Let's see your enclosed car-hauler!
11-16-2014, 09:14 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Let's see your enclosed car-hauler!
I'm thinking about picking up an enclosed car hauler and wanted to see what the community was towing for comparison. I'm currently eyeballing 20' x 8.5' size, about 12" extra height, 5000# axles (10k GVWR), ramp door (obviously), and maybe side door. Any other options I should be considering from those using an enclosed trailer?
Of course pics speak for themselves, if you got some let's see them!
Of course pics speak for themselves, if you got some let's see them!
11-16-2014, 09:18 AM
#2
Senior Member
I have a basic 8x20 cargo trailer rated at 7000#. I tow a Miata so it's pretty much a perfect size. I also have a tire rack up front.
If you are towing a larger car you may be able to mount the extra tires on the side. If you are towing something larger like a Corvette, Camaro or Mustang you might want to consider a 8x24 with a 10,000# weight limit.
If you are towing a larger car you may be able to mount the extra tires on the side. If you are towing something larger like a Corvette, Camaro or Mustang you might want to consider a 8x24 with a 10,000# weight limit.
11-16-2014, 01:50 PM
#3
I have a very small and lightweight enclosed aluminum Trailex. The main thing with the Trailex is the initial expense. You can currently find used ones for around $15K, but after 5 years of towing with it you'll probably be able to sell it for not much less than that.
Another problem is that Trailex says you void their warranty if you use a weight distributing hitch with it. The Porsche guys usually only have 300 lbs or so tongue weight, and they often tow with an SUV.
The basic empty trailers weigh 2300 lbs, but with the options built into mine it weighs 2450 lbs empty.
With a Corvette loaded as far back as possible I have 650 lbs or so of tongue weight, and when I load some tools and stuff in front of the car I'll be up near 700 lbs tongue weight when the loaded trailer weight is about 6500 lbs.
I pull a Corvette in it - either 3200 or 3400 lbs, depending on which car I'm hauling to the track. I have a little extra room up front for some tools and spares, but not much. If you'll be pulling a Miata or other smaller car you'd have a lot more room. But it's not like a larger trailer that can have cabinets and a work bench, etc., and still be able to carry a golf cart or scooter.
Mine is the basic size - it's low to decrease wind resistance, but I still only get 10 to 10.5 mpg with my EcoBoost. They make them with higher heights if you need more, but I'm 6'2" and don't have any problem loading my car or tires.
All the enclosed Trailex trailers have an "escape door" on the left, which I find VERY important. If I drive the car into the trailer I just open the car door and climb out - and I always get in the car to back it out, which would be impossible without the escape door. Even when I winch the car in its easy to make steering adjustments reaching through the driver's window. And strapping the car down is much easier through the escape door.
In the picture below you can see the spare for the trailer down low, and a tire rack for extra track tires loaded up high.
There's a hatch that you can see in the floor that will hold a bunch of spare parts and tools.
Up front you can see a white box that holds a battery for the winch (just left of the battery box), the 12v lighting in the trailer, and the electric tongue jack.
You can't see it, but there's a cabinet in the V-nose above the winch to store a fair amount of stuff.
My very payload challenged King Ranch can't tow it without being over GVWR, so I use a Trailer Toad to carry the entire tongue weight of the trailer, leaving me all the payload capacity for people and cargo in the cab and bed.
.
Another problem is that Trailex says you void their warranty if you use a weight distributing hitch with it. The Porsche guys usually only have 300 lbs or so tongue weight, and they often tow with an SUV.
The basic empty trailers weigh 2300 lbs, but with the options built into mine it weighs 2450 lbs empty.
With a Corvette loaded as far back as possible I have 650 lbs or so of tongue weight, and when I load some tools and stuff in front of the car I'll be up near 700 lbs tongue weight when the loaded trailer weight is about 6500 lbs.
I pull a Corvette in it - either 3200 or 3400 lbs, depending on which car I'm hauling to the track. I have a little extra room up front for some tools and spares, but not much. If you'll be pulling a Miata or other smaller car you'd have a lot more room. But it's not like a larger trailer that can have cabinets and a work bench, etc., and still be able to carry a golf cart or scooter.
Mine is the basic size - it's low to decrease wind resistance, but I still only get 10 to 10.5 mpg with my EcoBoost. They make them with higher heights if you need more, but I'm 6'2" and don't have any problem loading my car or tires.
All the enclosed Trailex trailers have an "escape door" on the left, which I find VERY important. If I drive the car into the trailer I just open the car door and climb out - and I always get in the car to back it out, which would be impossible without the escape door. Even when I winch the car in its easy to make steering adjustments reaching through the driver's window. And strapping the car down is much easier through the escape door.
In the picture below you can see the spare for the trailer down low, and a tire rack for extra track tires loaded up high.
There's a hatch that you can see in the floor that will hold a bunch of spare parts and tools.
Up front you can see a white box that holds a battery for the winch (just left of the battery box), the 12v lighting in the trailer, and the electric tongue jack.
You can't see it, but there's a cabinet in the V-nose above the winch to store a fair amount of stuff.
My very payload challenged King Ranch can't tow it without being over GVWR, so I use a Trailer Toad to carry the entire tongue weight of the trailer, leaving me all the payload capacity for people and cargo in the cab and bed.
.
Last edited by KR Kodi; 11-16-2014 at 01:52 PM.
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RicyD (03-30-2015)
11-16-2014, 02:12 PM
#4
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Man that is probably the nicest car-hauler I've ever seen. Very cool trailer KR Kodi
I should add: I'm targeting a trailer to tow my classic 4x4. It's not very long but nearly 6.5' tall therefore I need a tad extra height. Also with roll-cage, heavy bumpers, two solid axles, etc., it tips in just under 5K pounds hence the need for the 10k GVWR. The 7K 20-ft trailers are far more common but not enough payload for me
Also I now see that i probably need an escape hatch as well! Keep them pics coming
I should add: I'm targeting a trailer to tow my classic 4x4. It's not very long but nearly 6.5' tall therefore I need a tad extra height. Also with roll-cage, heavy bumpers, two solid axles, etc., it tips in just under 5K pounds hence the need for the 10k GVWR. The 7K 20-ft trailers are far more common but not enough payload for me
Also I now see that i probably need an escape hatch as well! Keep them pics coming
11-16-2014, 02:46 PM
#5
Senior Member
11-17-2014, 05:04 PM
#6
You can get a nice bare-bones enclosed 24' trailer for $5500 or so - but it will be plywood walls and nothing at all in it except maybe a few tie-downs on the floor. You won't have any cabinets, winch, escape door, or any other nice to have options at that low price.
About 1-1/2 years ago (before I got my Trailex) I was looking at a 24' like the black one in the link below. It's aluminum, so it only weighs 3484 lbs. It has nice cabinets, but it's still kind of a low-end trim level compared to two white ones that you can also see on that site. The black one is $16,500 (but I bet you could get it for a bit less), the gray one $17,500 (but doesn't have an escape door!
), and the white ones with more options are about $22,000 and weigh about 3600 to 3800 lbs.
With your 5000 lb 4x4 you'd be less than 9000 lbs and could carry a lot more weight in tools, etc. before overloading the trailer.
You'd just need to make sure the tongue weight stays under your hitch rating limit and also that the rig doesn't exceed your GCWR.
These aluminum trailers are beautifully made, and light weight. A 20' steel framed trailer will probably weigh more than one of these, but of course will be a lot less pricey.
At any rate, take a look at the pictures of the trailer below to get an idea of some of very nice features you can get in a trailer. That escape door they have on those things with the removable fender makes it very easy to get in/out of a vehicle that you drive into the trailer - even a Vette or Ferrari!
I couldn't even begin to think about rolling my Vette into one of those and hooking it to the hitch on my payload challenged KR, but with my Trailer Toad I could load my 3400 lb Vette in and be able to load another 1000 lbs into the trailer before I'd reach my GCWR - and I could still load 1000 lbs of people and junk into the cab and bed of the truck and pull this trailer!!
http://www.bestpricetrailers.com/tra...x#.VGpml9EtDIU
Here's a link to a steel 20' foot trailer at the same dealer. It's a bare-bones trailer, but weighs about the same as the aluminum 24' ones:
http://www.bestpricetrailers.com/tra...x#.VGptFdEtDIU
Take a look at all the enclosed car trailers one that site to see a lot of enclosed car haulers from 18' on up. You can see prices, features, and many of listings have the empty weights of the trailers.
As Wannafbody said, take a look on racingjunk.com as well as some of the racing or track-day sites (like the NASA forums, Rennlist, etc.) to see some used ones that might be a lot cheaper.
Good luck!! Pick the size and features that will work for the amount of $$$ you want to put into it, but the right trailer is out there somewhere for you.
.
About 1-1/2 years ago (before I got my Trailex) I was looking at a 24' like the black one in the link below. It's aluminum, so it only weighs 3484 lbs. It has nice cabinets, but it's still kind of a low-end trim level compared to two white ones that you can also see on that site. The black one is $16,500 (but I bet you could get it for a bit less), the gray one $17,500 (but doesn't have an escape door!
), and the white ones with more options are about $22,000 and weigh about 3600 to 3800 lbs.With your 5000 lb 4x4 you'd be less than 9000 lbs and could carry a lot more weight in tools, etc. before overloading the trailer.
You'd just need to make sure the tongue weight stays under your hitch rating limit and also that the rig doesn't exceed your GCWR.
These aluminum trailers are beautifully made, and light weight. A 20' steel framed trailer will probably weigh more than one of these, but of course will be a lot less pricey.
At any rate, take a look at the pictures of the trailer below to get an idea of some of very nice features you can get in a trailer. That escape door they have on those things with the removable fender makes it very easy to get in/out of a vehicle that you drive into the trailer - even a Vette or Ferrari!
I couldn't even begin to think about rolling my Vette into one of those and hooking it to the hitch on my payload challenged KR, but with my Trailer Toad I could load my 3400 lb Vette in and be able to load another 1000 lbs into the trailer before I'd reach my GCWR - and I could still load 1000 lbs of people and junk into the cab and bed of the truck and pull this trailer!!
http://www.bestpricetrailers.com/tra...x#.VGpml9EtDIU
Here's a link to a steel 20' foot trailer at the same dealer. It's a bare-bones trailer, but weighs about the same as the aluminum 24' ones:
http://www.bestpricetrailers.com/tra...x#.VGptFdEtDIU
Take a look at all the enclosed car trailers one that site to see a lot of enclosed car haulers from 18' on up. You can see prices, features, and many of listings have the empty weights of the trailers.
As Wannafbody said, take a look on racingjunk.com as well as some of the racing or track-day sites (like the NASA forums, Rennlist, etc.) to see some used ones that might be a lot cheaper.
Good luck!! Pick the size and features that will work for the amount of $$$ you want to put into it, but the right trailer is out there somewhere for you.
.
03-22-2015, 08:13 PM
#7
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Well after 6-months of shopping the used market and not being able to find a trailer that fits my needs, I finally pulled the trigger on a custom built to order. 2015 Homesteader Hercules 18x8.5, 10k GVWR, 12" extra height, cross members and wall supports 16" on center, HD tongue with center support, and torsion axles.
