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Trailer Recommendations

ksurfer2

ksurfer2

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I am looking to purchase a car hauler for transporting my car around to tracks and events that are too far to drive it to. I am looking at either a 18' open trailer or a 20' enclosed trailer. My fear with the enclosed trailer is that it will be too much for my truck, but am not too keen on pulling the car on a open trailer for long distances and in inclement weather. I will be towing with a 2018 Ford F-150 4X4 with the 2.7 ecoboost (9,000lb tow capacity). I have towed the car on an open trailer before with this truck and it pulls just fine. For those with experience towing larger trailers, will the F-150 be overtaxed with a 20' enclosed trailer? The car I am hauling is a 64 Dodge 330. I have towed trailers all over the country with an F-150 previously, but this was when I was racing boats and the weight wasn't nearly what the car is.
 
I understand the You need a trailer that will contain your car and all the necessary support equipment.
I don't have any experience with Ford's EcoBoost engines, but I will say that I know that you will suck
gas like there's a hole in the tank! It might pull it, but at what cost? Go to some R.V. sites and see what
everyone else is "Happy" with for a power unit with that weight. Might be time to upgrade???
I personally like the idea of an enclosed trailer for weather and security reasons.
 
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Axiomatic, the more trailer you have, the more truck you need.
I did some research recently, cause i needed an enclosed trailer. I wanted it big enough to carry my roadrunner, but primarily it was to move a few households of stuff from one state to another.
What i found was that a 20 footer, even though it was long enough to get the runner in, it would have been much too close to the max weight the trailer was set up for. Trailer weight alone, plus my car would have been within 500 lbs of rated load for the axles. So i started looking at 24 footers. I have a crew cab turbo diesel 3/4 ton, that would have been okay with a 24, i think it would be way too much for your truck.
I have had an open bed steel 14 ft trailer for thirty years, and i wouldnt take three times what i paid for it new today. It has hauled everything from a tiny racecar to a 1 ton dually (with the outside wheels removed). Its about 500 lbs or more lighter than a wood bed, and has done anything i have asked of it. I would not even consider a wood bed trailer.
(I ended up buying a low mileage diesel box truck, with a rebuilt motor and trans that can carry a car or a house ful of stuff, and tow a car on my open trailer, for about three grand less than a 24ft enclosed on this coast.)
 
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I was also cinsidering an open 'split deck' trailer for my 65 Belvedere. All the trailer places either have full flat steel or wood decks. I figured the split deck would be a little lighter.
 
Badvert65 said:
I was also cinsidering an open 'split deck' trailer for my 65 Belvedere. All the trailer places either have full flat steel or wood decks. I figured the split deck would be a little lighter.
Click to expand...
I dont know for sure, but i would bet that my 14ft split bed weighs about half (or less) than an eighteen ft wood bed. Empty, its almost possible to forget it is there.
 
I don't think you'll be happy with a 20' enclosed trailer. The car will fit, but you may need some honeymoon jelly to get to the tie down straps!
The 1/2 ton ecoboost might get the job done, but I doubt you'll feel very confident. Or SAFE.
Working with what you have, an open trailer is probably your best option.
 
As nice as the EcoBoost engine is I wouldn't consider it a good tow motor for large loads. I know people tow large travel trailers with them but they admit that motor is working hard! 440'
 
I have an 18 foot open steel trailer, but I tow it with a 3/4 ton Ram.
 
If you’re only towing once or twice a year, you can “get away” with your half ton. It won’t be fun.

Ive owned a flat bed, steel deck 18’ dove tail trainer for 21 years. I was initially towing it with my F150, but that got old pretty fast. I upgraded to a 3/4 ton after a few years, and now I have a 1 ton SRW GMC 4x4. There is no comparison in the braking department, or spring package, between a half ton truck and a 1 ton truck. It is night to day.

An enclosed trailer brings more frontal and side area, and is heavier. With the lighter truck, you’ll get pushed around by the trailer and the wind. This will tax your half ton even more. A friend of mine owns a Porsche tuning shop, and vintage races a 911 and old 356. When he went from the open trailer, to enclosed trailer setup, he found his 1 ton 454 Suburban no longer up to the task, and went diesel within 6 months.

I’d consider upgrading the tow vehicle, or go with an open trailer.

*edit* Oh by the way, Florida is the best place to have a half ton towing a trailer, ‘cause it’s flat. I spent 3 years in Pensacola, during the time I had my F150 and trailer. I’m now back home in the west, and the elevation changes, mountain rages, etc, make a heavier truck almost a requirement.
 
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The balance I need to strike is the daily use of the truck with the need for occasional towing. I really don't need a 3/4 ton truck 95% of the time I'm driving and navigating parking lots is tough enough in a supercrew F-150. Sometimes I wish I was poor again....I didn't have these problems then.
 
I bought an Aluma car trailer almost 20 years ago. It’s all aluminum, lightweight, pulls like a dream. Towed with a ‘03 4-Runner v-8. Honest to God I didn’t even know it was there and I wonder why that GTX was tailgating me. Oh, it cost more but friends that have used it suddenly want one. I just checked and they have tilt style ones now and not the ramp style I have. Maybe a used one out there. There are other companies too that make aluminum trailers. Mines 20’ open. My 2 cents, haywire
 
@ksurfer2 - I just went through tall of this! I had an 18’ BigTex 7K trailer. I drug that with no problem with Tahoes. First one was ‘12 5.3 Z71 and then we got a 18 w/ 6.2L and 10speed. Both towed that open trailer with no problem fully loaded.

Next up, 20’ V nose American Hauler 10K, 3700 dry. That 18 Tahoe towed it. Boy did it work. Inside was a 67 R/T. I figure total weight was around 7600. Tahoe is good for 8600.

I just picked up a 2014 Ram 2500 w/ Cummins today!

Lesson learned is that I should have got an aluminum enclosed trailer. It would have cut over 1k# out of the dry trailer weight and I would have been fine with the Tahoe.

Truth be told, I was looking for a reason to get a diesel.
 
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