Edumacate me on car trailers

I know there has probably been a fair amount of discussion on this but it's going to be a big purchase (and first real trailer) for our family and I want to make sure my logic is sound. I've been dragging around the race car on this:

I acquired it when I bought the car and have used it to tow to local events several times. Quite frankly, it terrifies me. It's difficult to distribute the my car's weight properly, tie down points are sort of nonexistent, has no brakes, and I'd be hosed if there were a blowout on the highway. I've recently upgraded to a newer truck ('92 5.0 F-150 -> '14 5.0 F-150) that should be able to tow most everything I throw at it and is already set up for trailer brakes. 

These are my requirements:

1. Tow a variety of junk - small race car, full size car projects, dead vehicles, occasional house stuff, machine equipment, etc. 
2. Unobtrusively park on the side of my garage (gravel parking pad...will need to drive over some of the front lawn)
3. Be reliable, safe, and retain value for long term use
4. ~5k-ish max budget

I think I am leaning towards an open trailer mostly for the reasons above. It would be nice to not have to pack up / unpack for each event but I think an enclosed trailer might be cumbersome for a variety of vehicle sizes as well as my tiny property...not to mention likely out of my price range. Is an 18' open enough for most everything, or will I want to upgrade to a longer trailer? Recommendations on width, GVWR, or anything else I'm not really considering?

Also, aluminum vs. steel. I'm not as worried about fuel economy (as most events are < 3 hrs away) but I live in MI...so rust. I'd probably buy a new steel trailer but a used (or cheaper) aluminum trailer. Are they really worth it? 

Thanks in advance for your advice...sorry if this has been beat to death already. 

5k would get you a really nice trailer. 

I bought a BigTex 20ft dovetail. 7500lbs capacity and electric brakes. I think it weighs 1900lbs, it's steel. I didn't even spend 3k on it, and I bought it new. I looked for used at first but they're hardly any cheaper than a new one with a warranty. 

I've had a mount added for my electric winch. 

I've towed it behind my excursion Cali to Texas and Texas to Cali a few times with 4000+ lb vehicles. No complaints. 

If I was to ever replace it I might go with a 24ft enclosed but I don't see that happening in the near future at all. 

Buy new.  The used trailers that at not hopelessly tragic go for about 75% of a new trailer.  

I bought an open 16’ full steel deck duel braked axle trailer for $2500 about 7 years ago and it is now perpetually worth $2k used.  Enclosed trailers are the same, the ones used are either completely used up junk or nearly the price of new.   

Watch load ratings.  Many enclosed trailers are rated for 7k lbs which basically means you can get a modest car in the trailer and almost nothing else.  Be sure you get the 10k rating. 

In reply to yupididit :

I'd prefer not to spend that much, but would probably be willing to if I decide an aluminum one is worth it. The 20 ft steel ones I have seen semi-locally have all easily been over 3k. I actually looked up the Big Tex dealers and one near me wants $5500 for that trailer. 

I probably need to shop around more and figure I may need to drive a ways to find a good deal. 

I've owned my open deck car hauler since 1995. The fenders have rusted to the point that I need to replace them and the rest of it could use a paint job. You can buy a similar unit for less than $2500 locally ( I'm in SE Mich.) Buy new , used costs too much and you'll need tires and brakes . Mine is an open deck. I'd consider a full deck just to make it more useful for hauling stuff other than cars.

Where are you? I'm fixing to build something like you have so I don't have to haul a huge car trailer everywhere. How much do you want for yours? 

IMHO, buy a steel frame trailer with a wood deck.  Steel decks get pretty slippery when it's raining, wood is much better in that regard.  I had one for 5 or 6 years before going enclosed.  Two 3500 pound axles, weighs 2000 pounds, easy to tow, has brakes, stick a box on the nose and it's got some storage, you can weld on a tire rack if you want to.  Mine was 16', but 18' is probably a better choice if you want to tow anything longer than a Miata or an MR2.  Should be able to get one new for $2500-$3K.  I sold mine for $2K within an hour of posting it to Craigslist, so they hold value pretty well.

Relevant to my interests, ive got an old 3 axle monster trailer used for concrete forms that i never move and would like to downsize to something not that big

Toyman01 said:

Where are you? I'm fixing to build something like you have so I don't have to haul a huge car trailer everywhere. How much do you want for yours? 

SE Michigan. It actually seems to be fairly well built but should probably be gone through...and repainted. I need to check out the date codes on the tires. I haven't really thought about selling it yet so I'm not sure about price. Make me a ballpark offer? 

DeadSkunk said:

I've owned my open deck car hauler since 1995. The fenders have rusted to the point that I need to replace them and the rest of it could use a paint job. You can buy a similar unit for less than $2500 locally ( I'm in SE Mich.) Buy new , used costs too much and you'll need tires and brakes . Mine is an open deck. I'd consider a full deck just to make it more useful for hauling stuff other than cars.

Hi neighbor! 

Have you pulled it through the winter? 23 years seems more than an adequate service life. I figured most steel trailers would be done after a decade of the salt on winter roads. 

enginenerd said:

In reply to yupididit :

I'd prefer not to spend that much, but would probably be willing to if I decide an aluminum one is worth it. The 20 ft steel ones I have seen sem-locally have all easily been over 3k. I do need to shop around more and figure I may need to drive a ways to find a good deal. 

I think you'll be able to find similar to what I have for the same price. Look for big dealers.

I have an aluminum trailer that was built in 1984. It has been outside every day since and it still looks great. I would recommend a used aluminum trailer if you can find one that someone is willing to part with.

In reply to codrus :

My concern with a wood deck was having to replace the deck every so often. We get a ton of rain/snow/mold and I feel like I have to repair my (house) deck all the time. However, I have no experience with wood deck trailers so this may be unfounded. Maintaining the fleet takes most of my time so I'd like to minimize the time future me will need to spend on the trailer. 

enginenerd said:

Toyman01 said:

Where are you? I'm fixing to build something like you have so I don't have to haul a huge car trailer everywhere. How much do you want for yours? 

SE Michigan. It actually seems to be fairly well built but should probably be gone through...and repainted. I need to check out the date codes on the tires. I haven't really thought about selling it yet so I'm not sure about price. Make me a ballpark offer? 

SE Michigan is too far for a trailer. If I was listing it I'd start at about $900 and take $600. 

In reply to Sonic :

Down here used trailers are listed for more than new ones. I regularly see new 16’ wood-decked dovetail car haulers for $1800-$1900, while people ask ~$2500 for well-used ones. 

In reply to enginenerd :

Are you selling your trailer? Looks like it would be perfect for a Miata. 

I'll second an 18' open trailer with a wooden deck. Big enough to haul almost anything and small enough to stash easily. I've had an 18' with a 2' dove tail for about 10 years. Been through 2 sets of tires and a set of brakes, this year it will need some planks replaced.  Other wise it just takes whatever my friends and I throw at it. I did get an enclosed 20' last year for the racecar but it would not be a good as an "only" trailer.  If you go enclosed get the 10k# axles and go for 24', 20' fills up quick. Aluminum isn't all that much lighter and is way more expensive.  I would think you could find a decent new open deck for $3500 or so, used will probably be nearly as much. 

Pete Gossett said:

In reply to enginenerd :

Are you selling your trailer? Looks like it would be perfect for a Miata. 

I haven't thought about it too much, but I probably will be selling it soon. I think if it were gone through (check tires and bearings, weld tie down rings, paint) it would make a pretty nice little trailer for small/lightweight cars. My Neon is ~2350 lbs and fits on the trailer but like I mentioned it's difficult to distribute the weight and tie down properly. 

In reply to enginenerd :

I never use it in the winter. The underside  of the fenders gets stripped of paint after a while and then it starts rusting from the bottom. Had I coated the insides with bedliner  may have lasted longer. I'm not complaining, given how long I've had it. I towed it down to the Challenge and had trouble with the brakes. They were original and the lining just let go from the backing plate. Replaced them in Gainesville and I should be good for another decade.

In reply to enginenerd :

The Miata is under 2100, and likely has a bit less weight on the nose than a Neon, so it would probably work well. 

Where are you located?

Pete Gossett said:

In reply to enginenerd :

The Miata is under 2100, and likely has a bit less weight on the nose than a Neon, so it would probably work well. 

Where are you located?

Agreed. I think it was probably designed for one...or something similar. 

SE Michigan. Probably a long haul for most people. 

I bought my car hauler for $1500 about 12-13 years ago, used. It's an 18-footer with a wood deck, and it's hauled various cars to various states and back. Every couple of years I kind of go through it and fix what needs fixing, pack the bearings, maybe add a few improvements here and there. I've replaced about half the deck boards, added some tie-downs, a manual HF winch, completely rewired it once, swapped the lights out for LEDs, replaced tires once, and repainted the whole thing twice. It sits outside year round, but I do put tire covers on to protect the tires from UV. It's still in great shape, and should continue to be for as long as I need it. Since Michigan has permanent trailer plates, I don't imagine I'll ever sell it, unless my circumstances change drastically. I only use it a couple of times a year, but it sure is handy to have when I do need it.

In reply to enginenerd :

Just throw "car hauler" into Craigslist and you'll get lots of choices.

Open wooden deck is the most versatile.  You can build anything on top of the deck with 2X4s, plywood, and long screws.  Then you can take it apart when your done.  I have built rolling dumpsters on mine several times for roofing projects.  Just did something similar to drive 200 miles to clean out a garage full of car parts, mostly body panels.  I've hauled 3 tons of stone, tons of building materials, entire heating systems, car with no wheels, etc.  Once I bought a 6 foot slider door for the house.  Built a 2X4 stand up frame to strap the door to, so I could transport the door vertically.  Can't do that stuff with a metal railed open trailer.

Wife bought my 16, dovetail used for $800 almost 9 years ago now. Wood deck. Replaced tires a couple times. Hauled a lot of stuff. It is heavy at about 1800lbs plus another 100 for ridiculous ramps.