BrianCunningham

It will cost me $600 to rent a POS car hauler to bring my Vette home. I've already spent that moving it here. So I'm thinking of getting a uses one for $1k. So I start looking in the paper and they're selling twin axle car haulers for $1500 NEW! Electric brakes and everything.

So, what should I look for when buying a car hauler?

MJM

First thing is to figure out your intended uses.

If you want to just move your car from place to place, don't need storage space, and don't need to protect it from the elements or thieves then go with an open trailer.

If you have more advanced needs than you might want to consider an enclosed trailer.

No matter what, check the axle ratings! Some of the small trailers are meant for hauling around ATVs and garden tractors. Make sure that the weight of your car + all the other stuff you want to haul + the weight of the trailer adds up to less than the capacity of the axles combined.

Matt

Too Tall Bob

I used to haul my car to the track on an open trailer, and it seemed fine at the time. After it was stolen, I bought a 22' enclosed and what a big difference being able to store all my track stuff in one place makes! So nice to be able to pull up to the hotel parking lot and just lock up the truck. Before, I had to make sure everything was stored in the truck or chained to something to prevent theft.

Like Matt said, if you just move the car from place to place without much else, the open trailer is fine. But, if you haul other items, I can't imagine NOT having the enclosed trailer anymore.

I've found so many useful things to haul around in it now too: for example, a trip to the nursery doesn't mean windblown dead plants anymore!! A little more money up front, but well worth it!

John Shiels

brakes on both axles for sure

c4pappy

I've gone through this. Make sure the car can get ON the trailer. You know how low a Corvette is. A 2 foot dovetail with 5 foot ramps doesn't even come close. The trailers for 1500 are probably no dove with 5 foot ramps. Also, make sure the Vette doors open over the fenders. Good luck!! I finally bought used from another Corvette owner.

AMERICANMUSL

As far as budget, open car hauler is most efficient/effective way to go!
Some will differ with me but 16' is fine and fits in most garages...dove tail for sure...buy after market ramp extentions...at least one removable fender...electric brakes are fine on one axle(rear)...if you have 3/4 to 1 ton truck you won't need them at all...my buddies 00 2500 dodge stops better than my 1/2 to chev with trailer brakes....2 5/8's ball. IGM in Ramona Calif for 1675.00 registered OTD! 05 Eagle open hauler w/winch!

Good luck!

AU N EGL

Stone gard up front is a must and tire racke on top is a great help.

73-84 IMSA Widebody

Trailer weight rating adequate for your needs, 15 or 16 inch tires, dove tail, 5 foot ramps make sure your car will clear getting on- I have to jack the front of trailer as high as possible to not crush my nose, dual elec brakes, fenders- as mentioned make sure your doors will open or be prepared to crawl thru the window, 2 5/8 ball rated for your weight needs, closed steel deck-open OK but you'll get more dirt, some people like wood. Full lights package.
I purchased my trailer this year for $1500 new with everything listed above and felt like I stole it, you can get great deals if you shop around
Stone guard up front is nice and not too difficult to make one, a winch is useful for loading by yourself or tempermental f#@king cars.

toolman44092

Econo-trailer near Pittsburgh, PA

Cheap ($1500 to $1800) and come with dual axle brakes, etc.

TedDBere

Just be sure to get it with everything that you want because in a couple of years when you upgrade or give up the vette you'll be able to sell it for at least what you paid because the price of steel just keeps going up!

John Shiels

H&H trailer tilt bed has worked great for me at track and at work.

c4cruiser

I'm looking for an open trailer so I can haul my 87. From what I have been told and have read in other threads, you want the bed of the trailer to be at least 2 feet longer than the car and 4 feet is even better. That gives you room for tie-downs and for a tire rack/tool cabinet.

There should be brakes on both axles and the axles need to be 3500 lb capacity each. There should be an electric breakaway device with a separate battery. Sorry but I just can't see trying to use truck brakes alone to stop a 5000 pound trailer behind you.

Make sure the bed has at least 4 D-rings for tiedowns. If the bed is wood, the rings should be bolted to steel brackets under the wood. Use anti-skid tape on the deck for traction. Steel 6' ramps are fine if you have a dovetail on the trailer.

If the left fender is permanently mounted, you could possibly cut it off and fabricate an attaching bar to make it removeable. That way you could remove the fender and get the driver's door open.

There are some options that you can add to make life a little easier. Get a 12v winch mounted to the front of the deck. If the car quits or something breaks, it may be prety hard to get the car up on the deck. Fabricate a couple of 6' poles to hold some 12v lights for nighttime loading and unloading. Get some cheap fog ights at Harbor Freight and attach them to the poles and run a long cable to the truck battery using some clips.

Using an open deck trailer like this gives you a set of ramps so you can work under the car if necessary. A full wood deck won't let you do that.

larryfs

The econo is the best open deck trailer on the market, hands down, no question about it.
You can do anything with an Econo. Custom mods like none other.
Mine doesn't resemble anything what that picture looks like.
To name a few, I did a Tool box, tire rack, lighting, and more.

and there very light, and cheap, and provide ample working room under the car.

Bill Dearborn

Absolutely. They have those $1500 deals at Carlisle also. Trailer upon trailer piled on top of each other ready to take with you. But when you check they have 2 wheel brakes not 4 wheel brakes and the trailers are very flimsy. My trailer was built to haul heavy equipment and its frame is two to three times the height of those cheap trailers. It has a wood bed, 4 wheel brakes, 10 ft long ramps (custom for the Vette), a beaver tail and a custom built tire rack with a shield mounted across the front of the rack to keep debris thrown by the tow vehicle off the car. It weighs 1800 lbs empty. It cost me $2800 in 1993. It is stable on the road at speeds up to 90.

Bill

larryfs

flismy is the way to go. econo calls them flex frame, rides nice. if it is too stiff, it'll bounce over every bump. other trailers are just over built, and therefore heavier.

if u buy in ny, they must have 4 wheel brakes. and Bill sceen my trailer too.

provette67

just wait until someone brakes into your enclosed trailer and steals your extra race wheels,tools,etc

BrianCunningham

Thanks for the input guys

I drove over there today, quit a haul on the other side of LosAngeles right next to Calf Speedway

I looked at both the open and the closed, and decided to go with the open for the reason stated. Guys behind the couter had that 'why didn't I think of that look'

The base price was $1500, 2500lb axles each, brakes on one axle so I opted for the brakes on the 2nd axle $200 ( Gary Hoffman talked me into that over the phone ), they'll change the fender cover to a flip down $150 the door will clear now, but just barely, and I plan on lowering the car in the future. 8ft long ramps stored from the side $350, rather than the 4footer. 4 D-rings $100 installed.

They don't sell tie down straps. So, I hit the local Lowes and picked up four 3,000lb rated ratched straps.

Where can I get those t-shaped hooks for the frame though?
I really don't want to warp around the a-arms

Bill Dearborn

Go to http://www.awdirect.com/awdirect/fin...fm?itemid=8979 . I also got 4 of these http://www.awdirect.com/awdirect/fin...fm?itemid=8551 to tie into the T Hooks and then I hook the straps to the shackles.

Bill

John Shiels

Doubt those T hooks will work on a C-4 I used the other hook type on my GS no holes in the C4 like the C5

Allthrottleandsomebottle

Northern also has some T-hooks.........I plan to try them
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...=DF&cm_ite=tow
My trailer(s) empty weight have been 1800-2000 lbs. You get what you pay for for sure. One axle brake is fine for me........I always put shocks on my axles though........even that much smoother