I bought a Dressen 16' steel car hauler new about 10 years ago. It is made
from 4" channel with 4" angle welded to the top and 4" channel cross
members. It has 1x8 solid wood decking. I was worried about that
initially, but it has not warped at all. The angle over channel
arrangement means that there is about a 2" lip of ange above the deck of
the trailer. I like this because it gives me a good place to attache
tie-downs to without cluttering the deck. It also provides a solid place
to wedge non-automotive cargo against.
The trailer sits on 2 5000# torsion axles and has electric brakes on both
axles. I recommend the dual axle trailer, mostly because it will tow better
than single. It is not nearly as sensitive to toung weight as a single
axle is. I have put almost 2000# just behind the axles and it dis not sway
at all. I also recommend brakes on both axles, as it will stop a lot
better ans is required in some states.
The trailer came with stake pockets, and I added 9 D-rings. It has slide
under ramps mounted out the rear. I also added a spare tire carrier. I
have been very happy with this trailer, my only complaint being the
wiring. They used a frame ground, which I hate. They also used a
pop-rivet to attach the ground wire to the frame. It worked fine for about
8 years, then all the grounds were corroded to the point that nothing
worked. I rewired it with separate ground wires and it is back in
business now. I paid just over $3k for this unit about 10 years ago and
feel like I have more than gotten my money's worth out of it.
On Wed, May 30, 2012 at 6:12 PM, John Niolon <jniolon at att.net> wrote:
> Well, my Bobcat 250 welder/trailer is on the sale block and as soon as it
> has a lucky new owner my search for a open car hauler will begin. Well,
> actually I'm looking now but lack of funds takes a lot of the fun out of
> it..
>
> I see lots of options and I'm sure it depends on what you're gonna haul,
> how
> far and how much $$$ you have
>
> My tow vehicle is a 2008 Suburban with a 5.3 L Vortec. It has the towing
> package and the recommended GVW is 8100 #.
>
> My towed vehicle will be a '53 F-100 ford pickup... with a curb weight of
> 3500
> to 3800 pounds.
>
> I see lots of different designs channel, tube, but the most seem to be
> channel frame in either 4" or 5" or 6" and either 3500" axles or 5K axles
> with
> either 1 or 2 axle brakes... some with breakaway setup some without...
> aluminum would be sweet but out of the budget...by the way budget would be
> 2500 or less.... or a little more if I found an excellent buy (like a
> trailer
> worth 4K for 2800. Oh wait... that's the other guys deal, not mine.
>
> I want slide in ramps, perferably rear entry to cut down on the carrying
> them
> around ... I'm favoring D-rings over stake pockets cause I want to use
> wheel
> type tiedowns... but that is something I can add myself and is no deal
> breaker...
>
> all the rest will be optional... I have a winch I can add on if needed
> although I plan on driving it on. Removable fender would be nice but
> nothing
> that can't be fabricated if needed. Steel deck is my favorite just from a
> maintenance standpoint.. and weight. all of the above is depending on $$$
> and
> availability. So I'm looking for suggestions, ideas, warnings, brand
> recommendations..etc... educate me on car haulers
>
> oh, and ask me about my welder/trailer if you're interested..
>
> thanks
> John
>
>
>
>
>
> I'm sarcastic... what's your superpower ?
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