Lightweight Model T Hauling Trailer?

Post by **ivaldes1** » Wed May 12, 2021 11:28 pm

I am intrigued by this purpose built trailer http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/50 ... 1223858517 that looks like it was built specifically to haul a Model T. Are there plans available to build something like this? My van can only do 3500 lbs towing capacity so a hefty car hauling trailer is out. The one in the picture looks lightweight.

Or can these/have these been made into a T hauler? https://www.harborfreight.com/1720-lb-c ... 62647.html

Dan McEachern · Post by **Dan McEachern** » Wed May 12, 2021 11:57 pm

You are in Texas- go check out the trailers from Big Tex. I've used a 16ft Big Tex landscape trailer for a T car hauler forever and its worked out great.

https://www.bigtextrailers.com/landscape-trailers

mine is the equivalett of a 70TV.

Les Schubert · Post by **Les Schubert** » Thu May 13, 2021 12:59 am

Makes me think of the trailer I built in a couple of evenings to haul home my first model T in 1974. Towed it about 1200 miles round trip with my 1974 Volvo (company car)!! The trailer was even lighter I think. Eventually sold the trailer and I kind of regret it. I still have the 27 T roadster though. LOTS of miles on it. Same engine and since 1978. Pulled some shims twice!

ModelTWoods · Post by **ModelTWoods** » Thu May 13, 2021 1:21 am

I've phoned Ignacio and given him my two cents of advice which was: 1. I wouldn't have a single axle trailer if a tandem axle could be had for nearly the same money. 2. Single or tandem axle, I wouldn't have one with smaller than at least 14" wheels and tires, Reasons: the smaller the wheel and tire, the more revolutions it has to make to cover a given distance, thus more heat and wear. Secondly, two axles and four wheels are safer than one axle and two wheels. If you have a flat or blow out on a single axle trailer, you'd better say your Hail Marys and prayers.

Post by **ivaldes1** » Thu May 13, 2021 1:37 am

This aluminum one from Norther Tool costs more but weighs only 186lbs https://tinyurl.com/6yhu48we

Allan · Post by **Allan** » Thu May 13, 2021 5:01 am

Terry, have you had prior experience of a blowout on a single axle trailer?

Allan from down under.

Kaiser · Post by **Kaiser** » Thu May 13, 2021 5:57 am

That trailer in the picture looks kind of 'dainty' to haul a longbed pickup on, it may work fine at TT speeds but i wouldn't haul it at highway speeds behind a van...

Post by **FreighTer Jim** » Thu May 13, 2021 6:32 am

I tow at an average speed of 60 mph.

Even at that relatively low speed a tire blowout
could destroy the wheel & probably cause the
trailer to possibly flip.

I should start taking images of busted @ss
single axle trailers sitting by the side of
the road damaged to the extent that
they are not roadworthy ….

FJ

Post by **TXGOAT2** » Thu May 13, 2021 9:53 am

The wheels on that very nice trailer are probably from a 1930's Chrysler. I'd think that trailer would be fine for moving a T being pulled by a TT at TT speeds on good roads in level country.

jeffstag · Post by **jeffstag** » Thu May 13, 2021 10:04 am

My advice is to get the biggest, most heavy duty trailer you can reasonable afford and/or pull. As soon as you have a trailer, you'll find more things that need to be hauled. It's like as soon as you build a garage, you suddenly find more things that need to be stored in it. Here's an example of a compressor I needed to move with my Model T hauling trailer.

John Codman · Post by **John Codman** » Thu May 13, 2021 10:07 am

As to the OP - I have a 16' enclosed trailer that weighs about 2,200 lbs. I think that if you chose a 14' enclosed trailer you might find that you could still haul your T and be right around 3,500 lbs gross weight. Although my rig comes in a bit above 3,500 lbs loaded and I usually haul it with my Chevy pickup where weight isn't an issue, I have towed it with my passenger car that is also rated at 3,500 lbs with no problems. I just tow "gently", as after contacting the car's manufacturer I found that it's the transmission that is the limiting factor as to tow weight.

ModelTWoods · Post by **ModelTWoods** » Thu May 13, 2021 12:44 pm

Allan wrote: ↑
Thu May 13, 2021 5:01 am
Terry, have you had prior experience of a blowout on a single axle trailer?

Allan from down under.

Yes, Allan, and it was even a trailer made from a 1970's short wheel base Dodge pickup bed, frame, and rear sxle. It even had 15" wheels and tires. Fortunately, even though it got "squirrely" with me I was able to maintain control and get off the roadway. The main reason why I see many single axle boat, pontoon, ATV, or even lawn equipment trailers on the side of the road, is from hub and bearing failure which can't be fixed as easily as changing a flat tire.

John Codman · Post by **John Codman** » Thu May 13, 2021 1:38 pm

I too would like to weigh in on trailer blowouts. I had one when towing a race car at about 60mph. I had to do a bunch of driving and wound up in the center strip facing in the opposite direction from which I was travelling. It turned out that a Massachusetts State Police cruiser was behind me; the officer said that it was "the most interesting piece of driving that didn't result in an accident" that he had ever seen.
I would probably tow a T or a TT with the rig in the OP, but not with a modern car at modern speeds.

Post by **RustyFords** » Thu May 13, 2021 1:54 pm

I'd be nervous as a cat hauling a car (T or otherwise) at highway speeds on a trailer like the one in your OP.

I was a little kid, riding with my dad (around 1974) in his 1970 Chevy pickup, hauling a single axle open-top (with a canvas cover) horse trailer with two horses in it. The trailer blew a tire, the trailer spun the whole rig around, the truck and trailer rolled over. We were both relatively unhurt and the horses were wearing their saddles....which saved them. The saddles were skinned up, but the horses were pretty much unhurt.

I bought John Mays' aluminum trailer. It's 16'.....which makes it just barely able to haul a moderately sized 1950's era car (with some of the car hanging off the back) and the perfect size for a Model T.

When he told me he was selling all his old car stuff, I immediately let him know I was interested in the trailer.

So...my advice is to buy an aluminum trailer. They weigh A LOT less than a steel version and the fact that they're aluminum makes the detachable bits, like the fenders and ramps, much easier to move around.

As a side note: I'd love to have an enclosed trailer, but 1) I really like this trailer and 2) I'm cheap. So...my plan is to tig-weld a removeable aluminum frame for this trailer that I can make a custom-fitted cover for.....making it look sort of like a low-slung conestoga wagon.

Les Schubert · Post by **Les Schubert** » Thu May 13, 2021 2:28 pm

Don
I had a converted 3/4 ton ‘80’s Ford truck with a “beaver tailed” flatbed. Ultimately made 5 removable bows from ridgid conduit and had a fitted tarp sewn up. The tarp was held on with straps and had zippers on both sides of the back.
The bows fitted into sockets. I could erect it in 10-15 minutes. A bit of the best of both worlds!!

Post by **RustyFords** » Thu May 13, 2021 2:41 pm

Les Schubert wrote: ↑
Thu May 13, 2021 2:28 pm
Don
I had a converted 3/4 ton ‘80’s Ford truck with a “beaver tailed” flatbed. Ultimately made 5 removable bows from ridgid conduit and had a fitted tarp sewn up. The tarp was held on with straps and had zippers on both sides of the back.
The bows fitted into sockets. I could erect it in 10-15 minutes. A bit of the best of both worlds!!

That sounds ideal. Do you have any photos of it?

Dave1 · Post by **Dave1** » Thu May 13, 2021 2:50 pm

A single axle trailer should be fine, provided you adhere to the load rating of the axles and the tires.
A model T at an average of 2000 lbs is not a huge amount of weight.
Just think of all the single axled boat trailers on the road, Interesting that trailer tires in our neck of the woods are only approved for 5 years, I know this gets neglected by the best of us at times.

Post by **RustyFords** » Thu May 13, 2021 3:11 pm

Les Schubert wrote: ↑
Thu May 13, 2021 2:28 pm
Don
I had a converted 3/4 ton ‘80’s Ford truck with a “beaver tailed” flatbed. Ultimately made 5 removable bows from ridgid conduit and had a fitted tarp sewn up. The tarp was held on with straps and had zippers on both sides of the back.
The bows fitted into sockets. I could erect it in 10-15 minutes. A bit of the best of both worlds!!

Sorry to hijack your thread Ignacio....

Les...I also plan on making a smaller version of this same top for my little utility trailer. It was built in 1951 out of 1937 Ford bits. My 66 F100 loves it...and asks all the time if we can pull it.

The original builder (my dad's friend's father) placed the wheels a bit more forward than he should have, but the added spare and careful loading provide plenty of tongue weight to prevent it from fish-tailing.

Post by **TWrenn** » Thu May 13, 2021 4:26 pm

Trade the van in on a 4-door pickup (NOT a "super cab" type), get a DUAL axle open trailer with at least 15" wheels and you'll be happy and safe. Not knowing the reason for owning a van, I can only assume a 4-door pickup will not only haul what you need comfortably and safely, but also provide the interior space you need in your vehicle.
Here's what I tow my 8.5'x 20' trailer which is tall enough to keep the touring top up. Great investment.

Allan · Post by **Allan** » Fri May 14, 2021 5:05 am

There-in lies the nub of my argument. If a trailer gets squirrely, it is not loaded correctly. It has little to do with the fact that it is a single axle trailer. The same can happen with a tandem axle unit.

If a single axle trailer spits the bearing/hub, again, it is nothing to do with being a single axle unit. That is caused by lack of maintenance, and is quite prevalent in occasional use trailers, either single or tandem axle.

I Run 14" light truck radial tyres on my car trailers. I have had two blowouts on my single axle trailers, both at the legal highway speeds. One was with a good ton of tools and T spares going to an interstate swap meet. My wife heard the bang and enquired about it. We just slowed down, pulled over and fitted the spare. No dramas!
The second was on a recent interstate trip to a National Rally in Queensland. I'd run the near side wheel over a poorly maintained roadside edge in country Queensland a few miles before, and I suspect this had damaged the tyre. When it went bang, I had to drive a short way to find a place to safely pull off the road, by which time the tyre was shredded. Again, I just jacked the trailer up and fitted the spare. The only drama was to my wallet. I had to buy a replacement rim and tyre at Dalby so I had a spare to come home on.

I can understand he need for tandem axles under some of the huge enclosed trailers some of you use, but a well maintained single axle trailer is quite adequate for safe transport of any T model.

Others obviously have different opinions.

Allan from down under.

Kaiser · Post by **Kaiser** » Fri May 14, 2021 5:59 am

For bbetter insight of why a trailer starts to get 'squirrely' have a look at the "Tail wagging the dog" topic in the OT section.

Allan · Post by **Allan** » Fri May 14, 2021 9:32 am

I neglected to mention a most important component in my towing package, electric brakes on the trailer axle. The controller unit I use is infinitely adjustable to the load on the trailer. When empty, the brakes can be tuned out to hardly work at all, while when loaded they can be adjusted to brake in advance of those on the towing vehicle. This means the trailer will brake heavier under load, actually dragging the tow vehicle into line in a heavy stop.

This set-up can be used to control "squirreling" on a poorly loaded trailer by braking in advance of the tow vehicle, helping to pull the two into line, rather than the trailer trying to bulldoze the tow vehicle down the road as surge brakes do.

Allan from down under.

Post by **NorthSouth** » Fri May 14, 2021 11:08 am

-
Ignacio,
Check out the Aluma, 7712 Heavy Duty Utility Trailer. 750 lbs. My T is another 1,500 pounds. My Chevy Equinox tows 3,500 lbs. The trailer has just enough bed space for a Pick-up style utility box to be mounted up front to keep all my trailer straps, blocks, chains, etc. It has served me very well.
-

Russ T Fender · Post by **Russ T Fender** » Fri May 14, 2021 4:42 pm

Henry Austin Clark refused to pull a tandem axle trailer because he believed that they were unnecessary and caused flat tires. His theory was that the first tire set the nail up and the second tire got the puncture. Makes sense to me especially since in all my years of pulling a tandem axle trailer I have never had a flat on the front axle but my fair share of flats on the second axle. He hauled some pretty heavy iron with a single axle trailer. I believe the secret to trailering is tongue weight, not the number of axles assuming of course that applicable load weights are not exceeded.

John Codman · Post by **John Codman** » Sat May 15, 2021 10:05 am

I think that the idea that tandem axles cause flat tires is silly. The same philosophy would apply to motorcycles and semi-trailers (as well as cars). The only reasons for having a flat tire on a trailer are road damage, worn tires, under rated, or old tires. If the tires are more then seven years old you should retire (pun intended) them.

Colin Mavins · Post by **Colin Mavins** » Sat May 15, 2021 10:54 am

Bigger is always better our first trailer was a single axle trailer and worked well,but would not haul a 1947 Chrysler. The second trailer is two axle 10000 lbs capacity , can haul anything, Same as the Garage in town we had a large 2car, at the farm we have a 40x60 with 2 floors ,it took Dad 40 years but he filled it to the max.5 years later Im still finding Treasure. Im doing better than Oak Island. lol cheers Colin

Post by **Oldav8tor** » Sat May 15, 2021 11:07 am

I have a 14 foot (16 feet with the angled nose) 7 foot wide enclosed trailer that I haul my '17 Touring in. It weighs 2172 lbs empty. I don't know what your T weighs but if you go with 1300 lbs that adds up to 3472 lbs. It has tandem axles, 15 inch wheels and electric brakes. I've hauled it thousands of miles with no issues.

My opinions:
1.) You don't want a trailer that has the minimum weight rating to haul your Model T.
2.) It should be long enough that you can position your T to properly load the tongue.
3.) I believe in tandem axles - tires can fail for lots of reasons and losing a tire on a single axle, heavily loaded trailer can be catastrophic.
4.) I hate small tires on a trailer. If you're going 70, they're going over a hundred. Anytime I've driven north on I-75 I've passed a few trailers on the side of the road with either shredded tires or destroyed bearings.
5.) Your ability to stop and control a trailer is often determined to a great extent by the weight of the vehicle towing. My 8000 lb van has no trouble stopping a trailer like mine, with or without trailer brakes. If your tow vehicle weighs 3500 lbs then stopping a no-brake 3500 lb trailer would a little more difficult.
6.) Speaking of a 3500 lb towing capacity - If you go a little over it isn't a big deal as long as the hitch is capable and the tow vehicle not too lightweight. Just don't get crazy.
7.) Before I bought my enclosed trailer I was looking at a tandem axle open trailer made of aluminum. I was planning on using it to haul my 1952 Army Jeep (2500 lbs.) It would replace an old steel tandem flatbed that was showing it's age. When I bought the T I decided instead to find an enclosed trailer because of my concern that exposing a T to the wind at freeway speeds could be damaging. A lot of guys use open trailers with no problems but I felt better going enclosed. One of my concerns was if I was traveling a great distance and staying at motels that having the Model T under lock and key was better than leaving it exposed to possible theft or vandalism while I slept.

You've gotten lots of opinions on this thread...sort thru them and make your choice. Good luck!

Cordes_jeff · Post by **Cordes_jeff** » Sat May 15, 2021 11:46 am

I built the trailer in the original post. It tows fine. It has a modern axle with electric brakes. I have three sets of tires/wheels in different styles depending on which tow vehicle I use.

Post by **TXGOAT2** » Sat May 15, 2021 11:48 am

All of my motorcycle flats have been on the rear. I've wondered about the flip-up effect suggested above in a situation where the front tire and back tire are close together.

Post by **TRDxB2** » Sat May 15, 2021 12:19 pm

Possible Short cut - buy a used "boat" trailer with the desired size, axle and weight criteria and build a deck on it. Steel/aluminum prices are on the rise
Don't forget the ramp needed to get the T on any trailer you consider.
Also, depending on model a Brass T weighs between 940 lbs for a chassis and 1200 lbs for a touring. so your max trailer weight needs to be 2,000lbs or less.

Colin Mavins · Post by **Colin Mavins** » Sat May 15, 2021 3:33 pm

This is the trailer we built it will haul any car we have the top is plywood and steel tubing for wire with a canvas top

pulled by an 83 chev van

Post by **Dennis Prince** » Sat May 15, 2021 6:30 pm

A friend just sent me a picture of his new trailer, it looks like a nice light aluminum trailer.

Allan · Post by **Allan** » Sat May 15, 2021 6:57 pm

Dennis, I like your friend's new trailer. If he can winch/drive up to the toolbox, the tie downs are at a nice steep angle and there is no "pull" on the axle, as the car meets the toolbox. If he can easily slide the axle front and aft to adjust for varying loads, he has it nailed.

Allan from down under.

Post by **Craig Leach** » Sat May 15, 2021 9:21 pm

I personaly like the idea of a light, low, single axle trailer. I borrowed a very nice single axle trailer from a club member to tow my speedster to Santa Clara once( 750 miles ) towed like a dream. Almost forgot is was back there. The next time I towed my tandem not near as much fun. I need the tandem to tow my MF (scraper & loader) I built a single axle trailer once with a 7200# axle & electric brakes to tow my circle track cars. I built a truss under it that came down below the wheels so if you had a flat it would not drop enough to make it unstable. Never had to try it out! As far as flats go I had both left side tires blow on my tandem at the same time. I was towing with a 1 Ton dulie crew cab. Was not fun at all, fortunatly a expiriance with a horse trailer taught me to carey two spares all the time. I have a single axle utility trailer ( Made in the independant republic of Txxxs )I would never haul my T on it . When I retired I hauled my tools home on it scared the Sxxt out of me. Darn thing is was like towing a dish rag that weighs 2000#. IMHO a well built sincle axle trailer designed to hall a T and propperly loaded should be no issue. I do suggest brakes & two spares.

Kunder · Post by **Kunder** » Sun May 16, 2021 8:31 am

ivaldes1 wrote: ↑
Wed May 12, 2021 11:28 pm
I am intrigued by this purpose built trailer http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/50 ... 1223858517 that looks like it was built specifically to haul a Model T. Are there plans available to build something like this? My van can only do 3500 lbs towing capacity so a hefty car hauling trailer is out. The one in the picture looks lightweight.

Or can these/have these been made into a T hauler? https://www.harborfreight.com/1720-lb-c ... 62647.html

I'm intrigued by the truck, on the trailer.... Pretty much what I'm looking for.

Even the truck pulling the trailer, would be useful to me.

Bud Delong · Post by **Bud Delong** » Sun May 16, 2021 9:13 am

Last weekend we went with friends to a tractor swap meet and hauled a golf cart on a single axel trailer! Yes a tire blew out and because of no weight we made it home safely with no dammage other than the tire. The rig was not mine and i do not believe in a single axel! Bud.

Post by **JimDix** » Sun May 16, 2021 10:47 am

When I first had my 1913, 1995, I bought a Trailex open car trailer fabricated from Aluminum Extrusions. Four wheels, brakes all around. It served us well, we towed it with a Ford Aerostar van. Had tonneau cover, and removed the lights and covered the radiator. The arrangement worked well until my wife and I became uncomfortable climbing around attaching the tonneau, so it was time for a Tahoe and enclosed trailer.

Post by **TRDxB2** » Sun May 16, 2021 12:04 pm

Dennis Prince wrote: ↑
Sat May 15, 2021 6:30 pm
A friend just sent me a picture of his new trailer, it looks like a nice light aluminum trailer.daves trailer.jpg

Model on the trailer tongue is UT12 very neat ramp https://www.google.com/search?client=fi ... aluma+ut12

Post by **Mark Chaffin** » Sun May 16, 2021 12:51 pm

I picked this one up off Craig's List for $1,200. Best money I've ever spent. Look around. Good deals are out ther

Post by **kmatt2** » Sun May 16, 2021 2:03 pm

While I wouldn't recommend building a car trailer like this today, my frist trailer was a 20 year old used single axle, no springs or trailer brakes. The trailer was built in the late 1950's to haul a Ford flat head V8 dune buggy. After new tires, rewiring the lights, checking and repacking the wheel bearings it was frist used to haul a Model T Speedster. Over the next 25 years that trailer would haul various Ford Model T's and Model A's. It would make several trips from Fresno Ca and Fullerton Ca to northern Oregon and a trip to southern New Mexico to bring back a Model A. The key in all the miles was to always check the tires for condition and pressure, replace when needed, plus keep the towing speed below 60 mph even in States where higher towing speed was legal. I sold a Model T with that trailer to a new club member who needed a trailer and know that it continued in use for atleast another five years.

Post by **ivaldes1** » Mon May 17, 2021 3:43 am

It is an Aluma UTR12. It looks fabulous. The ramp rolls into the underside of the trailer. Retail new looks like nearly $4K.

TRDxB2 wrote: ↑
Sun May 16, 2021 12:04 pm

Dennis Prince wrote: ↑
Sat May 15, 2021 6:30 pm
A friend just sent me a picture of his new trailer, it looks like a nice light aluminum trailer.daves trailer.jpg
Model on the trailer tongue is UT12 very neat ramp https://www.google.com/search?client=fi ... aluma+ut12
traler.png

Bud Delong · Post by **Bud Delong** » Mon May 17, 2021 8:40 am

Going cheap may very well be a higher cost in the end!! Bud.

Post by **ivaldes1** » Sun May 26, 2024 9:36 pm

So Aluma UT12's are $4-$5K now. Can aluminum car-hauling trailers be rented easily? U-Haul won't rent without at least 5000 lb capacity towing vehicle and they don't have lightweight car hauling trailers that I know of. -- IV

mtntee20 · Post by **mtntee20** » Sun May 26, 2024 10:56 pm

Ignacio,

I much prefer to tow a 2 axle trailer over a 1 axle trailer for hauling cars/trucks. I much prefer a 1 axle trailer to back up. I have owned and used both.
REMEMBER: Proper Tongue weight is crucial to prevent or control the "death wobble". A weight distribution hitch also does a good job.

1 axle trailer - 1 spare tire. 2 axle trailer - 2 spare tires. If you run over something, you most likely will flatten all tires on that side.

Aluminum trailers are great for being LIGHT. They look great. They are also a prime target for thieves.
Buy or build a "clam shell" tongue lock. These are worth their weight in gold in deterring thieves. I also run a chain through the wheel(s) on one side ensuring to go around/through the spring and lock it. I do this on each side.

PACLOCK sells good locks. They have a series that YOU can re-key all of the locks in that series to the SAME KEY. WOW, is that nice. I especially like their "PUCK" locks for the tongue clam shell, and the equipment box on my trailer. I have 4 pad locks and a tongue lock (when I'm not using the clam shell when the trailer is locked on the tow ball) All keyed alike. 8 locks, 1 key. I use square link / high security chain from Murphy Company. The square links defeat bolt cutters nearly 100%.

There is a man who owns an aluminum trailer in our neighborhood. He takes a chain and locks his trailer to a chain link fence post to protect it.

Now to offer a suggestion on Aluminum trailers. I see a lot of trailers for rent on Craig's List. I have NOT used any of these ads. These are guys like you and I, that have a trailer, they are not using, and would like to make some money. I would recommend a signed contract to ensure legality and security. Find a guy with a trailer you would like to use and see if you can set up a continuous agreement with him. Being friends will make things much more comfortable. Make sure YOUR insurance company will cover his trailer. A contract will aid in this.

Good Luck,

Post by **Steve Jelf** » Sun May 26, 2024 10:59 pm

Bud was right. Sometimes the cheapest costs more. I agree that four wheels are better than two, because of the potential ultimate cost of the less expensive choice. This is the trailer a local company made for me. That was about thirty years ago, so I don't recall what it cost me. But I do recall some incidents where having four wheels saved me a bundle. When I started using it to haul Model T Fords, I found the twelve foot bed perfectly adequate.

Post by **Charlie B in N.J.** » Sun May 26, 2024 11:11 pm

I simply cannot see wooden spoked wheels on a trailer. Seems like a dumb idea.

babychadwick · Post by **babychadwick** » Tue May 28, 2024 9:39 pm

I've logged many tens of thousands of miles towing. Currently i have a few single axle enclosed, tandem open, single open, single frame with roof ect. Ease of parking, maneuvering, fuel mileage a single beats a tandem hands down. I've had blowouts on single axle trailers and haven't had problems, of course they are loaded right.

A tandem is more forgiving loading, flats, and weight.

I'm currently building a light weight single axle out of aluminum to appear more 20's style to tow the speedster behind the 29 buick for trips shorter range. I have the enclosed I need to put sides on if I have a long trip behind the newer car. It's a single axle homebuilt.

If I need to haul more I use the tandem.

It's nice having these options and as you see my preference for pulling a t speedster is a single axle even when a tandem is available. While it is good advice to get the biggest heavy duty it can be a lot to drag behind.

Allan · Post by **Allan** » Wed May 29, 2024 12:07 am

Chad makes a valid point. A single axle trailer is very easy to move around and back up.
On a promotional trip for the chocolate company I was booked into an inner city motel in Melbourne. The tow car was catered for, the 1913 T van went into the manager's garage but what to do with the trailer?
I just hand wheeled it on the jockey wheel into a space in the service area that was just 18" longer than the trailer. Try that with a tandem trailer!

Allan from down under.

Erik Johnson · Post by **Erik Johnson** » Wed May 29, 2024 1:48 am

There's a 1950s/60s-built Model T Ford trailer for sale on Minneapolis Craigslist:

https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/dak/ ... 91706.html

I don't know if he is the seller, but Jake Mayne acquired the trailer with a Model T speedster back in 2016. He posted photos of the speedster and trailer on the forum back then.

Post by **signsup** » Wed May 29, 2024 10:56 am

For what it's worth, we purchased our first trailer, a 16ft dual axle flat bed trailer to haul jeeps around. We had it built to be 6ft wide between fenders and we installed a 2,500 lb winch on the front and a tongue tool box. We have used the heck out of this trailer for many years and many different vehicles. The winch comes in handy when the vehicle has died and needs to be winched on or off and is safer to winch on and off than have my wife drive it up ramps. Get the longers ramps you can to prevent a straight up the mountain load and unload and the "extra" length allows us to haul a aadditional jeep trailer or spare parts and give us the ability to load as correctly as we can. If you load an 11ft vehicle on a 12 ft trailer, all your weight is on the tongue or tail. The axle brake helps coming down mountain declines and our only expense has been tires as the first few sets of bias ply tires went quickly. Radial more ply tires have lasted much longer.

Now, for my hijack attempt...what enclosed trailers are available with an 80" or so rear door to handle a T height without removing windshields and tops. My WWI ambulance will have a fixed top and canot be removed. The bows and tarp option for an open trailer is interesting. But, I'd almost consider a luan or thin roof tin material as a loose or torn tarp at highway speeds will really mess up a paint job.

Post by **TRDxB2** » Wed May 29, 2024 12:09 pm

ivaldes1 wrote: ↑
Wed May 12, 2021 11:28 pm
I am intrigued by this purpose built trailer http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/50 ... 1223858517 that looks like it was built specifically to haul a Model T. Are there plans available to build something like this? My van can only do 3500 lbs towing capacity so a hefty car hauling trailer is out. The one in the picture looks lightweight.

Or can these/have these been made into a T hauler? https://www.harborfreight.com/1720-lb-c ... 62647.html

The HF trailer platform width is spec'd at 48 inches. the Model T wheel base, depends of tire size, is about 60 inches

Here's a possibility (for sale in Canada) https://diyfoldingtrailers.com/product- ... /trailers/
Weight of Trailer 243 lbs
Maximum Working Load 1737 lbs

Post by **ivaldes1** » Sun Dec 08, 2024 12:35 am

This might be a possibility. I put some calculations into Chatgpt to calculate the position needed for a normal tongue weight. It said that even with the car loaded in reverse position and with 2 foot extensions off the back for the front wheels to shift the car backward some that the tongue weight would be unacceptably high (10-15% of the overall load). The trailer axle does not appear to be able to reposition, so it doesn't seem to work with this trailer configuration due to excessive tongue weight?

TRDxB2 wrote: ↑
Wed May 29, 2024 12:09 pm

ivaldes1 wrote: ↑
Wed May 12, 2021 11:28 pm
I am intrigued by this purpose built trailer http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/50 ... 1223858517 that looks like it was built specifically to haul a Model T. Are there plans available to build something like this? My van can only do 3500 lbs towing capacity so a hefty car hauling trailer is out. The one in the picture looks lightweight.

Or can these/have these been made into a T hauler? https://www.harborfreight.com/1720-lb-c ... 62647.html
The HF trailer platform width is spec'd at 48 inches. the Model T wheel base, depends of tire size, is about 60 inches

Here's a possibility (for sale in Canada) https://diyfoldingtrailers.com/product- ... /trailers/
Weight of Trailer 243 lbs
Maximum Working Load 1737 lbs

Post by **NorthSouth** » Sun Dec 08, 2024 7:16 pm

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I bought this 7’x12” Aluma maintenance trailer with heavy duty ramp to get my dad to tours on the west coast. (When it’s not raining) Weighs 750 lbs. Carries 3,500 lbs.

Later, I built a cover out of 3x3 pine and 1/4” plywood just big enough to cover my 1915 Ford Touring. I call it “The Hillbilly Trailer”. 10,000 miles later, it has worked out really well.
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38 coupe · Post by **38 coupe** » Mon Dec 09, 2024 9:44 pm

The single axle trailer works with little drama if loaded correctly. For the 22 Texas T Party we used the 54 shown earlier in this thread along with my 53 as the vulture wagons, each with a single axle trailer. The 54 pulled the trailer from the beginning of this thread and my 53 pulled a similar trailer. Balanced loading and a matched tow vehicle work fine.