.. i was thinking a 20' but the more im looking i think a 24' would be better. My other limitation though is my truck, only a half ton i don't think it can support the weight of a steel trailor. A steel is about 4500lbs and i can get a aluminum for like 2800lbs.

 

Yeah, you can buy a brand new steel one loaded with **** for about 10 grand, same thing in alum will be about 20 to 25 grand.. if ya have that much $ to spend on a trailer, I'd reccommend buying a steel one, and get rid of the 1/2 ton and pick up a 3/4

 

We sell Rance Aluminum ones.. check them out.. also High Country from Maine.. let me know I can see if there are any winter specials... Brad had my phone #'s if/when..

Dan

 

anyone sell trailers like the uhaul ones. I really dont need more trailer than that. I can put the extra set of tires and tools in the back of the truck.

Thats usually all I ever need when going to the track.

 

Timmy hurry up and buy that trailer so I can use it this weekend

 

VERY good suggestion there! The SS is nice but, the suspension is going to be pissed if you put to much weight back there. I believe that truck is rated to tow 7500lbs. The car is about 3500 so that leaves you 4000lbs for the trailer and anything else that you will be carrying. You might feel that you can get by going a little overweight but there is a big different between towing comfortably and having the truck work hard all of the time and pushing the suspension/brakes to the limit. I used to have a 24" Hallmark Trailer. That with the car and other stuff weighed in at close to 10k.

Tom

 

go tow NOYZEE'S trailor and see how the truck does and go from there

 

All i can think of is seeing noyzee's trailer hooked up to his dads avalanche, and that thing was all done. No way i'd drive with it, and my truck would be the exact same. So the more im thinking about it, the more i'm thinking i'll just wait another year and once i have a bigger truck i'll grab a trailer. The car just may not get the spray this year!

 

Having a 1/2 ton truck, I can tell you this, 4700 lbs on th back of it ( trailer I have is about 1700 lbs, figure the car at about 3000lbs) and all my tools and crap in the bed, and going up the mountain on my way to LVD it's working pretty good. It's o.k. once you're up to speed on the highway, takes a bit to get there but it gets it done. I can tell by the MPG difference that I'm not killing it, but it's working.


Gererally, I turn the OD off and just keep it at abotu 65, which keeps the motor turning around 2500 rpm, and it doesn't struggle, with the exception of the mountain.


Now if I tried to put 10K on the back of it, forget it the truck is NOT gonna be happy that I am sure of, I don't think it would even do it.



Keep your eye out for used trailers too, I have seen some stuff on racing junk go for pretty cheap $, honestly I was gonna buy a new one probably in 2010 myself, but with the price of a new one vs what I can buy one that's a year or 2 old for, when I'm ready I'm just gonna sell mine, and then buy a used one, and if it needs tires or brakes do them and call it a day, I can still put tires and brakes on a 24 footer that I bought for 6 grand that has all the cabinets in and whatnot for less $ then what I can buy it for new, and then just buy my own new gererator so I know it's new, and call it a day.

I found one (don't have a link sorry) that was a 24 footer, had overhead cabinets the entire lenth on one side, and across the nose, and a strait bench in the nose with a generator door, and an awning, insulated walls, alum skin interior and exterior, 2005 model year. they wanted 6800 for it, and I figured it would need tires and brakes being the age it was, which would cost me about 1200 bucks I figure.

I priced a brand new one out equipped the same way from a 1/2 dozen different places, and it was gonna be almost 15 grand, and I still had to buy the winch to pull the car in, and the generator.

 

i hear you jl, i've been browsing racing junk and even new ones on there are going for cheap right now, brand new 24' in the 10k range with a bunch of options. I know motor wise my truck would be fine with the 6.0l and supercharger, i've hauled my car on an open trailer behind it and it's like it wasn't there. Just the suspension is my issue. Possibly pick-up an open trailer? Just seems like i'd be better off to save my money and get what i want next year or the year after

 

I hear ya. I did the open because I know the little 4.7 in my 1500 ram wasn't gonna get it done with an enclosed, so I opted for an open car for a few years.

It's served me well, didn't cost me much and I can sell it for probably about 500 bucks less then it cost me when I bought it so IMO I will do o.k. when I get rid of it for sure.

That being said, If you don't need to buy one this year, and you know that you're gonna get a 3/4 ton truck next year, I'd wait to buy the trailer until you have truck enough to pull it.


It is amazing what ya can find on racing junk for sale isn't it? 10 grand will buy ALOT of trailer these days, alot more then it would a year ago, and I suspect that by the end of 2009 what would cost ya 10 grand now will be down in the 8 to 7 range... which is when I plan to try to pick one up.

 

Go with at least a 24', preferrably a 28' Space fills up very very quickly in an enclosed trailer. I run a 36' gooseneck (which is a 28' floor + 8' over the bed) and I fill up my floorspace in a HURRY!

 

my 20 is a tad to small. when i get a new one im going 24-26 if you get one, go 22-24
mine was fine till i got a chute and wheelie bars then it got tight.
cargo pro is good, be sure to have them reenforce the roof like mine so you have no worry about the weight of snow and ice, also, the side door like mine is PERFECT worth every penny, i could help you messure for a location if you want.

the guys i got my trailer threw are real good to work with and helped me out allot with all my custom stuff, and as you know my trailer is getting old and holding up GREAT!!!

 

ps, i used to tow with my 1500 avi no problem. the reason my dads new avi was on the stops was because my big 72 chevy was in the trailer and pulled way forward, even with my 2500 i had to put 75 pounds in the air bags to lift her up.

the car is also way forward do to the wheelie bars. throw a set of bags like i have in my truck, and your ss will be fine. a real nice break controller and your good to go.

 

For those making recommendations, keep in mind, he is only hauling the car once in a while. He explained to me that it is primarily going to be used for a mobile **** studio similar to the bang bus!