Marco Tahtaras
Well-known member
My problem is being in California. The best quality trailers I've seen were made in Indiana or nearby which adds significantly to the cost here. I always favored Pace American but don't know if the quality is the same since they changed hands a few years back.
Always being 'on a budget' I couldn't justify getting what I really wanted. My first was a used 18' Pace 8' wide cargo trailer that I setup to accommodate my needs fairly well. That took me to New York and Toronto, Ontario, and a few other trips totaling about 14k miles.
My current trailer is a brand I hadn't heard of but after watching Craigs list for a couple years, I found it with very little use (maybe 750 miles) and less than two years old. The important features were there like torsion axles (lower stance), typical 8.5' width, and self lubricating hubs. It's a very nice trailer but the quality lacks in a few areas. They did include a vapor barrier between the frame and floor which was a plus. I never completed insulation and white inside walls at intended before my trip to Dallas in '08 so it remains as I stopped for that trip. I used garage floor epoxy on the entire floor for obvious reasons. It came with the typical fore and aft recessed 'D' rings for axle straps which I've never used. I installed four pairs of 'D' rings for tire bonnets at each wheel so the Model A's are held down by all four tires and nothing touching paint. Note: I didn't use the friction additive (silica?) in the floor epoxy. I SHOULD have on the ramp door (only). It only takes a little rain to make that ramp door dangerous!
Other trailer notes:
1. I would have chosen to stay with 18' but the deal I found was too good to pass up. Sometimes the extra two feet is inconvenient. Also, I've never intended to add a bench in the front.
2. Chasing other information in the past on forums I found it was common for folks to report no towing advantage of any kind when switching to a "V" nose trailer so get one if you like it and avoid them if you don't. It happens that I don't care for them.
3. The only aluminum trailer I have any familiarity with is Featherlite. Very nice but expensive. I believe they only come with a "V" nose and that's a no-go for me (but I'm cheap anyway)! The weight difference with Featherlite is not what you would expect. My 20 ft trailer is 3270#. A similarly configured Pace is around 3300 and Featherlite around 3100. Add a 2500# car in there and 200# difference is really meaningless.
4. Inside height - It's more common today for 8.5' wide trailers to have 6.5' ceiling height like mine but DO NOT assume anything! A 6' ceiling will come back to bite you sooner or later.
5. Flooring - Aluminum Diamond Tread Plate (some use) may be practical for some uses but not for my trailer floor. It is extremely difficult to sweep out effectively. Also if you ever get under the car in the trailer it will not make your life better!
I like my epoxy! It was an idea I came up with after researching other (more common) options and finding them not well suited for me personally.
Always being 'on a budget' I couldn't justify getting what I really wanted. My first was a used 18' Pace 8' wide cargo trailer that I setup to accommodate my needs fairly well. That took me to New York and Toronto, Ontario, and a few other trips totaling about 14k miles.
My current trailer is a brand I hadn't heard of but after watching Craigs list for a couple years, I found it with very little use (maybe 750 miles) and less than two years old. The important features were there like torsion axles (lower stance), typical 8.5' width, and self lubricating hubs. It's a very nice trailer but the quality lacks in a few areas. They did include a vapor barrier between the frame and floor which was a plus. I never completed insulation and white inside walls at intended before my trip to Dallas in '08 so it remains as I stopped for that trip. I used garage floor epoxy on the entire floor for obvious reasons. It came with the typical fore and aft recessed 'D' rings for axle straps which I've never used. I installed four pairs of 'D' rings for tire bonnets at each wheel so the Model A's are held down by all four tires and nothing touching paint. Note: I didn't use the friction additive (silica?) in the floor epoxy. I SHOULD have on the ramp door (only). It only takes a little rain to make that ramp door dangerous!
Other trailer notes:
1. I would have chosen to stay with 18' but the deal I found was too good to pass up. Sometimes the extra two feet is inconvenient. Also, I've never intended to add a bench in the front.
2. Chasing other information in the past on forums I found it was common for folks to report no towing advantage of any kind when switching to a "V" nose trailer so get one if you like it and avoid them if you don't. It happens that I don't care for them.
3. The only aluminum trailer I have any familiarity with is Featherlite. Very nice but expensive. I believe they only come with a "V" nose and that's a no-go for me (but I'm cheap anyway)! The weight difference with Featherlite is not what you would expect. My 20 ft trailer is 3270#. A similarly configured Pace is around 3300 and Featherlite around 3100. Add a 2500# car in there and 200# difference is really meaningless.
4. Inside height - It's more common today for 8.5' wide trailers to have 6.5' ceiling height like mine but DO NOT assume anything! A 6' ceiling will come back to bite you sooner or later.
5. Flooring - Aluminum Diamond Tread Plate (some use) may be practical for some uses but not for my trailer floor. It is extremely difficult to sweep out effectively. Also if you ever get under the car in the trailer it will not make your life better!
I like my epoxy! It was an idea I came up with after researching other (more common) options and finding them not well suited for me personally.
