Community Forums

Old Grape · 02-03-2019, 05:13 PM

Howdy all,
I plan on buying an enclosed car trailer to tow the wife's all wheel drive SUV. Can you all give recommendations on brands (good, bad, etc). Is there any specific options that are a necessity and those that turn out to be a waste of money. Also is the V-Nose better than the flat nose?

Bob_C · 02-03-2019, 05:17 PM

Make sure the hold downs are tied into the frame...not just thru the floor

Rkesselus · 02-03-2019, 06:21 PM

Most cargo trailers start out with low grade economical tires so pay some attention to the tires. Make sure the axle rating on the vin sticker are rated for what you need to carry. I look at my trailer as a box to protect my toys so I don't get all excited about high dollar features. I pull a 24 foot trailer with two 5000 lb rated axles on springs hauling a Toyota RAV4 , a motorcycle and or Cushman Scooters The V nose is good for that but behind a big MH I don't know if the V nose makes any pulling difference.

jmcarter · 02-06-2019, 03:13 AM

Go all aluminum if possible (ATC or InTech), they last much longer and better resale. Vintage makes a good mid priced trailer. You’ll need the long tongue option and the side escape doors make entry and egress a snap. Would also recommend 6000 pound Dexter torsion axles and 16” tires. RacingJunk.com is a good place to shop.

gutsgolf · 02-06-2019, 09:30 AM

we got a 24 foot v nose. the main box is 24 feet v nose is extra room. i also installed those white wire racks around the walls to hold mostly her clothes, ( she works jobs at different locations and needs more than normal) i carried a pontiac solstice and golf cart in it. had extra tie downs mounted and i have put extra tie downs on the wall. only issue i have seen is the possibility of getting into back of coach with v if grade changes to abrupt. i got an extended hitch tongue. works great.

Old Grape · 05-12-2019, 04:11 PM

Thanks for all of the responses. So I do have a couple more questions. My wife's car over all length is 16 ft. Dou center the car front to back in the trailer or more towards the back due to wanting the weight over the axle? WE want a little extra storage in front for bicycles and a portable grill and maybe a small wardrobe closet. So trying to figure if a 20', 22' or a 24' trailer is the proper size.
Secondly I know a good number of campgrounds don't have large enough pull through sites to handle the RV and trailer. So do most RV parks have a parking area to park the trailer?

PbdBlue · 05-12-2019, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Grape

Thanks for all of the responses. So I do have a couple more questions. My wife's car over all length is 16 ft. Dou center the car front to back in the trailer or more towards the back due to wanting the weight over the axle? WE want a little extra storage in front for bicycles and a portable grill and maybe a small wardrobe closet. So trying to figure if a 20', 22' or a 24' trailer is the proper size.
Secondly I know a good number of campgrounds don't have large enough pull through sites to handle the RV and trailer. So do most RV parks have a parking area to park the trailer?

Just remember 65' is max length in most states. Not necessarily enforced everywhere but that's the law.

RescueRamsey · 05-12-2019, 05:19 PM

I have a Hallmark brand enclosed trailer, and many people in my circle have had them as well, good quality without breaking the bank. V nose is up to you, you get a little extra room inside. I personally don't care for torsion axles, but that's me. Make sure it has decent tires, and brakes on both axles if you have the option.

CamJam1 · 05-12-2019, 06:41 PM

Make sure you get a trailer door in the same location as the car driver's door, so you can get out of the car without climbing out a window.

Personally, unless it's a classic car you don't want to get wet I'd go with an open trailer. Easier to load and tie down the car and a lot less weight.

becks · 05-12-2019, 07:07 PM

Featherlite is another high end model.

NevadaNick · 05-12-2019, 07:39 PM

I have a Victory 8.5x20. First thing i did was buy new wheels and tires. Its not a high end trailer but i have put 10’s of thousands of miles on it without issue. The last thing i hauled in it was an Access cab Toyota Tacoma that i bought. I was able to get out of the truck but it was tight.

winniman · 05-12-2019, 08:21 PM

Probably an obvious statement, but make sure you get a ramp for a rear door. Mine is a drop down rear ramp. My friend had one with barn doors, and he had to use ramps to get his tracker in and out. Another thing is he started with a 7ft wide one. He then bought and 8 ft wide one. He now has an 8ft 6" wide one. With his new one, he can just sneak out of the vehicle. His older ones, he had to climb over the seat, and get out the hatchback. As stated by another poster, having a side hatch on the trailer makes getting out of the vehicle a lot easier. This video explains some of the better features.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...487B&FORM=VIRE

arcaguy · 05-12-2019, 08:38 PM

Personally I would avoid any trailer previously owned by a race team, the tend to beat them up pretty good. Go with something owned by a classic car collector. Also don't even think about anything but an 8'6" trailer, you won't like it.

Also, I second the opinion on making sure the tie-downs are frame mounted. Most of them I've seen are 5,000 lb. rated but make sure.
As to loading you need to weigh the trailer after it is loaded to get the proper tongue weight - usually between 10-15% of total weight. Move the vehicle back and forth to get the proper tongue weight and mark the location.

Also be careful you don't overload the trailer. Trailers in the size range you are looking at weight about 3,500 lbs. give or take, add the weight of the vehicle and you're already looking at close to 10,000 lbs if it's a mid-sized or larger SUV. This the the GVW of most trailers that size. You might want to look at a 3 axle trailer.

Personally I like trailers on springs as opposed to torsion axles because they are much easier to repair. We recently replaced nearly the entire undercarriage except for springs on an open trailer in a little under 3 hours with 3 of us and the proper tools. Fortunately there was a trailer supply less than 10 miles away. If a torsion axle fails you get to replace the entire axle. Just some things to think about.

Old Grape · 08-11-2019, 09:11 AM

Thanks all for the great responses. Locally here in Northern VA the choices available are interstate, Cynergy, and Haulmark. If I drive down to GA I have been looking at the ones from USA Cargo Trailers. I have read good reviews on Interstate and Haulmark. I have only found a few reviews on USA Cargo mainly on their website. I found many bad reviews on the Cynergy trailers. The Interstate and Hallmark trailers run a a couple grand mor than the USA Cargo trailers with the same features. It will cost about $1200 to get the USA Cargo trailer delivered and close to that to go pick it up (gas and hotels).

Has anyone had any experience with USA Cargo trailers in GA?