decided to get a featherlite car hauler

[emarsh]

going for an all aluminum goose enclosed car hauler with a 24 ft. floor size (32' OA length) . Any recommendations for options?

 

[parcher]

Get a "barn door" so you can drive in and still get the drivers car door open. I would not own an enclosed trailer without this. My next trailer will be a 24 ft tag-along (storage space limitations).

 

[RobG]

Here's something to think about for options...



I have an Interstate West 24' Enclosed Car trailer, and I have the left-side 48" door over the fender for door access.



Think about how many types of vehicles you will be towing. This is something I didn't think enough about, since this was my first enclosed trailer.



I got it for the purpose of towing my Camaro around as needed. No biggie. Well, now that car is being sold.



The other day I needed to take my Grand Cherokee someplace, so I used the trailer. Drove it into the trailer, had the left-side door already open. Put it in park, opened the door. WHACK! Right into the side of the trailer. The door wasn't tall enough. Put a real nice nick in the paint in the Jeep's door.



So my point is this... if you're going to carry around an SUV or anything that sits at all high and has a full door frame, spring for an extra 6" of roof height so that the left side door will be taller and you can still get the door open.



My next trailer will have this, absolutely.



Also, find out how long the standard tongue is. If it's only four feet, ask 'em for a five footer. You can turn tighter this way.



Rob

 

[emarsh]

This is EXACTLY the kind of input I was hoping for. Thanks guys, and keep it coming!

 

[RobG]

Oh, here's something else I just thought of... .



If you're going to be carrying low-sitting sports cars... find out how tall the fender box height is inside the trailer. My lowered Camaro's door height is 8" from floor to bottom of the door.



When I got my trailer, I ordered 4" drop axles. This elevated the deck height 4". I did it actually for ground clearance reasons, since the trailer hauls quads more than it hauls cars, and I often times end up offroad.



The upshot is that the fender boxes were reduced 4" in height, from 9" to 5".



The downside is that the rear ramp is at a steeper angle, so lowered cars might rub. Fortunately mine doesn't.



BUT... if you get the 6" extra roof height also, your ramp door will be 6" longer and that will ease that ramp door angle.



Next... axles. I got the 5200# axles on mine. This is plenty if you're just carrying around cars, SUVs and maybe some stuff along with them. I have a max cargo weight of 6400 lbs.



I wish I had gotten the 7000# axles. This would have raised the fender box height by 2", which wouldn't have affected my Camaro. But it would have increased the GVWR to 14k, giving me a cargo weight of almost 10k lbs. Why? Here's why...



When I got this trailer, I was planning to install a pair of 50 gal tanks underneath, between the frame rails. One would be for freshwater, the other for gasoline. I was going to install 12v pumps for each, and the freshwater would be to supplement the small 39 gal water capacity of my Lance camper. The gas would be to ease the filling up of my quads (no more lugging around 5 gal jugs).



Well, when I did the math and worked out the weight of the tanks, the weight of the water and fuel, and the weight of everything else that I wanted to carry, I exceeded the trailer's GVWR and also the tire ratings (the tires are good for 10,160 lbs at max inflation pressure).



So you're going, what in the H--L do you want to carry? Here's what I'd had in mind. My Grand Cherokee, which is 4500 lbs (yes, I've weighed it). Then in front of it, two 800 lb. utility quads. Then probably 500 lbs of misc cargo. Then the weight of the water, tanks, etc. It'd all fit. Barely.



So when I realized that wasn't practical, I scuttled the idea and have instead listed the trailer for sale. I'll continue to use it until I sell it for what it's worth (it's still useful, just not as useful as I'd wanted), and later on pick up a trailer with the right options. It was a valuable learning experience though.



I figure I have about $7200 invested in the trailer with tax, the material cost to finish the interior (I painted it and bedliner'd the floor). Since these things hold their value well, I shouldn't take too much of a hit on it when I sell it. But I figure the new one I want will cost about $1000 more than that with the extra options I need.



So again, the moral of the story is to be absolutely certain you've considered every possibility before you order.



Rob

 

[jgallentine]

I would avoid the pretty options in the cargo area!



I bought my first enclosed car hauler a couple of years ago. I only haul a show car so I thought a linoleum floor and vinyl walls would be really slick. I end up having to put something under the tires to keep them from marking the floor and I am always worried about tearing up the walls by hitting them with tools or tie downs.



If you are having 110 wiring put in, I would recommend a generator door. As others have said, floor height in relation to the fendor height is important. I too got the driver's side escape door but the door of my Vette will not clear the bottom of the door opening.



Just my . 02, if it's worth that.

 

[lawdog]

I was told the same thing on the Axles. I was looking at a used 48' 5th wheel race trailer, loaded to the gills, a/c 2 furnaces, generator, cabinets ect... He had triple 7000 lb axles which gave him 8 lug 16" wheels. He said that the axle size is the key to how the trailer tows. He knows others with similar trailers with the standard 5200 lbs axles and they sway and weave all over because it is just too soft.

Now I was not able (read. . WAR DEPARTMENT) to buy this trailer but I did learn alot about trailers from him.

The sad thing was I could have had the trailer, which needed to be re-skinned due to galvanic corrosion, for $8,000. 00 plus about $4500. 00 to have it re-skinned WITH new trim back at the factory. I thought $12,500. oo was a good price for the trailer since he had $28,000. 00 invested and it was only 5 yrs old... BUT the war dept did not think we needed that big of a trailer for the amount of snowmobile racing that we do. . 5-6 times a year... ... . I guess she had a point, but it would have been nice :{