I am considering purchasing an enclosed trailer to haul my 68 Runner to car shows that are too distant to drive the car to. I have never owned or even used an enclosed trailer before so I am looking for any advice or input on what to be sure to get, as well as what to be sure to avoid. The Runner is approximately 17 feet bumper to bumper. I have a Ram 1500 with the Hemi to tow it with, which may not be ideal but should be up to the task. Thanks in advance for your input and advice.

Rule #1, DO NOT buy an enclosed trailer manufactured in GEORGIA! Now having said that, what do you plan on bringing with you to shows besides you car? I have owned around 20 enclosed trailers in the last 35 years and tow for a living. My minimum is 24' for that, but I also have a 32' LQ trailer with a 20' garage and it is adequate for most anything and will work for a Roadrunner. Being that you tow with a 1500 I would consider a 20'-22' but if you plan on taking a grille, lots of chairs, a pop-up tent, and larger coolers then a 24' would be good. Trailers have gone nuts in pricing and you get what you pay for. Aluminum such as ATC, Featherlite, and Rance are the best out there and pricey! Some of the better non-aluminum are Load Trail, H&H, Sure Trac, Stealth, and Vintage/Millenium. There are dozens of brands, so do your homework!

Read this thread. There's a lot of food for thought in it...

https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/3164089/Searchpage/1/Main/258471/Words/%2Btrailer/Search/true/looking-at-trailers-so-many-options-and-choices.html#Post3164089

Rhinodart is right !!! do your homework ... I have a 2000 Haulmark 20 foot its been a great trailer but the paint is shot. I was pricing a new one and the price is about triple what I paid for mine ( $5,000 ) there are cheaper trailers but as the saying goes " you get what you pay for ' . I had a dealer show me a brand new trailer , he was saying how great it was and it was $12,000 , I looked inside after a rain storm and the floor already had water stains from a leak. I decided to just put some $$ in my old trailer ( new axles, brakes and bearings ) and I put some clear coat on the faded paint and it now looks presentable. I have a 21 Ram 1500 Hemi quad cab 4x4 with 3.92 gears and tow package ... it tows awesome ! IF I had a trailer bigger than 24 ft I would consider a 2500.

I agree with everything Rhinodart mentioned. A 20-22' will work but for a RR 24" would be ideal. I have a 20' Featherlite which is perfect for me since I tow small cars to the track. I have used it for my e-body, it is doable but tight.
I was lucky I bought it the summer before COVID. I ran across some good deals on used AL trailers.Should of bought some extra.
Also, I didn't search typical places for car/race trailers.

My advice would be to be sure and get 16" wheels and tires, at least 24 foot and a winch.

Overkill for what he needs. I did look at a set of 16" 6-bolt aluminum wheels and tires for $1000 yesterday, just can't justify the cost. As much as he is going to use it the upgrade wouldn't be cost effective, he doesn't need 5200 lb axles either...

I just bought a used 20ft enclosed to haul my 66 Satellite for a couple long distance shows this summer.

For what I need it for , it will work just fine. The street side escape door is a bonus. Not to mention it already has a winch in it to pull the car in
I have a 10x10 popup tent and some folding chairs in the trunk of the car . The Cooler,,,, if needed ,,,,, can go in the bed of the truck under the locking cover.

He should read his state laws because with his car and the trailer he would be pushing the 7000 pound legal weight with 3500 pound axles

Be sure you have a left side door to get in and out of the car when loaded..

Here is a bit odd trailer I almost bought. Nice top of the line ATC all aluminum 22' mobile clothing store w/bathroom, gen set and sofa. $11k
Should of bought it.

Once again, overkill unless you don't have a leg to stand on... I have only had two of my 20 trailers with the escape door and have trailered thousands, yes thousands of cars! That 4-car stacker was the most fun to get in and out of, but again it is not really needed. I have towed new Challengers, Chargers, Mustangs, and Camaro's with no escape door and on 3500 lb axles without having issues getting in and out of them, and I have quite the overhang, and not being overweight either...

Agreed, Mine has it. But wouldn't say with 100% certainty I truly need it. But I think its a good resale option to have.

For me, the winch was / is the most important option to have.
An hour after I picked up the trailer, I picked up a non-operational car. For a short haul to help offset my expenses. Getting it inside was easy peasy with the winch.

Friend of mine back east gave me a killer buy on this one and it will serve my purposes just fine.
I'll resell it in about a year or so and get all my money back easily.


If I could have hand-picked a used trailer, I would have liked a 22ft with the V vose.
But on my budget. / price range I wanted to stay in, I found one, and it sold in a matter of hours of being listed.

I went and looked at a 24 that had the 6inch added height. And felt it might be pushing the tow / load limits of my Ram 1500s capacity safely. So I passed and decided on a 20-22 footer.
I gave some thoughts to buying new. But best I could come up with . $12-15K was the range for something decent.

What brand of trailers should you stay away from? I'm considering a 20 ft mostly for winter storage to give me more garage space. I currently have an open for track use.

Pro Line, any new Haulmark,( quality declined greatly the last few years ) ITI, Look . I have heard and read good things about Sure Tracs and as Rhinodart said stay away from any trailer built in Georgia . I was considering a new trailer and thru research I learned to stay away from these brands . I am sure there are more.

I have an older 28' Hallmark. It is very heavy duty compared to how trailers are built today. It is wide enough that I can get in an out of my B an E bodies along with anyone else's cars I have hauled without any escape door. To me the more doors the more access for the theives.

My trailer is a 2000 Haulmark 20 foot, its wide enough that I haul my 92 D150 short bed / regular cab in it also . I can't open the truck doors when it is in , I used to crawl out thru the rear sliding window now I have a winch and just pull it in . I can see how the extra side door would make it easier, I personally don't like the looks of them . My local trailer dealer has several ATC aluminum trailers in stock , practically the whole side of the trailer opens up to gain access to the drivers side door , thats a awfully big door to try and seal from the elements and to me just looks like a problem waiting to happen. Evidently others feel the same way as the trailers have been there a long time and they keep dropping the price.

I have a 2003 Haulmark 24' trailer. I wouldn't consider anything smaller than 24' for hauling a B body.
You're gonna want to put some stuff in the trailer w/ the car and have some room for hooking straps up.

I also wouldn't want to pull one with a 1/2 ton truck either. The weight isn't as big of a deal as the wind resistance...as far as power goes. If you don't go very far or use it much, the 1/2 ton truck may be ok.
BIG difference in towing an enclosed versus an open trailer when it comes to power and MPG.

When I ordered my new 26 foot trailer back in 2017 I had zero interest in the escape door and I still don’t. At 68 years old I can still climb in and out of my duster window. When I start struggling I lose a few pounds. I installed a new winch but never hooked it up. I should do that because I would like to eventually take some passes in my heads up car just for fun and it has fiberglass doors and lexan windows so it would need winched in.

I agree on the escape door not being needed. If you can't get out of the car in the trailer, winch it in.