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Enclosed Trailer
Need some advice on buying an enclosed trailer for my SPF. I see alot of 8.5x20ft. trailers on ebay motors. Most are Halmarks. Don't know very much about trailers so I need some help on what size would be best without going overboard. I have a 98 Dodge Dakota with a 5.2L engine and a 3.92 rear end that has to tow this thing probably to VIR in Virginia. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated guys.
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Your Dakota will struggle to handle a 20' enclosed trailer. The truck is not big enough for that size trailer. I (had) a Dakota and pulled an 18' open trailer with cobra and it was a hand full.
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Serpent express is your answer unless you have a 2500 series deisal or you like replacing transmissions etc.
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Get a bigger truck.
Pulling a trailer, especially one loaded with a valuable car is serious business. Its not just about horsepower, it is brakes, and size and weight of tow vehicle. If you get into some trouble on the road...like a blown trailer tire, quick stop or unplanned lane change...bad sh.t can happen pretty fast. Rent a big diesel pickup truck. Best Regards, Bill (old truck driver) |
Bill,
I've pulled my Serpent Express over 5K miles now and have had no problems. I reported on my first trip on the S.E. website. If you are interested in more info. feel free to P.M me. Paul |
I have a 20' Wells Cargo that I use to haul my Shelby. Use a Tundra with V8. It pulls fine. Not like a F250 but it does do the job. Enclosed is the only way to go. Pics in Gallery
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Interestingly, the first Serpent Express trailer was designed specifically to be pulled behind a '98 Dodge Dakota with a 5.2 liter V8 and auto trans. It's the white one on the web site. Needless to say, it worked great.
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I second the motion for the SE for a light package. Trailer with car comes in at about 4800 lbs. and I pull it with an 04 Ranger. Have towed it Oregon to Ohio, Oregon to Denver, Oregon to California and Oregon to Arizona just to name a few. Perfect package. You can see it on the SE web site.
DonC |
If you are going to tow an enclosed trailer you need a bigger truck! I'm sure you CAN tow with a Dakota, but you really should have a half ton to be able to stop and stuff like that. I have a 20 foot enclosed haulmark which is really heavy, I never tow it with my wifes Escallade because the Diesel pickup is WAY BETTER and WAY SAFER. You should use a Trailex or SE to save weight on the rig for sure if you don't get a bigger tow vehicle. The aluminum trailer can really save you some headache with a ligher tow vehicle. Good luck and have fun!
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I found that in the end an aluminum trailer was not that much weight savings over a steel.
Dakota sucks as a vehicle in general. F-150, Tundra, Chevy, Dodge pick ups will all tow a 20' enclosed with no problems. |
Morgan is right. A smaller trailer won't save you much weight by going the aluminum route. Of course, the bigger the trailer, more use of aluminum will save lots of weight over steel. It's all in the numbers.
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I'm with Speedy, DonC, Tony, etc. Serpent Express is the only way to go. It's light weight, reasonably aerodynamic, and very easy to tow. A well equipped SE is about the same price or maybe a little less than a used hard sided trailer. Overal weight is considerably less. All that equates to better fuel mileage. Handling with a heavy side wind is actually very good; an important consideration in this corner of the galaxey.
I tow mine with a '01 Dakota Quad Cab, 5.9, auto, 4x4. I towed an open trailer for 3 years without any problems. Including one trip to London last year. I just bought the SE this year, so have not had any long hauls yet. Going to Utah next month, though. The Dakota is an excellent platform for something like this. |
I tow my Serpant Express with my Honda Ridgeline-Tows just fine. I have towed over the Sierra's 2 times. SE is a good choice for vehicles rated to tow 5000 lbs. I estimate my car and trailer @ about 4200-4300 lbs.
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i have a 28' enclosed aluminum featherlite. and would not have it any other way.
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Yeah Featherlite makes one very nice trailer!
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Thanks for the suggestions and opinions guys. Looks like its either buy a bigger truck or a really lite trailer. I'll check out Serpent and Featherlite first and then maybe the Ford website for trucks. Thanks again guys!
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Serpent Express Link
http://www.serpentexpress.com/images/Top_036_400s.jpg
For details, see Serpent Express Website Perfect for roadster trips to VIR: http://www.serpentexpress.com/images/ws_rear_b.jpg Made for lighter tow rigs. Safety first! |
here's what i use
1 Attachment(s)
light and aerodynamic...x-treme trailer
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My 16' all aluminum Serpent Express weighs 3825# with my Lonestar 427 LS inside with a full tank (18 gal.) of gas. The trailer weighs just a bit over 1200# empty.
I can add 200 pounds of tools, jack stands, jacks, etc. inside and can definitely tell a difference in how it tows behind my 5.3 V8 Suburban. The trailer is new and I have only towed it about 600 miles so far and I may be able to adjust the weight some inside to make it tow better with the added weight, but all in all, the SE tows better, loaded or empty, than any trailer I have ever owned - and I have had 2 enclosed and 2 open trailers all used to tow race cars weighing from 1500 to 3500 pounds. It is hard to explain, and even harder to understand, but there is a big - very big difference - in trailers. If at all possible I would highly recommend you try to borrow an SE before you buy - they will sell themselves. In an earlier reply, MadMaxx recommended an Serpent Express trailer. He does not own an SE but used mine to town his new SPF from Cincinatti to Houston. I think his experience with that trip is explained by his recommendation. I wish I had owned an SE 25 years ago. Jody |
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