I want to buy a trailer (to tow not a mobile home), need some help
 

I am NOT a 'car guy' and I know very little about automobiles, I am very mechanically inclined however and do change my own oil, spark plugs even did a radiator fluid drain once... anyway I got alot of crap I need to move should S hit the fan and my closet spot to go is 8 hours away (longest being 22 hours)... the idea of a last minute bug out is insane to me, but I need to be prepared in case I find myself in such a circumstance. So with that in mind....

Vehicles:
2003 Dodge neon sxt, 4 door (wifes car) (we'll load it up, but she won't be towing anything)
2004 Chevy trailblazer (7 passenger) already has the factory trailer hitch attached.

I'm starting from scratch on trailers and hitches. Tell me everything, lol.

FWIW I have driven large vehicles before as a firefighter/emt in Florida I drove everything from ambulances to engines and even very large platforms (ladder with the platform on the end).

My SUV tops out at 5,700 pounds towing capacity, I don't recall how much I can actually load into it, especially when towing. Of stuff I would like to take I can easily see loading out 5,000+ pounds of 'essentials'... I am prepared to leave it all behind if necessary.

I am looking to transport the usual stuff... none of it light between lots of food to cans filled with 'lead' ;)

Open top and put a tarp over it? Completely enclosed? Get a car carrier and fill the neon to the brim and tow it behind the trail blazer instead of a trailer?

What are your thoughts?

Re: I want to buy a trailer (to tow not a mobile home), need some help
 

I'm out on this one. But for the purpose, how about something that looks old and run-down? One, it's cheaper, and two, doesn't attract attention. You'll probably have to alter the inside anyway.

TS

Re: I want to buy a trailer (to tow not a mobile home), need some help
 

Is the 2004 Tblazer a independant rear axle, or a solid? Solid's much better for towing.

For trailers .... an old crappy horse trailer is easily the best investment. Noone's gonna expect valuables there, but they're easily secured. Just DON"T put a brand new shiny lock on an old crappy trailer. That's a dead give away. If you can't get an old strong one, beat up a new one to look old. A light sanding with 120 grit sandpaper and sprayed with vinigar usually ages brass padlocks without endangering the mechanism any.

Re: I want to buy a trailer (to tow not a mobile home), need some help
 

Re: I want to buy a trailer (to tow not a mobile home), need some help
 

Get a single axle 5 x 8 or 5x10, enclosed.

Nothing to tarp, bit more secure, you can stack lighter weight items higher, and in a pinch, camp in it.

Don't forget a spare tire.....two would be better if you depend on this for bugout. Green slime in all tires. (AutoZone if you're not familiar with it )

Build a rack on the front over the tongue for gas cans....enough to hold at least the amount you need to get to your bugout location, more if you have the room. Keep them full all the time, rotate every few months into your vehicles and refill.

Keep several cans of flat black/brown/green in a rack in the door inside.....spray paint it a rough camo job ( along with your vehicle ) just prior to bugging out....knock down everything shiny.

If it has brakes, separate out the wiring harness at the hitch, and put a quick disconnect wire connector on everything BUT the brake wires.....travel with no lights, running or brake.....be prepared to do the same on your vehicle fuse panel.....not even head lights if possible. Dark is your friend.

Split the load on bugout.....not ALL of any one critical item in the truck or the trailer, in case you have to abandon it. I'd also put a roof rack on the vehicle.

KEEP the trailer loaded ahead of time with things that heat/cold don't affect too much....clothing, spare ammo, camping gear, etc.....load food last on bugout.

More things to consider, no doubt.....these just off the top of my head.

Re: I want to buy a trailer (to tow not a mobile home), need some help
 

You didn't mention how much weight/gear you'd be hauling. I would use a 14-16' dual axle. You can load a dual axle to carry more of the weight and control the weight loaded on the tongue. Also, brakes on at least one axle but preferrably both to increase your safety factor on those long grades. You should check with Chevrolet for the specs/limits of your SUV. Also, some of the RV sites might cover some of your questions, since many of them pull travel trailers.

Re: I want to buy a trailer (to tow not a mobile home), need some help
 

You see the part of the original post where he said: My SUV tops out at 5,700 pounds towing capacity

Unless he plans a haul a LOT of lightweight, bulkly stuff ( like feathers :D ), then a 16' dual axle trailer will be way to big for his vehicle.....and every pound of excess trailer weight is that much load weight.

My Chevy 2500HD pickup will handle a 16' trailer.....his won't.

Re: I want to buy a trailer (to tow not a mobile home), need some help
 

I did read that, Andy. And wasn't contradicting your advice. Just different perspectives. We don't know the amount of bulk or weight of his cargo. His vehicle, with the right trailer, right terrain, correctly loaded, could handle the dual axle. You are correct that a single axle trailer would be easier to pull, but again it would need to be loaded correctly.

My comments were my personal preference of a dual axle over a single. He should do his homework and match his system and needs.

Re: I want to buy a trailer (to tow not a mobile home), need some help
 

Thats it. A single axle and I'm loading the trailer to the max. With the tandem axle I can load more weight and have the two axles... I'm not suggesting I max out the weight on the trailer and try towing 7k# with my trailblazer, but I'd probably be loading up with 4-5k worth of gear and trailer. I don't want to push it.

My main concern right now is being here and having to bugout... I'd leave ALOT of stuff, alot of it heavy ("currency of the new millenium" anyone?) I'd like to take.

I'd also like a trailer I can load with stuff when I move that the movers won't take. Last time I disguised it in a couple of trunks and boxes as "'books" and "tools" No way I pull that off again, especially considering there are two safes that would have this time instead of the little 8 gun walmart special like last time.

Terrain... thats tough. Here is very flat and going to NW PA isn't too steep... trying to make it down to florida on the other hand could be difficult... again I don't want to max out my SUV and crap out half way up a hill. To be quite honest I don't know where I'd head... probably NW PA since it's 8 hours and I could barely eek it out on one tank of gas.. thats a vaction loaded trip... not a SHTF towing a trailer loaded down trip... I do have enough 5 gallon gas cans to make store an extra tank full for each vehicle.

Re: I want to buy a trailer (to tow not a mobile home), need some help
 

My apology if I came off gruff...you are quite right.....he needs to do his homework and match to his needs.

I see folks at Lowes all the time that overload trailers to the point of ridiculous.....I even went in to a manager one day and asked about who had the liability if one of them flew apart going down the road......case in point that day was a little single axle open trailer with what looked like 10 or 12" tires, about a 4x5 trailer, and the Lowes guy loaded a whole pallet of roofing shingles on it......seems like there were 15-18 squares ( at say 220/lbs per sq ) on there....plus 1/2 dozen rolls of tarpaper. They left it parked in the lot and went inside for something else.....I walked over to the trailer, it was a commercially made job with a tag on the tongue that said "750 lbs max load".....I figured they had 3500 or so on there.....maybe more.... The manager says "we just load 'em....it's their baby after that"....and I say "At a minimum, you have shared liability.....and guess who probably has the deeper pockets if they go kill somebody on the interstate with that thing" I actually followed that one, with the intent to call the cops if they got anywhere NEAR the interstate....they didn't.....they used several back roads and cut thru a couple subdivisions, then got to where they were gonna use the stuff, never hitting over 20MPH.....they knew how overloaded it was.

Re: I want to buy a trailer (to tow not a mobile home), need some help
 

Ever seen this? lol

Re: I want to buy a trailer (to tow not a mobile home), need some help
 

No apology necessary, Andy. I was afraid I'd offended you! Never meant to do that! Anyway, Brother P has gotten an idea of things to look for in his purchase.

Re: I want to buy a trailer (to tow not a mobile home), need some help
 

:rolleyes_m: Bottom line: You need a 4WD vehicle with more towing capacity and guts.

Even your average pickup truck or work van will be borderline stable with a tandem axle trailer loaded even at half capacity.

Big hills and wet roads become a hazard even with electric brakes and a decent brake controller installed.

A single axle enclosed horse trailer might be the best option for your present vehicle,but cost is a factor.

In my area a beat up single axle horse trailer rarely goes up for sale.
When they do...the selller wants twice what he paid for it or no deal.
Your area might be different.

Check out the cheaper enclosed trailers the drag racing crowd seem to buy and sell frequently...lot's of good deals to be had.

BTW: I wish I had a picture of the guy I saw stopped by the highway patrol a few years back on the interstate.

He was pulling a Ford 655D TLB (Backhoe) on a tri axle trailer with a little Chevy S-10 pickup !!

:bear_w00t::bear_w00t::bear_w00t:

Hmmm...that's roughly 8 tons vs a 2 ton pickup.
I would assume it took him about two miles on a level road to get the thing stopped.

Idiots like that should be in a rubber room.

:bear_w00t::D:bear_w00t:

Re: I want to buy a trailer (to tow not a mobile home), need some help
 

Trailers generally come in 3000/3500 lb single axle rating with no brakes on axles (sometimes surge brakes) or 7000 gvwr with brakes on 1 or both axles.
The 7000 lb GVWR need a brake controller ($50-$100) added to your underdash area to feed electricity to the traler brakes to help in stopping. Towing with an automatic tranny would also predicated a tranny cooler.

One main question that I wouild have is if you have the 4.2 or the 5.3 v-8 engine. I'm not sure that the 6 cylinder would pull a fully loaded 7000 gvwr trailer very well. The v-8 should handle it though if it's not done commercially or regularly.

Yes, your SUV is rated for only 5700 lbs trailer tow, but with a properly loaded trailer you could tow the dual axle trailer more safely than an overloaded single axle one. Some of the older trailers such as horse trailers and enclosed trailers had ratings of 5000 lbs or 6000 lbs or perhaps you could find a snowmobile trailer with a 6000 lb load rating. If you were towing it alot, such as every weekend, then it would be better to go up to a 3/4 ton (minimum) pickup.

Being in Indiana, your close to the trailer makers capital of the world so getting a good price on one should be possible. Leonard truck and trailer in eastern ohio (I think) is ok and also appalachian trailer in the same area of Salem, Ohio. Forest River makes cargo mate and other brands in Indiana and there are several others located in and around Shipshawaunee. Haulmark lets you pick up the trailer at their factory and save destination charges of up to $350.

It's up to you weather you want an open one and to tie down and tarp things or a closed trailer to keep things dry and secure. I think if it was houshold things, I would go with a enclosed trailer.

A 16 foot open trailer in the 7000 lb variety will run about 1500-2000 lbs and an eclosed trailer might weigh between 2400 and 2800/3000 lbs. Thus your taking a little payload away. If you can get away with a 14 foot dual axle trailer you'll save perhaps 200-400 lbs, but the extra 2 foot of space seems large.

1/10th of the full weight of the trailer is designed to ride on the tongue. For that weight class you need at least a class IV hitch which you probably already have. Class III is I think rated for 5000 lbs and Class IV 7000-8000 and class V up to 14,000. (I think) But anyhow, if you have a fully loaded trailer and it weighs 7000 lbs, about 700 lbs of that is supposed to be on your tongue. Again, make sure you have the transmission cooler.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Too much tongue weight will make the steering feel too light and 'touchy' and too little tongue weight will actually take weight off the back end and make the tail (the trailer) wag the dog (the vehicle). You do not want the tail wagging the dog, trust me.

Start craigslist searching for enclosed trailer craigslist 16 foot....or just 16 and see what you come up with. Ebayers seem to lust after trailers and used ones seem to go for pretty close to what new ones cost.

Your next set of tires should also probably be at least a 'd' rating or 8 ply tire with extra load ratings. "e" rated tires could also be considered.

Not really with you on this scenario, but do you have contacts with hunting cabins or something in NW Pa? Or why is that area better than where you are in Indiana?

Re: I want to buy a trailer (to tow not a mobile home), need some help
 

I live 25 miles SE of Navy pier just inside of Indiana and a few miles west of Gary. In a area where houses are built with just 6' to the property line. I cannot stay here and at the moment I cannot move yet either. Staying is not an option.

I have family and friends in NW PA (as well as Florida) and I have basically no friends here outside of the sheep from work, I've been here 5 years now and I've made some friends and range buddies, but thats it. The one guy who did live close to here moved last year to Montana, lol...

I need to pre position some supplies however at the moment I have everythign here in suburbia. Thats alot of stuff to haul. I'm talking survival stuff, not crap. I do have 'priority' items that would load first, then second and then as space allows, but quite honestly everything I would deem TEOTWAWKI needs would pretty much fill both vehicles and a 16' trailer to the brim. I'd have alot more if I had the space for it and planned on buggin in, but thats not an option right now.

I don't like the idea of buggin out, but I would hope that if needed I'd be the first on the roads and be days or even weeks ahead of anyone else.

Plus like I said I've got stuff I don't want movers taking (nor would they take) should my next move be done by 'professionals' again.