How to Pick the Best Car Trailer
When your car is something special, you do everything you can to take care of it. Whether that’s expert-only maintenance or how you transport it when you aren’t driving it, you do your research and spare no expense. The best car trailer is an important part of caring for your unique ride — check out our expert car trailer buying guide.
Whether you show at events, race on the track, or just have something truly special, your car trailer is an important investment. At TP Trailers, we’ve paired hundreds of car enthusiasts with the best car trailers for them. Here’s what you need to look for when buying a car hauler trailer.
Car Hauler Trailer Buying Guide: 4 Points to Consider
Finding the best car trailer is a matter of choosing the features you want and matching the capacity of the trailer to your needs — follow along with our car hauler trailer buying guide.
Open vs Enclosed Trailers
One of the major factors to consider when buying any trailer, you should start deciding between an open and an enclosed trailer right away. Enclosed car trailers can seem like the best option as they offer full-coverage from the elements and can be used for the permanent storage of the car. In addition, enclosed trailers also prevent any risk of damage to your car exterior from stones and other road debris. Generally, if people plan to travel across several states, they often prefer the enclosed option.
However, open car trailers are significantly less expensive, costing at least half of a quality enclosed trailer. The distance you plan to haul your car on the open road can help you make this decision.
Best Car Trailer Size
The best car trailer size depends on your budget, how many cars you need to haul at once, and the size of your car or cars. The smallest enclosed trailer you’ll find measures 8’ X 16’ — yet it is still more than large enough to haul a single vehicle with ease. The two most popular trailer sizes we sell are 8.5’ X 20’ and 8.5’ X 24’, both of which are ideal for hauling a single vehicle with room to spare.
Trailer Weight
The weight of your trailer determines the size of the tow vehicle needed — as well as the extent of the payload it can carry. Older, classic cars are almost always heavier than a light, track-ready racecar. Knowing how much your car or cars weigh is crucial when looking for the best car hauler trailer. In addition, knowing your truck’s towing capacity is important when deciding on the trailer weight you want.
The two main trailer weight classes we sell are 7,000 # GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) and 9,900 GVWR. A 7,000 # GVWR trailer allows for a payload of approximately 3,500 # while a 9,900 GVWR and GVWR trailer can have a payload of more than 6,000 #.
Steel vs Aluminum Trailers
Primarily a financial decision, choosing between a steel or aluminum car trailer sets your price point and factors into the equipment lifespan. While aluminum trailers are more expensive, they reward that extra investment by being immune to rust and lasting longer. Just because you choose steel, however, doesn’t mean you can’t have a quality trailer. Steel trailers can be extremely durable, you just may need to touch up damage to keep it from rusting.
In addition to setting the price, steel and aluminum also play a factor in trailer weight. Since aluminum is significantly lighter than steel, it can be the smart choice when you need to transport a several-thousand-pound car and you desire to use a 7 thousand GVWR trailer.
Trailer Accessories, Additions, and Upgrades
Finally, your best car trailer can come with the accessories that make it perfect for how you’ll use it. Upgrades are an important part of our car trailer buying guide.
- Extra Height — If you know your car needs extra headroom, customize your enclosed trailer to feature a taller ceiling and door opening height. This can be a crucial upgrade for transporting tall classic cars such as a Model A.
- Finished Interior — Sometimes the best car trailer doesn’t just perform the best, but it also looks the best, too. You can customize and finish the interior of your trailer to match your car’s paint job or your racing colors. Some car show enthusiasts love going the extra mile and decorating their trailers, too.
- AC Unit in Trailer — If you plan to spend some time in your enclosed trailer, a built-in AC unit goes a long way to make it more comfortable.
- Open Center Car Trailer — This strategic opening also allows you to get underneath and do work on your car when it’s loaded on the trailer.
- Observation Decks for Trailer Roof — A popular option for race teams, outfitting your trailer roof with an observation deck gives you a great seat to watch your car on the track.
- Get-Out Door — An extra door that sits over the driver’s side wheel well, this upgrade allows you to open your car door through the get-out door and makes it easier to get out of your car while in the trailer — hence the name!
The Best Car Trailers for Sale at TP Trailers
At TP Trailers, we’ve built our name and reputation on not just stocking the best car trailers but by being your trailer experts. Our trailer specialists are here to help you find the right trailer for your needs — contact us to start the conversation today.
