Trailer/Towing Reccomendations?

[hatersaurusrex]

I probably will be moving from FL to TN soon, and with 4 cars and a motorcycle, it would cost me less to buy a car trailer and make a couple of trips than it would to pay someone to ship the cars.

That said, I don't have my Charger done yet but I want to buy a trailer that can haul it eventually as well.    Doesn't need to be enclosed or anything.   For now it'll be a '71 bug and an '84 Jeep and maybe the bike if I can strap it onto the front end.

What dimensions/reccomendations/brands do you guys use for your Charger hauling?   I have an 04 F150 with a tow capacity of about 10,500 lbs.   Is a 2-car model totally out of the question?

[Aero426]

I have pulled a 24' enclosed with a 04 F150 Super Crew 2wd with a 5.4 engine.   About 7600 lbs trailer and car.    That weight is pretty close to maxing out the F150 when it comes to any kind of hills.    It will do it, but it is at the limit.  On the flat it wasn't bad.   I think a two car trailer is out of the question for that truck.  

[Troy]

An open 2 car trailer will weigh 6,000+ pounds empty and will be a pain to maneuver once your Charger is done and that's all you have to haul. No way you could haul 2 cars and the trailer with that truck (safely).

I have an H&H 20' "open pit" trailer that I love. It has a 5' dovetail and 5' ramps (typical trailers have 4' dovetail and 4' ramps) so loading a car is really easy. The ramps fit into slots in the trailer with spring loaded catches. Super easy. It only weighs 1,550 pounds, has 7,000 pound capacity, removable fenders on both sides, a breakaway kit, and brakes on both axles. The fenders are low enough that you can open the car doors without removing them. Retail price was $2,360 which is more than most other "basic" trailers around here but it's lighter and has a lot more features that I wanted.

I wanted a 22' trailer so I'd have more room to shift the car or haul extra stuff but this model wasn't available in the larger size. It works perfectly fine though and I'm totally satisfied with the purchase. You probably don't want anything shorter (18') because a Charger is nearly that long and you won't have much room to shift the weight. You could consider a 22' or 24' trailer to get a few more things on there - but the weight of the trailer will go up which will reduce the total weight that you can carry. The bug and Jeep are short so you'd have no problem getting the bike loaded with either one of them. I do wish mine had more tie down anchors. If you buy a trailer with a wood bed it's easy to add lots of anchor points.





Troy

[RIDELIKEHELL]

Nice setup Troy

[Aero426]

The dovetail and long ramps make loading a low car easy.

[Cooter]

I would be careful towing anything with the newer automatics. Even with that joke of a "Towing package" that basically consists of some stiffer shocks, a few trailer wiring harnesses under truck, and MAYBE a small trans cooler.

[hatersaurusrex]

Yep, got the 'towing package' which does have a trans cooler and an integrated/pre-wired hitch but not a lot else from what I found.   No trailer brake controls or extra springs - nothing like the 1-tons have which is mostly the reason I asked the question about what the limits are.

Thanks for the input on the trailer, Troy.   I didn't realize a 2-car trailer weighed that much empty.   I was hoping to get away with hauling the bug and the jeep, which together don't weigh 5,000 lbs.   That much trailer weight on top of it would make me way uncomfortable though, especially considering I have to go through the Appalachians around Chattanooga on the way back.   

A shorter trailer and two trips it is.    Now somebody get me off Craigslist before it becomes 3 trips

[Old Moparz]

If price is a big factor, consider one that I bought. It's a 16' long, dual axle, 7000 lb. "Load Trail" car hauler, brand new in 2004 for $1700. It's a very heavy duty trailer for the price, has the beaver tail & ramps, too. I would have liked to have gotten the 18' one, but I wanted the option of putting it in the garage with the car on it if I had to & the 18' wouldn't fit. I went with a wooden deck so I can attach cleats for moving other things besides cars. It also has stake pockets so you can put sides on it.

Load Trail Site:
http://loadtrail.com/carhaulers.cfm

Find a Dealer:
http://loadtrail.com/dealerfinder.cfm

Trailer Specs for Mine:
http://loadtrail.com/detail.cfm?model=CH07&desc=Carhauler%207%2C000%20Lb%20w%2F5%22%20Channel%20Frame

I've had several different size cars including B & E Bodies, a Corvair & my truck on the trailer & it always felt fine. The heaviest vehicle I towed on it was my 1995 Ford F-150 when I sold it to someone I knew. I think it weighed around 5500 pounds. I've towed it with my 1995 Ford F-150 before I sold it, & my current 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 that both had/have tow packages. The 2004 Ford you have should already be wired for a brake controller, all you need to do is mount it & plug it in.

I looked at other trailers that were new before getting this one but they were junk economy ones. I also looked at used trailers that were more money & decided it wasn't worth it & bought new.

[Troy]

Yep, got the 'towing package' which does have a trans cooler and an integrated/pre-wired hitch but not a lot else from what I found.   No trailer brake controls or extra springs - nothing like the 1-tons have which is mostly the reason I asked the question about what the limits are.

Thanks for the input on the trailer, Troy.   I didn't realize a 2-car trailer weighed that much empty.   I was hoping to get away with hauling the bug and the jeep, which together don't weigh 5,000 lbs.   That much trailer weight on top of it would make me way uncomfortable though, especially considering I have to go through the Appalachians around Chattanooga on the way back.   

A shorter trailer and two trips it is.    Now somebody get me off Craigslist before it becomes 3 trips

Unless you're hauling gutted shells I'd bet your 2 cars weigh more than 5,000 pounds. Remember a double car trailer likely has a third axle and all the beams/supports have to be larger due to the heavier overall capacity. It will probably weigh at least as much as two trailers half the size. My 24' enclosed weighed 4,500 pounds empty and had the wind resistance of a barn. Remember my trailer is light compared to most (not as light as aluminum of course) so you'll probably come in closer to 1,800-2,000 pounds with a flat wooden bed. With 3,500 pound axles (7,000 pounds total) that leaves 5,000 pounds before max capacity. I try not to load anything at the max. A big block Charger will be at/near 4,000 pounds. Tow straps, spare tires, wheel chocks, etc. add weight in a hurry. Your truck's gross weight also includes whatever you stuff in the cab and bed which affects how much you can tow.

The dovetail and long ramps make loading a low car easy.

Absolutely! I can push a big block car onto the trailer by myself until the rear wheels hit the ramps. Several times before I got cars "hung up" by the headers on trailers with sharp ramp angles. The extra cost for this trailer was negligible compared to the time and frustration it saves.

A trailer like Bob's would be fine for your move. I didn't want one that short solely because I don't like my car being the first thing another car would hit - or, more importantly, the thing that hits if I screw up while in reverse! Some of my cars are lighter and some are more nose heavy so I needed to have room to move the car for best balance (I mostly towed with a Tahoe not that 1 ton diesel dually). A lot of times a big block car on a short(er) trailer will have too much weight on the tongue and you don't have any room to adjust. That RR looks fine on his though. Some people prefer the wood bed when it's hot outside and you need to load your car at the end of a show. It's waaaaay cooler than metal! The ability to add blocks and attachment points is a plus. I actually added wood to the top of mine the last time I moved so I could secure all my belongings that weren't cars.

Be a savvy shopper. Some places with "discount" trailers will sell them with either used or very cheap tires that won't last long at all. You don't want to have a blowout (ever) - but especially not when you're far from home. They generally won't come with breakaway boxes (automatically applies the brakes when electrical connection to the tow vehicle is lost) and may only come with brakes on one axle (some states don't require both).

Troy

[Cooter]

Just remember to take an OD trans out of OD when pulling LONG grades. You wouldn't believe how much that helps a trans. Long, Flat roads, OD towing is ok. Especially, when almost ALL have lock-up feature nowadays.

[stripedelete]

I don't have any trailer advice, but as for avoiding 3 trips, you could drive the Jeep and with a towbar on the Bug.   

[DC_1]

I use to have a 45 footer that worked pretty well but was a bitch to maneuver around. My buddies nicknamed it the Aircraft Carrier.... LOL

[hatersaurusrex]

Unless you're hauling gutted shells I'd bet your 2 cars weigh more than 5,000 pounds.

Well a CJ7 is just a big bathtub on wheels and a bug is basically a sardine can on wheels   Not counting the wheels and tires the stock dry weight of a 258 powered CJ7 is about 2750 and the bug (convertible) is about 1800.   Both being soft tops keeps the weight down.   I figure the extra mass of the wheels and tires over stock is maybe 500 lbs total so believe it or not, we're probably somewhere around 5,000.   

[ACUDANUT]

Whatever you do, add a Brake controller to you truck and make sure your trailer has brakes too.

[Todd Wilson]

No 2 car trailer with a half ton...........too much tung weight........... You also dont have the proper rear end and tires..........A single car trailer is all you will want with a half ton to do it safe.


Todd

[resq302]

Just remember to take an OD trans out of OD when pulling LONG grades. You wouldn't believe how much that helps a trans. Long, Flat roads, OD towing is ok. Especially, when almost ALL have lock-up feature nowadays.

Cooter,

I've always kept the OD off in my 05 and 07 F150s and any other trucks I've towed with.  It doesn't hurt anything (other than gas mileage) to tow with the OD off the entire time does it?  I also change my trans fluid and filter every 24,000 instead of the 30,000 like they say.

[Todd Wilson]

Just remember to take an OD trans out of OD when pulling LONG grades. You wouldn't believe how much that helps a trans. Long, Flat roads, OD towing is ok. Especially, when almost ALL have lock-up feature nowadays.

Cooter,

I've always kept the OD off in my 05 and 07 F150s and any other trucks I've towed with.  It doesn't hurt anything (other than gas mileage) to tow with the OD off the entire time does it?  I also change my trans fluid and filter every 24,000 instead of the 30,000 like they say.

No doesnt hurt a thing.............probably helps it...........


Todd

[1970Moparmann]

I've towed with 1/2 and 3/4 ton Fords, Chevy's and Dodge.

2 car trailer is out of the question with a 1/2 ton.   It just isn't safe at all.

My   is 1/2 ton = can be done with modifications with an enclosed trailer.  See below.  3/4 is ideal...

Even though I pushed my 2010 F150 to the limit recently, at the end of the day, it's still a 1/2 ton truck.  It did better then expected with a 24' Enclosed trailer and car, but I still wasn't ideal.  It was a little squirrely at times.

In order to tow this trailer, I also put on Trailmaster Active Suspension on the rear leafs - this helped a lot!   The next thing I would do if I'm going to tow this amount is put on E rated tires.  1/2 tons come with D rated tires.  E rated tires will make the stability better.

Soooooo, to answer your question, you can do it, but it might not be fun.  You can get a 20' enclosed trailer for around $4,500 and sell it for the same when your done with it.  

Do you have an electronic brake?

Here is the picture of the set up I did.  The guys that rent the trailers even told me in 20 years NO ONE EVER tried to rent an enclosed trailer with a 1/2 ton.  They told me not to do it, but I told them I'll let them know how it went.  

[chargerboy69]

Just remember to take an OD trans out of OD when pulling LONG grades. You wouldn't believe how much that helps a trans. Long, Flat roads, OD towing is ok. Especially, when almost ALL have lock-up feature nowadays.

Cooter,

I've always kept the OD off in my 05 and 07 F150s and any other trucks I've towed with.  It doesn't hurt anything (other than gas mileage) to tow with the OD off the entire time does it?  I also change my trans fluid and filter every 24,000 instead of the 30,000 like they say.

No, it does not hurt it.  The OD engaged will actually make the transmission run warmer.  I pull travel trailers daily ( own a RV dealership) and I always leave my transmission in OD.  Now, if I am running through Tennessee in the mountains, I do pull it out of OD. As long as the transmission is not constantly downshifting leaving it it overdrive is fine.  

As a side note, I flush my transmission with every oil change, every 5000 miles.

To the original question.  I would never pull a two car hauler with a 1500 truck. You are just asking for problems.

[resq302]

Holy crap!  you must be going through a fortune in trans fluid if you change it and flush it every 5000!  Im hoping you forgot to put a number in there.

[68X426]

Great info going on here! Thanks everyone. 

But I have to ask .... what's the deal with this set up? Is that a spare tire mounted to the trailer - or - is that car actually off the trailer floor?  Quite the illusion, assuming it really is the spare.

[resq302]

Thats the spare tire.  If that was the whee/tire for the car, the fender would have been over it.

[Troy]

I forgot a part that was just mentioned above - you could always rent a trailer for the move and save for a nice enclosed version when the car is finished. At least one of my local trailer sales place also rents car haulers and other trailers (open and enclosed). They are way nicer than U-Haul and priced competitively. I used to get a 20' open with surge brakes (no need for a controller in the truck) for $50 per weekend. This is because they were closed on Sunday so if I rented on Saturday and had it back before business on Monday I only got charged for a single day. Any more than about 6 trips per year and it's cheaper to buy your own - which I did.

Troy

[4cruzin]

$50 dollars for the weekend is a great rate!  I think up here in Michigan, I was quoted $65 a day and since Carlisle is leave Thursday and caome back Sunday . . it just seemed to be too much IMO.

[ACUDANUT]

Just remember to take an OD trans out of OD when pulling LONG grades. You wouldn't believe how much that helps a trans. Long, Flat roads, OD towing is ok. Especially, when almost ALL have lock-up feature nowadays.

Cooter,

I've always kept the OD off in my 05 and 07 F150s and any other trucks I've towed with.  It doesn't hurt anything (other than gas mileage) to tow with the OD off the entire time does it?  I also change my trans fluid and filter every 24,000 instead of the 30,000 like they say.

I had a 2001 Chevy Blazer I bought new, that I just resently traded in. It had 300K and I never touched the transmission fluid.