Editing Choosing a trailer

Steel rusts, and wood rots. On wood, things won't slide around as much. Be cautious, because some wood trailers are not pressure-treated wood, and won't last long. Wood can loosen, crack, and warp. Fluids soak in, leaving a mess. With a wood trailer, you can screw something down to secure it. Steel can get oily and slippery, especially when hauling project cars leaking fluids. Diamond-plate decks help with slipping. Trailers that are open in the middle (open-pit trailers) can be useful. Less weight, oil leaks onto the ground, and the open part can be useful for working under the car. A box on the tongue is useful for holding jacks, chocks, tie-down straps, hand tools, etc. Look for trailers to buy at race tracks. There are people there with a trailer and no car. Wood decks will have to be replaced periodically. Factor in the time to remove the old wood and fasteners, and then buy, cut, and install new wood. Steel decks need to be coated. Epoxy, bedliner, etc. Over and under is best. ==Types of decking== *Steel diamond plate *Aluminum diamond plate *Heavy steel expanded metal (?) *Pressure-treated wood *Non pressure-treated wood, coated with something. ==Trailer suppliers== *Dargo *Long Haul *Trailtech *Sloan *Fleet (?) *Kings Trailer ==Trailer winches== Good features: free-wheel option to let the cable out, reel speed that isn't very slow. When examining ratings: drag weight and rolling weight are two different things. Can be hooked up to battery, or powered through a 20 amp cigarette lighter plug. ==Enclosed trailers== Keep nosy people and thieves wondering. Makes for better piece of mind when you are stopped to eat or rest. They work good as storage too. Removable fenders are helpful for towing lower cars. Torsion axles are recommended. If tongue weight is too much, load the car backwards, or move it back on the trailer. Careful with this, with the weight in the rear, the load can weave. States have different requirements for brakes on axles. Electric brake controller recommended. Be wary of the tongue weight. It should only be about 10% of the towing weight. Cross the tie-down straps. ==When towing== Always remember that you need more room to stop, so leave a good gap in front of you when driving. One car length per 10 mph has been recommended. Practice driving with the trailer with no load on it, to see how it handles and brakes.

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