Trailer for the Maverick

dad has a 18 foot Lawrimore car hauler. It has a plate floor, brakes on one axle. It is 16 foot flat with 2 foot dovetail. He bought it about a year ago it cost $1850 at them time. We have hauled about everything on it. The biggest was a 1948 dodge 2 ton truck. It hauled it fine.

 

Hey Scoop, sorry I got in on this so late.
I just saw it.
I have/have had several BigTex trailers...
Currently:
2- 12' tandems with 3500# axles
1- 16' tandem with 3500# axles

They are all basically 7k# trailers.
Just my business needs call for a smaller trailer with big weight abilities.

The 16' has wood deck and straight tail.
I have had it for years and it is the perfect length for a Mav.
An 18' would give you a little more room if you needed and could afford.
Dovetail would be nice too, but not at all required.
The wood deck is fine so long as you 'treat' the wood with some gas, oil, and/or diesel spills.
If you don't treat the wood, I have found it doesn't last long.
I find metal decks slicker than wood myself. Not trying to flame anyone, but I have used more trailers than I care to remember in my line of work the last 15 years. Metal always = slick for me.

The Big Tex trailers are awesome.
The only 'problem' I have had is getting the options I want.
The basic trailer will get the job done, but I always add things like:
Bulldog hitch (strong and quick connecting) $100
Fold up jack (again with the quick) $100
Spare tire (who wouldn't want a spare) $100
Reinforced tongue. (upgrades from angle to channel) $100
Brakes on BOTH axles. (the more the merrier) $200

The problem is:
All of these options are about 100 bux each.
You add it up, and a cheap Big Tex trailer equipped 'right', is all the sudden twice the base model (with tax, tag, etc...)
The 12' 7000# versions I buy are 2300 out the door!
But my crews use them day in and day out moving our equipment and hauling concrete.
Our first trailer just broke a leaf spring the other day.
To be fair, we had it WAY overloaded with concrete.
Friday we installed 4 new 4k# springs!
So we are loaded for bear on the springs now.
This trailer will likely bend and axle or break the frame before it breaks another spring.

Edit:
Btw, the fenders are low enough that most car doors will open and go right over them.
My Z28 was very low, and the only vehicle I ever had trouble with hitting the fenders.

Edit2:
Another BigTex tidbit...
You can order the trailer in any color you want.
My rep says that the only hitch would be if you wanted one hot pink, or some other weird color, you would have to pay in full, in advance.
Otherwise, normal and sane colors could be had with minimal or no down payment.
I get mine in red, so he doesn't require any down to order.
He says that a trailer equipped the way I like would be gone in 48 hrs if I was to back out of the deal.

 

heres the one we got
http://www.lawrimoretrailers.com/
click on car haulers andthe one we have is the first one to show up

 

Hey Ratio...thanks for all the details. That is the company I have been looking at most because they are sorta local, and I can save a couple hundred bucks by driving to the manufacturing and buying it there.

Only thing I really want special is for the ramps to slide under the trailer like the on JHodges' link. Either into the side like that or under the rear of the trailer, I just don't want the ramps to lift straight up and stand on the rear of the trailer while hauling.

We just spent over $1000 on new flooring for the house, so the trailer got put on the back burner again. But I am still actively looking and making phone calls when I see one out in someone's yard to see if I can snag one cheap and used.

 

With the price of steel haven risen noticeably over the last few years, I'd keep an eye out for a good (not to be confused with "well") used Big Tex.

I saved about $700 buying a nice used one (it was a 'buddy deal' also so that helped too).

 

Same here...I got mine on eBay with the big aluminum rock guard already on it. It had been used about 6 times. I'm not sure what the Big Tex trailers go for but I paid $2300 for this one decked out. It also came with a complete set of tie downs and a tongue lock.

 

My uncle came up with a nifty idea and cut out a couple of boards in the center of the trailer, cut out only as long as the ramps, and inset the ramps into that part.
Works really nice. Better than sliding under.
His slid under, but he has a bad back and can't bend low to get them there. It's easier to put them on the deck.

I might have to take a pic when I get over there.
It was a really easy mod.

 

That is a good idea...

 

Razorsharp, That Is One Sweet Looking Trailer!!!. How Come I Can Never Find Good Deals Like That?

 

how does he get the ramps into the cutouts once the car is on the trailer? I guess I am missing something? (not unusual for my burned out brain) but if the cut outs are in the center of the trailer and you put them down and drive the car up on the trailer, aren't the cutouts then under the middle of the car which would mean you would have to slide the ramps up under the car to get them to drop down in the inset?? I guess that wouldn't bee to much of a pain to put the ramps away with the car on the trailer but then to get them out to take the car off the trailer wouldn't you have to crawl up under the car to slide them out???

 

It's not real hard to get to the back part of the trailer when the car is on it, if the car is not all the way at the back of the trailer. My rear bumper is right at the end of my trailer, so it would not be super easy with mine, but it might beat sliding the ramps into those stupid holes under my trailer!

 

I used to use an aluminum 18' tilt bed trailer. that thing was super to tow,and super easy to load , even lowered cars I had no trouble with. it also had a drop gate on the rear that was the ramp to extend loading out,I think it was a haul-mark?not sure.

 

It's not bad.
They do go under the rear of the car.
Excuse the crude drawing...
The red is the ramps, the wheels straddle them.
The green is where one of the angles goes under and the end of the 2 boards is bolted to.
The remaining cross angles hold up the ramps and a bolt/wing nut retain the ramps IIRC...