Hoods' Car Hauler Thread

[389 Hood]

As I've mentioned in other threads, I'm in the process of getting a car hauler trailer ready for future long distance Cadillac shows and the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit which happens the 3rd week of August. I missed this years cruise.

Anyway, this is my latest. I was asked if the truck tailgate would clear the jack on another forum so I just C&Ped from that thread to this one.


Yes, the tailgate clears with a lot of room to spare.

I also pretty much finished up what I wanted to do to it this week and then put the car up on it for the first time.
The box is mounted on the deck. It's just a few inches too deep to get it on the tongue, but that's not an issue.

A deep cycle battery was mounted inside the box on a cushion with a strap securing it. Then the pigtail from the truck was tapped into to run a hot lead to the battery to keep it charged and also boost the power to the jack.

On the first try with the car, I ran it all the way up to a few inches the cam box. No good. This without the spring bars in place. I wanted to see what it would do to the trucks suspension. It just about set it down on the frame. So I backed it up a little, then looked and did this a few more times to where I was still putting a fair amount of weight on the truck, but not killing it. I set the wheel stop chocks there, backed up to where the trailer was then lifting the truck, then set the spring bars into play.

Now, I brought the car back to the chocks and got out the tape. I now have the rear of the truck riding 1/2" lower than unladen and the front up 1/2", while still putting plenty of tongue weight on it for stability. Next, I have a few truck stops within 20 miles of me with scales. I want to get a tare weight and then get a loaded weight to see if I need to redistribute the weight differently.

The glory of this E-Track system is the ability to adjust the load 2" at a time either way. I followed the instructions for the initial hitch set up to the letter and made my coupler and hitch height settings just right. I also found out I don't have to remove the drivers side fender. The car door clears it by almost 4".

Attached are a few pix of where I am now. Still open to all suggestions to those that have used these hitches. I'm curious how it will go around a corner.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Looks good. Should pull pretty nice if balanced properly. TBH probably don't even need the stabilizer hitch for that since it won't get baffled by wind like an enclosed trailer does. Certainly won't hurt though.

I only say that because I didn't use one with my 2015 and it didn't notice anything back there. It sucked ass pulling the 24' enclosed by comparison, regardless of weight.

IOW I think your setup will ride and handle like it was made to go together.

 

[389 Hood]

And here I was on the fence about buying an enclosed used for the same money. The problem with them is, getting inside to strap it down.

Having the weight distribution hitch to me is a plus. It was also given to me complete. It was on it's way to the garbage can and I just casually asked about it. 'Take it. It's going in the garbage while I can still lift it'.

I'm estimating my GCW at 13,500. I'll post the weight slip. I may do that on Sunday morning when it's quiet and I can con the counter person out a couple of re-weighs if I need to move it around.

 

[Electric Chicken]

And here I was on the fence about buying an enclosed used for the same money. The problem with them is, getting inside to strap it down.

Having the weight distribution hitch to me is a plus. It was also given to me complete. It was on it's way to the garbage can and I just casually asked about it. 'Take it. It's going in the garbage while I can still lift it'.

I'm estimating my GCW at 13,500. I'll post the weight slip. I may do that on Sunday morning when it's quiet and I can con the counter person out a couple of re-weighs if I need to move it around.

Enclosed sucks if you don't need it. I didn't have issues strapping down, just crawling into and out of the vehicle. You can't open the door enough to squeeze out so you climb out the window.

Unless it's something skinny like a Jeep.

Back then I cycled through a stupid number of vehicles and I had a 2016 Wrangler, a 2017 Fusion, a 98 Navigator, an 01 S10, and probably the 2014 Focus in there and the only thing that didn't suck to load/unload was the Wrangler because it was wide fendered but skinny bodied.

The good news is it's easy to get a zero turn in and out.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Edit edit for the above. You can get side door/window enclosed trailers so you can open the door of the car then step out the door of the trailer but you have to open the door of the trailer before you drive the car in.

So it's kind of a PITA regardless. I should have optioned it anyway when I bought mine but I was being impetuous and cheap at the time, and mine was on the lot so I went for it. I also didn't realize just how fat I'd get only 2 years later.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Also...my open deck. With the heaviest thing I ever put on it.

 

[Electric Chicken]

I brought the F250 home the same way.

 

[Duck]

As I've mentioned in other threads, I'm in the process of getting a car hauler trailer ready for future long distance Cadillac shows and the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit which happens the 3rd week of August. I missed this years cruise.

Anyway, this is my latest. I was asked if the truck tailgate would clear the jack on another forum so I just C&Ped from that thread to this one.


Yes, the tailgate clears with a lot of room to spare.

I also pretty much finished up what I wanted to do to it this week and then put the car up on it for the first time.
The box is mounted on the deck. It's just a few inches too deep to get it on the tongue, but that's not an issue.

A deep cycle battery was mounted inside the box on a cushion with a strap securing it. Then the pigtail from the truck was tapped into to run a hot lead to the battery to keep it charged and also boost the power to the jack.

On the first try with the car, I ran it all the way up to a few inches the cam box. No good. This without the spring bars in place. I wanted to see what it would do to the trucks suspension. It just about set it down on the frame. So I backed it up a little, then looked and did this a few more times to where I was still putting a fair amount of weight on the truck, but not killing it. I set the wheel stop chocks there, backed up to where the trailer was then lifting the truck, then set the spring bars into play.

Now, I brought the car back to the chocks and got out the tape. I now have the rear of the truck riding 1/2" lower than unladen and the front up 1/2", while still putting plenty of tongue weight on it for stability. Next, I have a few truck stops within 20 miles of me with scales. I want to get a tare weight and then get a loaded weight to see if I need to redistribute the weight differently.

The glory of this E-Track system is the ability to adjust the load 2" at a time either way. I followed the instructions for the initial hitch set up to the letter and made my coupler and hitch height settings just right. I also found out I don't have to remove the drivers side fender. The car door clears it by almost 4".

Attached are a few pix of where I am now. Still open to all suggestions to those that have used these hitches. I'm curious how it will go around a corner.View attachment 90536View attachment 90538View attachment 90539View attachment 90537

That's a purty blue caddy. I wonder what's heavier. The trailer or the car?

What's that trailer rated for?

 

[Duck]

Enclosed sucks if you don't need it. I didn't have issues strapping down, just crawling into and out of the vehicle. You can't open the door enough to squeeze out so you climb out the window.

Unless it's something skinny like a Jeep.

Back then I cycled through a stupid number of vehicles and I had a 2016 Wrangler, a 2017 Fusion, a 98 Navigator, an 01 S10, and probably the 2014 Focus in there and the only thing that didn't suck to load/unload was the Wrangler because it was wide fendered but skinny bodied.

The good news is it's easy to get a zero turn in and out.

Try this one.





25 footer.

Doesn't weigh a damn thing. I could probably get underneath it and bench press it. Well maybe when I was younger.

The ATV hit 45 mph on the street with it and it had two riding mowers in it at the time. Top speed without trailer is 55.

My dad & I hogged both the middle and right lanes all the way across the Ohio turnpike with it. I was in a semi & he was towing this with my Ford Ranger.

The wind that day was so bad it would rock & fishtail all over the lane if I wasn't in the right lane blocking the wind for him with my truck.

 

[389 Hood]

Edit edit for the above. You can get side door/window enclosed trailers so you can open the door of the car then step out the door of the trailer but you have to open the door of the trailer before you drive the car in.

So it's kind of a PITA regardless. I should have optioned it anyway when I bought mine but I was being impetuous and cheap at the time, and mine was on the lot so I went for it. I also didn't realize just how fat I'd get only 2 years later.

That's just it. That Cadillac is 7' wide. The doors are 4' long and would impossible to open inside an enclosed box.
I remember when the kid delivered my 69 Fleetwood which is a 4 door, he had a hell of a time getting in and out of it inside his trailer and it was 100" on the inside.

 

[389 Hood]

That's a purty blue caddy. I wonder what's heavier. The trailer or the car?

What's that trailer rated for?

The car weight is 5480 with a full tank and all the lubricants full.

The trailer weighs 1975 and it rated at 10,500.

My truck is just under 6000 pounds the way I speced it.

 

[389 Hood]

Also...my open deck. With the heaviest thing I ever put on it.

View attachment 90540

Where is that truck now? Or was it a rental or did you borrow it for the haul?

The Caddy's weight is all in the front with a 500 CI engine and transmission and it being front wheel drive. It makes it difficult to balance it both on a trailer and a lift.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Where is that truck now? Or was it a rental or did you borrow it for the haul?

The Caddy's weight is all in the front with a 500 CI engine and transmission and it being front wheel drive. It makes it difficult to balance it both on a trailer and a lift.

I traded the truck in on a Ram dually then sold the dually when I started this O/O fiasco.

I sacrificed some nice shit to get away from Schneider. That's why I get so pissed and push back so hard when this company tries to act like them.

 

[Hammer166]

As I've mentioned in other threads, I'm in the process of getting a car hauler trailer ready for future long distance Cadillac shows and the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit which happens the 3rd week of August. I missed this years cruise.

Anyway, this is my latest. I was asked if the truck tailgate would clear the jack on another forum so I just C&Ped from that thread to this one.


Yes, the tailgate clears with a lot of room to spare.

I also pretty much finished up what I wanted to do to it this week and then put the car up on it for the first time.
The box is mounted on the deck. It's just a few inches too deep to get it on the tongue, but that's not an issue.

A deep cycle battery was mounted inside the box on a cushion with a strap securing it. Then the pigtail from the truck was tapped into to run a hot lead to the battery to keep it charged and also boost the power to the jack.

On the first try with the car, I ran it all the way up to a few inches the cam box. No good. This without the spring bars in place. I wanted to see what it would do to the trucks suspension. It just about set it down on the frame. So I backed it up a little, then looked and did this a few more times to where I was still putting a fair amount of weight on the truck, but not killing it. I set the wheel stop chocks there, backed up to where the trailer was then lifting the truck, then set the spring bars into play.

Now, I brought the car back to the chocks and got out the tape. I now have the rear of the truck riding 1/2" lower than unladen and the front up 1/2", while still putting plenty of tongue weight on it for stability. Next, I have a few truck stops within 20 miles of me with scales. I want to get a tare weight and then get a loaded weight to see if I need to redistribute the weight differently.

The glory of this E-Track system is the ability to adjust the load 2" at a time either way. I followed the instructions for the initial hitch set up to the letter and made my coupler and hitch height settings just right. I also found out I don't have to remove the drivers side fender. The car door clears it by almost 4".

Attached are a few pix of where I am now. Still open to all suggestions to those that have used these hitches. I'm curious how it will go around a corner.View attachment 90536View attachment 90538View attachment 90539View attachment 90537

Just ran across this thread... I would suggest getting some of those hard plastic mudflaps and screwing them to the front of trailer above deck level to give you full protection across the front from rock chips.

 

[Duck]

Just ran across this thread... I would suggest getting some of those hard plastic mudflaps and screwing them to the front of trailer above deck level to give you full protection across the front from rock chips.

Hard plastic mud flaps,.. Do you mean high density polyethylene (HDPE)?

I've been melting & forming that stuff for a few years now. Impressive stuff.

 

[Electric Chicken]

Hard plastic mud flaps,.. Do you mean high density polyethylene (HDPE)?

I've been melting & forming that stuff for a few years now. Impressive stuff.

Maybe you can make him a row of guard gumbies.

 

[Hammer166]

Hard plastic mud flaps,.. Do you mean high density polyethylene (HDPE)?

I've been melting & forming that stuff for a few years now. Impressive stuff.

Yep. Biggest drawback is it's brittleness when it gets really, really cold. Still fairly strong, but when it let's go it'll snap plumb in half.

 

[Duck]

Yep. Biggest drawback is it's brittleness when it gets really, really cold. Still fairly strong, but when it let's go it'll snap plumb in half.

At room temperature you can fold it over on itself and smash the crease totally shut in a vise and it won't snap.

At 255°F you can dunk your hand in ice water, grab the HDPE and squeeze it & it'll flow through your fingers like a handful of mud, then let go & stick your hand back in the ice water.

I've done it with & without the ice water.

I recommend using the ice water.

 

[Rigjockey]

Yep. Biggest drawback is it's brittleness when it gets really, really cold. Still fairly strong, but when it let's go it'll snap plumb in half.

It's all good, @389 Hood doesn't go out where it's cold

 

[389 Hood]

It's all good, @389 Hood doesn't go out where it's cold

Man, you got that right.

I have toyed with the idea of a 'V' shaped nose guard, but it's an expensive proposition. Plus with the cam box mounted on the front space is at a premium. If it was a show car, I would have gone enclosed, but it's not. I like a car I'm not afraid to drive in traffic.