What I really want is one of those tiny little flatbed tow trucks they have in the EU. It would be so nice for a track car.
THIS! Those tiny cabover tow trucks are like 21' long total, and 16' of it is bed!
What I really want is one of those tiny little flatbed tow trucks they have in the EU. It would be so nice for a track car.
THIS! Those tiny cabover tow trucks are like 21' long total, and 16' of it is bed!
Vigo said:What I really want is one of those tiny little flatbed tow trucks they have in the EU. It would be so nice for a track car.
THIS! Those tiny cabover tow trucks are like 21' long total, and 16' of it is bed!
Are guys talking about a rollback, like this Hino?
Rollback with a crane. Damn Europeans...
I built a race car trailer that weighed around 300 lbs. I was towing with a Cortina Mk 3 (2.0 Pinto engine) so needed lightness even with my 2,000 lbs of race car and stuff.
Take 4" steel tube and weld end plates on drilled to take automotive front stub axles (IIRC we used 1959 Buick, which bolt on with four bolts).
Take piece of 3" steel tube to make tongue, weld saddle on end that bolts to the axle with U bolts and bolt trailer ball receiver on the other end. You now have a big 'T' with wheels.
Weld plate steel stanchions on the large cross tube, about 2' high. fit U bolts to the top t pass a cable through.
Make two ends for the trailer out of heavy angle iron and drill for steel cable. Run cable through the ends and up and over the stanchions and you have a suspension bridge trailer with all weight hanging from the centre stanchions. Make a 2"x12" plank deck.
Didn't even need loading ramps - just lift on the trailer until the back touched the ground, put a jack stand under the front, and using a boat winch attached to the tongue with ore of that steel cable with a hook on the end, lock onto the suspension, sway bar, or whatever and winch the car onto the trailer until it reaches the balance point, then remove jack stand and lower tongue onto the ball.
Finally, attach nylon camlock straps to rear axle and rear angle iron and then continue winching forward until taut. Car can't go anywhere and the suspension takes the place of trailer suspension.
Think it cost around $200 and a case of beer for the welder.
That sounds like a trailer with 0 tongue weight unless you leave those rear straps pretty loose on installation.
No, you winch the car forward until you have the right amount of tongue weight, It is then held between the winch and the rear axle straps and can't move. I just put a paint stripe on the planks where the hub centre needed to be for correct weight as a guide once I had that dialed in. I'd tighten the straps up just before the car reached the ideal point and then finish winching the extra inch or two to take out the slack.
I bought a brand new 20ft dovetail with a wooden deck back in 2017. At first I was looking at used ones and found this one new for basically the same price. I got a little discount on top of that and a free spare tire. Paid cash and never looked back. Trailer has about 10k miles on it already and has done well holding 5k lb Mercedes and slightly smaller Jaguars for hours on end.
I do need a new winch though, that POS motor blew and was only 10 months old.
Based on advice from GRMers, I just ordered a new trailer from Econo Trailer. I'll leave a review here once I pick it up...
Ooh. I wanna hear that review about econo trailer. Im about ready to buy one.
Flat_Black13z said:Ooh. I wanna hear that review about econo trailer. Im about ready to buy one.
I picked up the trailer this weekend! The folks at Econo Trailer couldn't be nicer.
For the price, the trailer is fantastic. It's got a smart locking system for the ramp storage, but otherwise it's just a solid, basic trailer. My one surprise was that they didn't include a jack plate, so I had to stop at Tractor Supply on the way home. Oh, and they spliced the lights on with those dumb plastic clips, so I covered them with liquid tape when I got home.
Highly recommend!
Can you negotiate at Econo Trailer? For instance, have them toss on radial tires for free.
In reply to MINIzguy :
They are a small shop, so I assume you could indeed negotiate a discount. I know they run sales periodically as well.
European car trailers are made for narrow streets and often use small 10 inch wheels and tandem axles , the ramps are above the small tires .
But in Germany the trailer speed limit it 80km or 50 mph the same as the big trucks , so using using the small wheels is safe.
I bought a used homebuilt 18' wood deck trailer about 15 years ago. It's been through the wars, hauled lots of cars and other stuff. I've replaced most of the decking at one time or another, added tie-downs and a hand winch, replaced the tires once and am probably due to do it again, rewired it a few years ago and switched to LED lights, and I've repainted it twice and sprayed bedliner inside the fenders. Honestly, I only use it 2-3 times a year, but I bought a lifetime license plate for it in 2005, so it literally costs me nothing to sit in my yard and be there when I need it.
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