Enclosed trailer

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  • #232830
    James Cochran
    Participant

    @jascochran

    I have decided to get an enclosed car trailer to not only keep my baby stored but to haul her around. We do a lot of camping and are planning on hauling the car inside the trailer, and then at the camp area set up the trailer for camping instead of dragging the tents along. We would have the car out of the trailer during the camping and keep her in her own car tent. Normally we would connect our camp gear (flat bed) trailer to the MGTD, load it up, and hit the road. With the trailer we can have dry easy shelter and go further with the car protected. Hey we can even visit Ringo in Arkansas and Dan in Tennessee .

    My thoughts…..Vee nose….tandem axles….electric brakes…8.5 x 20 x 6.5 interior height. I do not have any experience with these types of trailers and any advice would be appreciated. There is an enclosed trailer that has fold out camper sides, but too much $$$. I have been seeing some closeout deals on new trailers on ebay in the $4k range.

    I do not think a single axle will work, plus I would hate to have a blow out and lose car and trailer. I think the car weighs about 3,000 lbs.?

    I am leaning toward vee nose rather than sloped nose since we will camp inside it. Any thoughts or experiences are appreciated, I will probably buy one in the spring. Thanks.

    #240261
    Mark Hendrickson
    Participant

    @pink-mg

    WOW!!! Sounds like fun in the future for the Cochran’s.

    I’m not a trailer expert, but I think dual axles, both with brakes are the way to go. Light weight and aerodynamic as possible seems like a gas mileage and less tow vehicle abuse improvement too.

    Most of these replica car weights range from the 1,500-1700 lbs. for the VW based and 1,900-2,200 lbs. or so for the front engine kits.

    What is your tow vehicle? That is a concern with trailer choice too.

    Pink MG40164.4389699074

    #240262
    James Cochran
    Participant

    @jascochran

    Thanks. My main three tow vehicles are a 4×4 Jeep Cherokee Laredo, straight 6, lifted, 31.5″ tires with class III bolt on hitch, an International Scout II 4×4 with 345 V-8, towing package, with front and rear hitches welded to the frame with jumbo mudders, and a Lincoln Mark IV with 460 V-8, welded hitch. I will probably use the Scout since it pulls our 2800 pound boat with ease. Our boat trailer is single axle – no brakes. I understand the tandem pulls and turns a bit different than the single axle. I have not pulled a tandem before. The Jeep has a lot of pulling power but does not have the towing package such as oil coolers, etc. We use the Jeep to tow our light weigh sailboat (1200 pounds). The Scout is our off road work horse, fun vehicle for guy primitive camping and is always mud coated. The Scout gets 6 MPG or less in the wild and 14 MPG highway, the Jeep gets 10 MPG or less in the wild and 16 MPG highway, so drag reduction is a concern. I don’t plan on using the Lincoln for towing, but who knows. The Lincoln is a beautiful 1973 show car and I could possibly take both to a car show someday. Good point about brakes on both axles. The deals that I have found are with brakes on one of the axles only, maybe that is why they are trying to ‘unload’ those. The more the brakes the merrier!

    JasCochran40164.6827662037

    #240263
    Dan Rosa
    Participant

    @dan-r

               James   duel axle with electric brakes . I have never liked surge brakes but I know a lot people that do . TWO are better than one that goes for axles to .I don’t know if would tow any trailer with the suspension that you must have on the trucks 31.5 tires ?? how much frame lift ??the towing vehicle should setup for towing it is different from off roadespicly on the highway for long miles  WOW A Scout 2 you must have one of the only ones that did not disappear!!!!RUST  This is a great place to come on vacaton GOOGLE Sevier county . it’s worth the drive‘come to the good side of the state

    Dan R40165.8274421296

    #240264
    James Cochran
    Participant

    @jascochran

    Dan,

    The Jeep has about a 4-6″ lift. The tires rub when I turn they are so large. The kid I bought it from really tricked it out with the safari racks and brush guards. It looks great, but you have to climb to get inside. The Jeep is not a good tow vehicle at all. I used to have a collection of Scouts. I know what you mean about rust. That thing could rust in the driest desert . My current model is a 74 that was rebuilt from the frame up. Traded my 79 for that one. The Scout makes me really appreciate the fiberglass bodied TD. The Scout is setup for towing, it has all the right equipment, engine, suspension, etc. It has a hitch on the front and back. The former owner used it to tow a 31 foot cabin cruiser, unreal monster boat, four axle trailer. The 345 is the same engine that International uses in their dump trucks. Not a speed demon, but a real puller. I use the Scout off road a lot and it will push good sized trees right over without pausing. It also has custom built hubs on the front axle for rock crawling. It has a 49 gallon fuel tank for extended off road trips and to get it from gas station to gas station! I had a 79, a 77 and a 75 before clearing house and getting the 74. I swapped a 73 CJ5 for some adds to the 74 Scout. My hometown is nearby Knoxville. My clan is the Harbison’s (Harbison’s Crossroads, TN). We owned the mountain from 1760 until 1966, like Walton’s Mountain . I hope to make it for the Dogwood Festival in Knoxville this spring. That would be awesome in the TD. You are totally correct, that is the good side of the state. I miss the misty mountain mornings, the dew on mountain Laurel, and the sweet smell of Jasmine by a cool flowing stream while fly fishing. I’m going to get that trailer and give you a call .

    The reason I had so many Scouts and still have a dozen other vehicles is that I rent them to the movie studios. I have a 76 Grand Prix, 50th anniversary edition that has been used in five movies so far. I hope to get the TD in a few movies next year. Thanks for the info on trailers. I hope to see you in 2010.

    #240265
    Scott A Chynoweth
    Participant

    @1oldbuzz

    James;

    I will throw in my 2 cents.How about a School bus.You can set up the inside just like an RV,and drive the TD right in the back.I have seen a few on craigslist(WI) for under $3000 and already fixed up inside.I would think an enclosed trailer is going to cost about the same.The down side is 10-12 mpg with a bus,but however you are going to get that with the scout pulling a trailer.

    #240266
    James Cochran
    Participant

    @jascochran

    Scott,

    Would you believe I had looked at a similar thing to do with a cargo truck, like one of the longer FedEx city trucks. Then I figured the neighbors would freak out having that in the driveway. The trailer could tuck away behind the garage. I live in a designated historic district, and they are so picky about everything from house color to where to park my car. I am not allowed a travel trailer, but I am allowed an enclosed trailer that is 100 feet from the street and behind landscaping or structure. picky picky.

    You’ve got a good idea. That is about the mileage I get on the Scout pulling the boat.

    #240267
    Richard Wobby
    Participant

    @richard-wobby

    I’ld do the trailer thing, going thru same thought process as you all post, I’m wondering why so big, I looked at some dualies that were 14 to 16 feet. I’m looking at pulling behind a chevy 1500 or a 35ft cruise master the car is 12.5 and mine weighs in at 1360lbs. I was even looking at an open trailer and procuring a top for it the trailer only need to be 3ft high for the car with windshield down. Oh I’m so confused. A pop in frame once its on and quick canvas cover.

    #240268
    James Cochran
    Participant

    @jascochran

    Richard,

    I was thinking the car is in the 12 foot range, so a 14 footer should work. I haven’t found one that short that is a ‘car hauler’. The car is so light that perhaps a cargo trailer would work with a stiffer ramp. Originally I was looking at a flat bed, but then the enclosed trailers popped into my head and then I saw it as a portable garage and then for use as a camper on road trips. By then it was snowballing in my head . Some of the year end deals on enclosed units are not much more $ than open. Maybe I need to reset my sights on a Vee nose, 14 footer, dual axle, electric brakes both axles, cargo trailer with beefed up ramp/door. I haven’t measured the width of the car, but my back driveway is 12 foot wide and there is about 3 feet clear on each side. I can squeeze the TD and my little sportscar side by side and still be on concrete….bodies almost touching, tires on pavement edge, so the car is in the 6 foot range. I may have over estimated the weight of my car, did that once with my wife (DUH) . I wish my windshield folded down. I need one of those Acme cars like Wile E. Coyote had that folded into a briefcase .

    Thanks for the thoughts and info, I’ll cruise ebay today and see what’s up in the cargo trailer world.

    #240269
    Richard Wobby
    Participant

    @richard-wobby

    My Measurements are

    Weight 1360

    Lenght 12 6

    Track 47″

    Width 4′ 10″

    The car not me

    I drove mine on a landscape single to see how it would work, drop door ramp never shuttered I am thinking dualie Just not sure it its enclosed. Now I do relize there are cleaning concerns with open trailers but they make covers. I’ve even given thought to fashioning one

     

    #240270
    Richard Wobby
    Participant

    @richard-wobby

    I was thinking something like this with a fashioned cover

    and it could easily help haul the tractor, lawn mower and sno blower for other work. light weight too.

    2005 BlueGrass Trailer Mfg, Inc. Double Axle 14′ Trailer with spare tire, hitch jack, beavertail ramp and 4000 GVW. Trailer weighs 995 lbs leaving a payload of 3005 lbs. Cargo Bed is 59-1/2″ wide x 14′-1-1/2″ long. Tires & Wheels are a Medalist Radials A/S 175/80R13 M&S.  Very Good Shape. Was originally purchase to haul motorcycles. 

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Bluegrass-Double-Axle-14-Util ity-Trailer_W0QQitemZ130352920118QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_T railers?hash=item1e59a3b636

    Now my wife would ask why, and end up saying Get the one you need not the one you think I’ll say ok to.

     

     

    #240271
    James Cochran
    Participant

    @jascochran

    You da man! Thanks for the info, glad to know the scoop. I see many trailers around here for sale like the one you posted. If I get one, I will probably weld some steel supports where the wheels stay. I like the steel mesh, not much to clean and easy on the wind and weight and catch parts that fall off the car . I have 2 – 12 foot flatbeds, single axle, that I store upright on their sides. (I drag one of those around behind the TD.) I could do the same with one like you posted. I have a lift that picks up one side of the trailers, and the 6″ steel / rubber casters on the bottom side allow me to roll them into a tall narrow space between the fence and garage.

    I could probably remove the mesh ramp/gate and replace with the aluminum car ramps that slide up under the trailer. Thanks for the info.

    Sno Blower? The snow we get in Memphis, you can blow away by whistling.. I hope you’re not snowed in there.

     

    JasCochran40166.8225115741

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