Flat bed trailers

[Cobrabill]

I'm beginning a search for a flatbead car hauler.I've looked at Carson & Big Tex so far.Other brands?Any opinions regarding them and also open center trailers vs solid metal?Thanks.

[Michael P. Wole]

Try Imperial...they are made in Olney, Il
I used a friends last year before I got my enclosed trailer and it was very nice...easy to load and unload andj pulled like it wasnt there with my Cobra on it.
Sorry I dont have a web site to refer to you.

[jdog]

I bought this 16' trailer off of Craigslist for $1,000.00. With a winch & spare! It's was built by 'AzTx'. Pulls great, light weight!






jdog
P.S. I like the open center. It makes a great mini lift for working under your car.

[Ron61]

Jdog,

Great pictures and the car really looks good. I had a 25 foot enclosed triple axle trailer years ago and I would get a much smaller one if I was getting another. That one had a built in work bench, tool box generator, winch, and an electric motor that lifted the tongue. Way to much for what little I did, so I sold it to one of the guys that I know who drag races. He used it for a year or so and then bought a car hauler. Bill had an open trailer that we went to Woodland and got several years ago and it looks a lot like yours except it never had the winch.

Ron

[vettestr]

An open car trailer is great but allows rock chips (you know Murphy's law). I good friend of mine saw a fiberglass front rock shield added to an open trailer in the B J Auction parking lot. I am making one for him now with a few changes he dreamed up. This can be added to any trailer with a few bolts but still allows you to reach in to hook up to D-rings to secure the car pretty easy. It also makes it a little more aero friendly and shield the windshield too. Somebody came up with a great fix for the few downsides to an open trailer. I like the open center on the trailer like Jdog mentioned.

[sharpe 1]

If the budget allows I would get an alum. one. I had an H&H steel one. It was a good unit, but I sold it and now have a 20' enclosed. I like it the best. When the car is on board I don't have to worry about where it is or who is messing with it.

Good Luck in your search

[mpanten]

Originally Posted by sharpe 1

If the budget allows I would get an alum. one. I had an H&H steel one. It was a good unit, but I sold it and now have a 20' enclosed. I like it the best. When the car is on board I don't have to worry about where it is or who is messing with it.

Good Luck in your search

+ 1, I dont know your budget but an enclosed is the way to go.

[BDR561]

I have both an enclosed 20ft V-Nose and also an open 18 ft. The cobra only goes in the enclosed, protected from the elements along with any and all spares/tools, etc that come along. The only way to travel exspecially with overnight excursions.

I did the group buy for a NEW 20ft V-Nose for $4100.

[bobcowan]

An open trailer does have some advantages. I towed my Cobra around on one for quite a while. Didn't get any damage that I could see. Low wind resistance, easy to tow. Made by Parker. Very solid and well balanced trailer. I would recommend it to anyone.

All steel is usually better, IMO. They usually last longer and need less maint. Wood decks need to be rplaced periodically. But they are a bit heavy. Depending on your tow vehicle, that could matter. Open center trailers like JDog's are a bit lighter, and you can work under them. But it limits use a a little bit. Hard to put a load of lumber or sheetrock on it.

Alum is nice. But have you seen the cost of an alum trailer lately? Holy cow. It costs you 40% more $, and saves only 20% of the weight.







I just bought a Serpent Express last month. Havn't had the Cobra in it yet, but I towed it home from UT. It's very nice. More $$ than a simple flat bed, but a whole lot less than an enclosed. Weighs less than my flatbed, too.

[Cobrabill]

I'm set on an open 'cause we'll be able to fit a "squeeze" of hay on it also.This will reduce our feed bill if we pick it up.I think i'm leaning towards an open center and i'll fill it myself with diamond plate.

[Madmiles442]

You're thinking correctly. The open center allows you to drive the car on it and easily work under it. You might not think you'll use it that way, but you should - it's just too damn handy!
I have an open too and wish I had saved another $750 for an enclosed. You can find them used for only slightly more than the open and your car is protected.
I have a 4' tall diamondplate angled front shroud and the car still needs a cleaning when I arrive. No paint chips, but from the windshield back, it's a mess.
You WILL run into a rain storm and if you think you'll put your tonneau cover on, better save for a paint touch up because the whipping of that snap-on cover etches the paint.

[Dwight]

We looked for a used car hauling trailer for months. Four of us bought a new one with electric brakes, metal bed, ramps and new tires for $1540 from a local dealer. The trailer was built in Huntsville, Ala. The used trailers in our area with wood floors, no electric brakes were $1000 to $1200.
One trip to Hurricane near Kansas City, Ka., one trip to Shell Valley in Nebraska and one trip to the London Cobra Show. Lots of trips to paint shops, alignment shops, junk yards to pick up motors and sell scrap cars. We have got our money out of this trailer.
Dwight

[Badger]

After two years of searching I've not found "the perfect trailer", so I've decided to design and build my own! My requirements are like most Cobra owners in that I'm not a serious racer so don't need to haul my entire shop with me. I also don't need a "second home" on wheels, no matter how comfortable that may be when I get wherever I'm going. Here's the problem. Most trailers look like giant loaves of bread going down the road. WHY? That sort of shape is aerodynamically inefficient. Most trailers, because of cost, are made of steel. Too heavy. We need something aero efficient, light and secure, so it had to have a "hard shell" I also wanted something that looked as startlingly good and aero-efficient as the car inside. If this sounds like something you might be interested in let me know. I plan on building a few in limited production. Stay tuned. Badger

[RICK LAKE]

Cobrabill I got mine from a guy that builds them in NJ. It's open trailer. The most important things to get with the trailer are the following. You need the trailer bed low as possible unless you like scrapping off the paint under the oil cooler. I have a solid diamond plate trailer. Weight is 1,900 lbs. empty. It is very stable with the car on it. At times forget it's back there. I go 1,000 miles to the run&gun each year since 99. I have had the trailer since 97. I was renting uhauls for the car to go to ERA and Paint shops and have things changed in my car. 3,500 axles with 4 wheel brakes on each wheel. The cheater trailer only have 2 brakes. 2 5/16 ball for the hitch. It's rated at 10,000 lbs. WELD the nut to the bottom of the hitch. IMO I wouldn't use one of those multi adjustable hitchs with 3 balls and 12" on up and down movement for long or high speed towwing. Get 4" drop axles and the heavyer tire for the trailer. It is the next rated range up on the tires. Make sure you have all 4 wheels balanced before long trips. I have grease buddys on my hubs and each gets 4-5 pumps of grease before a long trip. I check the brakes everyother year and adjust. The breakaway battery needs to be replace every 3-4 years. DON'T leave your truck plugged into the trailer for long periods. My trailer battery killed my truck battery twice. It sucked having to pull the cobra off the trailer to jump start the truck in a truck stop. Nitrogen in the tires does help the tires control heat and give longer life. I saved the best for last. SPEED, I have driven trailers over 50,000 miles. Have had 1 set of tires replaced from poor design on the 5 wheeler, no charge. I have had only 2 blowouts from the tires having bad wear patterns. Rotate the tires every 2,000 miles. They build a toe and camber into the trailer for stability at high speeds. Limit your speed to 70MPH. You are not going to get there any faster. Loosing control of your rig is a real scary deal. I had a deer problem in W.Virg. at 2:00am on the turnpike and spun the whole rig out. The ABS sytem on my dually didn't help, I was only doing 60 MPH. A change of underwear was needed. I am happy with my trailer, the thing I hate is the 1 hour it takes to rap up my car with car cover, moving pats, foam strips, and tarps. This protect the cars paint. I also have double mud flaps on the rear tires, Diamond plate at the extendsion of the fenders and dirt skirt at the bumpers. My gas milage is a .6 mpg drop with the 4,000 added pounds behind the truck. SBC 350 motor. I am going to go with a haulmark low hauler in the future. The height is the same as my truck, so the gas milage will not be bad. I use the trailer for hauling. Fixing the car at a track I get a garage space. You can still work on the car in the trailer just remember this a 5'5" ceiling. Sorry for the long return. Park your trailer on stone when not using, it's better on the tires or jack it up for long term. You get flat spots when on asphalt, and cement. I have seen guys loose the whole rig from high speed driving. Save the speed for the track, you have to get to the track first alive to enjoy the trip. Rick L.

[Larry N Johnson]

For another option: Serpent Express now offers a "Retro Kit" to add the SE soft top to any open trailer.
See Serpent Express website for details.

The cover can be removed for multi-funtion uses such as hauling hay, quads, tractors, etc.

Delivery time: about 3 weeks.

Super easy to tow because of the low aerodynamic wind drag:

[Bartruff1]

I have decided to buy (about $6k) a 20' Pace (18 inside) cuz it offers the best protection from the elements, the unexpected, the curious or the vandals. It will also give me some extra storage at home. I live near a ski area in the Cascade Mountains. It appears that used Pace trailers are rarely offered for sale and if they are , they sell quickly for within $500 of a new one... I know I will be towing around 6000 lbs with the car and the trailer, but the trade offs work for me...

[davids]

Larry, could I haul that trailer inback of my 2006 Toyota Avalon..That's a pretty big car and a V-6....I have a Daytona Coupe 2400 pounds

[Bartruff1]

I will be pulling with my 23' Class C Motorhome with a V10....or a Toyota Tundra 1/2 pickup...soooo ...that should work...

[Larry N Johnson]

Originally Posted by davids

Larry, could I haul that trailer in back of my 2006 Toyota Avalon..That's a pretty big car and a V-6....I have a Daytona Coupe 2400 pounds

DavidS,
According to Review, the 2006 Toyota Avalon (nice car!!) has a tow rating of only 1000 lbs. Sedans may have the engine, but the frame is generally not set up for a hitch, plus the trannys may not have the strength.

An Explorer 5.0 pulls a Serpent Express great; low cost extra vehicle.

[Larry N Johnson]

Originally Posted by Cobrabill

I'm beginning a search for a flatbead car hauler.I've looked at Carson & Big Tex so far.Other brands?Any opinions regarding them and also open center trailers vs solid metal?Thanks.

A Serpent Express without the top can be provided in Tucson.
Specs:
- 14, 15, or 16 feet (your choice)
- Dovetail rear 24"
- Steel frame and solid deck (wood or steel, your choice)
- 4 wheel brakes
- Delete stake pockets
- Fixed fenders (roadster door clear fender)
- EZ lube hubs
- 15" trailer tires
- LED rear lights
- 72" ramps

Budget about $2500; 3 weeks wait. Custom order. Pickup near Phoenix.