Who has an enclosed trailer?

[T_Raven]

I'm thinking about getting an enclosed trailer and wonder what you guys would look for in one. I don't want to drop $5000 or more on a trailer and realize it's missing something I want.

I'm liking this one:
http://spokane.craigslist.org/cto/1833175075.html

What I'm wanting is something big enough I can put one car, my tool box, and maybe my 4 wheeler in. My box is 88 inches wide so just under 7' 6", my Firebird is around 15' long i think. So a 24' trailer should hold them both, or if I could manage to put the box sideways then I could definitely fit a car in there as well as some other things.

Right now I'm needing storage, but later on I want to start hitting some events and I'd rather tow my car incase it breaks down I can still get home.

So for those of you who have, or have dealt with enclosed trailers is there any advice you can give or suggestions to look for in a trailer?

Thanks

[nvmyss]

With length you will also have to figure in where the weight sits.
The total of what you have above might not be enough if you have to move the car forward or back so the trailer tows right.With the Chevelle in a 26' I would have a hard time fitting a 4 wheeler & a tool box. But if you tool box is heavy enough you could move the car as far back as the back door and probably fit the 4 wheel in the side door.
If you can afford it a large door over the wheel well for getting in and out of the car makes it a lot easier.

[edog1]

Does it need to be a tag trailer or can you get a gooseneck?

[T_Raven]

Yeah I was wondering about weight distribution with the car all the way back or front. The box is pretty heavy, probably at least 1500 lbs with all the tools in it.

[T_Raven]

Does it need to be a tag trailer or can you get a gooseneck?


I could get either I suppose. I might even upgrade trucks. I've got a '00 Silverado 1500. I'm not wanting to go too crazy spending money but you know how it goes "If I'm gonna get this I might as well get that too...and if I get those then I need this other thing" lol.

[John Wright]

1/2T truck? I think you might be asking alot out of that poor truck. 3500-4000# for the trailer, 1500# for the tool box, another 3500# for the car...you have 9K# rolling behind you, and depending on how much tongue weight you have that might be a bit heavy on that truck. I stepped up to a 3500 crewcab w/ 8' bed and that made a world of difference from the 1500 regular cab w/ 6' bed in terms of handling and not white knuckling the wheel every time a trailer truck passed me. Plus the 3500 has alot better brakes.

[wmhjr]

I have a 24' enclosed trailer (27" long from the tip of the hitch) for my '66 GTO. It had a GVW of 10500lbs. I have a small cabinet in the front that has an electric winch mounted in the base. With the GTO in the trailer there is just a bit more room than to walk between the front bumper and the cabinet. Without the cabinet there would be no way a quad or something would go in there. I retitled it at a GVW of 9999 so I wouldn't need a combo tag.

I've pulled the trailer with 2 trucks. My '04 Dodge Cummins Diesel with 6spd, and my dads '00 Silverado 2500 w/6 liter gas engine. The diesel drags it up and down hills, etc with absolutely no problems whatsoever. The 3/4 ton chevy with the 6.0 struggles every step of the way. The trailer has a weight distribution hitch but even so, I wouldn't want to think about pulling the loaded trailer with my old Silverado 1500 1/2 ton truck.

Even with the Dodge 2500 (3/4T) if you load the car backwards you really feel a big difference in how the trailer pulls.

The trailer you list doesn't look bad at all. The firebird is a much shorter car, so maybe you'd have a bit more room. I agree about the door over the wheel well - I wish mine had that. I can't open my door when the car is inside the trailer. I find that I use my winch quite a bit to pull the car in - it's just easier because there isn't that much room.

I use the trailer all the time. It's great for storage, and for when you have any kind of issue at all. One of the best purchases I've made. I'm not sure I'd feel the same way if I were trying to pull it with my old Silverado with the 5.3 gasser.

[Gitter Dun]

I paid $7500 for a new 24' Interstate trailor out the door. Similar trailer but with a few more upgrades. You are looking at a good deal.

Things to look at would be entrance height. The one you show in the picture looks fine. Another would be quality of tires. You want a good radial with a good load rating. Find out if there is a warranty on the roof structure for leaks. Mine is lifetime.

[mpozzi]

Don't forget you need room to connect the tie-downs to. I weighed my '06 Dodge 1-Ton and 28' Haulmark Edge. Total weight was almost 19,000 lbs fully loaded.

It's not so much what the truck can pull but how can it stop?? Make sure you choose the tow vehicle with care.

Mary Pozzi

[T_Raven]

Yeah I think I'd be pushing it with my 1/2 ton. It pulls a car just fine even up hills, but this kind of trailer would definitely be heavier and catch more air. I once towed a car and had a big cabinet in the bed and it caught so much air it made it way harder to drive at highway speeds. Air springs would be good in the rear. I've been thinking about building a front mount turbo for the truck just for the heck of it lol. I think with some extra power and some air bags it would pull way more. The trans would be the weekest link. I love my truck but once I start modding the thing I might as well just trade up to a 2500 and get a crew cab while I'm at it.

I'm not sure what my trucks rated to tow. I just got home from Iraq and my truck is a few hours away, but it's a Z71 with 4.11:1 gears so from what I've found on the web today it should be as high as any of them were rated.

For now I'd probably just go get my box and car and then leave it parked, and towing the box would be rare I just need to get it out of where it is. I don't know if I could get by with what I've got until I find a truck I want or not.

[Boatmark]

Be very careful reading tow ratings. They are good for comparisons sake, but a good rule of thumb is to add up the loaded trailer weight and the load in the tow vehicle. Then size the truck where that figure is no more than 75% of the manufacturers tow rating. For example, That 26 footer, with the car, the tools, the 4 wheeler, and the other stuff that goes along you don't really count (fuel, pit tent, chairs, floor jack etc etc.) all the sudden is 10k pounds. (or more)Find a truck rating of 14k. Sounds like overkill, but believe me it is not.

Horsepower and torque are only a small part of towing. The big issue is handling. Will it stop. How does it handle crosswinds or that semi that just blasted past, and what will it do when you have to do some emergency evasion.

3/4 Ton minimum, 1 Ton is better. But some people don't want to deal with the fender width every day. (I found after the first week you never think about it) More wheelbase is better than less. Fifth wheel is more stable and more forgiving, but everything is more expensive. Torsion sway bars on the tongue are a pain, but worth it the hassle on a 3/4. Not as much on a dually. Don't go cheap on the electric brake controller, the better ones are more sensitive. Buy quality tie downs, and buy more than you think you need. Secure even the stuff you swear won't shift . . . it will. If you are going to travel long distances with any frequency used diesel beats new gas.

The drivers side doors are REALLY convenient. I like electric tongue jacks much better today than when I was 25. You will use exterior lights more than you think.

And if you are going to use it just for storage for a while, bribe a buddy with a better truck to move it when necessary. A steak and a beer are much cheaper than tearing things up, or risking your safety.

[T_Raven]

Be very careful reading tow ratings. They are good for comparisons sake, but a good rule of thumb is to add up the loaded trailer weight and the load in the tow vehicle. Then size the truck where that figure is no more than 75% of the manufacturers tow rating. For example, That 26 footer, with the car, the tools, the 4 wheeler, and the other stuff that goes along you don't really count (fuel, pit tent, chairs, floor jack etc etc.) all the sudden is 10k pounds. (or more)Find a truck rating of 14k. Sounds like overkill, but believe me it is not.

Horsepower and torque are only a small part of towing. The big issue is handling. Will it stop. How does it handle crosswinds or that semi that just blasted past, and what will it do when you have to do some emergency evasion.

3/4 Ton minimum, 1 Ton is better. But some people don't want to deal with the fender width every day. (I found after the first week you never think about it) More wheelbase is better than less. Fifth wheel is more stable and more forgiving, but everything is more expensive. Torsion sway bars on the tongue are a pain, but worth it the hassle on a 3/4. Not as much on a dually. Don't go cheap on the electric brake controller, the better ones are more sensitive. Buy quality tie downs, and buy more than you think you need. Secure even the stuff you swear won't shift . . . it will. If you are going to travel long distances with any frequency used diesel beats new gas.

The drivers side doors are REALLY convenient. I like electric tongue jacks much better today than when I was 25. You will use exterior lights more than you think.

And if you are going to use it just for storage for a while, bribe a buddy with a better truck to move it when necessary. A steak and a beer are much cheaper than tearing things up, or risking your safety.

Lots of good points, thanks. I can see me wanting to spend $5,000 on a trailer is going to turn into $20,000 by the time I get a different truck. I'll probably just hold off for now and keep my stuff in the storage unit it's in until I figure some stuff out. Thanks for all the responses guys.

[wmhjr]

it's a Z71 with 4.11:1 gears so from what I've found on the web today it should be as high as any of them were rated.


My 2000 Silverado was a 1500 Z71. Don't even think about towing that trailer and your car even without the box with that truck. You can add twin turbos to that 5.3 but you'll still have not enough low end torque and the suspension won't even be close. The tranny will be real unhappy and the brakes will warp. Remember - that trailer empty is about the same weight as a 1st gen camaro. But it's bigger with more drag on the highway. Add a car inside it and it's like pulling 2 cars. My dads 2000 Silverado is a 2500 w/6 liter. It was safe to pull with, but you really felt the trailer back there (not so with the Dodge) and you'd better carry an extra fuel tank. The gas pedal was always to the floor just to move.

Boatmark is also right about everything he said. Nothing less than a 3/4T - though to be honest you probably won't feel much difference pulling that trailer and car between 3/4 and 1T. You'd feel more of a difference between SRW or dually - but you really don't need a dually. A weight distributing hitch is absolutelyl essential IMHO once you're pulling over 6000lbs - which you would be. There are a couple really good brake controllers and they are worth their weight in gold. I've been very happy with my Curt Reflex with dual axis accelerometer. Prodigy units are also great.

[93Polo]

My dads 2000 Silverado is a 2500 w/6 liter. It was safe to pull with, but you really felt the trailer back there (not so with the Dodge) and you'd better carry an extra fuel tank. The gas pedal was always to the floor just to move.


Was this with an enclosed or open trailer?

[wmhjr]

Was this with an enclosed or open trailer?

Enclosed. Classic Dominator 24' trailer. 5200lb axles. 28' total length. According to the certificate of origin, empty weight of the trailer is 3290lbs. Truck is a 2000 Chevy 2500, Auto, 6.0 engine, trailer package, extended cab short bed 4x4. Just under 50k miles on the truck. Heavy weight distribution (w/torsion bars) hitch.

Didn't matter if the tranny was set to tow or not. There were several things I noticed.

1) I actually pulled the empty trailer home (3hr highway ride) with the Silverado when I bought the trailer last year. Even with the trailer empty, the truck was working hard on any kind of grade at all - didn't need to be a steep grade. If it wasn't flat, the truck was downshifting a lot. Not terrible by any stretch, but it was sure working.

2) Normally I pull the trailer with my '04 Dodge Cummins Diesel 6spd. I don't care what the hill is - loaded with my car (roughly 3750lbs), a spare tire, some tools, extra stuff, etc (I'd guess a trailer weight of around 7500lbs) luggage, and 3 full size guys, I put the truck in 6th, set the cruise for 75, and move. In the past year I've had to downshift into 5th twice. Once coming through Wheeling WV when there was construction and I couldn't maintain speed/rpms, and once on a very steep back road. A couple weeks ago I was getting some minor body damage fixed on the Dodge and I needed to use the Silverado to haul the car a short distance. On the same roads that I didn't even think about with the Dodge, I couldn't maintain 35mph with the Silverado even with the gas pedal all the way to the floor.

3) I also noticed that even with the trailer brakes, the Silverado "felt" the trailer a lot more in terms of handling. Curves that the Dodge/trailer combo were not affected by would push the rear end of the Silverado a lot more. In hard stops, the Silverado suspension was a lot more affected by the trailer. In general, you just always knew that trailer was there and you had to be more careful.

[Boatmark]

It is amazing what aerodynamics will do towing a trailer. I once had it illustrated to me first hand.

Picture a V6 small truck with a 24' aluminum float on style boat trailer. Towing the trailer down the interstate at 80 mph no problem. Now add Eight 4ft x 4ft x 10ft styrofoam blocks (don't ask!) stacked lenthwise two high and two wide. Now the trailer has a essentially a 8 x 8 x 20 foot block of foam on it that weighed literally less than 100 pounds . . . . the truck would not break 40 mph no way, no how. No this is admittedly a little motor, but it illustrates what effect that box back there makes.

I can see it today with my daily driver 5.3 Avalanche. I can tow a 9000 pound fishing boat and while I know its there, it is fine. (do as I say, not as I do - towing stupid is a marine industry tradition) But Hook up to our 22 foot box trailer with just boat show junk in it, and it feels like a brick wall. The difference is the pointed nose of the boat.

[John Wright]

It's not just that big flat nose on the trailer....remember the big void directly behind the trailer that is trying to get filled as it is dragged through the air....

add to this the push on the side of the trailer from a big truck passing.....the longer the trailer the longer the lever arm that tries to move the rear of the truck.<enter tail wagging dog smilie>

[prostreet69camaro]

I have a 2002 suburban 3/4 6.0 motor and pull a haulmark edge trailer with my camaro. On a flat road the suburban pulls fine but once I head north and start going in the mountains it struggles. I just did a 3000 mile trip from texas to n. carolina to ohio then back to texas. It gets 8 miles to the gallon and was a 800.00 trip for gas.

A car and golf cart will not fit in a 24 ft trailer. You need at least a 26 ft and it would be better with a 28 ft trailer.

Also watchout on the cheaper trailers, they have leaf springs and not torsion axles.

Another thing is I would not own a black trailer again. If it sits outside it will fade bad and white ones tend to get the black streaks down the side. I have a white one now but it is in covered storage.

[wmhjr]

I have a 2002 suburban 3/4 6.0 motor and pull a haulmark edge trailer with my camaro. On a flat road the suburban pulls fine but once I head north and start going in the mountains it struggles. I just did a 3000 mile trip from texas to n. carolina to ohio then back to texas. It gets 8 miles to the gallon and was a 800.00 trip for gas.


Just as a quick comparison: It's pretty hilly for about 1/3 of the trip between either my place and Columbus (GG) or my place and Norwalk. At around 70mph cruise control (and the truck just doesn't slow down unless I tell it to) up and down the hills, I averaged about 16.5mph with the Dodge/Cummins/6spd. I can get close to 20mph if I keep it to 60mph. On the flats, I'm at close to 20mpg fully loaded. Cummins has close to 230k miles on it.

[ProjectSideOiler]

I'm thinking about getting an enclosed trailer and wonder what you guys would look for in one. I don't want to drop $5000 or more on a trailer and realize it's missing something I want.

I'm liking this one:
http://spokane.craigslist.org/cto/1833175075.html

What I'm wanting is something big enough I can put one car, my tool box, and maybe my 4 wheeler in. My box is 88 inches wide so just under 7' 6", my Firebird is around 15' long i think. So a 24' trailer should hold them both, or if I could manage to put the box sideways then I could definitely fit a car in there as well as some other things.

Right now I'm needing storage, but later on I want to start hitting some events and I'd rather tow my car incase it breaks down I can still get home.

So for those of you who have, or have dealt with enclosed trailers is there any advice you can give or suggestions to look for in a trailer?

Thanks

I have had a half dozen different trailers. Current is a 26' Pace American. As others have said its not if the truck can pull it as much as can it stop???? A 1/2 ton pulling a enclosed 24' especially in a older truck is nothing short of dangerous.

My last truck was a F350 Dually crew long bed with a 32' gooseneck. That was a wonderful setup. I downsized to a 26' Enclosed and a F250 Diesel. (7.3) Truck has plenty of power but braking is not to my liking especially in a panic mode where someone pulls in front of you etc.

The difference with same size trailer from a gooseneck to a bumper pull was minimum of 3-4 mpg at highway speeds. Pulling my gooseneck with F350 vs a 12' Uhaul the mileage was better by a noticeable difference with the Gooseneck. (70mph plus) Bumper pull trailers are just too far back there and the wind is a real killer.

I would not even consider using a truck smaller than a 3/4 ton for a 24' enclosed.

A 24' would not be large enough for a quad and tool boxes along with your car as the car will need to be positioned correctly to eliminate trailer sway with little room left.

Pics of dually setup and also current. Both were finished on inside which of course looks nice but adds to price. Current trailer also has a 8,000lb winch to drag in the deadbeats.

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[ProjectSideOiler]

I'm thinking about getting an enclosed trailer and wonder what you guys would look for in one. I don't want to drop $5000 or more on a trailer and realize it's missing something I want.

I'm liking this one:
http://spokane.craigslist.org/cto/1833175075.html

What I'm wanting is something big enough I can put one car, my tool box, and maybe my 4 wheeler in. My box is 88 inches wide so just under 7' 6", my Firebird is around 15' long i think. So a 24' trailer should hold them both, or if I could manage to put the box sideways then I could definitely fit a car in there as well as some other things.

Right now I'm needing storage, but later on I want to start hitting some events and I'd rather tow my car incase it breaks down I can still get home.

So for those of you who have, or have dealt with enclosed trailers is there any advice you can give or suggestions to look for in a trailer?

Thanks

Forgot to mention if you need an eye on the trailer I am in Spokane area. 5k for a new nclosed trailer sounds too good to be true. My trailer new was 14k. I sold the 10yr old gooseneck for 9500.00 here in spokane a 16' enclosed built cheaply is 4200.00 Not sure what the quality is on the one you listed but 5k is cheap for the cheapest enclosed 24 footer

[DRJDVM's '69]

So what about a 20 foot enclosed?

I recently bought one for future use, but dont have a vehicle capable of towing long distance loaded.

Alot of guys I;ve talked to say the 1500 series Dodge wil do just fine..... not so sure now. The bottom line is I will tow 2-5 times a year, max, so dont need/want some huge diesel for the other 99%of the time

[MrQuick]

Lots of good points, thanks. I can see me wanting to spend $5,000 on a trailer is going to turn into $20,000 by the time I get a different truck. I'll probably just hold off for now and keep my stuff in the storage unit it's in until I figure some stuff out. Thanks for all the responses guys.
good idea. it will add up.

I got a great deal on my 24' Interstate 1 year old and used. The guy had the same issue, bought the trailer but had an old 5.7L 1500 truck...used it twice and it sat the rest of the year. I traded my old trailer and some cash for it.


2500 minimum...and get something with good trailer brakes.

My dads 98 1500 5.9L Dodge tows my trailer just fine but it doesn't stop worth a poop. Super duper trailers brakes is a must.
A cuda in a 20 footer is going to be tight....thats if your 5'11". I think you may have issues Neddy.
vince

[wmhjr]

Alot of guys I;ve talked to say the 1500 series Dodge wil do just fine..... not so sure now. The bottom line is I will tow 2-5 times a year, max, so dont need/want some huge diesel for the other 99%of the time

A lot of guys don't tow.

What's the empty weight of the 20'? I'd bet it's within 400lbs of a 24'. So, call it 3200. Add another 3000 minimum for car and stuff. So, you're pulling 3 tons in addition to the truck. Now, take a look at the brake rotors and calipers on the 1500.

"Huge diesel"? you do know that lots of the diesels are smaller displacement than the gassers, right? And they get better economy. The truck size itself is pretty much a wash. A 1/2 body is exactly the same size as a 3/4. Truth is the only real downside to a diesel is the purchase price.

I know it's kind of dumb to go out and replace a truck to tow 2-5 times a year. In that case, it may make more sense to borrow or rent a heavier truck. After struggling to pull my 24' (even empty) with a 2500 6.0 and feeling it push the truck, there's no way in h3ll I'd consider pulling an enclosed trailer loaded with a 1500

[DRJDVM's '69]

Well the Cuda is about 15.5 ft long bumper to bumper. I added another 6 tie down points in the floor, so I should be able to get to enough tie downs. So call it 16 feet... that gives me 2 feet in front and in back.....not much room, but should be enough.

I think I should be fine...enough space up front to get around the front of the car, and easy to get to the back with the ramp open. What does my height have to do with it? :)

Its time to replace my wife's Tahoe with 220k miles, so I figured we would replace it with a truck that can tow. So its not a replacement based solely on the trailer.

When I said huge diesel I meant a big F350 dually etc....tows like hell but is huge overkill to tow 2-5 times a year and use it as a daily driver the rest of the time. I'm just having a real hard time plopping down 35-40k+ to get a really big truck, which is where even the used 3500's seem to be hovering around

[DRJDVM's '69]

Looking up the specs on the Dodge Rams'

1500
Max 10,300
Standard 5000

2500
Max 13,250
Standard 9100

So..yeah...a 1500 is pushing it. Capable, but not such a great idea...

I'm going to go to the storage yard and get the weight on the trailer...

Now you guys have me freaked that the 20 isnt long enough.... I bought it used at an awesome price.

[prostreet69camaro]

I have 2 friends with 20ft trailers and they both have 67 & 69 camaros. They fit in there fine with not much room for anything else. They also pull them with 2500HD 4 door trucks.

Your car is about the same length as the camaro's so you should have no problems with it fitting in the trailer.

[T_Raven]

Forgot to mention if you need an eye on the trailer I am in Spokane area. 5k for a new nclosed trailer sounds too good to be true. My trailer new was 14k. I sold the 10yr old gooseneck for 9500.00 here in spokane a 16' enclosed built cheaply is 4200.00 Not sure what the quality is on the one you listed but 5k is cheap for the cheapest enclosed 24 footer


Thanks for the offer but I'm staying in Coeur D'Alene now so I was looking at stuff in the area. That trailer is slightly used, not sure what he paid for it new.

I guess I'll just hold off on buying one and keep an eye out for a good deal on what I'm looking for in a Duramax 2500.

I hadn't thought about a goose neck trailer and how much better it would be so thanks for all who mentioned that. If I do get a bigger truck and trailer I'll definitely try to get a goose neck.

[wmhjr]

Thanks for the offer but I'm staying in Coeur D'Alene now so I was looking at stuff in the area. That trailer is slightly used, not sure what he paid for it new.

I guess I'll just hold off on buying one and keep an eye out for a good deal on what I'm looking for in a Duramax 2500.

I hadn't thought about a goose neck trailer and how much better it would be so thanks for all who mentioned that. If I do get a bigger truck and trailer I'll definitely try to get a goose neck.

If you're looking for a used truck, I'd also recommend (can't believe I'm saying this) looking at a Dodge Cummins. The Duramax is a hotrod. But the drivetrain the the Dodge is probably less risky with higher miles. I'm not a Dodge fan at all, but the inline Cummins 6 is way overbuilt to run stock compared to either the dmax or the pstroke. Just a little less risky if you're trying to save money and buy used. Plus the Cummins makes its power WAY lower in the rpm range compared to the other two - which is why they get better fuel economy in general. Disregarding how ticked off I am with Chevy about my last truck, if I were looking to buy new I'd sure bee looking at a new dmax. But used I'd focus on the Dodge Cummins - preferable with the 6spd. If you're careful you can find deals. I bought a high mileage '04 for less than $11K. You can find really nice ones (less miles and nicer than mine) for less than $20k. The Cummins last just about forever. Take a look at the piston rod of the Cummins compared to the dmax or PS. It blows my mind.

[T_Raven]

Well the ol' 1/2 ton doesn't do too bad for now. My box is a good 1500# or more plus towing the TA. I put some air helper springs on yesterday or the bumper would be on the ground lol. I'm moving to Oxnard Ca so I've got a few days of driving ahead of me. Wish me luck.

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