Car Hauler

[usafakid09]

What type of car haulers are you guys running out there? My local dealer has Diamond C. I like they fact they offer an all steel deck as well as a front aero shield to keep rocks off the car. Any feedback on Diamond C's quality?

 

[Wayne M.]

Can you be more specific in what you’re looking for?
Size in length and width
Open/ closed
Hitch type
Weight capacity
What your purpose is for it.

 

[usafakid09]

Can you be more specific in what you’re looking for?
Size in length and width
Open/ closed
Hitch type
Weight capacity
What your purpose is for it.

Looking for open. Steel deck. 20ft length. Seems like 83'' width is standard? 2 5/16'' 9890 GVWR. Taking my car to the track and moving it during PCS's.

 

[JR]

Without looking at the specific trailer you are referring to, Diamond C is top quality. Hard to imagine going wrong with anything that has their name on it.

 

[dieselshadow]

DC has some of the best of the best trailers out there in the market IMHO. I’ve done lots and lots of research including hands on and towing, Diamond C is one of the top manufacturers with quality and capabilities, again, IMHO. I don’t think you’ll go wrong as long as you spec what you need.

 

[Wayne M.]

I’m not familiar with that brand, but I trust JR’s opinion. I would consider things like tie down points, ramp stowage/ ease of retrieval, name brand axles and brakes, deck design and weather you want a open center.
I have a 20’ made by Deande trailer out of Trenton NJ, they’re not fabricating anymore, but it’s a stout trailer and I bought it for weekly bracket racing. It tows incredibly well and is well balanced. It has an open center which has come in handy if you need to get under the car at the track. Mine has stringers and stake pockets so I can deck it with 2X6’s and make stake sides for cargo use, which I’ll actually be doing real soon. It has Dexter slipper spring axles and brakes.
Good luck in your search.

 

[JR]

Wayne I also own a small family owned rig that went belly up. It's a Branson 22' 14k tilt deck. After 12+ years of towing in the rust belt the fixed steel deck is getting thin and the fenders are due for replacement. But the tilt deck has hard wood, the double frame is stout as all get up and actually has 7k axles - alot of 14k GVW rigs get the 6k axles and rely on the tongue weight.

 

[Timd32]

I like that open middle deal sounds like it could work out.

I'm still waiting on my CAM 22' tilt deckover, made a few payments to spread it out, if it comes around after July 10th that would would out best for payments so I have not been bothering them about it. Said 8 weeks, that would be the 9th. I'm sure nothing is ahead of schedule mfg wise.

The Diamond C was a great looking unit. Was within $200 of what I ordered and if they carried them would have went with that brand.

I went the different one just due to the local dealer and overall sales and service support and being a family owned local business, have worked with them on a few units.

The Diamond C, would be out of area for me if I ever needed service. I dont typically care too much about warranty on trailers would rather just have a functional unit with no problems vs having to use a warranty.

I think they will all have some sort of small issues that TDR folks all know we can handle and take care of. But knowing its a quality brand up front will save you lots of regrets.

That size should pull very nice.

Keep updated if you decide.

 

[NIsaacs]

Here is a link to the trailer you are interested in. Go through all the options and check it out. Standard build is one brake axle, they also use Lippert axles, not sure if that is bad tho. The hitch is not adjustable if that is important.

https://www.diamondc.com/trailers/car-hauler/gsf/

I think Diamond C has some good products but I am not impressed with their heavy duty dump. I would like to have their FMax208 in about a 30'

 

[usafakid09]

Here is a link to the trailer you are interested in. Go through all the options and check it out. Standard build is one brake axle, they also use Lippert axles, not sure if that is bad tho. The hitch is not adjustable if that is important.

https://www.diamondc.com/trailers/car-hauler/gsf/

I think Diamond C has some good products but I am not impressed with their heavy duty dump. I would like to have their FMax208 in about a 30'

Yes, that is the exact one I was looking at. I would do 5200Lbs axles, storage box, 20ft length, two brakes, steel area shield, extra rings/tie downs. Adjustable hitch doesn't matter, I have a Gen-Y adjustable hitch. MSRP on what I built was $6290, they'll let me order it for $5315. Only issue I had was the Lippert axles. But I have heard horror stories of both Lippert and Dexter, so I don't know what to think of that.

 

[Wayne M.]

Nice. Let us see it when it arrives. What suspension will it have?

 

[JR]

I think at that weight a two brake axle is a luxury over a necessity. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to have redundancy but I've towed older farm rigs in the 14-16k range with single axle brakes, as long as they are adjusted properly they do ok.

 

[NIsaacs]

Here is a wood floor model like you are looking at. Quite a bit cheaper.

https://www.truckpaper.com/listings/trailers/for-sale/165394047/2020-diamond-c-gtf

And a PJ for comparison.

https://www.fayettetrailersales.com...e&d=A&filter=7000-10000 GVWR&fr=xAllInventory

 

[usafakid09]

So I ordered the Diamond C GSF Steel Deck Car hauler. Lippert 5200lb axles. Needed the steel rock shield. As such, had to have the steel deck. Diamond C told me the prime with a zinc primer that resists the magnesium chloride we have here in Colorado. Won't get it until mid-September--darn COVID. I'll post up pictures when it arrived. Pretty much got every option for $5400. Thanks for all of the input!!

 

[usafakid09]

I think at that weight a two brake axle is a luxury over a necessity. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to have redundancy but I've towed older farm rigs in the 14-16k range with single axle brakes, as long as they are adjusted properly they do ok.

I believe a brake is required on every axle in Colorado (according to the dealer).

 

[JR]

They do vary by state. When I built a trailer 12-15 years ago the law in Ohio was they were required on both axles if the trailer weighed more than 4000 lbs empty. (Not GVW). Mine was over that by a bit but only showed 3000 on paper for the title/registration...it's good to have friends with access to weigh cales