Reproduction Parts for 1916-1964 Chevrolet Passenger Cars & 1918-1987 Chevrolet & GMC Trucks


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#58716 07/18/02 09:03 PM
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Well guys, Bill felt I should post this one. After many years of driving my 60 Chevy to meets, the joy of driving it on these trips has sort of worn away. I have made a decision to enter the dark side and buy a trailer. This is new area to me and I am not really sure what to do :confused: . I am going with enclosed, and I am afraid of a used one. Can you guys give me some tips of what to look for , features I should need, a good brand, a bad brand ect. ect. Oh by the way the reason for buying the trailer look at my post in the mechanical section " BCA Bearings are Junk!!! mad "
thanks wink
John 348/340HP


John



1954 Belair Sport Coupe
1960 2 door Impala Hardtop 348/340HP 4spd
1962 2 door Impala Hardtop 409/409 4spd
1962 2 Door Biscayne Sedan 327/250 Auto
1977 Monza Mirage 305 4 Speed
1988 Celebrity Wagon
2018 GMC Sierra 2500 HD Diesel
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#58717 07/18/02 10:27 PM
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John, I am in the process of getting an enclosed trailer for my newest purchase a 1928 4 door sedan, I have trailered for many years with an open trailer. It worked fine with 50's era closed cars HTs and sedans. but I worried about hail, vandals etc and then with the 28 I worry about blowing off the visor or bullooning the top, I have looked at several brands, and you can go thrifty $5500 for a 20' Measured inside and 8' wide with a ramp rear and a 36" curbside doors, on up as high as you wish, a factor in prices is freight, a substancial charge. name brands? Wells Cargo, Pace American, and Haulmark, that I have looked at I could not see much real difference, the Dexter tandem axle with torque suspension seems the norm, open trailers favor double leaf spring arrangements. AllThe enclosed trailers I looked at have 15 inch wheels, 4 wheel electric drum brakes, with break-away batterys and switch, some with hydralic surge disc brakes are avail. but not the norm, I favor an equalizer hitch , 2 5/16" ball.(like you see on larger Travel trailers). lighting from 12v bulbs, florosent,inside finish is varried,and tie down devices, also handy is an electric winch inside to load even non-running cars, I look at a winch as very handy.
There is a web site for Pace American, (I am leaning toward their Pursuit 20 footer. You may need a longer model. My '53 is 16' long and the '28 is 13' long. It is a good idea to make them let you drive the car on and check out how you like the fit. www.paceamerican.com should get you there for some mail out information. you may also want to do a search for Wells Cargo and Haulmark, then there are the high dollar ultra light all aluminum models, I don't look because I can't afford one, but if you are able to afford one, the lighter, the easier to pull, something to think about is where are you going to put the thing 360 days a year?

chevy


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#58718 07/19/02 02:06 AM
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Yep, John, I'll bet that this thread is three pages long by the time I return from the Victoria VCCA Meet on Sunday 7/28. You'll soon find that people have as strong of opinions about their trailers as they do about their wive...er... cars!! wink wink

For the record, I bought a SilverLite Trailer in Salem Oregon two years ago. I love it. Here is their web site SILVERLITE

One main difference that I found in trailers is the difference in what they use for floor beams. Some (the best) use closed box tubes. Some use "U" shaped beams... and finally, the cheapest use a thing called "Z" beams. Now, I'm not saying that the Z-beams are bad, just that you find them on the least expensive trailers.

Finally, it appears that most people get by with an 18 foot rig without any issues... a 20 foot rig gives you some additional storage inside as well as it gives you a cushion for that 1958 monster that your buddy wants to haul when he borrows your rig!! mad
(The distance is the length of the box, not including the 3 or 4 foot tongue.)

Anyway, have fun and hope that you get lots of help' in making your decision!!!
devil curse


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#58719 07/19/02 03:13 PM
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The major issue is capacity. Make sure you get one with high enough capacity axles to handle the load (trailer, spare parts, tools, luggage, gifts, and oh yes the vehicle). Too many people buy the basic model with 3500 lb axles in a 3500 lb (empty) trailer and then wonder why they have brake, bearing and tire problems when they haul the 3500 lb vehicle. They never think about the 500-1000 lbs of other stuff that they will put in the trailer. Therefore 5000 or 5400 lb axles are a minimum for most of us.
The length and width are next. The 102" wide trailers are a bit more of a pain in tight (narrow) roads and bridges but that extra 6 inches is a god send for modern cars. Make sure you have enough inside length for the vehicle plus seveal feet. If you don't want to scrape the rear bumper on the tailgate you will need to have some extra space behind (figure 6" minimum). To adjust the weight distribution you will also need some room. Then there are the extra parts, jacks, jack stands, tools, wash supplies, kids toys, etc.
Now keep in mind the towing capacity of your tow vehicle. It is easy to hang too much weight on the back. It will pull it on the level but how about hills and mountains? How well does it stop? Trailer brakes are good but do not operate the same as those on the tow vehicle.
As Mackie wrote plan on a 2 5/16" ball with load equalizing hitch. It will help adjust the weight distribution (critical to stability and control) but also the side sway when the 18 wheeler jets past at 80+ or the gusty side wind hits during the thunder shower. It can get a bit interesting!!!
Best thing to do is to talk personally with people who have hauled trailers for many miles and years. They can be either travel trailers or car haulers. These people will have made most of the mistakes already.
I have pulled trailers hundreds of thousands of miles over most of the US during the past 50+ years and learn something nearly every time out. laugh


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#58720 07/20/02 01:11 AM
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I'm in the same place as John 348/340 hp, I need an enclosed trailer for a '57. I have looked at several brands and am unsure of what would be best. One thing that I'm wondering about is the trailer option of an angled top on the front end. It seems that having that feature would save me some gas and maybe let it handle better being towed. Is this feature worth giving up the space in the trailer? One other thing was the cost for side doors and their placements, companies differ on what is standard (placement and size). I think 2 doors are worth the money, one for quick entry (on the right) and one on the left to give some room for the trailered car's driver door to open so the driver can get in and out easy. The other important item for me was how easy did the loading ramp work. Wish I had the money for a Featherlite one, too.

Haulmark is fairly close to me and I plan on taking my car (on my open trailer) there and loading/unloading and towing my car in several different models they have. My other way to find out is just like the other guys are saying, talk to people at the car shows and get their input. Maybe hanging out where they load and unload cars would help. If your lucky maybe you could "demo" a dealer's or borrow a friend's trailer or rent some.

Whatever you find out please let me know before I have to buy mine.

#58721 07/20/02 01:59 AM
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As I stated earlier, this discussion will draw out some very personal opinions.... so here goes!!! laugh

My trailer (Silverlite) has an angled front end... but the official length measurement is to the shortest end, so the angle actually adds to the bottom lenght (closest to the floor) and then takes away length at the top (ceiling)... all in all you get the same equivalent cubic feet as a square front end. And I'm sure that the angle will help out my gas mileage.

As for the side door... I found that with an 30's car you don't need one... you have plenty of room to open the car door and climb out.. now with a "modern" car, eg. 1958, you could use the extra room.

Another factor originally relayed to me, is that an additional door offers 1) another place for someone to attempt entry to your trailer, and 2) it's another place for leaks to occur. So, I went with only the single man-door on the right front side. Again, with an earlier car, the width isn't as important.

Another thought... the rear drop-down door and the cables that hold it... I found that with Haulmark, the cables are hooked at the very end of the door and so when it's in the down position, people keep tripping over it. A design where the cables are closer to the hinge location is much less intrusive.

For what it's worth.... Agrin Agrin


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#58722 07/20/02 02:11 PM
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Slope fronts help with wind resistance and a bit with stability. Good hitch setup and heavy-duty tow vehicle is much more important with stability and safety. It depends on the tow vehicle profile just how much benefit you get from slope. If you plan to tow many, many miles then the better gas mileage might be a benefit. For most the loss of space will not be a good trade off.
I opted for a left side door (special ordered the placement). I have only used it on a few occasions. Doubt that I would pay extra for it again, but I don't haul modern sized vehicles too often. Be sure to check bottom sill of door and bottom of door distance on vehicle so you can open vehicle door into the side door opening. If not then the door will not have much benefit. More important is the wider width. Helps with all vehicles.
Rear ramp doors are a blessing. Cables attached to top of door make opening and closing easier. Double cables also seem to help. Friends with single cable or mid-door attachments must exert more work to get door closed. Body position when lifting door to close is prime for back problems.
Don't expect to have dust free hauling unless you seal the trailer after you get it. Sealing around the bottom is not high priority with builders.


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#58723 07/20/02 09:17 PM
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The door wires getting in the way and the double wires is the kind of information I wanted to get, thanks guys. Do you give up a lot of leverage without the wire at the top of the door?

I would need a driver's side door for getting in & out of some of the wider Chevrolet cars I haul + my '55 pu. Another thing to make custom with your trailer is the placement of the tie downs, or multiple tie downs.

There are ways of raising the car (boards) inside the trailer if the driver's door hits the inside fenders of the trailer. I have seen people use taller tires for raising (or narrower, making the car more narrow to fit between the wells) the car also. It is better of course if the builder takes your door's height into consideration when the trailer is built. I found out with my open trailer the '69 camaro (BB) had even lower doors (7" or so) than a mid-70's corvette.

What about the trailer tires? size, type, etc. Are car tires ok or should you use trailer tires?

What percent should the tongue weight be? With the hitch, what is the deal with the little ball next to the main ball? Does this system cut down on sway (hate it when 18 wheelers speed pass)?

Are there any problems with storing your car in the trailer with the car cover (Small space making extra heat)?

Are the 102" wide trailer legal in all states? Could be a problem on some of the older narrower roads also.

I would like to use a pu as a tow vehicle, what do
you think should be used (general, ballpark rule for towing a 20' trailer with '57 Chevy inside) with normal number of people and stuff on board? I don't want a truck that can't do the job, however I don't want more than I need. I have had some sales people say a 1/2 ton w/v6, 3.73 rear and some say a dually w/big block, 4.11 rear.

Lots of questions, but there are lots of smart people on Chevy Chatter and I only want to buy a closed trailer once.

Thanks again, Gator

P.S. Not having that extra door might get you out of loaning the trailer out.

#58724 07/20/02 09:17 PM
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Chip, I took your advice and talked to a friend of mine Ron. Ron owns the white 60 flattop that was the first place winner in Springfield. Being we own the same cars, same tow vehicles, and travel the same east coast roads, his experiance would be the best. Ron owns US Cargo and is very happy with it, any one else have any opinions on this brand? By the way Ron I owe you a drink when I see you at Atlantic Central Meet in Pemberton NJ
John 348/340 HP


John



1954 Belair Sport Coupe
1960 2 door Impala Hardtop 348/340HP 4spd
1962 2 door Impala Hardtop 409/409 4spd
1962 2 Door Biscayne Sedan 327/250 Auto
1977 Monza Mirage 305 4 Speed
1988 Celebrity Wagon
2018 GMC Sierra 2500 HD Diesel
#58725 07/21/02 01:24 PM
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Gator, John,
Maybe this will help in your decision. As posted before I have pulled trailers for 50+ years all over the US. I have a '99 Silverado 2500 (3/4 ton) extended cab long box truck with a 3.73 rear ratio (compromise for gas mileage when not towing). It has the engine, transmission, cooling system, suspension, tires (E load range) and brakes for the job. I have pulled a 24 foot Haulmark Elite II, custom ordered trailer for about 30k miles in the past four years. The trailer has been from coast to coast & border to border (Mex. & Canada). It has 5400 lb. axles for a capacity of 10,800 lbs and trailer rated tires (load range D). I have on occasion loaded it at least close to capacity if not overloaded. I use a load equalizing hitch to help with stability and even the load. It is equiped with an air conditioner, awning, rv type door, two windows and roof vent for air flow. We have added a bed with queen sized mattress and porta potty. We have spent many a night in Wal Mart parking lots with the other RVers. Saved hundreds of $$$$ on motel rooms.

All of the above was planned based on my experience and intended use.

If you are going to purchase everything with the intention of hauling the old Chevy(s) I would not consider anything less than 3/4 ton tow vehicle. If you already have a tow vehicle and or you will only do limited towing than a lesser vehicle will do the job, just not as reliably or safely. Pay attention to towing rating of the tow vehicle. A passenger car with a V-6 will pull the trailer. At legal speed on the level. But what happens in rain with a 20 mph side wind and 18 wheelers whizzing past on the interstate? It will get scary!

One of the trade offs is rear ratio. A 4.11 will give more hill pulling speed but cost 2-3 mpg when not towing. A load equalizing hitch is a must!

To address Gators questions:
Yes you will loose leverage and risk a trip to the doctor to realign your back.

Side door more important with 50s-70s cars and trucks. You can add boards as long as you have the headroom and can drive on the boards without seeing them.

Trailer rated tires are a must. Passenger tires are not designed to be deflected like dual trailer tires in curves and turns. They likely will not have the load ratings. Light truck tires are an alternate. The larger tires the better. But interference with the fenderwells will be a consideration.

The trailer should have 10% of the total weight on the tonge when empty. Loading to keep that ratio is best. You can measure the hitch height with the trailer unloaded and the distance from the back of the trailer to the ground. Then load the trailer and measure again. If loaded correctly the hitch should drop a bit more than the back of the trailer (without the equalizing bars installed). The little ball is part of a anti-sway system. I hear that they work well. I suspect much better on passenger cars, 1/2 ton trucks and short wheelbase trucks than long wheelbase 3/4 tons. The shorter the wheelbase of the tow vehicle the less lateral stability. Same is true for lighter duty suspension.

Storing vehicles in the trailer is the same as a garage. If heat is a problem open vents and or windows and have a white trailer. Moisture will likely be the biggest problem.

I can not comment on legality. I have a 102" trailer and have seen several 18 wheelers with 102" or wider (100" inside) trailers. It can get a bit dicey on narrow roads. So far I have not taken the awning off the passenger side. I have found that everytime that I start a trip if I pay attention to keeping the rig centered in my lane for the first 20 or so miles that I get the proper prospective and can keep it in its own lane and off the barriers. I have had the left wheels on the yellow center line and right tires on the white edge line a time or two. Last week on the climb from Ouray, CO to Silverton (Million Dollar Highway) we crawled at 25 mph with a nearly straight drop on the Boss's side. Don't think the road was over 18 feet wide. Not sure I would do that again!

Hope that this helps answer your questions. Anything you do will be a compromise. I always hated to drive a 3/4 ton truck 98% of the time unloaded, knowing that it was using much more gas than a car or 1/2 ton. But, was glad when I got on the road with the trailer on the back. That is with the open trailer too. Now that I 30+% of the time I am dragging the "white box" through the 20 mph headwinds it is not as much of a problem. laugh wink :( :) :o


How Sweet the roar of a Chevy four!
#58726 07/21/02 08:40 PM
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WOW, It looks like ChevyChip has covered the subject very well.
The only thing I can add is tire inflation is very important! Keep them inflated to their max. pressure. This keeps them cooler and avoid tread seperation.
Also electric trailer brakes are a must and become very good friends with your brake controller as you will be readjusting it quite often for different braking situations, ie: steep hills, beep and creep, regular driving and panic stops.

I got my trailer fully insulated so I can use it for storage over the winter. A 1000 watt heater kept it about 45 degrees inside the trailer on the coldest days. The insulation cost an extra $600.00 but was worth it.

Mine is a US Cargo 2001 and so far it has been great.

Here is a link to the AACA site where they have had a thorough discussin on trailers.http://www.aaca.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=002557

Good luck
Ron wink wink wink

#58727 07/21/02 09:56 PM
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Well guys, I have to go out of town for a few days, we see how much further this goes talk to you all when I get back
John


John



1954 Belair Sport Coupe
1960 2 door Impala Hardtop 348/340HP 4spd
1962 2 door Impala Hardtop 409/409 4spd
1962 2 Door Biscayne Sedan 327/250 Auto
1977 Monza Mirage 305 4 Speed
1988 Celebrity Wagon
2018 GMC Sierra 2500 HD Diesel
#58728 07/21/02 11:01 PM
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Thanks for all of the great information, nice to talk with people who have had experience towing an enclosed car trailer. Chevychip your info was really helpful, thanks again for you time and help.

Looks like this subject could be a very helpful G&D article too (if it hasn't been done, if it has, which issue?).

Here in Florida you are right, moisture would be my major problem when storing the car in a small space, maybe a dehumidifier would be a good thing to use. A good reflexive type paint on the top & good insulation inside too.

#58729 08/03/02 06:13 PM
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Oh my goodness, I just got the price list on these trailers, I didn't know they were made of white gold. These things cost more than I have ever paid for a car, my first house was cheaper.

I searched the web and got the emails for a bunch of companies and I am now getting their mailing. Most of them don't even put the price list in, the ones that do have prices that are sky high. I guess I won't have one of the light trailers after all, steel has got to be cheaper.

What should I look at (or for) when I check out a "used" trailer? Maybe I'll pick up one of the "trailer trader" magazines at the local 7-11.

#58730 08/03/02 06:49 PM
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Gator, You back down on the ground yet? I spent all of mine and Grandma's car money. We just ordered a 20' Pace American Pursuit, it was a few dollars less than the car it will haul. It wasn't too bad till they added the winch, spare tire, Tax, Title, fees and freight,carpet and drapes I told Grandma (MrsMack) that we would delete the drapes and carpet she gave me that look, but said OK. choice of 12 different colors of Paint is at no extra cost, It should be delivered in 5 weeks.
chevy talk talk luv2


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#58731 08/03/02 06:52 PM
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Does it have a beer tapper in it so that you can drink that Budweiser stuff?? :eek: :confused: :eek: wink laugh laugh


The Mangy Old Mutt

"If It's Not Junk.....It's Not Treasure!"
#58732 08/03/02 06:57 PM
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No, there are some things that I prefer to do myself! surely there will be room for a cooler of longnecks, I spill too much of my beer when I drink from the tap or my doggie bowl , I do not drink and drive, 8 hours between the bottle and the throttle!


Life's a long winding trail, love Jesus and ride a good horse!
#58733 08/03/02 07:06 PM
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Well.....old Donald will be upset to hear about that! ha ha! :( :(

Okay, next question: Can ya tell the differenct between the bottle and the throttle? laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh


The Mangy Old Mutt

"If It's Not Junk.....It's Not Treasure!"
#58734 08/03/02 09:56 PM
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In Texas they have signs that say "DWI - you can't afford it" and "Drive friendly - the Texas way" - we could use some of those in New Mexico.


If you have old Chevrolets, other old Chevrolets will find out where you live.
#58735 08/03/02 10:43 PM
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D2D2 We Texans love to drive in our neighboring state to the West, I never met a NM Trooper I didn't like! Come to think of it I have never HAD to meet a NM Trooper. Maybe we can meet the nice VCCA folks in NM next July at the 4 banger tour. talk :love: yipp dance :danc


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#58736 08/04/02 08:40 AM
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In all of the responses,,John did you ever buy a trailer ?? doc


doc
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Doc, I am going to get it after the season. I was under the impression that this could have been done in a four week period, but they all seem to be about 12-14 weeks from time of order. I am going to meet with my friend Ron (user name 60 Chevy) this weekend at the Area 8 Meet in Pennington NJ. He is bringing his paaperwork so i can use it for measurements for the doors when I order, being we both have the same collector cars and similar tow vehicles. He has a US Cargo and is very happy with it. More to come after the weekend
John348/340HP laugh


John



1954 Belair Sport Coupe
1960 2 door Impala Hardtop 348/340HP 4spd
1962 2 door Impala Hardtop 409/409 4spd
1962 2 Door Biscayne Sedan 327/250 Auto
1977 Monza Mirage 305 4 Speed
1988 Celebrity Wagon
2018 GMC Sierra 2500 HD Diesel
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MrMack, Did you shop around a lot for the best price? What was it about the Pace that made you buy it?

Is there anything "bad" about buying a used trailer? Seems like it would be easy to check out (brakes would be the most difficult item) for damage, rust, etc., must be easier than checking out a car since you don't have to worry about a motor or tranny or rear gear (hidden type damage). Mileage shouldn't even matter, should it?

#58739 08/04/02 08:50 PM
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I bought a used trailer once and only later did I realize that the previous owner had overloaded it and broke the axle! It was like a mobile home axle which uses a tube... he had rewelded it and ground the welds and then painted it.

It worked for me okay with a '31 Chev but I was always a little leary that it had been over-stressed once before. drink


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#58740 08/04/02 10:16 PM
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Billy BaRRker, the axle probably was a mobile home axle (lots of them floating around), and rather than breaking the axle he just did this "home shop shortening Job" to fit the trailer. Nothing wrong with this , if the job is done right, with a close fitting piece of tubing inside the outside one, and the slight arch of the axle is not changed, so that when loaded heavyly the wheels will be level side ways . other wise the tires will wear on the inside, and you can hear the wheel bearings saying "Ouch ,Oh! and another Ouch!"

Gator I looked at how much I would be useing the trailer, weight length, height and price, suspension, construction design, features and options I thought I wanted. A closed beaver tailed ramp trailer designed as a Auto hauler and equipped with a 2500# Warn Winch $480 installed by dealer (it will pull a #12,000# rolling load up a 10% grade) with remote controller was a MUST HAVE! The dealer also will install the tongue mounted spare tire and the brake controller on the Tahoe.
I have been hauling cars and pickups most of my adult life on flatbed trailers and trucks and I worked hauling heavy road building equiptment for three years Before I went back to the oil patch and got the wrinkles out of my belly.
We have had three Travel trailers from a 16' and 18'single axle and a 24' and a 32' tandem axles. My advise is never use a single axle trailer for hauling anything larger than a golf cart or a rideing lawn mower! After talking to several club members, drag racers etc. We decided that the steel framed closed trailer was in my price area, the Aluminum was more than I wanted to pay. and I know the dealer here in Midland. I thought the Pace American had the best dealers and also the best ball to bumper warrenty on the market and you have the choice of 12 different colors of paint at no extra cost. ( Freight also figures as a fair amount of the price write-up also.)

:cool2:


Life's a long winding trail, love Jesus and ride a good horse!
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My 1933 Chevy 2 Dr. Sedan
My 1933 Chevy 2 Dr. Sedan
by 1939Chevy1, November 24
Back on the road 79 years later
2 1927 Chevrolet Trucks
2 1927 Chevrolet Trucks
by 1927TRUCKS, June 7
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