So we are looking for an Enclosed trailer to use for our church. It will be used to store/transport church equipment to and from our location. It needs to have the following Bumper Pull 16-20ft of cargo area 8-8.5ft wide tandem axles Elec. brakes Rear ramp door side access door min. 7000gvw be of good quality and last a long time with little to no maintenance not cost a ton of money so far we have looked at the following Pace American Wells Cargo Haulmark WW Cargo Mate Cargo Express I like the first two the best however they are the most expensive. This is not much of a problem as long as it is of very good quality. Any input?? Thanks!!
I am not familier with WW Otherwise all the builders you list build "discount" trailers, and better trailers. Wells Cargo used to make a good trailer, but I dont know about them lately (just dont see them around here anymore). All the other builders make basically the same trailer. They make cheap models and better models. They are all (except WW?) "high volume" builders that are not so much "craftsman" as they are "factories" Building 80 to 100 trailers PER DAY. (thats one every 5 or 6 minutes!) Cheap trailers are good for "consumers" that dont use it often. They will have leaf spring axles, often with no drop. They will have 3/16 thick inside walls. Galv. seamed Roof, etc. Leaf spring axles are not really "bad". They will take more abuse (off road, etc.) that a torsion axle, but bounce around more (springy). Tandem spring axles will have the center equalizer pivot that allows both axles to "share" the load equally. Torsion axles cant do that, they mount right to the frame. You need a drop axle either way, just to get the trailer height down. Step in height should be around 16". Stick with name brand axles, DEXTER or AL-KO are two big names. You can get parts at any auto Parts store. The EZ lube is also nice. Radial tires will handle overloads better that bias tire. New radial trailer tires will tow better and be more stable that bias tires. They will run cooler, ride smoother, and wear longer. They stopped making bias tires for cars years ago. Do you think a car with bias tires handles better, or is more "stable" with bias tires than radials? NO, so dont be lead to belive that a bias tire is in any way a better trailer tire. Features to look for in a good trailer: Radial tires 15" wheels (or bigger) EZ lube Torsion axles (Dexter) Seamless aluminum roof (seams leak, period) Tight screw spacing on a .030 Aluminum skin (4") Screwless exterior is nice, but may not last. Sealed lights all over, and no lights mounted on the rear door. (LED is nice) Undercoated or painted frame. All wire ran INSIDE the cargo box (except tongue and brakes) 3/8" thick inside walls, 16" frame spacing Dust seal in the walls 3/4" floor, 16" frame spacing (at least on tandem axle models) Rear of trailer "wrapped" in aluminum, not painted (rust) Are the door edges wrapped in aluminum, or painted steel? (rust) Quailty ball coupler (Attwood, Fulton/Bulldog,) Long warrenty (3 years) Good door seals (Automotive type, not foam rubber) Drip rail above doors, and down full length of trailer at roof edge. General fit and trim. Inspect underneath, look above the rear door inside. Welds OK? Wire hanging down? Painted steel? How is the front stone guard attached at the bottom (underneath) Floor painted under the trailer? Options to consider: Side door Rock Guard Roof Vent Side wall vents Windows in door or side RV paddle latch in side door Rear ramp door Lights inside, switch by door. D rings in the floor or walls Foot on the jack (they will throw one in for free) Wedge front Inside height above 6' spare tire In floor storage Silver/Pewter color is easy to keep clean. Paul Smith www.randpcarriages.com
Another enclosed that I like are the C&M Trailers outta Madill, OK. Stay away from anything that says "Cargo Craft" on it... it's a personal thing, but I'll be darned if I recommend them to anyone.
Paul...I checked your website, now I know how you know so much about trailerswaytogo What brand would you recommend then?? I also checked out H&H trailers website today...VERY nice trailers that they put out but a little pricey as well. WW is a horse trailer manufacturer and they just started making enclosed cargo trailers. They are very basic though... they have 2x6 lumber floors that will let road spray through the gaps, as well as unfinished interiors. They basically look like a horse trailer on the inside as well. Here is their website-http://wwtrailer.com/ I am pretty much ruling them out because for the same price I can get a much nicer Pace trailer. Thanks for all of the info it was very helpfulwaytogo
Brent, Check out Interstate! They make really nice trailers. I can't really say much about the brands cargo trailers, but all that you listed make a "snowmobile special' version and have compared most of the brands by their sled trailers. Haulmark and Interstate are the best IMHO, Featherlite also makes a decent trailer. Interstates are slighlty heavier, mainly because they are built very sturdy and have more stuff inside like white walls instead of bare plywood, cabinets, and shelves. Another thing I prefer about interstate is that they use a lot of diamond plate on the outside with their deluxe lines, I think this really helps protect the trailer from all the snow, ice, and road sand that these types of trailers see. http://www.interstatecargo.com/
Sorry, been away a bit. Problems with one of my trucks (01 Cummins). Interstate at one time was partnered with Interstate Mfg in White Pigeon MI. They split apart a few years ago, and now have Interstate-1 and Interstate "west". I am a Interstate-1 Dealer, (I have been told their 3rd largest). I am proud to say I sell their trailers, they are well built, and at least out of the Michigan factory, have excellent after the sale support (3 year warranty, etc). Look closely at them. The Interstate out west seems to build basically the same trailer. I have heard that they use the seamed galvanized roof, which I personally dont like.The galvalume roof does carry a 20 year warranty, so really it should not be a problem, just not as good as seamless aluminum. I am also a H and H dealer. They make a good trailer, but not sure they are worth what they cost. Also heavy, but well built, well designed, good fit and finish, and a sharp looking trailer. They use a tube frame, walls, roof and all. Really strong. They do not trim out the inside of the cargo trailers. All H & H have screwless sides and 100% LED lights. There have been problems with the bonding (the exterior aluminum skin is glued on to the frame) and only have red black, white, and sometimes silver. Also, they do not use name brand axles (some are from china) . H and H enclosed cargo trailers are built inside a prison, by prisoners. This could be good, or it could be bad... I know you cant have a tour of the mfg. plant! The best, ultimate cargo trailer that I know of is the Class Act (Aluminum Cargo Trailer Company) trailer. The only survivor when pulled through the Hummer off road test track behind a Hummer! 100% seamless walls, roof, etc. Fully insulated, finished, etc. But about double the price of a normal cargo trailer (except H & H) http://www.classacttrailers.com/ Otherwise, I guess they all have good and bad points, I have listed above a list of things to look out for. I will check back later on this thread. Paul Smith R and P Carriages
DUH!!! I didnt even think about Interstate:doah: I just checked their website...they seem to be on par with the other leading trailer builders. We were pretty much set on Pace but called the dealer today and they couldnt get us a trailer until the end of Feb and we need it next week. H&H, and Wells Cargo said the same. Haulmark has one in stock for a good price but it is light grey. We are going to go and buy it tommarow. I will call Interstate and see what they have in the morning but it has kind of come down to what ever is available (within reason, Im not going to buy a POS just because it is available). If Interstate has what we need for a fair price then we will go that way. Thanks for all of the help and I will let you know what we get tommarow.waytogo
So we went to the Interstate dealer and were very impressed with their design and customer service. We ended up buying a 20'x8.5' cargo trailer. It is very nice. Here are some of the specs: -LED taillights -10000lb GVW -rear ramp door -rear work lights -diamond plate stone guard and rockers -finished ceiling -interior lights -one piece roof -beavertail We also bought a Rapid Hitch to go with it... Very nice unit. Thanks for all of your guys advice!! I had to wire my dads Trailblazer for Elec. Brakes b/c my T-case is not getting along with the rest of the truck so the Stealership is looking at it. He has never towed anything with it and said it towed really well on the way home (~50miles). The short wheelbase of the truck and the long length of the trailer made for a little tail-wagging-the-dog action when a semi would pass but he said it had plenty of power for going up hills (trailer weighed ~3200lbs empty) Thanks again for all of your guys help...I will post pics tomarrowwaytogo
Sounds very similar to our sled trailer, I'm sure it will work out great for your church.waytogo Whats wrong with the truck?
It started making a clunking noise every now and then and I didnt think much of it because it wasnt too bad. Then I did this: https://towrig.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1592 After that it started doing it more often and I could feel a binding when it did it. I jacked it up and crawled underneath and everything seemed fine so I did the unthinkable and took it to the Stealership . I took one of the techs for a spin and he said it sounded like the T-case shift fork was sliding in and out and causing a binding noise. It also has grinded for awhile when ever I shift into 4-hi while driving. So they are going to look at it and let me know what they find. If it costs too much than I will try to find a used case and swap it in myself. I love this truck and this is the first major problem I have had since I got it 14k miles ago I am now relinquished to driving my Sister-in-laws 94 FORD:doah: Ranger reg cab short box for work. It is frusterating not having room for all of my tools and parts and having to drive with my knees in my chinrotfl But oh well better than walking I guess
Damn! Looks Awesome! A buddy of mine has one of thoes FULL of poker tables, craps tables, roulette wheels & slot machines. His dad and him have a casino side bizwaytogo Lots of roooooom Congratsopcorn:
Looks good, sorry to hear about the Tcase, I had to have the 241 rebuilt in my K5 because of worn out shift forks too. It would just slip out of 4hi, not grind though.
$1,500, but I had it done along with the TH700R4 tranny by the same shop that just did my Dodge trans. I got the brother-in-law deal on a modified th700R4 and 241 rebuild. He just gave me a bill and didn't really piece it out IIRC. Sorry. I do remember that he mentioned how much of the bill was for the Tcase when I picked it up and I think he said something between 200-300 bucks. He did the R&R.
I wouldn't pull it too much with that TB. Not enough power and gas mileage will be crappy. And you'll wish you had gone with a V-nose. That flat front is a HUGE drag.
