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

On Dec 17, 1:29 am, 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

Finally, any trailer sites that you would recommend one visit?

Thanks

TMT

Too_Many_Tools wrote:

On Dec 17, 1:29 am, 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

Finally, any trailer sites that you would recommend one visit?

Thanks

TMT

The various brands are all largely the same for a basic cargo trailer,
just check for trailer dealers in your area and see what they have.

A cargo / auto trailer with a rear ramp door and a regular side door is
the most versatile, and a winch in the trailer is handy for dragging
stuff up the ramp. LED lighting is also a plus as are interior lights,
and if you have a winch, a local battery is both necessary and also
helpful in providing power for interior lighting when not connected to a
tow vehicle. You could also rig a switch to allow you to power the
marker lights when not connected to the tow vehicle which can be useful
depending on where you need to park the trailer at times.

The tow vehicle would be somewhat dependent on how much the trailer will
weigh loaded, and that could vary quite a bit. Assuming a trailer GVW of
around 10K which would give you around 6K cargo capacity, you'd
certainly want a 3/4T truck at a minimum, and a weight distributing
hitch. You'll also need a good brake controller in the tow vehicle.

For comfortable towing there is no such thing as too large a tow
vehicle, but if you'll be towing a lot of miles then you'd want to go
with something closer to the minimum size necessary in order to get the
best economy, though the comfort level will suffer.

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

On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 23:29:38 -0800 (PST), 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

Tow Vechicle? a pickup truck, may I suggest the International CXT

http://www.internationaltrucks.com/p...85d0eb0aRCR D

http://tinyurl.com/ymcero

Anything else would be wimpy.

On my list of things to buy when I hit the lottery.

Thank You,
Randy

Remove 333 from email address to reply.

Randy wrote:

On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 23:29:38 -0800 (PST), 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

Tow Vechicle? a pickup truck, may I suggest the International CXT

http://www.internationaltrucks.com/p...85d0eb0aRCR D

http://tinyurl.com/ymcero

Anything else would be wimpy.

On my list of things to buy when I hit the lottery.

I'm afraid I'm shooting for a wimpy F550 as my next truck... Something I
have some chance of actually affording without winning the lottery.

Maybe this is too far off-topic... but one day I was thinking how nice
it would be to put hydraulic motors onto two wheels of a trailer with
an appropriate power unit. That way you could maneuver the trailer
around without the tow vehicle, to park it in a tight spot maybe.
With two motors and the little wheelie thing on the A-frame you could
skid-steer it.

Miki wrote:

Maybe this is too far off-topic... but one day I was thinking how nice
it would be to put hydraulic motors onto two wheels of a trailer with
an appropriate power unit. That way you could maneuver the trailer
around without the tow vehicle, to park it in a tight spot maybe.
With two motors and the little wheelie thing on the A-frame you could
skid-steer it.

Powered hand truck type dollies for moving trailers exist, but they are
separate units that hook to the trailer using the normal hitch.

The only reason to go to the cost and effort of powering the trailer
wheels itself would be for something like off road use providing all
wheel drive.

On Tue, 18 Dec 2007 09:09:17 -0800 (PST), with neither quill nor
qualm, Miki quickly quoth:

Maybe this is too far off-topic... but one day I was thinking how nice
it would be to put hydraulic motors onto two wheels of a trailer with
an appropriate power unit. That way you could maneuver the trailer
around without the tow vehicle, to park it in a tight spot maybe.
With two motors and the little wheelie thing on the A-frame you could
skid-steer it.

Someone in the construction world has an add-on for wheeled
scaffolding moves. www.crawlerproducts.com Shorten one for trailer
use and use the trailer battery (if so equipped) to power it.
Good luck finding a price on one.

--
Seen on a bumper sticker: ARM THE HOMELESS

On Dec 18, 5:09 pm, Miki wrote:
Maybe this is too far off-topic... but one day I was thinking how nice
it would be to put hydraulic motors onto two wheels of a trailer with
an appropriate power unit. That way you could maneuver the trailer
around without the tow vehicle, to park it in a tight spot maybe.
With two motors and the little wheelie thing on the A-frame you could
skid-steer it.

A riding lawn mower works pretty well.

Dan

Miki wrote:

Maybe this is too far off-topic... but one day I was thinking how nice
it would be to put hydraulic motors onto two wheels of a trailer with
an appropriate power unit. That way you could maneuver the trailer
around without the tow vehicle, to park it in a tight spot maybe.
With two motors and the little wheelie thing on the A-frame you could
skid-steer it.


A front mounted trailer hitch works wonders using your tow vehicle. I always
parked F4 Phantoms in the barn using the front hitch of the tow tractor.
Having the steer wheels near tongue or tow bar makes maneuvering a piece of
cake. Not to mention looking forwards while you are doing this.

Wes

On 2007-12-19, Wes wrote:
A front mounted trailer hitch works wonders using your tow vehicle. I always
parked F4 Phantoms in the barn using the front hitch of the tow tractor.
Having the steer wheels near tongue or tow bar makes maneuvering a piece of
cake. Not to mention looking forwards while you are doing this.

All that is needed is some practice... Though a front mounted hitch is
a very interesting idea.

i

Ignoramus28147 wrote:

On 2007-12-19, Wes wrote:
A front mounted trailer hitch works wonders using your tow vehicle. I always
parked F4 Phantoms in the barn using the front hitch of the tow tractor.
Having the steer wheels near tongue or tow bar makes maneuvering a piece of
cake. Not to mention looking forwards while you are doing this.

All that is needed is some practice... Though a front mounted hitch is
a very interesting idea.

i

No Iggy, there are cases where it is pretty much impossible to maneuver
a trailer into place using the normal rear mounted hitch. This is
particularly the case with long tow vehicles.

On Dec 19, 9:17 am, Wes wrote:
...
I always
parked F4 Phantoms in the barn using the front hitch of the tow tractor.
Having the steer wheels near tongue or tow bar makes maneuvering a piece of
cake. Not to mention looking forwards while you are doing this.

Wes

That sounds like a good idea. Know where I can get one to practice
with?

On Wed, 19 Dec 2007 11:09:26 -0600, "Pete C."
wrote:

Ignoramus28147 wrote:

On 2007-12-19, Wes wrote:
A front mounted trailer hitch works wonders using your tow vehicle. I always
parked F4 Phantoms in the barn using the front hitch of the tow tractor.
Having the steer wheels near tongue or tow bar makes maneuvering a piece of
cake. Not to mention looking forwards while you are doing this.

All that is needed is some practice... Though a front mounted hitch is
a very interesting idea.

i

No Iggy, there are cases where it is pretty much impossible to maneuver
a trailer into place using the normal rear mounted hitch. This is
particularly the case with long tow vehicles.
My first experience in trailer towing involved a 17' "travel trailer"
converted to a mobile materials laboratory towed by a 1/2 T pickumup.
I had already passed the in house drivers test and hooked up to the
trailer for the trailer endorsement (basically to ensure that I wasn't
a complete Idiot) On returning to the yard, I spent over an hour
trying to maneuver the unit back into it's slot. Finally the heavy
float driver took pity on me and spent nearly as long getting it in
place, his comment being "it sure isn't like backing a 40' semi!"
After 6 months of moving the unit three times a week I was able to
centre it with 2" clearance on either side first try every time.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

Gerald Miller wrote:

On Wed, 19 Dec 2007 11:09:26 -0600, "Pete C."
wrote:

Ignoramus28147 wrote:

On 2007-12-19, Wes wrote:
A front mounted trailer hitch works wonders using your tow vehicle. I always
parked F4 Phantoms in the barn using the front hitch of the tow tractor.
Having the steer wheels near tongue or tow bar makes maneuvering a piece of
cake. Not to mention looking forwards while you are doing this.

All that is needed is some practice... Though a front mounted hitch is
a very interesting idea.

i

No Iggy, there are cases where it is pretty much impossible to maneuver
a trailer into place using the normal rear mounted hitch. This is
particularly the case with long tow vehicles.
My first experience in trailer towing involved a 17' "travel trailer"
converted to a mobile materials laboratory towed by a 1/2 T pickumup.
I had already passed the in house drivers test and hooked up to the
trailer for the trailer endorsement (basically to ensure that I wasn't
a complete Idiot) On returning to the yard, I spent over an hour
trying to maneuver the unit back into it's slot. Finally the heavy
float driver took pity on me and spent nearly as long getting it in
place, his comment being "it sure isn't like backing a 40' semi!"
After 6 months of moving the unit three times a week I was able to
centre it with 2" clearance on either side first try every time.
Gerry :-)}
London, Canada

A rear mounted ball hitch inherently doesn't handle as well as a
gooseneck or 5th wheel does, and the longer the distance between the
hitch and the trailers axle(s) the better (within reason).

On 2007-12-19, Gerald Miller wrote:
My first experience in trailer towing involved a 17' "travel trailer"
converted to a mobile materials laboratory towed by a 1/2 T pickumup.
I had already passed the in house drivers test and hooked up to the
trailer for the trailer endorsement (basically to ensure that I wasn't
a complete Idiot) On returning to the yard, I spent over an hour
trying to maneuver the unit back into it's slot. Finally the heavy
float driver took pity on me and spent nearly as long getting it in
place, his comment being "it sure isn't like backing a 40' semi!"
After 6 months of moving the unit three times a week I was able to
centre it with 2" clearance on either side first try every time.

My new short trailer did require some re-learning after towing a very
long boat trailer. But by now I can operate it somewhat better.

i

On Wed, 19 Dec 2007 08:51:33 -0600, Ignoramus28147
wrote:

On 2007-12-19, Wes wrote:
A front mounted trailer hitch works wonders using your tow vehicle. I always
parked F4 Phantoms in the barn using the front hitch of the tow tractor.
Having the steer wheels near tongue or tow bar makes maneuvering a piece of
cake. Not to mention looking forwards while you are doing this.

All that is needed is some practice... Though a front mounted hitch is
a very interesting idea.

i

No amount of practice can make possible what geometry makes
impossible. A front hitch is a godsend when it's necessary to
maneuver a trailer with very limited maneuvering room.

I've put front hitches on my last two tow vehicles. I've seldom used
them, but there have been times when nothing else would have worked.

Don Foreman wrote:

On Wed, 19 Dec 2007 08:51:33 -0600, Ignoramus28147
wrote:


On 2007-12-19, Wes wrote:

A front mounted trailer hitch works wonders using your tow vehicle. I always
parked F4 Phantoms in the barn using the front hitch of the tow tractor.
Having the steer wheels near tongue or tow bar makes maneuvering a piece of
cake. Not to mention looking forwards while you are doing this.

All that is needed is some practice... Though a front mounted hitch is
a very interesting idea.

i


No amount of practice can make possible what geometry makes
impossible. A front hitch is a godsend when it's necessary to
maneuver a trailer with very limited maneuvering room.

I've put front hitches on my last two tow vehicles. I've seldom used
them, but there have been times when nothing else would have worked.
My dad had one on his car to maneuver his little camping trailer
into tight places at fishing holes. I never tried it but it certainly
makes sense.
...lew...

On Dec 19, 8:17 am, Wes wrote:
Miki wrote:
Maybe this is too far off-topic... but one day I was thinking how nice
it would be to put hydraulic motors onto two wheels of a trailer with
an appropriate power unit. That way you could maneuver the trailer
around without the tow vehicle, to park it in a tight spot maybe.
With two motors and the little wheelie thing on the A-frame you could
skid-steer it.

A front mounted trailer hitch works wonders using your tow vehicle. I always
parked F4 Phantoms in the barn using the front hitch of the tow tractor.
Having the steer wheels near tongue or tow bar makes maneuvering a piece of
cake. Not to mention looking forwards while you are doing this.

Wes

You make a good point...the truck gets a front mounted hitch in the
future.

TMT

Too_Many_Tools wrote:

On Dec 19, 8:17 am, Wes wrote:
Miki wrote:
Maybe this is too far off-topic... but one day I was thinking how nice
it would be to put hydraulic motors onto two wheels of a trailer with
an appropriate power unit. That way you could maneuver the trailer
around without the tow vehicle, to park it in a tight spot maybe.
With two motors and the little wheelie thing on the A-frame you could
skid-steer it.

A front mounted trailer hitch works wonders using your tow vehicle. I always
parked F4 Phantoms in the barn using the front hitch of the tow tractor.
Having the steer wheels near tongue or tow bar makes maneuvering a piece of
cake. Not to mention looking forwards while you are doing this.

Wes

You make a good point...the truck gets a front mounted hitch in the
future.

TMT

If it's a receiver hitch, it's also handy for use with receiver mount
winches so you can use them front or rear as convenient.

On 2007-12-20, Pete C. wrote:
You make a good point...the truck gets a front mounted hitch in the
future.

If it's a receiver hitch, it's also handy for use with receiver mount
winches so you can use them front or rear as convenient.

Pete, do you have any example of front mounted receivers that I could
look at (on a webpage or some such)?

I have never seen one, but became convinced that it may be necessary
sometimes.

i

Ignoramus31412 wrote:

On 2007-12-20, Pete C. wrote:
You make a good point...the truck gets a front mounted hitch in the
future.

If it's a receiver hitch, it's also handy for use with receiver mount
winches so you can use them front or rear as convenient.

Pete, do you have any example of front mounted receivers that I could
look at (on a webpage or some such)?

I have never seen one, but became convinced that it may be necessary
sometimes.

i

An Altavista search for "Front receiver hitch" produced a number of
valid results such as:

http://www.cabelas.com/reviews-cdn/8...-_-footer_link

and

http://www.southwestwheel.com/store/p-1278-pu24001.aspx

Common item in the off road world.
http://www.4wd.com/productdetails.as...0&partID=14667

Ignoramus31412 wrote:
On 2007-12-20, Pete C. wrote:
You make a good point...the truck gets a front mounted hitch in the
future.
If it's a receiver hitch, it's also handy for use with receiver mount
winches so you can use them front or rear as convenient.

Pete, do you have any example of front mounted receivers that I could
look at (on a webpage or some such)?

I have never seen one, but became convinced that it may be necessary
sometimes.

i

"Pete C." wrote

If it's a receiver hitch, it's also handy for use with receiver mount
winches so you can use them front or rear as convenient.

If you put a receiver, you can use it as a hitch, a winch mount, or for a
deadman with a pulley. You run a cable through a pulley on the receiver,
and you can double the mechanical advantage of a vehicle pulling or winching
you out. It's used in the military. If you're the one pulling on
something, you can multiply your advantage through creative rigging, or just
have a much better place to hook up to. Some trucks come with hooks and
things to hook to, but not all. On my Dodge, there are eyes to hook on to,
but the way they are configured, it's hard to get any sizeable chain in
there and out again.

Steve

On Thu, 20 Dec 2007 15:35:02 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm, "Pete
C." quickly quoth:

If it's a receiver hitch, it's also handy for use with receiver mount
winches so you can use them front or rear as convenient.

THIS is convenient: http://tinyurl.com/8nogo

--
Seen on a bumper sticker: ARM THE HOMELESS

Iggy asked about front mount receiver hitches and to this I say:

Northern tool has them on page 394 of the 2007 fall & winter catalog but
they are not cheap. I belive that A trip to the U-Pull auto parts yard
would be in order. A suitable rear hitch that can be modified to fit
should be easy and cheap(er) to procure.

H.R.
"Never be afraid to try something new. An amateur built an ark and it
survived A flood while A large group of professionals built the
Titanic."
William Swanson.

On Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:39:57 -0600, Ignoramus31412
wrote:

On 2007-12-20, Pete C. wrote:
You make a good point...the truck gets a front mounted hitch in the
future.

If it's a receiver hitch, it's also handy for use with receiver mount
winches so you can use them front or rear as convenient.

Pete, do you have any example of front mounted receivers that I could
look at (on a webpage or some such)?

I have never seen one, but became convinced that it may be necessary
sometimes.

i

You can make one with about $25 worth of steel and a bit of welding. I
made both of mine. It needs to be sturdy enough to handle tongue load
and push up a hill, but you won't be doing more than 10 mph with a
front hitch. Not for long, anyway.

On Fri, 21 Dec 2007 01:21:40 -0600, Don Foreman wrote:
On Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:39:57 -0600, Ignoramus31412 wrote:
On 2007-12-20, Pete C. wrote:

You make a good point...the truck gets a front mounted hitch in the
future.

If it's a receiver hitch, it's also handy for use with receiver mount
winches so you can use them front or rear as convenient.

Pete, do you have any example of front mounted receivers that I could
look at (on a webpage or some such)?

I have never seen one, but became convinced that it may be necessary
sometimes.

You can make one with about $25 worth of steel and a bit of welding. I
made both of mine. It needs to be sturdy enough to handle tongue load
and push up a hill, but you won't be doing more than 10 mph with a
front hitch. Not for long, anyway.

Well, you can, though I wouldn't really want to... But it's a very
expensive and involved process that starts with swapping out your old
rear axle for an appropriate sized "front" axle, getting a set of
spools to replace the locking hubs, and then tapping off the power
steering pump and rigging up a hydraulic rear-steer system.

Hell, leave the locking hubs. Perfect anti-theft system, even if
they get it started and put it in gear nothing happens. At least till
one of the hubs blows up, and then (unless it's a 4WD and you can
drive on the front axle) you aren't going anywhere either.

Oh, and two more things. One, you have to steal a transmission
tailshaft parking brake off an old Dodge Truck, because front axles
don't have parking brake linkages - unless you can find a set of
calipers with the parking brake hardware. That, or a "Mico Lock"
hydraulic check valve system.

And you need a hydraulic safety center lock for the rear steer. You
REALLY don't want to be going down the freeway at 65, have a
2-year-old or your hound dog bump that switch on the dashboard when
you aren't looking, and suddenly you are taking up two lanes wide and
desperately counter-steering the wheel to avoid hitting things...

-- Bruce --

On Dec 17, 1:29*am, 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

Another question....the trailer will have a plywood floor.

I plan to apply something to this plywood...any suggestions?

Paint, polyurethane...what?

Also I want to put something over the plywood as a temporary cover to
slide heavy stuff on...any suggestions?

Right now I am thinking metal sheeting.

TMT

Metal is slippery. May help, usually hurts.

Too_Many_Tools wrote:
On Dec 17, 1:29 am, 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

Another question....the trailer will have a plywood floor.

I plan to apply something to this plywood...any suggestions?

Paint, polyurethane...what?

Also I want to put something over the plywood as a temporary cover to
slide heavy stuff on...any suggestions?

Right now I am thinking metal sheeting.

TMT