Wormhole

Sorry to hear about the loss of your trailer.

The main reason for me wanting the trailex is for the open deck and that it’s the lightest one I’ve seen. I like the idea of being able to work underneath the car while it’s up on the trailer. As far as I know it is the only open deck aluminum trailer. I would love to get something cheaper, and have been considering the econo steel open deck. The difference in weight is 1350 compared to 895.

BrandonH

Oh yeah, I forgot about that feature. Once changed a fuel pump at LRP between driving sessions while it was on the trailer. (thanks again Dan Jacobs for the replacement!)

Which reminds me of another nice Trailex accessory: I bought a $25 nylon web boat winch at Walmart, kept it in the storage box. Sure enough when my fuel pump went, I bolted the winch (again using the handy trailex floating studs) to the center section, and cranked the car up onto the trailer.

agio

Brandon,
I have owned both the Featherlite and the Trailex (current) open trailers...both excellent, but:
1. I'm able to better maneuver the Trailex when it's disconnected from the truck due to it's weight differential.
2. I had to remove the driver's side fender of the Featherlite each time for loading and unloading...an inconvenience to me.
2. The trailex "modular" construction lends itself to add-ons and replacement items...fairly user friendly.
3. Lightweight and longer ramps make the process user friendly as well.
4. The great tech service from the people at Trailex is second to none!
I have mine Trailex since 1998 and have never regretted it.

Bull

I have found Trailex quality to be excellent, both with car and boat trailers. I find them to be one of the few that can get well-built and light weight in the same package. They have been able to consistently command very high resale values over the years.

khaug

My '98 Trailex 7541 open trailer, while it towed very, very well, was EXTREMELY troublesome:

-Two OEM General tires disintegrated, taking out a fender each time.

-The hydraulic brake controller allowed rainwater to enter the master cylinder reservoir and wheel cylinders, causing major rust. Surge brakes quit working, requiring replacement of the entire hydraulic system @ 4 years of age!

-Ramp door locks failed, leading to ramps rolling out of the trailer while on the road!

-At 8 y.o, all nuts on "T" bolts have rusted and should be replaced for cosmetic reasons.

-Lights have been a constant headache, falling apart, losing ground connections, etc., etc. I finally replaced the tail/turn/stop lights with LED units, which fixed the problems.

Now all this said, I've ordered a new Trailex closed trailer to replace my 9 y.o. open model. Reasons:

-I anticipate the closed trailer will tow as well as the 7541, or nearly so. To me, that's the defining characteristic of a trailer!

-I also anticipate that waaay in the future, the Trailex will have a significant residual value. Iron trailers suck in this respect!

Best regards,

Greg Fishman

I don't think you can go wrong with a featherlite open trailer. I had a trailerworld open trailer and it was great, more room than a trailex and slightly heavier, etc. But it trailered better IMO because of the torsion axles vs. the leaf spring suspension on the trailex.

www.trailerworld.com

Bull

For those who don't mind a heavier trailer than the normal Trailex, want a welded trailer, and want to spent about $1,000 less, you should buy a ...... Trailex......seriously, Trailex has introduced a new model that is welded together, yet still all aluminum, and costs less than the regular Trailex. Of course, it is far less flexible since almost nothing is adjustable as it is on the bolted together Trailex (axle location, location of tire rack, tool box, spare tire, etc.).

You can see it on their website, www.trailex.com, and this is the specific page, http://www.trailex.com/buycat.cfm?cat_id=104

skl

I have an enclosed ATC trailer and a friend has an open ATC- very happy with both. Torsion axles and electric brakes- lightweight and excellent build quality. I've had mine for two seasons (pull a spec Miata racecar with my Cayenne S) and no issues. I've pulled the open trailer a couple times with the Cayenne as well- no issues.
ATC= Aluminum Trailer Company.

BrandonH

I'm just not surprised. Mine worked fine, but the design priority is "really light weight," and that comes with a cost.

Probably true, but most of the AL trailers also hold up well. I think the analog to Trailex in smaller closed trailers is Featherlite: not made that great but the brand commands a big premium on the rare occaission they show up used. I personally would never buy an enclosed trailex: a) a racing buddy had the tongue break on his while towing up from Daytona; b) ATC/Featherlite/Optima just seem so much better made...

Chulo

I was wondering the same thing - why are there not more ATC open trailers? They are a little cheaper than Trailex, and their reputation seems great. Anyone with an open ATC care to chime in?

38D

I think the main reason is that the ATC was not available back in 1999 when I bought my Trailex (at least I didn't know about them).

skl

ATC is very flexible with options- that's one reason I went with them and Featherlite is even made in Iowa- Featherlite charged through the nose if you deviated at all from their std models. ATC let you totally customize it- I even told them where to put the tie-downs, electrical outlets, etc.
My racing partner loves his open ATC- both were delivered BEFORE the promised date. I'd definitely buy another one.