Car Hauler Trailer

[86LK]

I'm going to be buying a trailer to haul my Cutlass to some car shows and have narrowed my search down to either Lamar or Load Trail. I was originally going to get an 18' but have since decided that a 20' would give me a little more room and more options for other vehicles. Probably going to equip it as follows:

5" Channel Frame
2-5/16" adjustable coupler
9,990lb GVWR
2 - 5,200 Lb Dexter Spring Axles (2 Elec FSA Brakes)
Multi-leaf spring suspension
3" channel 24" OC crossmembers
Removable fenders
16ga 5-way cold weather wire harness (7-way plug)
7,000lb drop leg jack
15" wheels
LED stop/tail/turn & clearance lights
2' diamond plate dove tail
Front tongue mount tool box
2" rub rail
2-5,000lb rear swivel jack supports
Spare tire & mount
Rear slide in ramps (5'x16")

Looking for advice/suggestions for changes on how I'm equipping it and any experience you've had with either Lamar or Load Trail.

I don't have one but my friend has been talking about the problems with the one he has so I know some of the issues.

sounds like an open trailer so would suggest:
-definitely a 20ft (my '67 Impala is just under 20' long and 7' wide) , you ever get a larger vehicle you'll wish you had gotten the 20 footer
-electric winch mounted in front to pull it on just in case
-wide enough with low side rails so you don't have clearance issues getting in/out thru drivers door to steer it off/on the trailer
-multiple tie-down hooks/locations for straps
-tire rack up front like a race car trailer, use to carry tires for the track or other gear
-what about a fairing up front to streamline it and prevent flying bugs/crap from hitting the vehicle on the trailer while towing?

 

[Supercharged111]

Fairing and foldable/removable fender are 2 excellent options. My cars' doors won't clear any trailer fenders except the Monte.

 

[DB87442]

I don't have one but my friend has been talking about the problems with the one he has so I know some of the issues.

sounds like an open trailer so would suggest:
-definitely a 20ft (my '67 Impala is just under 20' long and 7' wide) , you ever get a larger vehicle you'll wish you had gotten the 20 footer
-electric winch mounted in front to pull it on just in case
-wide enough with low side rails so you don't have clearance issues getting in/out thru drivers door to steer it off/on the trailer
-multiple tie-down hooks/locations for straps
-tire rack up front like a race car trailer, use to carry tires for the track or other gear
-what about a fairing up front to streamline it and prevent flying bugs/crap from hitting the vehicle on the trailer while towing?


View attachment 217584

View attachment 217585

That fairing is a pretty cool idea! Looks like something that could easily be fabricated and added on. Thanks!

 

[ck80]

I was also looking at the 3500# axles, but thought better to overbuild than not.

Definitely don't skimp on the axles. At 3500# axles on an 18' or 20' you could easily wind up overweight. Some guys on this board get pretty reckless with their towing and don't care about gvwr and gcwr on the road. Others of us actually do.

I'm assuming you're going wood deck? Bonus to the wood deck is safety if things leak, less dangerous than the fluid on metal when you're walking around. Downside is periodic replacements if you're not keeping it under cover.

But, with the wood deck, its going to soak up any rain youre caught in and make the trailer even heavier. So, at 20ft plus wet wood, even a fully loaded up fueled gbody would be pushing overweight on 3500# axles. Im guessing theyd cap it at a 6990# rating with those.

If you ever tried to pull, say, a c10 half ton pickup youd be well overweight.

Another suggestion is if theyre building it for you, ask about additional tiedown points being put in at the factory. Sure, you could modify it after the fact, but, why go through it if you dont have to? That way you could haul multiple smaller items and anchor them easier. Never know what you may decide to want to move.

Echo the 16" OC spacing. Sure its easier spending someone else's money, but, youre already upgrading now. Youd hate to do it again because you got another toy. I prefer to just buy once and be done with it. Its why I held out for a legitimate 8.1L tow vehicle and didnt cheap out on a substandard 6.0l... Having an adequate tow rating if we had a roadside DOT patrol audit, having the power not to care about hills and feel like I've got nothing behind me... it only made sense and our choice opting for the cheaper maintenance and fuel of the non-diesel only left us one option.

 

[mikester]

I've got a Big Tex utility trailer that's about 13 years old, that has held up fairly well. I've read that their quality has gone down in recent years, but then again, people tend to only post the negative stuff...

I looked at quite a few brands before I picked the Big Tex. I liked the angled front but it looks like thats changed these days. I also liked the wide slide in ramps. Mine was painted. My buddy borrowed it (a HUGE mistake) and popped a brake line on the junker he was bringing home. The brake fluid destroyed the paint. I think the new models might be powder coated. Dual brakes. It was also made with an Atwood coupler which I really prefer over the Bulldog brand. I would buy another one if I had something with the balls to tow it. I brought my Monte home to NY from southern NJ. 70mph all the way home and couldnt even feel it back there. Tracked straight. I guess because it was 2K lbs empty.

 

[Rt Jam]

There are almost no wrong decisions with new car trailers from a trusted brand. Better just costs more.

More crossmembers means more weight. If I was building my own, I'd even consider skipping are few in the middle.
Removable fenders, big consideration if the deck is low. My trailer has a pretty high deck so in 20 years, never had a door that would not clear the fender.
Heavy duty axles and springs. When you see a 6 bolt wheel on an open trailer. I know that cargo is not seeing a comfortable ride. Too heavy duty and that precious car is feeling every bump in the road.
Long trailers. For the odd long car that will be on it. Let the tail hang off the rear of a short trailer. For the remaining 364 days of the year you need to store that long trailer, it's more to maneuver and heavier.
If you are towing with a half ton truck, consider an aluminum trailer and weight distribution hitch.

Load the car until you have about 10% of the entire trailers weight on the tongue.

 

[08Malibu]

My neighbor has this older featherlight. Pulls great behind my 1500, even with this beast on the back.

 

[Built6spdMCSS]

You say that about skipping cross members in the middle, until you use your trailer for other than cars and sink something through it. I would like the load capability to be equal throughout the whole thing. Couple pieces of C Channel I'll add weight to have capability.

 

[Supercharged111]

I looked at quite a few brands before I picked the Big Tex. I liked the angled front but it looks like thats changed these days. I also liked the wide slide in ramps. Mine was painted. My buddy borrowed it (a HUGE mistake) and popped a brake line on the junker he was bringing home. The brake fluid destroyed the paint. I think the new models might be powder coated. Dual brakes. It was also made with an Atwood coupler which I really prefer over the Bulldog brand. I would buy another one if I had something with the balls to tow it. I brought my Monte home to NY from southern NJ. 70mph all the way home and couldnt even feel it back there. Tracked straight. I guess because it was 2K lbs empty.

My old trailer had a Bulldog, what about the Atwood do you like better? I've never used one of those.

Spacing them farther in the middle isn't gonna cut it if you want to load a skid steer, mini excavator, or any other piece of equipment that has all it's weight concentrated in a small area. 24" OC vs 16" OC saves 4 cross members on a 20 footer, those channels are 4-5# per foot, ASSuming they're 6' each that's a difference of 96#-120# in trailer weight which, in and of itself, is insignificant. I'm personally on the fence between a 20' 10k. And a 20-24' 14k because I want to be able to rent some dirt machines. If the rental places have me covered, I may go 10k as it'll suit 90%+ of my needs.

 

[mikester]

My old trailer had a Bulldog, what about the Atwood do you like better? I've never used one of those.

Spacing them farther in the middle isn't gonna cut it if you want to load a skid steer, mini excavator, or any other piece of equipment that has all it's weight concentrated in a small area. 24" OC vs 16" OC saves 4 cross members on a 20 footer, those channels are 4-5# per foot, ASSuming they're 6' each that's a difference of 96#-120# in trailer weight which, in and of itself, is insignificant. I'm personally on the fence between a 20' 10k. And a 20-24' 14k because I want to be able to rent some dirt machines. If the rental places have me covered, I may go 10k as it'll suit 90%+ of my needs.

Dont like the way the Bulldog coupler works. The Atwood is much easier to hook up. Have the same style on my landscape trailer.