Serpent Express

[Roush #1]

Larry,
I just talked to Pat. He said he has the trailer and it tows well. He had gone about 5 miles.
Thanks for everything!
Jody

[Larry N Johnson]

Smooth ride due to balanced radial tire option.
Alloy rims for a sharp look.

[madmaxx]

Jody and Larry,

Trip was fantastic. I have towed numerous boats and uhauls, nothing compared to the SE which was smooth and stable and incredibly zero feedback to the tow vehicle even on rough roads. In other words I never felt the jerking on the tow vehicle like I have on other trailer I have towed. I forgot it was behind the vehicle numerous times which can bite you at times when you look in the rear view mirror and go, "oh crap I have a trailer back there". I really did not notice much of a difference between pulling the trailer loaded as compared to unloaded except on some steep inclines around Nashville.

A lot of thought went into the design. I liked the ramps, they protect the front when not in use and needless to say are readily available when loading and unloading. I also like the access points, easy to check tie down when stopping for fuel etc, like the sloped rear which aid in reducing the overall height of the trailer. LED lights were ultra cool at night, especially the fender mounted ones. Brakes were incredible, I only had to dial the brake controller in at 25% and had all the breaking the the world.

Needless to say the vehicle showed up safe and sound. I had 12 semi truck blow past me about 11:00 pm one night and neither the tow vehicle or SE waivered for a minute!


Jody I sent an email left a voice message, I hope I have your right cell phone number, my old man said you called today. Trailer is ready whenever you are in Houston!!. I arrive about 11:00 pm on Wednesday. Lets see 1,100 miles in 17 hours.

[madmaxx]

One other item,

I had zero issue or problem loading or unloading the car or securing the Cobra. No slipping on the ramps etc. The ramps are plenty wide, you would be rubbing the inside of the trailer before you could drive off the side of the ramps.

Alloy rims do look cool, you need to offer an option of wheel locks including one for the spare.

[Roush #1]

It appears what started out as questions from a prospective buyer have ended up being a product endorsement.

It sounds like it is an awesome piece that I will enjoy owning.

I will pick up my all aluminum 16' SE with alloy wheels, radial tires and LED lights on Saturday in Houston and bring it back to Waco.

From what I have heard, I can look forward to an enjoyable and comfortable towing and ownership experience. The ownership experience will struggle to be better than the ordering / buying experience I have had with Larry Johnson and Serpent Express...thanks for that Larry!

I hope madmaxx hasn't spoiled the trailer by transporting his new, clean, shiny, spotless SPF in it from Ohio back to Texas...LOL... hopefully the trailer won't think it will be pulling one that nice all the time and start refusing to haul my Lone Star...LOL

I will keep you posted.

Jody

[Larry N Johnson]

Thank you for the nice comments.
Appreciated very much.

Another TX SE was ordered last week.
So, that's 2 for TX!!

[madmaxx]

I forgot to tell you guys what I used to tow the trailer with, my brother 1500 GMC truck and it was more than adequate by about 35%. He has the 3.23 rear end and 4.8 liter V8.

My 38 year old estrogen filled buddy with the 2500 backed out at the last minute, like 12 hours before we were leaving. He said I was go go go and he did not have the endurance he used too. Funny thing is my 66 year old dad who had a major stroke 3 years ago had all the endurance in the world, and so did my other buddy. I told him after I got back he was lucky he did not go, because the friends we stayed with in Louisville would have beat his A$$$$$ LOL!!

Jody,

When I called you Sunday or you have called me and I told you we just went through Huntsville, I meant Huntsville Alabama. Everyone in the truck was laughing because they bet you though I meant Huntsville, Texas. LOL!!

I must be kind hearted, I went ahead and picked up his stuff in Indianapolis for him anyways with my brother struck, so in addition to the trailer and car I had about 300 lbs in the bed of the truck.

[Roush #1]

Pat,

It sounds like you had good a good crew for the trip. It helps to have good copilots and navigators.

Did you take any gas mileage averages with and without the trailer and or Cobra?

From your experiences it sounds like my 5.3 V8 Suburban will pull the SE just fine.

My plans are to leave Waco about 9 in the morning. I think it is about a four hour trip.

Jody

[madmaxx]

Heck, between my dad and my buddy it surprises me why they are not running for president and vice president, they have all the answers LOL!!!

You will have zero issues. You have not pulled a trailer like this before it is seamless realative to the tow vehicle and incredibly stable, zero walking even in high winds.

Mileage was as follows
1) No trailer 78-80 mph = 19.5 mpg over 1400 miles
2) Trailer empty 65-73 mph = 17.0 mpg over 250 miles and went through a ton of tiny little stop and go towns from three rivers to dynamic, should have stayed on the intersate. Be careful with mapquest directions.
3) Trailer loaded 65-73 mph = 15.5 mpg over 1100 miles. I did keep it in third 95% the way and not overdrive and was turning about 2400 rpms. If I put it in "D" it would drop to about 1700 rpms and pulled without any issues except on steep inclines and then it would down shift, I had the cruise control on. I was told after a transmission failure to never tow in "D" always in third and being my brothers truck I wanted to handle it with care. Throttle response in third was incredible, I climbed all but one mountain and stayed at 68 mph or above. When I hit 10 west where it was flat I know I could have easily put it in "D" and gone 75 mph but everthing was going so well I did not want to change anything.

Weather was perfect the entire trip, no rain, mid 70's the only time I got high wind was on I-10 comming back

One thing, and I will try to remember tomorrow, when raising the jack handle turn it all the way up until you feel resistance, when I first started I just raised it high enouth to ensure it would not hit anything and when I checked 200 miles later it had turned itself down. Once I turned it all the way up until resistance never an issue again.

[Larry N Johnson]

Couple comments:

1. Towing In D (using OD). I too have heard the rumor to not use od when towing. I have towed with the same Explorer for over 4 years. OD is used all the time. Revs 1500-2800 typical. Speeds 65-75 typical. Tranny now has 173,000+ miles and still like to tow. Go figure.

2. The SE Jack handle: that is a very good practice, crank it all the way up to the stop and put some force there; it won't unwind that way.

3. The SE cover tightness. The frame wants to be tightened from time to time. the cover wants to be tight and wrinkle free as much as possible. The fittings are adjustable 3 ways: taller, wider, or longer. Look at the cover and adjust accordingly. Make the seams straight with the frame. The easiest way to adjust is using a heavy hammer and a 2x4 about 18" long. Lossen the fitting a little; apply a whack or two. I mark the tubing w a marker so the when the fitting moves, the distance can be seen. 1/4" movement makes a surprising difference in tightness. "Keep you cover tight"!!

[Speedysnake]

I've had real good success tightening the cover using a small hydraulic bottle jack & a couple pieces of wood of different lengths. I can make smooth adjustments & "check my work" as I go.

I've only made four trips of more than 1,000 miles, but have never worried about keeping the truck in 3rd gear - F-150 / 5.4 Triton

[Roush #1]

My Suburban has a tow/haul button to push when towing. It seems to make the shifts a little later and not quite as smooth when the button is activated.

I have also heard not to town in overdrive, but my owner's manual says it's o.k. It has worked well for me so far.

Jody

[Larry N Johnson]

Jody,

So...

How does your new SE tow?

Larry

[Roush #1]

Larry,

I have owned several auto transporting trailers in the past 25 years, some enclosed (Pace and Wells Cargo) and some open (Leggott and B&B). The 16' all aluminum SE "tows better" than any I have owned before.

"Tows better" to me means accurate tracking behing the tow vehicle, manuverability, ease of pull, stopping, and loading and unloading.

The SE is just what I wanted and more than I expected. I was suprised to find jack stands built on the trailer between the rear axle and the back of the trailer. I have never had those before on a trailer and expect they will come in handy unloading and loading the Gobra when the SE is unattached to a tow rig.

Thanks for building SE trailers!

Jody