BoxerPitMix
Chris
I've worked in the trailer business off and on for years. Personally I agree with above - if you have deep enough pockets get the longest trailer you can. It's better to have too much room than not enough. Keep that in mind as well when buying a dove-tail. If you buy a 20' dove, you're getting 18' of flat deck.
I think the Big Tex trailers you're looking at are great. Set-back jack keeps you from banging your tailgate, the hitch is a "bull-dog" style that I prefer, and removable fenders are badass on a car hauler. It only has brakes on one axle - which IMO is fine most of the time, but you can add them later if you want, they're cake. The wooden deck is also a good choice I think. Take care of them and they'll last forever. If you need to replace them, it's easy. Metal decks are like ice when it rains. I've busted my ass a few times on them. lol
Depending on how much you want to spend - you have a lot of options.
I hate having to lug around ramps and throw them in the back of the truck or strap them down to the trailer. Big Tex generally have "Slide-in" ramps that slide into pockets just beneath the deck on the sides or rear that are nice.
An option that hasn't really been available from a lot of manufacturers is a rear jack. I've installed them on a lot of trailers including my own to prevent the tongue from picking up on the rear of the vehicle. I've also installed toggle switches on the break-away switches for people on a few occasions to lock the trailer brakes while loading/unloading...
If you're looking for a good budget-friendly trailer, probably my top two favorites would be Lawrimore or Load Trail. Those are the two highest-volume selling trailers I've ever been around.
Lawrimore would probably be the cheapest #1 choice. Structurally, the build quality is there. You can buy them dirt cheap, but you'll have a few trade-offs depending on the dealer. Whenever a load of them came to our lot, we just planned on fixing the lights on every single one. lol The wiring was thrown together with crimp connectors and the grounds were ******. Also - the decking wasn't always the best. Most of the smaller ones we sold even came with used tires on them, but that's how we sold them dirt cheap.
I think the Big Tex trailers you're looking at are great. Set-back jack keeps you from banging your tailgate, the hitch is a "bull-dog" style that I prefer, and removable fenders are badass on a car hauler. It only has brakes on one axle - which IMO is fine most of the time, but you can add them later if you want, they're cake. The wooden deck is also a good choice I think. Take care of them and they'll last forever. If you need to replace them, it's easy. Metal decks are like ice when it rains. I've busted my ass a few times on them. lol
Depending on how much you want to spend - you have a lot of options.
I hate having to lug around ramps and throw them in the back of the truck or strap them down to the trailer. Big Tex generally have "Slide-in" ramps that slide into pockets just beneath the deck on the sides or rear that are nice.
An option that hasn't really been available from a lot of manufacturers is a rear jack. I've installed them on a lot of trailers including my own to prevent the tongue from picking up on the rear of the vehicle. I've also installed toggle switches on the break-away switches for people on a few occasions to lock the trailer brakes while loading/unloading...
If you're looking for a good budget-friendly trailer, probably my top two favorites would be Lawrimore or Load Trail. Those are the two highest-volume selling trailers I've ever been around.
Lawrimore would probably be the cheapest #1 choice. Structurally, the build quality is there. You can buy them dirt cheap, but you'll have a few trade-offs depending on the dealer. Whenever a load of them came to our lot, we just planned on fixing the lights on every single one. lol The wiring was thrown together with crimp connectors and the grounds were ******. Also - the decking wasn't always the best. Most of the smaller ones we sold even came with used tires on them, but that's how we sold them dirt cheap.