Car hauler trailers

-

Craig Burriss

FABO Gold Member
FABO Gold Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2017
Messages
838
Reaction score
936
Location
Statesboro Georgia
I’m going to be looking for a car trailer soon. I’m thinking I want an 18’ steel deck with the standard 3500lb axles. Aluminum trailers are cool but out of my budget right now. My parents have a 24’ enclosed car hauler that is now a storage shed, and is a little too big for my 5.7 1500.
What type of trailers and set ups do y’all have, recommend, or want? Brands to stay away from? Favorite upgrades?
Thanks
 
i had a 24 ft enclosed. pulled fine with my 08 5.7 4 door. i put air bags under the rear. i sold it for about 1800 more than i gave for it last year.
 
I bought a "Diamond " Brand trail about 6 years ago . POS. Roof busted all up and ate all 4 tires in less than 3000 miles. Stay away from them
 
My suggestion would be go for a 20' deck trailer. I sold my 18' & bought a 20' with a steel deck. I put a truck across the bed tool box for storage & I've never regretted it.
 
I liked the 20' aluminum trailer I borrowed, towed so nice. Steel would be fine with me if I was buying one.
 
I have a Carson 20’ dovetail wide deck. Paid $2800 for it over 15 years ago. It’s paid for itself over and over again. I added a tool box to the front and a winch inside the toolbox. Then a couple of HID flood lights. Also added 4 tie down points to it as the 4 it came with flush to the deck sometimes are in a bad spot. One of the best purchases I’ve ever made honestly.
D5A08EAF-B30C-4F19-80FE-C6D60F344B04.png
 
Last edited:
16' car trailer wood deck with beaver tail, and good heavy onboard steel ramps.

Suited me well, moved cars, trucks, compact tractor cross country. Hauled Rafters for a friend's new garage, building supplies for another friend's home.

Picked up and delivered a couple of my mopars with it.

So yeah used the heck out of it, sold it before I had to put a new set of tires on it.

Single axle electric brakes on the dual axle trailer, they worked excellent.

Screenshot_20220427-215624_Gallery.jpg
 
Featherlite if you're rich.
@TT5.9mag I don't think Craig will be able to find a Carson out on the East Coast. They are a West Coast company and from my trailer research I find that trailers are kind of regional. Other than the biggest brands like Featherlite, that is. But I do agree, Carson trailers are nice.
 
I have a Carson 20’ dovetail wide deck. Paid $2800 for it over 15 years ago. It’s paid for itself over and over again. I added a tool box to the front and a winch inside the toolbox. Then a couple of HID flood lights. Also added 4 tie down points to it as the 4 it came with flush to the deck sometimes are in a bad spot. One of the best purchases I’ve ever made honestly.View attachment 1715919125

This trailer looks familiar...:D
upload_2022-4-27_22-0-22.jpeg
 
20' Carson deluxe here. Bought it a long time ago. It's a tank of a trailer, solid.
 
@ckjarr since then I’ve sandblasted and repainted the trailer. Hopefully get another 15 years out of it.
 
I really like how the frame comes out in front of the wheels on those Carsons. Seems like it would protect the fenders and wheels. And functions as a step.
Maybe I’ll wait to buy a trailer until I go see my sister in Colorado haha
 
I hate to say it but be careful about buying a trailer made in GA or FL. There are outfits tere that really build some crap. I have friends that travelled from WI to GA/FL to buy a budget priced trailer and everyone regretted it.

I occasionally hauled axles out of MI/IN down south to trailer builders... most of which are now OOB. What I saw in their fab shops was a lot of bad welds, poor quality materials and just crappy designs.

Watch out for Chinese tires and axles, cheap lighting, poorly run wiring, etc.

Good luck.
 
Craig, I would honestly save up for an aluminum tilt trailer. I pulled one for a friend a while back when he had his transmission out. All I can say is, they are worth it. If I'm ever able to get one, that's what it'll be.
 
My suggestion is to get the 5200# axles. With the lesser axles you are at 7000, consider the weight of the trailer itself, and then you put any full sized vehicle on it and you're close to the max. Get the biggest and best trailer you can afford, even if you think you don't need it.

I have a 20' deckover tilt trailer. I hate it. By the time the deck is raised so the lip is touching the ground, it is so steep it's hard to drive a car up onto it. A winch would help. Also, the deck isn't self-leveling so if you are loading a car solo, you have to have the controller in the car with you to lower it down. Mine is a Big Tex. I haven't always heard good things about Big Tex, but this one seems to be built well and it tows real nice. It is heavy.

As far as the tires, I know it's possible to have bad axles and misaligned axles and that would certainly tear up your tires, but a trailer guy told me once to balance your tires as soon as you buy your trailer. Tires don't come balanced on a trailer.
 
I paid $1500 for this 2004 Top Brand trailer about five years ago. It’s got two 7000 pound axles with brakes on all wheels so it’ll tow heavier stuff than a car if need be. It’s 22’ long with fold up ramps.

32B65410-872E-41D0-966B-FEDE46D87825.jpeg
 
Boiler plate deck instead of wood, Heartland tires, axle brakes, all a must for me. I haul a lot, and I mean a lot of stuff. The metal deck and my slide ramps make loading derelict parts cars much easier to load, the ramps just slide across the deck, wood Wouk be a totally different story.

4ECF0381-8DB0-4E0A-A97D-9A8E0AEAB6D0.jpeg


0A40137E-753D-466E-B9E5-A201FA023130.jpeg


0620459C-AF9E-466D-9873-D9A01630D4E0.jpeg


A44ACEC5-4951-40E0-97E9-74070291C15D.jpeg


B703501D-D4F7-4601-A335-AB65B15AA95C.jpeg
 
I hate to say it but be careful about buying a trailer made in GA or FL. There are outfits tere that really build some crap. I have friends that travelled from WI to GA/FL to buy a budget priced trailer and everyone regretted it.

I occasionally hauled axles out of MI/IN down south to trailer builders... most of which are now OOB. What I saw in their fab shops was a lot of bad welds, poor quality materials and just crappy designs.

Watch out for Chinese tires and axles, cheap lighting, poorly run wiring, etc.

Good luck.

i dont think it would be an issue for an open trailer like a car hauler, but if i were in the market for an enclosed trailer i would buy one made in the North...where they know not to put a flat roof on it because the weight of 6 inches of snow would crush it
and thats just for starters
 
DSCN0678.JPG
DSCN0679.JPG
DSCN0680.JPG
I have an 18' open steel trailer with drum brakes on both axles. I have a 4500 pound winch on it now but no tool boxes, might add some this year.
It has a 7000 pound capacity and the trailer weights 2000 pounds so a 3500 pound A body is well under the trailers capacity and it tows laser straight and no sway at all. I have towed it with a 1500 Ram with a 4.7 with a 3:92 rear axle and it did it no problem.
 
Dressen is a local company up this way. I snagged one of their 18 ft. aluminum open car trailers a few years ago. That thing is nice. Litterally don't even know it's there. Now, when I pull my steel one, I'm like what a tank! I totally agree with Rusty, save for the aluminum!!
 
-
Back
Top