Steel Trailer in GA... Thoughts vs. Aluminum
 

I'm looking to getting an open trailer for pulling my P-Car. I know everything about an aluminum is Ideal.. No Rust, Lighter, etc... One problem is they are too expensive for me to justify, especially at the rate they are going for now. Used $5K!! That being said I can get my hands on a NICE 2007 Flat bed steel w/ tire rack and 3 foot Guard (stones etc.) for ~$2,200. I live in GA and plan to store it outside, How "bad" are the steel trailers?

I appreciate your feedback:thumbup:

They're fine.
Have had many, the current one is a '98 and has spent it's entire life outside.
Still light enough to move around by hand...but I don't have extra tire rack, etc.
Guess some are better than others, but the fact it's steel isn't a drawback.
Good luck!

They are fine, the only time I think an aluminum trailer is NEEDED is when someone is towing with a little SUV with very low towing capacity and needs to keep the weight down.

I agree with slant. Sure they are "heavier" but not by a lot. I picked up a 15' econo trailer that weighs 1300lbs. I can move it by myself, store it in the driveway of my townhouse (that is until the HOA finds out) and its cheap. If it breaks i can take it to any shop and they can weld it back together.

I had an 18 steel trailer before, and it was VERY robust. Sure you might get a little rust, but thats what a sander and black rustolem is for :)

I don't know where Cumming, Ga is, but I am going to replace my stolen steel 18" car hauler, wood floor, dovetail, ramps, for about $1,700 new, with new 6 ply trailer tires. The company is in Shelbyville, Tennessee, about 80 miles up Interstate 24, from the Georgia line. No tire rack though. The $500 extra, is probably well spent, to get the tire rack, and not have to drive to Tennessee. But, if it doesn't work out, these are good, and relatively inexpensive.

By the way, insure the darn thing. My homeowner's policy, only gave me $500, so I've got to come up with $1,200 to replace mine.

Bill Seifert

1987 944S Race Car

Ross,

If it was new, can I get some details. Mfg, model no., place you bought it, and the price you paid?

Thanks,

Mike

+1

I have and like aluminum.

Dave, with the drought we are having down here, i wouldn't worry about rust.

What are you towing it with?

V8 Touareg... 7,500 lb tow capasity.

This vehicle actually tows very well.. The wheel base is a little short but is doesn't search. Plus it has the air suspension so it will compensate when loaded.

The aluminum trailers have gone up because the cost of materials has gone up. A steel trialer will toss that touareg around quite a bit. You'll at least need an anti sway kit.

:confused::confused:

Seriously?

One nice thing about aluminum, as you have seen, is that although they are expensive, they hold their value, and are easy to sell used. I had a Trailex, loved it. I pulled a 993 with a 6 cyl. Explorer for 50k miles without a problem, and sold it in 10 minutes. I bought a used enclosed Trailex. Steel will almost certainly work fine, but the weight would concern me with a short wheel base vehicle.

Yeah, I would bet you will be looking for one after driving with a steel trailer and a lighter, smaller wheelbase SUV. If you had a bigger SUV or pickup, I wouldnt be so earnest, but in all seriousness, at least try it out to see.

I am friends with the owner of RPM trialers up by Road Atlanta, he may let you hook one up to test so you can see for yourself. I would do it at least for safety sake, you dont want to be fighting you tow vehicle all the way to the track, may hone you skills a bit, but that's better reserved for the track.

I don't think so...
A guy I know tows an enclosed 20' with one fine.
I towed a steel trailer with an Bravada...they're like only 1100lbs.

Aluminum...last 10 years...

LOL, my QX-56 can barely tow an empty 28 ft enclosed steel trailer it gets tossed all over the place. I would bet money it's not very comfortable to drive with a car that small and a steel enclosed trailer, I'm going to have to not beleive that one.


As for the open trialer, I there is not a full steel open car hauler that weighs 1100 lbs. Heck that is what my aluminum weighs and it's 18 ft. Maybe the wood floor steel trailer is around that weight (which most are understated in terms of weight).


Like I said, it's worth his time to go and try it for himself, I'll even let him hook mine up afterwards to see the difference, I live 5 minutes from RPM and Road Atlanta. IT wont hurt anything for him to at least see what he prefers, but a VW touareg towing a 20 ft enclosed steel trialer (especially with a car in it) is well past far fetched. Not impossible, but not very safe either.

Hey, that's cool.
FWIW, my open Econotrailer trailer weighs that, it does not have a solid floor.
Yes, the owner of the Diasio 962 Turbo "R" down in FL does tow an enclosed like I mentioned.
Sure, I bet it's not as great as a dually but it works for him.
I am no way a trailer expert like you, just was adding what I know.

I'm not an expert, but I know one, and as comfy as I am driving with mine, I know how that steel enclosed 28 footer tossed it to an fro like a rag doll and I have vowed never to connect it to my truck ever again.

I only advise him to do his due diligence as it is a pretty sizeable investment (figuratively and literally). Dont just take word of mouth through the grapevine, because at the end of the day, he has to pay for it and drive it.

PULLED THE TRIGGER
 

Thanks again for all the input...

I've towed alot w/ my T-Reg and I don't feel the weight being too much of an issue for the amount of use/milage I'll be using the car hauler for.

My Boat w/ trailer weighed 5,800 lb (Surge Brakes)(sold for P-Car)
I rented a UHaul Trailer last year once and had my P-Car on it.. It was heavy but plenty stable IMO. I called UHaul and found out that their trailers empty weigh 4,000lbs & I had a loaded car and my P-Car.

So I pulled the trigger on this:

2007 18' Steel 2' stone Guard, Tire Rack, Electric Disc Brakes, Removable Fenders, less than 400mi. on it.. $2K I pick it up Saturday.

Just because he can tow it, doesn't mean that he can stop it or control it if/when something happens on the road. The MB has such a short wheelbase that it is really simple physics of the tail wagging the dog. Good luck and tow safe.

Nice deal!

007, I towed for two years with a Twag and it worked just fine. My prior trailer was an older Trailex and the new one is a Motiv. Add the load stabilizer, it will diminish the tail wag which you will get occasionally. I now tow with a Titan and will likely move enclosed next season.

Excellent point. To me "towing" a trailer means pulling it, stopping it and controlling its actions in all conditions/situations. It seems many people say a vehicle can "tow" a trailer when they really mean the vehicle can "pull" the trailer.

I agree, hence my persistance. I had a blow out on my tow vehicle on the way back from the drag strip in Macon, a guy pulled up next to me right before it happened and pointed at the tire and did the throat slahser, as I started to move over from almost farthest left lane, the tire gave, had I not had road course experience in lightning quick corrections I would have hit the upcoming steel side barrier for sure, or worse. After towing a steel enclosed trailer, I know for a fact I would have had no chance with that thing. So that's the reason for my concern, nothing else.

My aluminum trailer is something that I hated paying what I did when I bought it, but sure am glad I have it now.

Stopping is more important than going, no doubt. Keep in mind that this trailer has electric brakes on it and I'm having a good controller put on my vehicle. Also have you ever seen the size of the brakes on a V8 T-Reg? They are HUGE...

Again, I appreciate all the feedback.