Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

In December I found a vehicle six hours away I thought I wanted. Hauling it home would be no problem as I have a trusty old car trailer built in 1990 that has always worked fine.

Then I started evaluating the condition of the trailer and remembered it needed new tires, bearing packed, as well as electric brakes repaired and upgraded. Then I started comparing dimensions of this one to new ones and determined my 1990 model was only 76" between the fenders, making it difficult to impossible to open a door on a loaded vehicle.

This all helped me decide to just go ahead and get a new trailer as wife and I had been discussing for several years. Doing some comparison on how trailers are built showed a lot of variation in structure, quality and materials. Since I wanted a really well built unit, I custom ordered one from Imperial Trailers in Olney, IL.

Their design incorporates a triangular shaped side, fabricated from box tubing, creating a very stiff deck. This one has the 23' deck, 6 D rings, rub rail with stake pockets, 6k torsion flex axles, Dexter EZ lube hubs with up graded electric brakes at each hub, 16 inch 10 ply trailer tires, 2 coats of primer, and 2 coats of paint top and bottom. We stepped up on the jack capacity and also included are the safety chains with emergency stop break away. The deck steel thickness was also doubled.

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

The beaver tail ramp includes a stepped down area, making it a little easier for this too fat getting older guy to wriggle under and place tie downs in place. I also like the signal lights, one is included in the fenders.

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

The loading ramps are stored here in the split, and are extended after pulling the retention pin out from the side. They provide a pretty low load angle.

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

I looked at another manufacturers product which included stabilization jacks on the back corners of the trailer. They were to be used when loading. This Imperial doesn't need those.

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

Added the 8,500 lb winch as well. It mounts on a removable post and came with a wireless as well as a wired remote.

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

The lockable tool box contains the winch battery and enough room for other storage too. I will put some post protectors on the unprotected positive post. The battery is wired to charge from the truck. I'll throw a trickle charger on it as mostly it will be sitting in the shop.

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

This company is part of Floyds welding who has been in business 75 years. They do a lot of oil field work, including fabricating and installing all the equipment on big trucks for pulling and servicing oil wells.

So I figured they would have good welds and a product that will last.

Check them out here....https://imperialtrailer.com

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

that's a really nice trailer you got there Doug....looks really well built....that wireless remote winch is the ticket...

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

Sweet! I was just hoping to find one like your old one!

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

Wow! A lot of trailer right there! Nice!

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

That should haul whatever you need it to.

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

doug -thats a really NICE TRAILER !!!! looks like it is set -up realy nice & should tow really good -especially like the bigger axle & the 16" wheels & tires ! YOU DID GOOD !! say hi to randy f for me !!!!! mike

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

Thanks guys. It should handle about any vehicle hauling needs I will ever have.

Mike, I will say hey to Randy. Come on back to MM this year!

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

very nice trailer.. Congrats..

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

Thanks gearheadperkins! Now to go buy a truck somewhere....

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

know of any deals on a dually ?? were out of money after buying a 5th wheel trailer !id like to find something as nice & dependable as "jerry gullys " unit

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

I don't know of one specifically Mike. Jerry has a nice one and has been putting it to work towing his trailer for several years now. Ours is decent though this one is a keeper for me. We really like it.

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

WOW almost to nice to use lol

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

That's a lot of trailer.

How heavy is it?

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

Yeah, needs a few scratches and dents. Working on it. :)

That beaver tail with the dropped deck is very handy for the rear tie downs.


Not sure. It tows really nice loaded and unloaded. Went to TN and brought this one home....very smoooth ride home on some pretty rough roads.

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

Headed to Memphis tomorrow on another adventure.

I blame the square body guys.....:)

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

Successful 12 hour round trip. The trailer tows and rides extremely nicely, though you might notice the open slot on the right side where the trailer ramp stows.

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

The ramps are retained by a spring loaded 3/8” diameter pin inserting into a hole in the side of the ramp. It takes some force to pull the pin out against spring pressure, so the ramps should be well secured.

So after an early departure I stopped for fuel, walked around the truck and trailer making sure all looked good, then I drove on some of the roughest state highway roads I’ve ever encountered. A 2,000 year old Roman Empire cobblestone road would be nice than this stretch of Illinois pavement.

Rolling into a smallish town about 30 mph I heard a bang and the dreaded steel dragging on asphalt sound we all hate to hear. Turned onto a side street to investigate and yep, the ramp was dragging. Fortunately it stayed hooked to the trailer as there was the typical traffic following too close behind.

Hmmm...how in the world did that get unpinned. Did I leave the pin disengaged?

So I grab the handle to pull the pin out and it wouldn’t move. Dive under the trailer (with about half the town population driving by me glaring) and sure enough, that pin is bent up about 30 degrees. Guessing the pin ended up above the ramp. Since the pin is toward the back of the trailer, I believe the weight and force of the bouncing ramp bent the pin up.

Bag of tools doesn’t include what I need to fix it. And I was too displeased with my fancy pants new car trailer to think of putting the ramp in the back of the truck. Doh....

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

So two good friends and I made a fun 12 hour round trip and brought the Suburban home. What a fun awesome day...seeing so many sweet solid trucks running around just North of Memphis.

About an hour from home, on that same stretch of rough pavement, in the dark in a construction zone barely moving I hear a bang and the dreaded metal on asphalt dragging sound.

Luckily there was a field access road next to and I was able to pull over to investigate. Figured the other ramp dropped out.

Nope, the foot of the trailer jack had dropped down. This is the style where you pull a securing pin so the foot drops to the ground to save a ton of jacking.

The retention pin rotates on a ramp to move it out against the spring pressure allowing the disengagement. Nearest I can tell, the handle on the pin contacts the trailer frame while turning down the ramp before the bottom of the ramp is realized. Thinking the pin isn’t fully engaged and the rough road shook it loose.

I could be all wrong in my theories and will get ahold of the manufacturer next week sometime to get it fixed.

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

dang....sounds like you put the trailer through the ringer...sounds like your trip was like mine to Oklahoma when I went to get the IH.....I just thought our rds around here where bad....in Arkansas every bridge I came to felt like hitting a 6in curb going on the bridge ...and dropping off a curb going off the bridge....I mean every bridge..and they got a bunch of em....I couldn't believe I made it through with the truck still on the trailer....

duct tape'll fix everthang...haha

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

Yeah, you really notice how rough roads are when towing a trailer. Makes you grit your teeth. Gotta say other than the issues mentioned, this trailer floated along well when loaded.

A friend has it this week end to haul a small tractor so it is getting good use.

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

I called Imperial trailer about the ramp falling out and the retention pin bent upwards. They said sorry that happened, bring it down and we will take care of it for you. While I haven’t had time to take it there, I am really pleased with their response. Awesome customer service.

Now, the jack foot retention pin disengaging was my fault. I screwed the jack up too high, causing the retention pin handle to contact the frame. This caused the pin to back out allowing the jack foot to drop. Hmm...I need to post this one over in the stupid mistakes I have made discussion thread.

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

At least they are going to take care of you and you didn't bend the jack.

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

For sure! It could have been a lot worse.

A friend borrowed it to haul a small tractor and it was pretty dirty after. I couldn’t stand that....

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

Imperial trailer manufacturing fixed the bent retention pin issue right away. Bring it down ASAP they said and apologized for the problem. They did fix it right away and I just had opportunity today to slide under to take a look.

They cut out the old pin and retention ring then welded in a new one. I probably need to hit that with a little paint.

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

The wireless remote control for the winch is a handy upgrade, especially when you are loading one by yourself.

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

Trailer makes the Burb look short.

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

Hmm. If I had borrowed it I would have returned it cleaner than when I picked it up. That's just how I believe you should treat other people's stuff if they're nice enough to let you use it.

I'm glad to hear the manufacturer was quick to stand behind it. But I have to think that if you can wind the jack up far enough that it unlocks that's a design flaw.

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

Now your just showing off Doug...haha...very nice trailer...and the load!!

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

Me too on borrowing stuff. I clean it, fill with fuel if applicable or fix it if it broke when I was using it. Another friend borrowed it to haul his Buick, accidentally scratched the fender and took it to a painter friends shop to have it fixed. I can’t tell which fender was scratched.

Friends Buick.

Re: Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer
 

Lol...I don’t know. Get to showing off or feeling too high and mighty something will set us straight pretty quick.

Like loading the Burb with the remote operated winch, feeling kinda smug, then scrape grind. Oops, running board bracket dragging on the floor and scraping the paint off. Bring out the load height enhancement devices.