Car Hauler or Equipment Trailer -- What is the difference please?

[mikegt4]

size cross menbRe: Car Hauler or Equipment Trailer -- What is the difference please?

For me, I consider a "car hauler" to be a trailer designed specifically to haul a car with no concessions to hauling anything else (although one could use it for such). It would be a dual axle (7k GVWR) with about a 5k payload, two rails for the vehicle tires (ie, open center) or a diamond plate deck, usually a dovetail, slide in or removable ramps and 4 tie down points suited to a car. As mentioned above this would also be built with minimal sized structural cross members at maximum spacing. My late brother had an open center trailer custom built for hauling his Dodge Dart 340 to car shows. He also had commercial chain tie downs built in (he worked for a new car transport company) which allowed him to load and tie down his car in 2 minutes or less. The trailer was useless for just about anything except cars or lumber which was OK by him.

When I needed a trailer to haul my car I required low or removable fenders as a top priority but I also wanted more capability than just hauling cars. I was able to find an "equipment" trailer with fenders only 8" above the deck which just cleared the open car doors. It also works well for hauling my tractor, small dozers, metal, gravel, building materials and general items of all shapes and sizes and has over 14 years of ownership proven to be the best tool (and it is a tool) investment that I have ever made.

My point being that a "equipment" trailer is much more versatile than a somewhat limited "car" trailer, not just available weight ratings although that would be the biggest difference.

 

[Diamondpilot]

For me, I consider a "car hauler" to be a trailer designed specifically to haul a car with no concessions to hauling anything else (although one could use it for such). It would be a dual axle (7k GVWR) with about a 5k payload, two rails for the vehicle tires (ie, open center) or a diamond plate deck, usually a dovetail, slide in or removable ramps and 4 tie down points suited to a car. As mentioned above this would also be built with minimal sized structural cross members at maximum spacing. My late brother had an open center trailer custom built for hauling his Dodge Dart 340 to car shows. He also had commercial chain tie downs built in (he worked for a new car transport company) which allowed him to load and tie down his car in 2 minutes or less. The trailer was useless for just about anything except cars or lumber which was OK by him.

When I needed a trailer to haul my car I required low or removable fenders as a top priority but I also wanted more capability than just hauling cars. I was able to find an "equipment" trailer with fenders only 8" above the deck which just cleared the open car doors. It also works well for hauling my tractor, small dozers, metal, gravel, building materials and general items of all shapes and sizes and has over 14 years of ownership proven to be the best tool (and it is a tool) investment that I have ever made.

My point being that a "equipment" trailer is much more versatile than a somewhat limited "car" trailer, not just available weight ratings although that would be the biggest difference.

This must be a regional thing. I have been in the trailer business for 20 plus years and 99% of the car haulers here have a solid wood or diamond plated floor. I have seen maybe 3 or 4 as you described and of course Uhaul has a whole fleet of galvanized open center car haulers.

Around here the only difference in a car hauler is cross member spacing, slide in vs stand up ramps, and deck height to the ground.

Chris

Chris

 

[7879fordman]

I have a 34' gooseneck with dove lowboy car hauler with open center .
Was bought to haul a tractor and litter cake getter . Needed to be long and low worked great . Trailers has 7000# axles .



Sent from my iPhone 5 using TractorByNet

 

[7879fordman]

When it comes to tandem trailers I know nothing.

Maybe I'm ready to take the plunge. I've found two used trailers that have been well cared for. One is a 16' car hauler split 14' flat and 2' DOVE TAIL with fold down ladder ramps. The second unit is 16' FLAT with 5' SLIDE -Out ramps.

I'm going to be moving a small Bobcat CT230 about 4 times per year, 20 miles each way.

Neighborhood storage requirements dictate the trailer must be garaged and a 16' trailer plus tongue is all that will fit in the garage.

COMMENTS PLEASE: Will the 14'/2' dove tail unit work for a tractor or should I focus only on the full 16' flat trailer?

Thanks.

Any 16' trailer will work great .

Sent from my iPhone 5 using TractorByNet

 

[94BULLITT]

This must be a regional thing. I have been in the trailer business for 20 plus years and 99% of the car haulers here have a solid wood or diamond plated floor. I have seen maybe 3 or 4 as you described and of course Uhaul has a whole fleet of galvanized open center car haulers.

Around here the only difference in a car hauler is cross member spacing, slide in vs stand up ramps, and deck height to the ground.

Chris

Chris

There are a lot of car trailers here with open center. The open center does make it easier to tie down some cars.

A 10k car trailer will have a 5'' channel frame and a equipment trailer will have a 6'' channel frame in most cases. I think the equipment trailer will have a better jack too.

 

[arnoldziffel]

If I had a large tractor and large pick-up to tow with I'd buy a true c-channel equipment trailer.

My reality is I have a 1500 Silverado and a 4,400 lb tractor loader that I'll move 20 miles maybe 4 times a year. My budget is an absolute $3,000 max. with tax and registration.

Prior to owning the tractor, my main use for my old landscaping trailer was to take large loads of household debris to the dump. (I'm in the apartment rental business).
Moving forward I was thinking I'd sell the landscape trailer and buy an affordable tandem trailer with ramps which could still be used to haul stuff but could also move my tractor.

Another option would be to keep the old trailer and buy a new car hauler tandem with the capacity and proper loading ramps to move the tractor. Or perhaps I save my money and just use the landscape trailer, (it has brakes), and use planks and blocking to load the tractor when need be.

The comments here have been helpful. I never thought about the difference between c-channel and angle framing nor the size, style and number of cross braces. (Comments seem to to say car haulers have fewer, lighter cross members spaced farther apart. Is that correct?)

 

[LD1]

(Comments seem to to say car haulers have fewer, lighter cross members spaced farther apart. Is that correct?)

Thats correct. But given your tractor, any 7k tandem car hauler will have no problems at all.

A 7k equipment hauler is built heavier because on some equipment, the load isnt distributed as well or as evenly as a car is. And are more likely to be overloaded.

Its hard to overload a 7k car hauler with just a car.

 

[My Hoe]

If I had a large tractor and large pick-up to tow with I'd buy a true c-channel equipment trailer.

My reality is I have a 1500 Silverado and a 4,400 lb tractor loader that I'll move 20 miles maybe 4 times a year. My budget is an absolute $3,000 max. with tax and registration.

Prior to owning the tractor, my main use for my old landscaping trailer was to take large loads of household debris to the dump. (I'm in the apartment rental business).
Moving forward I was thinking I'd sell the landscape trailer and buy an affordable tandem trailer with ramps which could still be used to haul stuff but could also move my tractor.

Another option would be to keep the old trailer and buy a new car hauler tandem with the capacity and proper loading ramps to move the tractor. Or perhaps I save my money and just use the landscape trailer, (it has brakes), and use planks and blocking to load the tractor when need be.

The comments here have been helpful. I never thought about the difference between c-channel and angle framing nor the size, style and number of cross braces. (Comments seem to to say car haulers have fewer, lighter cross members spaced farther apart. Is that correct?)

arnoldziffel,

Great questions--I learned a lot, and am probably even further down the learning curve than you, re: the various choices.

That's one thing I love about this site (among many): In a few minutes, you can benefit from 20-30 years (at least) of experience, and save yourself much grief and $tre$$.

My one (known) preference would be for a wooden deck (and I hate maintaining wooden things, if metal will suffice--LOL). I just feel that the ability to be able to screw or lag something down, into the deck (or through it?) and not worry about it, as boards can be replaced, if need be, is a big advantage, in a multi-purpose trailer. I also assume they would be less slippery with oil on them, than wood (though I know wood will hold oil spills, whereas you can chemically clean up a spill, off of a steel or aluminum deck. Maybe it's just me, but I believe I'll prefer wood to metal).

Not to highjack the OP's thread, but I presume he'd like to hear others' preferences for decking material, as would I.

And re: "open center" trailers, if one really wanted one of these (for ease of tying down, as was mentioned?) couldn't you just remove a couple of boards from the middle of a wooden deck, and get the same effect? Just wondering why U-Haul and others offer an open center, which seems unnecessarily limiting to other uses, IMHO. (Also, it seems like an invitation for road debris to damage the underside of a nice car, if one got into enough debris?).

Good luck with your decisions. :thumbsup:

Subscribed.

 

[arnoldziffel]

@ My Hoe:

The car haul trailers I'm considering are all full wooden decks with 2' dove tail. No open centers -- that won't work for me.

The other matter I'm dealing with is LENGTH of trailer and budget. I think ideally I should get an 18' so that I can better balance the tractor. But given the very few times I'll transport the tractor and the fact that the trailers that fit my budget so far are 16' models I'm wrestling with that reality.

As I mentioned earlier, perhaps I should stick with my old 16' landscape trailer and just use blocks and planks as ramps to load the tractor. Anyone else do this?

 

[94BULLITT]

If I had a large tractor and large pick-up to tow with I'd buy a true c-channel equipment trailer.

My reality is I have a 1500 Silverado and a 4,400 lb tractor loader that I'll move 20 miles maybe 4 times a year. My budget is an absolute $3,000 max. with tax and registration.

Prior to owning the tractor, my main use for my old landscaping trailer was to take large loads of household debris to the dump. (I'm in the apartment rental business).
Moving forward I was thinking I'd sell the landscape trailer and buy an affordable tandem trailer with ramps which could still be used to haul stuff but could also move my tractor.

Another option would be to keep the old trailer and buy a new car hauler tandem with the capacity and proper loading ramps to move the tractor. Or perhaps I save my money and just use the landscape trailer, (it has brakes), and use planks and blocking to load the tractor when need be.

The comments here have been helpful. I never thought about the difference between c-channel and angle framing nor the size, style and number of cross braces. (Comments seem to to say car haulers have fewer, lighter cross members spaced farther apart. Is that correct?)

Check out Kaufman trailers. You might be able to get a 20' 10k trailer on your budget. I am pretty sure they will do better than the price listed on their site.

http://www.kaufmantrailers.com/utility-trailers/utility-trailer-wood-floor-flatbed/