QuestionI drive an '01 Suburban - enough guts?
If I found some descriptions on the internet, and was able to email you the link, would you mind taking a look at what I am able to find?
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Followup To
Question -
I have two cars I need to haul across the nation this year. I live in Virginia. I have a 1970 SS Chevelle (Idaho) and 1929 Model A. (Oklahoma). I need to buy a trailer, and want a trailer that is capable of hauling both vehicles. Not at the same time - one that could fit both cars individually. I was wondering if you had any suggestions for:
1. What size/type of trailer to get.
2. How much I should pay for it.
3. Somewhere I might buy it.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Answer -
This is a much bigger question than you probably think.
In my years of collecting and repairing old cars, I've had 6 different car trailers, and in the early days, rented many more. I've tried tow bars, tow dollys, drawbar hitch trailers, load equalizing hitch setups, and 5th wheels. I would only consider the last two suitable for safe travel.
First of all, what kind of truck are you going to pull the trailer with?
If you have a full size pickup, the best way to pull a trailer is to get a 5th wheel setup installed - once you have used a 5th wheel trailer, you will never go back to the old style. They are safe, stable, have much better load carrying capability, and leave you with a flat floor in your truck when you remove the hitch hardware (which comes out with a few clevis pins).
If you have anything less than a full size truck, I don't advise trailering a car. The weight of the car plus the trailer is going to be equal to or even higher than the vehicle you are pulling it with, which is a very tricky proposition - one that will leave you in a ditch with 3 damaged vehicles, very likely.
Since you are going to pick up one car in Oklahoma, I recommend you contact a trailer builder in Tulsa. There is a vigorous trailer building industry there, the prices are best and the quality can be quite good. Look for a tandem axle trailer, with at least an 18 foot bed, and a load carrying capacity of at least 10,000 Lbs (including the weight of the trailer), with 4 wheel brakes, ramps, and provisions for tieing down a vehicle. Check the height of the fenders, you need to be able to open the door of the car you are moving. The Model A will be no problem, but other car's doors will hit the fender if they stick up more than about 10 inches above the deck.
Don't buy a used trailer - I can guarantee it will have axle, brake and electrical problems, regardless of what the seller tells you.
You should be able to find a good open trailer for under $3000. To this, you must add the cost of the hitch on your truck, the brake controller (there are a wide variety of brake controllers - buy only the best, which in my experience is the "Prodigy"), the tie-down gear (make sure you have at least one high quality chain, don't trust all to the woven straps!!), and the license for the trailer. All told, you will be fully equipped for somewhere around $4000, if you shop carefully.
I can't recommend a specific trailer builder - they grow like weeds all over the Oklahoma/Texas area - just show up with folding green in your hands and they will fall all over themselves to sell you a trailer - it will be worth the trip!
If you have more to ask, please do - post a follow-up question to me.
Good luck - and take good care of that Model A!
Dick
AnswerSure, I'll be happy to take a look at it. So far, I haven't received anything yet, though. Did you send it to dickb@sdccu.net?
Your Suburban will have plenty of power - that is never the problem for modern vehicles. The main concern I would have is the weight with the Chevelle on board - that is going to be very close to the weight of your tow vehicle, when you add in the trailer weight. Be sure you use a load equalizing hitch - of course you cannnot use a 5th wheel on a Suburban, unless you go crazy with a hacksaw.
The 1/2 ton Surburban is built on the half ton pickup chassis, so it is beefy enough to haul the car/trailer, but the brakes will be just about barely adequate, you'll have to plan ahead as you are driving - leave a few extra car lengths in front of you at all time, even though people will dive into the "open space" and tick you off, just slow down and let them do it. And keep it under 60 MPH! One panic stop that you survive is well worth the frustration of slowly dropping back in the line of traffic.
I have had a succession of Chevy and GMC pickups over the last 40 years, and now drive an 04 GMC heavy duty 3/4 ton (2500HD)- it is adequate with a heavy vehicle on my trailer, in fact it has way more power than any sane person needs (the 6.6L Duramax), but the brakes are still somewhat nervous making with 6500 extra pounds pushing me down the hills of California! Fortunately, my trailer brakes are excellent, and the Prodigy brake controller is heads and shoulders above any of the others I've had over the years - but I'm still very cautious in traffic and on mountain roads.
I'll watch for your e-mailed info.
Dick
