Jim 68cuda
Well-Known Member
If you don't mind cutting up a worthless old ElDorado or Toronado, you could build one of these.
http://www.442.com/tech/hauler.html
http://www.442.com/tech/hauler.html
Trailers are worthless
- Thread starter rj72cda
- Start date
-
USCG CHARGER
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2007
- Messages
- 2,486
- Reaction score
- 49
Cool ford hauler
http://norfolk.craigslist.org/cto/2668159661.html
http://norfolk.craigslist.org/cto/2668159661.html
805moparkid
Slant and AFX Guy
yea the one we have is awesome... unless you have the money to convert a truck or can afford a full enclosed a tilt is the only way to go...
pauly v.100
Well-Known Member
lou3500
Fla. Cuda Guy
Old C.O.E.s on newer frames,they all are cool but the black on is bad assed.
440outlawdart
Well-Known Member
i will still stay with my enclosed trailer,keeps car dry if raining at the track,its a place to stay in when its hot at the track,can put my car in the trailer at the track and go to the hotel and not worry about someone screwing with it,it wont get bugs in it or road grim while going down the road
HEMI-ITIS
PRO TOW
That is one of the most famous OPEN back hauler.My friend Joe C is lucky enough to own the 1977 built SOX & Martin hauler.It now has a cummings diesal with the dash and drivetrain from the doner truck.
So that's what kept me connected to the towing industry.I bought my own flat bed almost 2 years ago making me self employed.Only 3 years of payments left:wav:
inkjunkie
Well-Known Member
Neighbor behind me has one of the tilt trailers like your boss. Went with him once to pick up his sons truck, sure did beat the hell out of fussing with the ramps. I did buy a winch for my trailer I have now, just need to get off my lazy *** and weld a mount for it & run the cables for it. Using a come-a-long just sucks. Need to build new ramps for it to, when I loaded the skid steer to dig some holes they get bent up.
Burntorange70
Well-Known Member
Same here but I went a little more and just stay at the track or where ever is a good spot.
the old blue one or its twin is located about 20 minutes from me abd the tilt cab islike #2 on my wish list right behind a Bighorn road trator
lou3500
Fla. Cuda Guy
I'm looking for a race car hauler with living quarters for a retirement home on wheels i have a automotive bucket list [of places i want to take my car] Pigeon Forge,Tenn./Carlise Pa./Woodward Dream Cruise/Hot Rod Power Tour.
HEMI-ITIS
PRO TOW
A toter-home gets registered as an RV:thumrigh:
lou3500
Fla. Cuda Guy
I know but i have a 1 ton dually diesel already plus those toterhomes are huge and parking my 1 ton is already a small pain in the *** depending on the lot or the small street. Also on a side note in Florida any thing 3/4 ton and above requires a class D C.D.L. [the chauffers licence] and all are considered commercel [tags expire in december not on your birthday].
lou3500
Fla. Cuda Guy
It don't matter in florida my truck is my daily driver any thing over 8000 pounds is commercel,technically the law states any thing over 8000 pounds or carrys less than 26000 lbs you need a class d cdl [used to be called a chauffers licence]. They had a big stink when they went to cdls instead of chauffers and the weight rating,the cops were ticketing the hummers,large suvs ect,how ever if you drive a class A motorhome with a diesel pusher and air brakes and grosses over 26000 lbs you only need a regular drivers licence [driving a semitruck with the same stuff you have to have a class A]. Picture an eighty year old person in a 40 foot diesel pusher first time driving one with no training just the thought scares me.
Dang how are they on Large SUV's now?
lou3500
Fla. Cuda Guy
After the spoiled housewives and husbands screamed they backed off on the tickets and tore up the ones they gave out. I went on our driver licence site to look for the rules and they don't even mention a class d cdl so idk whats the deal is now.
I would be interested in finding out.
lou3500
Fla. Cuda Guy
Ruppster
New Member
Came across this thread when I was looking for heavy duty Dodge trucks and thought I would see if I could help shed some light on the subject. I checked out your link and there was one important issue I saw with it. It is not owned or operated by the state of Florida and is not up to date. The Air Force recently moved us back to Florida from Alaska and last year I spent a lot of time on the phone with Commercial Law Enforcement officers and weigh scale officials trying to find out what the rules were when driving large trucks in Florida (I'm in to antique trucks and have a web site on Dodge semi trucks) and what required a CDL and what didn't. In all of my conversations with the commercial enforcement people no where was a Class D license ever mentioned. You were either commercial and needed a CDL (A, B, or C) or you weren't (which only required a regular drivers license). I've even gone through all of the state statutes that cover licensing and they didn't mention anything about needing a Class D for a truck weighing 8,000 pounds or more.
To add insult to injury there are a few things in the statutes that add some confusion to the issue.
1.) Registration: any truck 5,000 pounds or higher is tagged as commercial registration and the price of the tag goes up in weight ranges. The higher the weight class the higher the price of the registration. The trick is this is only registration. It is totally separate from license requirements as the two are completely different from each other. Just because the tag is at the commercial rate it does not mean you need a commercial license to drive it.
2.) Per Federal guidelines a CDL is not required as long as you are not in commerce. The trick is what's commerce? If you ask some scale officials about it if they see you hauling a classic car to a car show and that car show gives out trophies then you are in commerce in their eyes as you are getting something in return for driving your big truck to and from the event. The sad part is the federal regs say as long as you are not earning winnings that require you to file a tax return then you are not for hire. The problem is getting some of the local yahoos to agree with it.
3.) Florida has a couple of interesting clauses in the state statutes. The first one is if you are hauling a race car to an organized racing event at a dedicated track and you don't have corporate sponsorship then you are exempt from needing a CDL, regardless of weight. While common sense would tell you that this should also apply to car shows, some (not all) of the officials I dealt with said "no it doesn't, that exemption is only for racing and not car shows".
4.) The other weird exemption from Florida deals with the difference between license requirements for a cargo truck and a semi in the eyes of the state. While the federal guidelines specify that a CDL is only needed for commerce, regardless of whether it's a tractor trailer truck or box truck, Florida added their own little twist to this issue. In Florida if you are driving a box truck for personal use then you can drive any size truck you want (even with a GVWR of 26,001 pounds or more) with just a regular license. But if the truck is not made to haul cargo on itself and has a fifth wheel hitch instead then if it's GVWR is over 26,000 pounds you must have at least a Class B CDL. Take off the hitch and put a flatbed in it's place and you are okay with just a regular license.
5.) Any size truck pulling an RV trailer is considered a RV combo and is exempt from CDL requirements as an RV (as long as your trip is for pleasure and not business). But if the towing vehicle is big enough (like a semi tractor) and has a GVWR over 26,000 pounds as soon as you try to drive the truck without the trailer then CDL requirements kick in.
6.) Florida no longer issues RV registration for Toterhomes. To get RV tags the vehicle can not have a gooseneck or fifth wheel type hitch on the back. Can only have a bumper pull type hitch. Plus as an RV combo you are limited to an overall length of 65 feet.
7.) Regardless of use heavy trucks must stop at all scales in Florida. IIRC if your truck is over 10,000 pounds you have to pull in to the scales. As long as your total weight is under 26,000 pounds across the scales they pretty much leave you alone and send you back to the highway. And if you're not sure about it pull over before the scales and walk up to the scale house and talk to them about whether you need to stop or not. They don't mind questions if you ask them before you get to the scales (found this out the hard way in NC when they hit me with $600 in fines for not having permits as I hit their scales at 33,000 pounds) but the do get really tee'd off if you drive right by and they think you're running their scale and they have to leave their air conditioned office to chase after you.
8.) Another gray area is what is required if you are driving a truck with a rating of 17,000 pounds and pulling a trailer with a rating of 10,000 pounds. With your weight ratings combined you are over the 26,000 pound rating level and if they think you are in commerce a CDL would be required. If you are not maxed out on weight and are still under 26,000 pounds actual weight then the weight scale official will usually send you on your way. But if you do something to piss the official off he may pull you over to check your data plates to make sure you're not overloaded. So always be nice to the scale people as they can really ruin your day real quick.
9.) If you do go over 26,000 pounds actual weight then be real careful driving out of state. This goes for any state, not just people from Florida driving out of state. The reason I say this is there are two things that kick it at this point: IFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement) and IRP (International Registration Plan) trip permits. This can vary from state to state as some states exempt personal use from needing IFTA and IRP permits while other states classify any truck or truck/trailer combo with a weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more as commercial (regardless of use) and must have permits (I didn't when I entered NC and that's why I was hit with a $600 ticket, even though I wasn't commercial).
The best thing to do is read the state statutes about licensing and carry a copy of the statute chapter with you in case you hit a cop that sees every big truck as commercial. Also be sure to talk with state DOT officials to make sure you don't need a state DOT number. Florida doesn't require it as long as your not commercial but there are several states that do if you are over 10,000 pounds, Texas is one of them and I think NC requires it too. And when asking questions to the commercial enforcement people always ask them for the statute number that they are quoting from when they tell you you need something or don't need something so you can research it yourself and also download a copy of it from the internet to carry with you on the road.
Anyhow, sorry for the long, boring post everyone. I've been down this road many times when driving personal use semi trucks cross country on military moves (even had fun fighting Canada with their regs on our last PCS out of Alaska) and if I can help keep others from finding out what I did the hard way then I will do what I can to try to help.
Nice info.
I do cary a copy of the FL statute that says a car dolly (trailer designed ONLY to transport a vehicle) does not need to be registered or tagged.
There's a lot of confusion on this issue in the general population, and I figured it would be easier to quote the statute and show the Florida DMV page than argue with an officer, then go to the courthouse.
I do cary a copy of the FL statute that says a car dolly (trailer designed ONLY to transport a vehicle) does not need to be registered or tagged.
There's a lot of confusion on this issue in the general population, and I figured it would be easier to quote the statute and show the Florida DMV page than argue with an officer, then go to the courthouse.
I have 5 trailers . A car trailer , equipment trailer, and 3 enclosed car trailers. If I would have to replace them all with trucks to do there jobs. the licences. insurance and the repairs would take away from my finances for all other toys we have.
Its the cost of just owning them that is easier on the pocket then trucks. I have two Dodge diesels. One has a dump with a plow and tows the trailers local. And one is used just for pulling the trailers long distance. Thats enough overhead for me.
I used the money saved and bought a new case skid loader with all atachments . A nissan fork lift. My son can haul and load anything anywhere.
TRAILERS are our choice. I had tow trucks and ramp trucks for years I couldn't keep up with the cost without having them working everyday. Just my advise after 35 years of towing and hauling experience . Steve
Its the cost of just owning them that is easier on the pocket then trucks. I have two Dodge diesels. One has a dump with a plow and tows the trailers local. And one is used just for pulling the trailers long distance. Thats enough overhead for me.
I used the money saved and bought a new case skid loader with all atachments . A nissan fork lift. My son can haul and load anything anywhere.
TRAILERS are our choice. I had tow trucks and ramp trucks for years I couldn't keep up with the cost without having them working everyday. Just my advise after 35 years of towing and hauling experience . Steve
averagejoesautos
Active Member
As a guy with a car hauler I can honestly say...its worth its wieght in gold if your constantly either BUYING CARS...MOVING CARS...or SELLING CARS [which i do alot of]. With that said...if you do not do any of the above more then a few times a year...its hard to justify the cost of the truck.
Here's a pic of my hauler truck with my Malibu on the back.
83 Chevy c30 with a hodges bed. The bed is about 18 ft long so its about the same size as typical car trailer.
Pro:
- Dont have to hitch / unhitch trailer all the HOTTTTTTT DAMMM TIME...which usually involves rain :banghead:
- No need to worry about trailer sway.
- Looks bad *** when people see a car on the back of a truck.
- If you have a winch...loading up dead cars is a snap.
- Less chance of clipping a honda accord in your blind spot as a 18 foot trailer and a full bed pickup are pretty long.
Cons:
-You MUSTTTTTTTT have plenty of street parking or land to park on.
-Big chevy 454 gets about 9 miles to the gallon...loaded or unloaded :wack:
- You almost HAVEEEEEEE to find a truck repair shop to do anything other then changing the oil and engine bay repairs. I attempted to change the u-joints out only to discover that the drive shaft was 3 seperate pieces and had like 8 joints :angryfir:
Overall, I wouldnt trade the truck for anything in the world. If you look out on ebay and Craigslist I see them all the time posted. Make sure whatever you get though...that its big block powered and has a winch. I test drove one with a SBC 350 in it and it was fine unloaded...but when it was loaded it wheezed like an asmatic asian kid ahahahha.
Here's a pic of my hauler truck with my Malibu on the back.
83 Chevy c30 with a hodges bed. The bed is about 18 ft long so its about the same size as typical car trailer.
Pro:
- Dont have to hitch / unhitch trailer all the HOTTTTTTT DAMMM TIME...which usually involves rain :banghead:
- No need to worry about trailer sway.
- Looks bad *** when people see a car on the back of a truck.
- If you have a winch...loading up dead cars is a snap.
- Less chance of clipping a honda accord in your blind spot as a 18 foot trailer and a full bed pickup are pretty long.
Cons:
-You MUSTTTTTTTT have plenty of street parking or land to park on.
-Big chevy 454 gets about 9 miles to the gallon...loaded or unloaded :wack:
- You almost HAVEEEEEEE to find a truck repair shop to do anything other then changing the oil and engine bay repairs. I attempted to change the u-joints out only to discover that the drive shaft was 3 seperate pieces and had like 8 joints :angryfir:
Overall, I wouldnt trade the truck for anything in the world. If you look out on ebay and Craigslist I see them all the time posted. Make sure whatever you get though...that its big block powered and has a winch. I test drove one with a SBC 350 in it and it was fine unloaded...but when it was loaded it wheezed like an asmatic asian kid ahahahha.
412 Stroker
Well-Known Member
Imagaine what this one cost to rebuild, still one of my favorites, I like the idea of a hauler instead of a trailer, I would think you'd want a diesel, more power better on fuel...
JeffTheMarine
Well-Known Member
I am buying a D300 truck with a 383 in it currently. I plan to put a 12Valve cummins in it with a 5 speed and building a ramp on. Trailers are not the way to go. Old school ramp trucks are!
Jeff
Jeff
-
