96redvettelt4

Looking for advice and input. Researching on purchasing a 20ft Haulmark trailer or maybe just a alum 18ft open trailer (almost the same in cost). My tow vehicle would be my Lincoln Mark LT that is rated to tow around 8700 pounds. Any one have any input as to what I should do? Would the Haulmark with vette about 7000 pounds be too much for the truck? Any option accessories that I should add to the trailers? Any help is appreciated. Chad

sleeper02Z06

You will get a ton of answers on this, from get the biggest deisel truck on the planet just to tow a Mini Cooper to a 200 foot long enclosed trailer is the mimimum length you need!! IMHO with the enclosed you will be fine depending on distances. If you don't tow all the time, over and under the valleys and through the woods, you'll be fine. I do suggest a distribution type hitch though, to help control sway and make it just a bit less "fun" to tow over bumps and in wind. If you are looking at long distance towing every couple of weeks you may want to stick with the open trailer. It's a bit easier on you and the vehicle.

Oyishdog

From what I hear, the closed trailers need a substantial truck to haul it up and down hills/mts and for long distances...

I personally have a 18 ft open trailer which offeres me everything i need...then again, i do not have much choice since my tow vehicle is only rated at 7000 lbs. Eitherway, you cannot go wrong, just figure out how much "Stuff" you want to haul with you and how much space you will need - closed trailers can offer more storage (read dry storage).

If i could do it over again, I would have bought a diesel and saved up for a closed trailer...oh well

96redvettelt4

Guys- thanks for the responses. Keep them coming. The trailers would be mainly used on the interstate and most likely used maybe once every couple of months or less. I really have to count out a diesel truck right now. Anyone tow a 20ft or 24ft with a non diesel vehicle-what is your thoughts?

varkwso

I currently have a enclosed 24 ft trailer (the min length to consider I might add - lots of feeling on that). I used open trailers before I bought my used enclosed. Open trailers are definitely easier to pull and load. I use my enclosed trailer to store my track stuff and even one of my cars at the house. I tow it with a F250 Diesel and a 1/2 ton Suburban - F250 much better but the Suburban works. I have yet to put the good hitch on either. Keeps me awake passing semi's.....

I also use my enclosed trailer to sleep in at the track. Better than the tent I used before!

But is like my wife's current horse trailer - it is nice but bigger and nicer is better. I want a two Vette hauler with some storage/living space....

I tow 2 to 3 weekends a month - anywhere from 2 hours to 10 hours...

ghoffman

I have a 28 foot and my 04 Chevy Silverado with a 5.3 liter pulls it well,(correction) OK. I wish I had an LS7 with the Allison. I had an 18 foot flat bed, the enclosed is usefull as a extra garage bay, place to hang out in the shade, etc.

AU N EGL

a 20 foot enclosed is too small. First the tires and axles on the 20 foot enclosed are not rated high eough to carry the trailer, vette and junk inside. Second there is not a enough room to work or move around a 20 foot enclosed

Minimum enclosed is 24 foot. This gives you room to put the tie downs in place and carry extra stuff. That being said with weights; trailer 3200, vette 3200, junk ( spare wheels, tools 1000) total 7400 lbs if not more.

Other advatanges of an enclosed are, Keeps you out of the rain, or cold, gives you shade when hot. and when you get home if your dog tired you can leave your vette secure in the trailer.

I use a 1500 HD pick up. It is just OK. tow rated 9,000 and I use a load distrabution hitch. I get 11.5 mpg towing. With the 1500 I have to watch for semis when they pass, my truck and trialer start doing the wiggle dance, So I learn to left foot brake while towing as a semi passes me on the highway.

some one mentioned that Ideally take the trucks towing capacity then take 80% of that amount for safe towing.

If some one is looking at buying a tow vehical I would say a 2500 is minium.

ghoffman

Oh yes, I also have the load distributing hitch and sway control with a Tekonsha Prodigy inertial brake controller. The hitch was $250 and the sway control is $65 and is IMHO mandatory with the bigger trailer.

outnumbered

Great info gentleman.

SouthernSon

GMC 5.3L, 1500 Sierra towing a 3800# enclosed 24ft. : I get 18 to 19 mpg without trailer at interstate speed. Drops to 8 to 9 mpg with trailer at 65 to 70 mph. Of course, that is in the mountains of Tennessee. my trailer is an 8 1/2 ft. wide flat front. I need an aerodynamic nosecap badly but can't find a supplier around these parts......

But like AU EN EGL said, go 24ft. to have room for stuff. You''ll need it. Much longer than 24ft. and you will have some difficulty in maneuvering tight spaces...

VetteJohn

Chad, For many years I've pulled a variety of open trailers loaded with Vettes. I was into autocrossing and track days and never had a minutes trouble pulling these trailers with 1/2 ton Chevy pick-ups. I recently restored a '56 and wanted something covered and purchased a 22' Trailer World Inc. slope nose trailer. I pull it with a 1500 crew cab Chevy (5.3L) and it's just the bare minimum. A distribution hitch with sway control are a must. I only tow about once a month and the roads around here are pretty flat. If I was hauling long distances, in hilly areas or more often I'd go to a diesel in a heartbeat.

Red Gump

I agree the 20' is a bit small unless you get an absolute smoking deal on it. 24' is doable with added investment in trailer brakes and brake module, sway bar and load leveling hitch.

one of my buddies towed a 24' 2 seasons with his f150--he had brakes, sway and load leveling hitch and had no problems.

01C5fan

My first tow vehicle was a GMC Yukon and it had a very similar towing capacity. I pull a 20 ft enclosed trailer (yes it's small, but it works for me) that loaded weighs around 7k lbs.. Going through the Poconos on the interstate was the only place the truck struggled - would get down around 50 mph. Otherwise it was great.

96redvettelt4

Gentlemen- great info! I think I will look into the 24ft and 5200lb axles and see what weight difference I'd be looking at. Keep the knowledge flowing. Chad

Joseesp

I'm towing a 24' enclosed trailer (3,600 lbs) + my C6Z, spare tires, etc... with a 1500 RAM pick-up, several times per month, to tracks 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 hrs. away with no problem, except some slow downs going uphill. I do have the stabilizer hitch and sway bars. I highly recommend the convenience of an enclosed trailer for all the reasons mentioned previously. That said, I'll be looking for a more powerful truck next spring.

96redvettelt4

Gentlemen- any brand you recommend and why?

alpharetta

I pull a 24' enclosed Haulmark trailer with my 2004 Yukon XL. When I got the trailer used it had the load balancing/sway bars with the hitch. I tried pulling in once without them and it scared me to death. This thing is all over the place and I never pull without using them now.

Also, my trailer has trailer brakes that weren't working when I got it. The trailer with the car in it would push my big truck around like a toy car. I would slide through stop signs at 30mph. Needless to say I got those fixed right away. The thing I learned when I took it to get fixed was that they worked on the trailer, but my Yukon with the towing package didn't have a brake controller. So they had to install one. Guess you learn something new every day. I just figured that with a tow package on a full size truck platform and the 5 pin trailer connector I'd be set. I was wrong.

I love the size of this trailer as I can take my rolling tool chest, compressor, generator, cooler, gas, and spare tires with room left over. It makes a great garage space to get out of the sun or rain when at the track for a weekend too. It is a steel frame trailer though so it's heavy. I have had to get a cold air kit for the truck, run 93 gas, and about to get a programmer. It is rough on the truck when loaded but the brake package helps slowing down, and the CAI helped in getting going. I do fine at 75mph on the interstate. I looked at the featherlite trailers that were the same but aluminum frame. They were just out of my budget. I think it would be much nicer pulling one that was several hundred pounds lighter.

If I could have anything I wanted it would probably be a diesel and a lighter trailer. But what I have works and the trailer used was only $5000.

Falcon

Is yours a 1500 (1/2 ton) or a 2500 (3/4 ton) Yukon XL? Is it the 8.1 engine or the 6 liter? 4:10 rear or 3.72?

Do you know how much your trailer weighs?

I ask these question because I have a XL - 2500 with the 6 liter and am considering a 24' enclosed. I hate to buy a new truck to haul it with and would rather use what I have. I now haul an 18' open trailer and have no issues with it at all.

AU N EGL

I have a Pace Pursuit 24 foot

John Shiels

where have you been? I know I haven't been out as much this year as I wanted.