Car Hauler Trailer

Gritsngumbo · Post by **Gritsngumbo** » July 9, 2011, 5:24 pm

Since my idea of buying a C-Series Fire Truck and converting it into a hauler hasn't panned out (decided against the one here in town) I decided to change directions, at least temporarily.
Picked up my new 20 foot (including 2' dove) car hauler on Thursday. It was exactly what I wanted and I lucked up and found it on a local lot. Looks like it was probably special ordered and the buyer didn't take it. It's almost impossible to find a 20 footer as most want an 18. Would have been a 4-6 wait from any other dealer in the area. I know, I know, it's a long sucker, but I need the length for my crew cab.
I guess it's an extravagance, but I've wanted one for a while and it will be so handy not to have to rent or borrow one (or call a roll-back) when I need to move inventory around

to even pick up another new slick or two

. A friend has a 16 footer which I can borrow any time, but he never uses it and loans it out to many people so maintenance is a problem. Seems that every time I borrow it I have to spend an hour or so fixing something that someone else has broken.
Ordered a Warn M8000 winch which will be here on Tuesday, which I plan to mount on a removable frame which will slide into a receiver mounted on the hauler to keep it out of the weather and for security reasons. Anyone have pictures of their winch mountings to share?

Of course this doesn't mean that the big truck mounted hauler is off the table (still looking for the right vehicle: Slick era C, N or even a big F), but this will do me well until that happens.
Did you notice it's RED?

Alan Mclennan · Post by **Alan Mclennan** » July 9, 2011, 5:37 pm

Grits, We have a bird down here called a Bower Bird!, who`s name is used to describe someone who picks up shiny objects mainly of a certain colour!, and you my friend!, fit the bill!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPbWJPsBPdA

Michelle · Post by **Michelle** » July 9, 2011, 5:46 pm

Nice trailer Gerald, I will be up next week to borrow it. I still have not heard from the guy with the N. I guess he found someone locally to buy it. If I do hear from him, you will be the first to know.

fire truck · Post by **fire truck** » July 9, 2011, 7:25 pm

Nice trailer grits. Overkill for your old crew cab though.....

Gritsngumbo · Post by **Gritsngumbo** » July 9, 2011, 7:41 pm

fire truck wrote:Nice trailer grits. Overkill for your old crew cab though.....

You mean size or Looks

?

bluebolt · Post by **bluebolt** » July 9, 2011, 9:47 pm

It needs some white innie wheels and staniless caps Gerald!

fire truck · Post by **fire truck** » July 9, 2011, 9:56 pm

Size. What's the wb on it? 132 IN? An 18 footer is more than enough.... it is really sweet though!

Gritsngumbo · Post by **Gritsngumbo** » July 9, 2011, 10:11 pm

bluebolt wrote:It needs some white innie wheels and staniless caps Gerald!

Ya know, I was just thinking the same thing this afternoon, except I was thinking chrome "innies". Either would look cool and white would be cheaper. It is 5X5.5 bolt pattern.

eci410 · Post by **eci410** » July 9, 2011, 10:21 pm

I have seen several winch mounts where they turned a equalizer hitch upside down and welded it to the tounge. A Valley universal seems to be a good one. That's my plan for the one I bought a month ago.

Toyz · Post by **Toyz** » July 9, 2011, 11:08 pm

Nice trailer, Grits,
Harbor Freight has an in-expensive 2" extension for a receiver hitch that might mount well on your center support. They also carry the bumper -mounted receiver plate if you needed the wider mounting. It is what I used to convert my tractor drawbars to three-point hitches.
Are you going to mount a battery also, or will you run heavy cable from the tow vehicle?
I have thought of running "0"- gauge welding cables along the frame with welding cable ends at the bumper for "plug n play", but really haven't had time (or need).
I run a heavy battery mounted in the trailer tool box, but worry that i need an in-line circuit breaker in addition to the Maxi-fuse protecting the charging wire in the RV harness. I always worry that extended winch usage might overload the factory system and blow the fuse.
I am happy with my permanent center mount, but if I rework this trailer or build another, I will mount the winch on the front driver's side to allow use with a moveable snatch block. I currently use a shackle mounted to d-rings for guidance for contrary un-steerable loads, but would like a quicker, more adjustable setup.
Paul

oldtrucks · Post by **oldtrucks** » July 9, 2011, 11:53 pm

Grits

My trailer has a 21 foot deck. I built it from a trailer house frame and I used a trailer landing gear for a front support. has worked very well for me. I've had some pretty big loads on it.

As you can see it aint pretty but it does the job and has never broke.

I have the best results loading a vehicle that can't load it's self when I mount the winch up in the bed of the truck. the higher the better. Of course I cheat with the boom I can lower or raise it to any heighth I need.

bluebolt · Post by **bluebolt** » July 10, 2011, 12:58 am

Here's some ideas for a winch mount.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/show ... hp?t=65757

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/show ... hp?t=29428

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=826239 (12 pages lots of ideas)

GDG · Post by **GDG** » July 10, 2011, 6:09 am

Hey Grits, when you get it alll fixed up, can I borrow it???

Doug

Truckrat · Post by **Truckrat** » July 10, 2011, 8:31 am

Hey Gerald, nice trailer. Let them say what they will, but when you need that extra couple of feet you'll have it.
I have seen folks with cars/trucks that barely fit on a trailer where the rear of it was extending past the end of the trailer.
Not a great idea in my opinion.
You will have one big enough for about anything you want to carry except maybe a firetruck or an N series. Nice score!
You should try to keep it indoors whenever possible because thieves will try very hard to separate you from it.
Happens around here all the time. TR

Gritsngumbo · Post by **Gritsngumbo** » July 10, 2011, 2:20 pm

Thanks for the comments, guys and gals. Yes, it's probably overkill, and longer than most need or want, but that's what I wanted and I could afford it, so I bought it. If I had bought an 18 footer based on someone else's opinion I would probably regret it later. (It's happened before on other things).
Don't have the crew cab wheelbase in front of me (it IS a long bed crew not a short bed as the majority are), but I do know that it barely fits on a Rollback. I don't like seeing vehicles perched on a trailer with the rear wheels on the dove.

Rusty 63 · Post by **Rusty 63** » July 10, 2011, 3:08 pm

Or how PFM's was sitting with the rear tires on the ramps when it got delivered to him?

Gritsngumbo · Post by **Gritsngumbo** » July 10, 2011, 3:13 pm

Yeah, that was pretty scary looking. I think Chris was shocked/surprised when he saw it. I saw a Chevy dually in Mississippi a couple of weeks ago on a U-Haul with the back wheels (inner) perched on the pulled out ramps. The U-Haul haulers are well-built and sturdy, but I don's think I would want to try that.

62galxe · Post by **62galxe** » July 10, 2011, 10:32 pm

heres my version of a winch mount. jack is removeable.

Car Hauler Trailer

Car Hauler Trailer

Innies

Re: Innies

Winch mount