Toyotanut
Well-Known Member
is the noise the only down fall to pintle?TreeClimber said:
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Help Support Hardline Crawlers :
Trailer talk
- Thread starter Toyotanut
- Start date
Toyotanut
Well-Known Member
What about the different brands/companies of trailers? Any one better than another(and I'm not talking about sellers)?
TreeClimber
Well-Known Member
There is no one manufacture to buy or not buy. Re-read the whole thread and you should have a good feel for trailers.
A couple other insights for you.
Axle location affects towing. The further back the axles, the easier it tracks behind you and the easier it'll back up the way you want it to. BUT, the more weight it transfers to your tow rig (pickup or whatever).
Trailer deck height. The higher the deck, the easier it is to NOT DRAG when going into and out of gas stations, etc. My trailer is LOW, and as such would drag horribly everywhere. But because it's only 12.5 feet long (instead of the normal 16), it manages to not have a real problem. On a race car, with a low body height, the low deck of the trailer makes it easy to load. On a Jeep, not a problem. But a high deck height makes for a higher center of gravity on the trailer. Also means you've got to use ramps to load and unload.
Pintle hitch -v- ball hitch. Whatever you get, you get. Most all commercial trailers are pintle. Most recreational trailers are ball.
I towed two Jeeps to Moab last month. One on my trailer, one on a borrowed trailer. The borrowed trailer was a equipment hauler so the axles were under the deck (full width deck) and the deck was up there. Also had a pintle hitch. With the Jeep well tied down, I experienced no problems on either trailer.
If you want to buy a new one, then repost up a thread and you'll find opinions. But if you're going to get a used one, reread this column and you'll be able to make an educated purchase.
Tony
A couple other insights for you.
Axle location affects towing. The further back the axles, the easier it tracks behind you and the easier it'll back up the way you want it to. BUT, the more weight it transfers to your tow rig (pickup or whatever).
Trailer deck height. The higher the deck, the easier it is to NOT DRAG when going into and out of gas stations, etc. My trailer is LOW, and as such would drag horribly everywhere. But because it's only 12.5 feet long (instead of the normal 16), it manages to not have a real problem. On a race car, with a low body height, the low deck of the trailer makes it easy to load. On a Jeep, not a problem. But a high deck height makes for a higher center of gravity on the trailer. Also means you've got to use ramps to load and unload.
Pintle hitch -v- ball hitch. Whatever you get, you get. Most all commercial trailers are pintle. Most recreational trailers are ball.
I towed two Jeeps to Moab last month. One on my trailer, one on a borrowed trailer. The borrowed trailer was a equipment hauler so the axles were under the deck (full width deck) and the deck was up there. Also had a pintle hitch. With the Jeep well tied down, I experienced no problems on either trailer.
If you want to buy a new one, then repost up a thread and you'll find opinions. But if you're going to get a used one, reread this column and you'll be able to make an educated purchase.
Tony
Comet
Well-Known Member
One of the coolest trailers I saw was set up for airbags. It was for hotrods and I talked to the guy and he said he got tired of scapping the tail, so he lowers it to load the car, then raises it to tow and raises it more if he thinks it going to scrape. Controls it from the cab of his truck 
Edit: BTW these bags where for use with the existing leaf springs, not your typical airbags to lower a car.
Edit: BTW these bags where for use with the existing leaf springs, not your typical airbags to lower a car.
one thing I would add, that I haven't really seen anybody really bring up, is to lean toward the heavy side on the trailer.
I know alot of people like to keep things as light as possible, makes less work for the tow rig and such.....but...
assuming you've got a little extra tow rig to spare....I can't imagine a situation where I'd rather have a 7000# trailer vs. a 12k# trailer...
bigger axles/bearings/brakes/frame....
granted, the one time I had my 'zuk on the trailer, it was kinda goofy, as the trailer weighs more than the 'zuk....
but, I just feel better w/ a little 'extra' trailer....
that, and, especially now'a'days....most everybody has a 3/4 ton + tow rig, and a heavier trailer will be 8 lug w/ 16's....and those tires are about the easiest to find in the world.
one year on the way back home from Moab, Hugh was using 'what I believe to be' 10k# trailer, but it had odd-ball 6-lug 15" wheels on it, and special D-rated trailer tires (the only 15" tires w/ any sort of actual load rating)
well, at 3:00AM sunday morning, that tire is virtually IMPOSSIBLE to find....
where-as, my 235/85-16's we std. eqpt on virtually every 3/4 and 1 ton truck ever sold, and if you absolutely needed one and couldn't find a 24 hour walmart or something, you could always steal the spare tire from a truck in a parking lot and leave a $100 bill under the wiper
and being able to share spare tires between trailer and tow rig (in a pinch) could be a huge bonus....
(I'm always paranoid about losing tires, and usually roll w/ lots of spares)
--B
I know alot of people like to keep things as light as possible, makes less work for the tow rig and such.....but...
assuming you've got a little extra tow rig to spare....I can't imagine a situation where I'd rather have a 7000# trailer vs. a 12k# trailer...
bigger axles/bearings/brakes/frame....
granted, the one time I had my 'zuk on the trailer, it was kinda goofy, as the trailer weighs more than the 'zuk....
but, I just feel better w/ a little 'extra' trailer....
that, and, especially now'a'days....most everybody has a 3/4 ton + tow rig, and a heavier trailer will be 8 lug w/ 16's....and those tires are about the easiest to find in the world.
one year on the way back home from Moab, Hugh was using 'what I believe to be' 10k# trailer, but it had odd-ball 6-lug 15" wheels on it, and special D-rated trailer tires (the only 15" tires w/ any sort of actual load rating)
well, at 3:00AM sunday morning, that tire is virtually IMPOSSIBLE to find....
where-as, my 235/85-16's we std. eqpt on virtually every 3/4 and 1 ton truck ever sold, and if you absolutely needed one and couldn't find a 24 hour walmart or something, you could always steal the spare tire from a truck in a parking lot and leave a $100 bill under the wiper
and being able to share spare tires between trailer and tow rig (in a pinch) could be a huge bonus....
(I'm always paranoid about losing tires, and usually roll w/ lots of spares)
--B
binderbound
Well-Known Member
It probly goes without saying but here it goes anyway...avoid trailers with mobile home axles. In my experiance the brakes are problematic, hubs can crack, and the tires dont last long. Seems to me I remember reading somewhere that the axles were almost 'disposable'. Just good enough to get the load to the home site and thats it. Some people have great luck with them but most people agree they arent the sweetest set up.
