There was a question on another thread about trailers so I thought I'd start a new thread since there seems to be varied needs and opinions among other MH owners.
I pulled my Jeep 4 down for years with my 35' Newell. As I moved up to the 45' MH I decided to forgo the tow bar and set up a car trailer. I found a really nice used Imperial 18' car hauler that needed some sprucing up and set it up to tow with the Newell.
Some trailers can be a hassle to set up ramps etc. but the Imperial has ramps that slide right out the back on rollers . It is very user-friendly. There have been times when it would not fit into a camping space. I unhook it in the campground staging area and re hook the trailer to the jeep. I can then take the trailer to a guest parking lot and leave it there during our stay.
We just returned from a 3 day trip to small town antique stores etc. There were several times when I had to back up to turn around or get into a tight spot with my rig. I feel that the maneuverability offered by having my car on a trailer is worth the other hassles.
I'm curious as to other thoughts!
1993 Newell (316) 45' 8V92,towing an Imperial open trailer or RnR custom built enclosed trailer. FMCA#232958 '67 Airstream Overlander 27' '67GTO,'76TransAm,'52Chevy panel, 2000 Corvette "Lingenfelter"modified, '23 Grand Cherokee.
(This post was last modified: 07-27-2014, 07:27 PM by HoosierDaddy.)
As nice as it would be to have the extra storage with a car on a trailer and to be able to back up, I still prefer my truck on all fours. With the Rzr in the back. I can be hooked or unhooked in 5 minutes or so. Our usual plan at a campground (unless i KNOW I can easily pull in and out) is to unhook the truck while Cindy goes inside to register. I just find it easier and faster to tow 4 down. But if I would have a trailer it would have to be long enough for the truck and Rzr. That's about 30'.
I'm with Forest as I posted on the other thread. I can hook or unhook my car in less than 2 minutes and when you have your first occasion where you find that you need to turn around and there is no place to back up and you spend 30 minutes blocking traffic while unhooking or driving another 25 miles to turn around and etc., etc. .. A trailer is great for carrying stuff until you experience real world, everyday driving experiences like detours and closed roads.
Larry, Hedy & Benny Brachfeld
2003 Coach # 646
2 Slide, DD
MINI Cooper Clubman S
MINI Clubman , John Cooper Works Rally Edition # 3 of 70
Monster 1000 Watt, Electric Skateboard
Yamaha Golf Cart painted Kawasaki Green
A Coach driveway with a shade structure and swimming pool
A Pueblo Home on the Border
I had a trailer built to carry what I thought was all my stuff but it did not work and I only took on one trip. When I got back home I traded it off. I made the rack for the Goldwing on the back of the coach and I pull a crew cab ram with the RZR in the back. This is much simpler and lest trouble.
1996 #422 and 2004 #689 with YELLOW Goldwing, BMW K1200S, RZR, Dodge Truck
We tow the Suzuki 4 down. If I'm going to have to work at my make-believe job we tow one of the pick ups on a flat trailer. That way I have a trailer available for work.
What is this towing that you speak of!? I simply hang my GS motorcycle on the back and away I go. I suppose a fella could hang a RZR on the back but that would be it. I have a jeep that I have not setup for towing and keep putting it off cause I am happy with the scooter.
Cheers,
bill
ps. I bought a car trailer to haul an FJ cruiser, and made 1/2 trip before I figured it was too much for me and Baxter to handle.
I am a widower and mostly travel alone. I have been is situations where I would have been in serious trouble had I had a trailer of any type, including a two wheeler. I pull a Honda Odyssey four down and have found that it is important to use a swivel type hitch that does not get into a bind. If full timing and needing more stuff, I would pull a large truck that i could unhook and drive away, but never a trailer.
2001 Newell #579
tow a Honda Odyssey
fun car: 1935 Mercedes 500K replica
I used to pull a Jeep CJ5 four down back in my Class C days. Then we bought the Newell. We already had the 2002 T-Bird, and there was no way I was going to tow that nice car 4 down through hill 'n dale, so I began looking for an enclosed car hauler trailer. As many of you know I found a 2007 American Trailer (they are in San Diego) on Craigslist for $5,500. The "box" is 22' long with a 4 foot tongue. At the time I just wanted to be able to put our many bicycles, and the T-Bird in the trailer to keep them out of the elements, but eventually I turned the trailer into a garage for use when the car is out. Now we own a 2001 VW Beetle that is 2 feet shorter and about 6" narrower than the T-Bird so there is more room for other "stuff" in the trailer. In the almost 40,000 miles I have hauled the trailer I have had to "drop" it a hand full of times when in parks which did not have long enough sites. I have never had to unhook it to get out of a difficult spot. It is easy to back it up. When I do unhook it takes less than 10 minutes. Just thinking back over the almost 4 years I have had the trailer I had to drop it at a park in Palacios, TX back in March of 2012. There was the 5 weeks I was in Cedar Key, FL at Sunset Isle RV Park back in December of 2012, but the trailer was about a 100 yards away. The was the Jolly Roger park on Marathon Key for 4 days in January of 2013 (I unhooked, and they used a tractor to deliver the trailer to my site). There was the RV park in Coeur d'Alene last August for 4 weeks, but other than those few times I have been able to keep my trailer with the coach. I love the convenience of having a "garage" of sorts with me all the time. My tools are handy, there is a work bench, cabinets, a stereo, a TV, multiple electrical outlets, a heater, and overhead lighting......the perfect man cave. I always put the car into the trailer clean, and it is still clean whenever I pull it out to use....there is no extra wear and tear on the car, or tires that comes from four down towing. My bikes (replacement value around $8,000) are never in the weather, and at night they are always secure inside the locked trailer. For me, for our lifestyle, the trailer is the perfect solution. It's not for everyone, but for us it is the only solution.
Clarke and Elaine Hockwald
1982 Newell Classic, 36', 6V92 TA
2001 VW Beetle Turbo
Cannondale Tandem
Cannondale Bad Boy
Haibike SDURO MTB http://whatsnewell.blogspot.com
I think we are seeing some familiar patterns starting to show up based on use.
1) Those would live in their coach full-time and need additional storage space may benefit from an enclosed trailer for supplemental storage.
2) Those who tend to travel part-time with shorter stays in one location tend toward towing four-down.
3) Those with motorcycles have the option of towing no wheels down with a motorcycle lift.
4) Those who want to carry multiple big boy toys have a choice to make.
5) Those who wish to chose among multiple vehicles they wish to take with them or have vehicles that don't covert well or are too nice (think show cars, luxury cars or race cars) for dingy towing may find a trailer essential.
6) Tow Dollies don't seem to be used often behind Newells as they share some of the disadvantages of towing four down and trailers.
