Do I need a car trailer?

Learn me things about car trailers. I am thinking of buying one before I leave Tennessee and head back to Illinois. My rational for this is that I have two goldwings, one complete the other a rolling parts bike, that I will need to bring from TN. I could probably fit the complete motorcycle in the bed with all my other stuff and junk the other one, but more junk is always better. I could always just buy or rent a utility trailer but I have a 1961 Lincoln Continental back home at my dads garage and I will be graduating in December 2014 and my plan is to move hours away and bring the Lincoln with me. So if I buy a utility trailer for the motorcycles, I will still need a car trailer for my Lincoln, so I am thinking just wrap them up and get a car trailer now.

I have a 1992 manual Chevy C2500 which I believe is rated at 10000lbs towing, so it should handle a trailer and car fine, right? If I am hauling just an empty car trailer from TN to IL, will I need a transmission cooler or anything like that? Also on the specs for the below trailer it says 6 or 7 way plug, but on my truck I only have a 4pin connector. What is necessary to get my truck to work with electric brakes?

The Lincoln is 212.4 in (17.7 ft) long, 78.6 in wide, and weights about 5000 lbs. What size trailer do I need, I assume 18ft at least right? Should I go with new or used? What is a good price for new and used trailers?

There is a company that sells new trailers for about $1800 and has the specs:
NEW 18' HEAVY DUTY EQUIPMENT OR CAR HAULER TRAILER (LOW PROFILE)

83"X18' LONG
5" C-CHANNEL HEAVY DUTY NECK
WRAP TONGUE BACK TO FRONT AXLE
2 5/16 A-FRAME COUPLER
SET BACK JACK (SAVE YOUR TAIL GATE)
(2) 3500# AXLES 7000GVWR(1 BRAKE AXLE)
BREAKAWAY KIT ADDED
(4) NEW 205-75-15 6PLY TIRE AND RIM
DOT LEGAL LIGHTS(FRONT,BACK,3BAR LIGHT)
YOUR CHOICE OF 7WAY OR 6WAY PLUG
HEAVY DUTY SLIDE UNDER RAMPS $ HOLDERS
FRONT BUMPER RAIL
TREATED 2X8 WOOD
COMPLETELY PAINTED TOP AND BOTTOM
DOVE TAIL IN STOCK

If there is a downside to a car trailer, it's that they're big. I just bought a 20 footer and it's berkeleying huge. It's really overkill for anything short of my big wagon, which is sort of the point. I now have a trailer that I can do anything with. Once I put a winch on it, I can haul ANYTHING home. I resisted getting one for years for this very reason.

Oh, thats a good point I forgot to mention. I technically probably won't have anywhere official to put it, but I am fairly confident some guys in my university car club who are renting a house with a large backyard wouldn't mind storing it in exchange for getting to use it occasionally.

There is that, and I doubt that they would mind (they bought my $500 Volvo fer cryin out loud!), but maybe a better option would be to drive back to Chambana, borrow somebody elses, throw them a couple bucks and beers, then go fetch everything?

I'm sure someone would let you borrow a trailer if you ask around.

I've always believed that it's better to buy someone else's misfortune, but there are some really sketchy used "homebuilt" trailers out there. A few of us paid about $700 several years ago on a used steel and wood trailer that had one axle of brakes, light truck tires with a little life left in them, four good straps, and a wood deck that was okay-not-great. It had a little surface rust going on, but was in serviceable shape. That was in the 2005-2006 timeframe and since then we've re-decked the trailer (200-300 in pressure treated lumber), added a break-away (50 bucks?), bought a portable winch (70-80 bucks), put new trailer tires on (200-250), re-painted (a can of rustoleum, whatever that costs), and replaced some electrical stuff we broke. So, that's 7 years of trailer use for $1,380 on the high end. My buddy just bounced a ramp off the back of it today, apparently, so I guess another couple hundred for new ramps. And I need to do some hub/bearing service to it over the winter, mainly because it's never been done and I guess it probably should. I'd also like to put more lights on it to make it actually DOT-legal and I wouldn't mind adding brakes to the other axle.

This trailer is 20' with (I think) 16' of actual deck and I trailered an El Camino on it without any problems as well as a 1997 Silverado 1500 extended cab/regular bed (not at the same time). As long as you can get the wheels on the trailer such that the weight is back far enough to keep the tongue weight right, you're fine to overhang as far as I know.

The truck wiring will need to be altered a bit to accept the brake controller (which is where that 7-pin connector comes in). I had to do the same thing on the Ranger that I used to have, and it's not a big deal. I installed the brake controller using a pigtail that I built myself from Radio Shack parts (for easy disconnect), and then ran the brake signal wire out of the firewall and under the truck to the bumper. Then I cut off the old 4-pin, connected a 7-pin round connector port that I mounted to the bumper, and tied in the brake controller wire with the lights. Worked great -- I think the other two wires are for reverse and aux power, neither of which I needed.

Not sure if a manual gearbox needs a transmission cooler or not, but if it's auto -- definitely good to have.

One thing that you'll find about a trailer is that it gets "used up" more by not using it than anything else. The tires will dry rot well before the tread is used up and the wood deck will deteriorate and split and get otherwise nasty and dangerous. For the last couple years, I've stored the trailer indoors and the tires are still ike new and the decking has held up very well. Keeping it outside, you might not be able to throw a tarp over the whole thing, but I'd put something like One Time Wood on the deck to keep it holding up and then get the covers for the tires to keep the UV off of them.

didn't even read it...

the answer is, yes, you need a car trailer...18 feet or so long.. everyone needs an 18 foot car trailer.

My wife just instituted this rule. If I don't have a trailer then I can look at craigslist. If I have a trailer I'm not allowed to. There are so many cars that need a good home.......

mazdeuce wrote: My wife just instituted this rule. If I don't have a trailer then I can look at craigslist. If I have a trailer I'm not allowed to. There are so many cars that need a good home.......

so i take it you keep your car trailer at a friend's house and tell the wife that you borrow "your friend's trailer" when you haul something new home, right?

selling the goldwing?

novaderrik wrote: didn't even read it... the answer is, yes, you need a car trailer...18 feet or so long.. everyone needs an 18 foot car trailer.

Good luck with that if you live in a HOA neighborhood.

Sine_Qua_Non wrote:

novaderrik wrote: didn't even read it... the answer is, yes, you need a car trailer...18 feet or so long.. everyone needs an 18 foot car trailer.

Good luck with that if you live in a HOA neighborhood.

This is why storage lots have a job!

(I don't live in an HOA neighborhood, but even without that, I don't really want a 20 foot trailer cluttering up the place, plus indoor storage is soooooo nice)

If I were anywhere near Syracuse, I'd buy this, and I already own a trailer.

http://syracuse.craigslist.org/pts/4123011320.html

What's up man?

I got no more info on trailers than when we all met up the other day.

But...

If you get one can I borrow it?

I am looking to move from my old wedge trailer into an enclosed trailer.

Sine_Qua_Non wrote:

novaderrik wrote: didn't even read it... the answer is, yes, you need a car trailer...18 feet or so long.. everyone needs an 18 foot car trailer.

Good luck with that if you live in a HOA neighborhood.

why in the hell would anyone do that?

I would not worry about owning a car hauler until you have a house where you can keep it. It seems wrong to offer sensible life advice on a forum for car dorks, but thats what I'd suggest.

CarKid1989 wrote: selling the goldwing?

Yeah I am definitely willing to sell. You can PM if you are interested/want info.

In reply to gofastbobby:
That is probably a reasonable thing to do. I will probably end up renting a place where I live next and I can't gaurantee that Ill have a spot for it.

mtn wrote: There is that, and I doubt that they would mind (they bought my $500 Volvo fer cryin out loud!), but maybe a better option would be to drive back to Chambana, borrow somebody elses, throw them a couple bucks and beers, then go fetch everything? I'm sure someone would let you borrow a trailer if you ask around.

Yeah that might be a better option if I can borrow one for several weeks. I am heading home for thanksgiving and if I could snag one while I am there and return it when I move back in mid-December, it would save me 14 hours of driving.

Do you know anyone in the CICE network who has one?

fritzsch wrote:

mtn wrote: There is that, and I doubt that they would mind (they bought my $500 Volvo fer cryin out loud!), but maybe a better option would be to drive back to Chambana, borrow somebody elses, throw them a couple bucks and beers, then go fetch everything? I'm sure someone would let you borrow a trailer if you ask around.

Yeah that might be a better option if I can borrow one for several weeks. I am heading home for thanksgiving and if I could snag one while I am there and return it when I move back in mid-December, it would save me 14 hours of driving. Do you know anyone in the CICE network who has one?

http://www.cicenet.net/showthread.php?t=12794&highlight=car+trailer

^^ He is also a member here. Might want to ask if he still has it, and what it would take to get it going.

patgizz wrote:

Sine_Qua_Non wrote:

novaderrik wrote: didn't even read it... the answer is, yes, you need a car trailer...18 feet or so long.. everyone needs an 18 foot car trailer.

Good luck with that if you live in a HOA neighborhood.

why in the hell would anyone do that?

Actually pretty common around here all of the sudden. HOA already towed away 4 from the 2nd neighborhood pool parking area this summer that nobody really visits or uses. The fee from HOA is $175 for cost of towing it away and illegal parking. (Currently 2 over there right now)Sadly most are utility trailers vs car trailers.

HOA's are evil and go against everything that is right and good in this country. the terrorists, communists, and every bad guy that wishes evil on good people wins a small victory every time someone buys a house in an area that is controlled by one..

The rule of thumb is that if you have room to park it and do not ever have to move it in between uses to access another project, RV, boat, lawnmower, etc then you need a trailer. If you need to move it occasionally then it is a huge PITA whose inconvenience hugely outweighs the few times you will use it.

Fortunately I have an acre so I have 2.

Sine_Qua_Non wrote: Actually pretty common around here all of the sudden. HOA already towed away 4 from the 2nd neighborhood pool parking area this summer that nobody really visits or uses. The fee from HOA is $175 for cost of towing it away and illegal parking. (Currently 2 over there right now)Sadly most are utility trailers vs car trailers.

Sounds like a good enough reason to start buying dirt cheap utility trailers on Craigslist, never register them in your name, then leave them in the lot.

Eventually their towing fund will be drained and they'll give up!

wae wrote: Not sure if a manual gearbox needs a transmission cooler or not, but if it's auto -- definitely good to have.

I'd recommend synthetics in the manual trans, transfer case and diffs for towing for its better heat resistance and transfer properties.

IIRC, in jeep owners manuals, they tell you to go from 80w90 dino oil in the diffs to 85w140 full syn if you tow with it.