Trailers and lifts??

Irv · #1 (**permalink**) 10-15-2003, 09:47 AM

Two questions:
First, does anyone have experience with trailers and have any advice? I am considering an open 16 foot Car-Mate trailer to haul my ERA 427 to events. Was quoted a price around $2,300 with electric brakes, which means I have to install a brake package in my Avalanche. Do I need the brakes? Also, I have less than four inches under the oil cooler. Am also considering adding an electric winch. Any experience and/or any recommendations?
Two, am also looking at a Kwik-Lift system, making my garage life hopefully a little easier. Are they worth the money and the effort.
Any input would be appreciated.
Irv

Ron61 · #2 (**permalink**) 10-15-2003, 10:12 AM

Irv,

If you are talking about the Kwik Lift ramps that you jack up, I have had them for years and love them. I don't have enough clearance in my garage for a regular lift and they are just the perfect height to lay or sit under the car and work. Casalennie also has them and likes them.
As for the trailer I sold mine years ago, but I had a compostite type with three axels and 6 wheel electric brakes. Here in Calif. they required me to have brakes on that trailer. I don't know if a smaller trailer is required to have them or not. But I would recommend them in case you have to stop suddenly. In mine the whole rear end door opened and laid down to drive in on and it was a very gentle slope so the Cobra cleared well. That is one thing to look for on any trailer is the angle of the ramps getting onto it as these cars are so low. I had a built in electric winch, tool box, work bench and fuel rack. The electric winch was nice but not an absolute necessity. It was just easier than pushing the car in if it wasn't running for any reason.

Ron

mrmustang · #3 (**permalink**) 10-15-2003, 10:38 AM

Irv,

Get the electric brakes on the trailer. For your Avalanche, you should have a wiring kit already installed, with a small wire set in your glove box. Remove it, buy yourself a digital brake controller (Reese makes them for around $125), and follow the directions in your owners manual...Everything besides the wiring of the controller to the wiring harness now in your hands should all be plug and play................
Any questions, let me know.

Sincerely,

Bill S.

casaleenie · #4 (**permalink**) 10-15-2003, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ron61

Irv,

If you are talking about the Kwik Lift ramps that you jack up, I have had them for years and love them. I don't have enough clearance in my garage for a regular lift and they are just the perfect height to lay or sit under the car and work. Casalennie also has them and likes them.
As for the trailer I sold mine years ago, but I had a compostite type with three axels and 6 wheel electric brakes. Here in Calif. they required me to have brakes on that trailer. I don't know if a smaller trailer is required to have them or not. But I would recommend them in case you have to stop suddenly. In mine the whole rear end door opened and laid down to drive in on and it was a very gentle slope so the Cobra cleared well. That is one thing to look for on any trailer is the angle of the ramps getting onto it as these cars are so low. I had a built in electric winch, tool box, work bench and fuel rack. The electric winch was nice but not an absolute necessity. It was just easier than pushing the car in if it wasn't running for any reason.

Ron

Ron is correct about the Kwiklift...It's the perfect application for me with my garage situation and I couldn't work on the car without it... money well spent... It's out sitting on the lift now just for cleaning and I found a broken suspension bolt that would have gone undiscovered with the potential for disaster if I hadn't spotted it...
Christ, it's like the second-coming... Hallelujah!!!
OOOP's, got carried away again...sorry...

Lynn Johnson · #5 (**permalink**) 10-16-2003, 05:05 PM

Irv - Ditto on what the guys said about Kwik-Lift. Best money I have spent lately. If you don't have room or need for a four poster, Kwik-Lift is the way to go.

I bought the extra bridge so car can be raised up on jack stands, and all four wheels up at same time. Good for brake, suspension and other work where wheels get in the way. Also with car on jack stands, you get extra height and can actually sit up on creeper under car.

Another bonus. The Kwik-Lift allows the lift to be padlocked with the car up on the lift. Know of a guy who was on vacation, had his garage broken into. All of his other cars, tools, compressors, etc., stolen. Only thing left was car locked on lift in the up position. When I leave town, Cobra is locked on Kwik-Lift.

Call Danny Johnson at Kwik-Lift. He is super in customer service. Check out their web site also.

casaleenie · #6 (**permalink**) 10-16-2003, 06:02 PM

Lynn,

I didn't even know you could lock it in the up position...COOL
If you push Danny a little he will include some of the options..
Danny was on his way to Carlisle and stopped in Columbus Ohio to drop one off for me... Thing must weigh about 500 lbs... We threw it in my pickup and I took it home to Cleveland..
Had it assembled by myself in about 1/2 hr.
They run specials from time to time and just call him and he'll let you know when the next special will be running... the bridge is a nice add on... I don't think I'll ever loose any money on it...

Ron61 · #7 (**permalink**) 10-16-2003, 06:31 PM

Irv,

I forgot to add the part about the bridges so you can jack the car up on the lift. One word of warning. Those things are HEAVY. Don't and I repeat Don't drop one on your foot. I did and people three miles away now know I have a Kwik-Lift. After my doctor stopped laughing he asked me how I like it. Also another bit of advise. The ramps are powder coated and any dampness makes them slick. I went to the hardware store and bought a couple of strips of that stuff they use on boats so you don't slip and stuck in in the middle grove as I like to back onto my ramps. Works great and I have backed on now with wet tires and not a slip. At the big car show in Redding two years ago they were trying to get a Superbee backed onto the display ramps and since it was damp they couldn't get it on. I told them what I had did and they went right down and got some of that stuff and said they would make sure their people at other car shows knew about it. Mine has been on there 4 years and is still just like new. There are also other things that you can get to stick on the ramps that might look prettier if you want that. I think that Al gets a run at his and just hopes he has it lined up right. HA !!!

Al,

Darn, I thought that by now you would have figured out a way to lock it in the up position. As I got one of the first ones sold I had to figure that out on my own and the new ones are using almost exactly the way I did it.

Ron