Pricing on an eclosed car hauler

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

What kind of pricing are yall seeing on used enclosed car haulers? I'm looking to buy another one in the near future and was just wondering.

Must: Electric brakes, enclosed, larger than needed for 911

Want: Aluminum, gooseneck, interior winch or structure to put one

Appreciate any input.

[Grady Clay]

David,

About a year ago, Pelican rs911t asked me to help him spec a trailer. What evolved is a 25 page White Paper on how to go to DE events. This has nothing about car prep or driving techniques, just how to go and do. It still includes a lot about a trailer that you should see.
Send me your e-mail address and I will send you the draft. It is too large to go through Wayne’s Pelican system.

Best,
Grady
gradyclay@hotmail.com

[dad911]

Grady, perhaps you could submit it as a 'tech article'? http://www.pelicanparts.com/911/911tech_articles.htm

I'm sure quite a few members would find it useful.

David, I could never find an enclosed trailer used with the features I wanted, at a reasonable price.

[ErVikingo]

It can get crazy. I spent 18.5 on my ATC and got a lot of options on it but no cabinets (which were 3-4 K more.....). Aluminum trailers are expensive but should last quite a long time.

I got, full aluminum (including floor in extruded alu), pitpal door cabinet, pitpal ramp extensions and 10 tire rack, alu wheels and spare, winch, walk on roof with railing, internal ladder, 110 + 12 volt, awning, brakes, full insulation, solar battery charger/maintainer.

FYI, similar spec'd trailer from Featherlite quoted at $38K.

[Grady Clay]

Guys,

Tell us about your trailer.

Best,
Grady

[unclebilly]

Mine is a 16' Terry Car hauler... not enclosed.

My neighbor turned his 16' flat deck trailer into an enclose trailer last winter. He was an old diesel mechanic and built it just like a commercail trailer. To keep it light, he had 16ga steel broke up to make the -|_|- shaped uprights (lighter than angle iron or square tubing) and then skinned it with trailer skin. He used all the correct door hardware, available to commercial trailer repair shops. The trailer looks factory built, holds his Model A Pick Up and his Harley really nicely... too bad he passed away before he ever got to tow it anywhere. I think it cost him roughly $2500 to modify his original trailer so this is an option if you have the ambition...

[peridotian]

I too am in the market for a 24 ft enclosed trailer and have about $7K budgeted. Please let me know if you have any leads.

[Kevin Stewart]

Hey guys my buddy builds really nice trailers, he has been building fully aluminum enclosed lately total cool, He has some of the best prices in the contry, call him 574-596-5544 ask for Chris nash, Nash car trailer tell i sent you, Kevin

[ted]

I envy some of the current Toy hauler rigs. Mine is an entry level 20ft steel tag along called Racer fron Carson trailers. Had it for 4 years. Added windows, roof AC, tire rack, couple of cheap shelves and some ramp extensions. I think the trailer was $4500 the add ons were another 2k. It's a little rough for primative camping at the track but is a great ice cool club house on hot day at the track between sessions.
I do set up a microwave, TV and VCR and use the top row of the tire rack as a bench over a weekend at the track. Home depot gen powers it all when I cant find hook ups.

[cstreit]

I got a 24' Cargomate basic car hauler with 48" side door, rear ramp door, 4 overhead lights, 3/4" ply floors, unfinished interior for $4500 Brand New!

MSI in Elkhart Indiana

Some paint, Stanley lightweight ABS cabinetry and a homemade steel tire rack and you got this:

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

Kevin, Ted, Chris,

Thank you!!! There are some GREAT leads! I'll be looking into those. I like aluminum (I have a large three horse gooseneck) but know the costs can go way up. I might also try Hart in Oklahoma to see if they could do the trailer to spec or not. Of course, I'm really not wanting to spend tens of thousands...

My current hauler is a borrowed Haulmark and I hate it and my father-in-law wants it back for his model A's. I have a wonderful flatbed that pulls like a dream, steel pipe frame not angle iron. But, it looks like we are moving across country and I need something to store the baby and all my tools until I can get some more work done on her and find a place to live. I'm sure there will be more on that soon...

[ErVikingo]

David,

If you like aluminum, I found the best value to be ATC (Aluminum Trailer Company). aluminumtrailer.com

You don't have to get the expensive extruded aluminum floor nor the insulation, walk on roof or other really expensive options I picked. It is very solid. There is a post on the racing forum at Rennlist of a fellow who just got one also with lots of great pics.

Email me if you need further info. Not related just a satisfied customer (one of the first ones)

[Grady Clay]

David,

I just e-mailed you a draft.

David,
This is just a draft. Please help add to it (with credit.) As you can see it started out as just a trailer spec for Pelican rs911t but developed into more. It has nothing about car prep or driving technique, just how to do and go. I need to add an entire section about safe towing and more.
I have stuck with this size trailer as an illustration because of its utility and resale. The principles are equally true for just driving to events and with an 18-wheel transporter.
This will probably end up as a chapter in a friend's book.
After you read this, feel free to critique it on the Forum thread. Please give me some feedback.
Best,
Grady

If anyone wants a draft copy, please e-mail me at gradyclay@hotmail.com. It is a 100K+ Word.doc attachment. If anyone has something to add, it is welcome and you will have credit.

Best,
Grady

[Grady Clay]

Pricing a trailer is very similar to buying a tow vehicle. You first spec everything possible and then find out that is over your budget. You then restrict yourself to the essentials within your budget. Finally you take your specifications and go price shopping the builders.

If you know exactly what you want and what the builders can reasonably produce, you can find real deals.

Many years ago, several of us got together and cooperatively negotiated for heavy duty Ford tow vehicles. I would sit in front of a dealer fleet manager, slide deposit Cashier’s Checks out on the table and discuss price. When you slide the checks back in the envelope and go to get up, the negotiation gets serious. That is when you ask for a written price on each spec sheet. Then you go to the next dealer.

We did the same with trailer manufacturers.

There is real power when YOU have YOUR money in YOUR pocket and they want it.

Best,
Grady

[widebody911]

I've been starting to look at the whole tow vehicle/trailer issue. My problem (one of them anyway) is that I don't want a big-ass pickup for a daily driver. OTOH, I don't want to buy a pickup that festers in the back yard next to the trailer waiting for a track day.

The idea that I've been hashing over is to get an older bobtail truck, outfit it with a car lift gate, like the real car haulers have, basically integrating the tow vehicle and hauler into one unit.

Whaddaya think?

[cstreit]

Thom,

Why not use an open aluminum trailer? They weight les than 1000#. You can tow this with a mid-range SUV. We used to go racing using a 3.2L V6 Toyota 4-runner, trailer, and gear no problem.


David,

Alumnimum is great, but you're gonna pay 2-3 as much.

[widebody911]

Originally posted by cstreit
Why not use an open aluminum trailer? They weight les than 1000#. You can tow this with a mid-range SUV. We used to go racing using a 3.2L V6 Toyota 4-runner, trailer, and gear no problem.

I don't have any tow vehicle right now. I would have to buy a tow vehicle and the trailer, meaning I'd have to sell the M3 and drive an SUV or a pickup as a daily driver.

[dmfstudios]

You guys should look at CM Trailers www.cmtrailers.com they build the best trailers by far if you're looking for the best built trailer.

[ozz]

Thom,

I've been thinking about something similar to your idea as well. My issue is I want to transport the car but, for race weekends, also want to pull along the 27' travel trailer for living quarters. Get the car in the truck, hook up the trailer and its a done deal.

As an aside, I've seen a copy of Grady's document on trailer selection and it is truly a comprehensive treatise on a transporter and the process at the track. Very well done!!

[JoeF]

I have been using an open Featherlite for 2 years. It works very well and is a really well built trailer, and if you compare the purchase price to other open alluminum trailers, it is a bargain.
When I am towing it, I am happy the trailer is low and lite, I have great visibility, low wind resistance and it handles great.
At the track though, it would be nice if it were enclosed. How come no one makes a kind of pop-up trailer that would be just high enough to fit the car in while in transport, and could pop up to around 6' inside height at the track? Kind of like the old VW bus campers or like the new campers that go in pick up truck beds.

In the mean time I have thought of buying a low height 24' enclosed trailer and trying to make a sort of sparse living space to spend just a night or two in at the track. The enclosed car trailers with living quarters that are available seem very big, and would require a tow vehicle that would be too big to use as a daily driver. If anyone knows anybody who has done this please send suggestions or pictures or plans. Thanks
JoeF