Trailers are worthless

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rj72cda

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I have decided that i am not going to bother with a trailer again and i am buying or building a vintage style Ramp truck. anyone have one give me pros and cons??
 
Oh man, I am in the process of buying a vintage dodge motorhome to build my ramp truck. A few of my buddies have ramp trucks and they love them. Biggest complaint I have heard is that the truck is too high to get a really low car, especially with wheelie bars, on the back.
 
Ever think about a school bus?? Seen one converted into a car hauler at the local track once. Looked like it was a hell of alot of work but.....
 
Pros, looks cool, Cons, Another BIG project to build-paint-wrench, your stuff is out in the weather, you might get something stolen, you won't want it sitting in a hotel parking lot, if the truck breaks you are not going anywhere, gas mileage, it takes a lot of space, etc.
 
Every time I see an old medium duty Dodge, I try to visualize if it's long enough to mount a roll-back.
Unfortunately most seem to be shorties (I do know guys that stretch frames).
I've also thought about a dump body (minus the sides) with ramps and a winch.
Never seen that, but that doesn't mean it won't work.

Bad part is now you have another vehicle to license, insure and maintain.
...and crew cabs are very rare.

A lot less recurring operating expense with a trailer.

I bought a car dollly and a winch.
Not as good a a roll-back, but in FL, dollies do not have to be tagged, and with the winch, it's a one-man operation.
 
I thought this was a cool idea, but I think too small for our cars.

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Build Thread - http://www.netbug.net/blogmichael/?p=21


Riddler
 
This is on craigs list tampa bay. 71 dodge c500,318,5 speed,2 speed rear,60k miles,2500 or trade for just about anything see the add [can't copy/paste wont let me] I want to do a dodge C.O.E. late 30s-40s so i can haul my cuda.
 

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I say ditch the idea and get you a overdrive unit and drive it to the track! nothing cooler than driving ur car to the track kick some arse then driving home.
 
805moparkid said:
you just havnt found the right trailer...

http://www.pjtrailers.com/detail.cfm?ID=T8

we have something similar at the shop and its great... drive up on it... wheel wells on the trailer dont hit the doors, and its fast to load/unload...
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Recently rented a mini-excavator and it was on a tilt trailer. Just have to remeber to unlock the trailer before driving up on it....:banghead::banghead: When/if I replace my trailer I will be looking for a tilt one, if I can't afford an enclosed one.....
 
805moparkid I own 3 trailers now but I use them for my landscape business figure a hauler will get decaled and maybe haul equipment some too

USCG CHARGER said:
I say ditch the idea and get you a overdrive unit and drive it to the track! nothing cooler than driving ur car to the track kick some arse then driving home.
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I never manage to buy a running project. when they are running I LOVE to drive them i just LOVE hunting them down so much i figure a cool way to get them is a MUST
 
always wanted a hauler, but as others have said, more to work on and insure

Would like a COE and put a late model dodge chassis with a cummins diesel then put a aluminum rollback on it

Trailer has to be plated and insured, but that is cheap

but a 40's Dodge COE with cummins sitting under it would sure be COOL
 
I had a nice PJ dovetail car hauler when I lived in Texas. It was stolen from my driveway one day while I was at work. My guess is that it was in Mexico before I got home from work. Dang that trailer pulled nice.
 
This biggest issue is that you need huge area to turn around. It is easy to get blocked in by other drivers where you can't get out. You will have to learn a new set of driving skills because the rear end of the truck will have a different pivot point from pulling a trailer. I have a 6500 series diesel rollback and I love it. I can load a dead car in less than 10 miniutes and be leaving.
 
I'd love to see/do one of those style trucks with a modern diesel in it. IMO the biggest drawback of the vintage ramp truck is that they used big gas engines that got horrific mpg.
 
tedsweet said:
i think any truck type hauler requires a CDL?
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it does , but only if over a 1 and a half ton .

i pull a magnum 20' car hauler . it sits low and has 5 foot ramps . its easy to load low sitting cars , but i do drag off a tail light every now and then if the drive way is steep .
 
going_postal said:
it does , but only if over a 1 and a half ton .

i pull a magnum 20' car hauler . it sits low and has 5 foot ramps . its easy to load low sitting cars , but i do drag off a tail light every now and then if the drive way is steep .
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It is actually GVW being 26001 and over that needs a CDL. That is why you don't need a CDL to drive the 24 foot Ryder/Uhaul box trucks. They make sure they stay just under the 26000 mark. I believe that is the nation wide law.
 
Oklacarcollecto said:
It is actually GVW being 26001 and over that needs a CDL. That is why you don't need a CDL to drive the 24 foot Ryder/Uhaul box trucks. They make sure they stay just under the 26000 mark. I believe that is the nation wide law.
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you are right

my one dump truck has a 30,000 lbs plate and I have to have CDL

other had a 26,000 so not needed (EXCEPT) we pulled a tri axle trailer with backhoe or bulldozer and because of combined combo over 26,000 had to have one with it too

My guess an old truck converted would weigh in the 12 - 15K lbs depending on size and type bed so you could still haul any car and be under the 26K LBS

The other cost is the plates and insurance

Now if you can run a farm plate i think you can get by without a CDL

really a trailer is more cost effective, love my trailer and will be loading it up in just a few hours
 
rj72cda said:
I have decided that i am not going to bother with a trailer again and i am buying or building a vintage style Ramp truck. anyone have one give me pros and cons??
Click to expand...


Can i ask what exactly happened to get you off the trailer and think the truck with fabbed bed will be the end of all headaces ?

Just curious, but used wreckers aren't expensive. . .
 
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