I've seen open ended questions but this one is a dilly!

For general hobbist and utility work, I'd start with a tandem axle flat
bed car hauler 18' with beaver tail. 3500# axles would give you 7000#
gross weight, about 5000# max load. You can haul a car, 16' lumber, a
Bridgeport (or bigger) mill, etc. Fit it with removable sides, you can
haul boxes and furniture. The low bed means it will tow nicely, decent
fuel mileage, fewer drive ability issues in windy weather. You can load
it with a forklift, load it with a gantry, load it with a cherry picker,
drive on, etc. New cost is about $1500 to $2000, decent used at half that.

But you want enclosed. A few questions and the answers:
-What do you want to haul? An enclosed trailer is great for moving
boxes but if you can't carry or roll it in to the trailer, (think
Bridgeport mill), it gets less fun quickly.
-What weight? 16' or 18' will be tandem axle, total empty trailer weight
will be around 2500# unless you go with the expensive aluminum trailers
-Headroom? Full 6' inside is really nice for loading but the extra
height just kills your gas mileage on the highway.
-Car hauling? A 16' trailer is real tiny for hauling most vehicles. We
have a race Porsche that needs to have the driver's door removed before
loading so the driver can get out.
-How often do you use it? Every week vs every 3 months?
-How far do you tow? Around town vs serious (We do 6 race events per
year, 150 miles to 700 miles one way)

If you still want to look at enclosed, check out Haulmark and
Featherlight for the standards to meet. You can usually find some
regional brands for less money.

Towing one of these means a 3/4 ton pickup or van. You might be able to
squeak by with a properly rigged 1/2 ton but you won't like it. Go to
the Ford, Chevy, Dodge websites, look at the towing capacities in the
5000 to 7000 pound range.


Too_Many_Tools wrote:
I am considering getting an enclosed trailer..something about 16-18'
long.

I would like to hear opinions on brands, features one should get and
mods that one can do to the trailer.

It will be a general purpose trailer to be used for anything that
might fit in it.

Also what is the recommended pulling vehicle for such a trailer?

thanks

TMT