waddisme

I found this locally :

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/1417448497.html

I am getting brakes on both axles, removeable fender, 4 D-rings, he is dovetailing it an extra 2" and 6 1/2' ramps. Am I missing anything else?

c4cruiser

Ask if he can swap the jack for one with a wheel. If you park the trailer empty on something like flat concrete or asphalt, it will be easy to move around.

Get LED tail/brake lights. Much brighter and longer lasting than regular bulbs The pics don't show any side marker lights; are they required in your state? Get them anyway as I think that federal DOT standard require them on trailers of that size.

How wide are the ramps? By what I can see, the cross bars are pretty far apart and that will make for a pretty bumpy trip up and down the trailer. The tops of the cross pieces should be flush with the tops of the ramps. Ask him to weld a couple pieces of 2" wide flat stock down the center of the ramps about 3" apart. That will provide more surface area for the tires.

Is he using "ST"-rated radial trailer tires? Make sure they have that designation are are at least Load Range C.

AU N EGL

and then a stone guard / shield for the front.

davidfarmer

lights aren't required in NC

trackboss

winch and battery

ScaryFast

Stripper Pole?

waddisme

I will check on all that. Big thanks.

Good idea!

waddisme

Harbor freight - 2000 lb winch and emergency battery/charger (found that in another thread); is that big enough?

I am using my wife's from the bedroom.

THANKS!

AU N EGL

the vette is 3300 lbs

c4cruiser

I got a HF 3000 lb winch and I keep a separate large car battery for it. I check the battery charge before each trip and charge if needed.

You can install the winch on one front corner of the trailer and use a ****** block to effectively double the pulling power. A ****** block is a pulley with a hook and the winch cable goes around the pulley. The end of the winch cable attaches at the other front corner of the trailer. As the winch pulls in the cable, the car will move at 1/2 the rate of a straight pull but you get twice the power. Add a length of cable or G70 chain from the ****** block hook to the vehicle for the initial pull. Then when the cable is nearly all in, block the car, remove the chain and connect the ****** block to the car and pull from there.

While that's fine, I think it would be reasonable to add the typical clearance lights sides and 3-light center rear) as long as the trailer is being "custom" built. The cost isn't that much and will help with resale later on to somebody who may not be from NC. A complete wiring harness for full lighting and the trailer brakes is widely available for car trailers in standard lengths.

redvetracr

3 walls a roof and a ramp door.............

JDIllon

There is only one of the 3000# winches from HF that will work. Without using a double line. And that is Stock # 91781 the 2000# and the other 3000#s will not pull a car on the trailer! And I have tried them All. JD
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waddisme

Will 2 of the 2000 lb $49.99 winches work? They include remotes!

c4cruiser

There would be no easy way to get two separate winches to synchronize pulling so that both have an equal load. And two winches running at the same time would probably be twice the battery drain.

That 3000lb capacity HF winch mentioned should work fine. Just make sure it's mounted solidly with high-strength bolts and the roller fairlead is also mounted with strong bolts. With your trailer deck being wood, use some 3/16" thick steel plate of at least 6"x6" on both sides of the deck.

waddisme

I am thinking the $800 upgrade for steel floor will be worth the investment so add that to the stone guard

JDIllon

As I said, I have tried all of the HF winches 2000 an 3000# the #91781 sells for $99.99 or there abouts. and you can get a 20% off coupon on line. Also if you are going to spend that much money check with Kraftsman trailers. The trailer in the picture is a 20 foot with stone guard,Tire rack, led lights, side rails and aluminum ramps, removeable fender and 4 wheels brakes, radial tires with spare and mount, and more was only $3300.00, it maybe a little more now, that was 2 yrs ago. An 18 foot is long enough but I carry a motor scooter in front of the car. Also there trailers are painted top and bottom, many are only painted on the outside and the top. I have nothing to do with this company, but they build a great trailer for the money. Three of my friends have them and love them. Plus they are great people to do business with. The one you are looking at maybe a great trailer also, just trying to give you an idea for comparison. JD

waddisme

I did call them today after getting your email. Their price came out to $2640, basically $800 more for steel floor and their deluxe tie down pkg. I am calling the local guy tomorrow and see how much to upgrade to steel floor if possible.

There is also an enclosed trialer for sale an 1/2 hour from here for $3900. I am going tomorrow to look at it and maybe make him an offer. If I could get an enclosed for ~$3500, done deal. It seems like a lot for just once a month track days, but resale would be better when the time comes.



Thanks for all the help guys.

trackboss

I avoid harbor freight at all costs.
Superwinch (s4000 used to be s3500) is what I have installed on both my trailers and a friends. They work very well. My open trailer actually sat through a flood and several months later the winch still worked. Not very well, but it did the job even packed with mud. I ended up rebuilding it and superwinch was great helping me get the parts I needed plus they were inexpensive. Forget about pulleys and any other b.s. You need to get the right tool for the right job and being ultra cheap will get you garbage.

waddisme

Trailer is ordered. It was only $300 more for steel deck. Should be ready by next Wednesday. Now if I can get my clutch/tranny issues fixed I might could go back to the track someday. Now to get a winch and mount. I have no problem with HF stuff. All that I have got from them has served me well as I am not professional grade. Straps - fortunately there are about 5 good threads on the subject. I think I will get the ones with the hooks built in, hook in frame rails, cross them and go. I may go overboard on the load ratings for those. Thanks for all the help.

c4cruiser

Hope the trailer turns out great for you As to straps, look for ones that have a gross rating of 10,000 lbs. Straps will also have a designation called a "Working Load Limit" or WLL. The WLL is 1/3 of the gross rating so a 10K strap will have a WLL of 3300 lbs. A strap with a 5000 gross weight limit would only have a WLL of 1650lbs. IMHO, the heavier the better!

I got my straps from Summit Racing