[Goatracer1]

I am thinking on buying an open car trailer to haul a 1962 Bonneville and a 1964 GP (not at the same time). My last trailer was for my 1967 GTO and it was a 16 foot trailer. Would that size still work or should I go with a 18 foot one?

[Simple Man]

Can never go too big.....

[b-man]

Between those two choices definitely the 18 footer which will barely be big enough.

Pictured is my ‘64 Le Mans convertible on an 18 foot trailer, a big Pontiac would fit without much room to spare.

[Tom Vaught]

Looks like it does a fine job, Bart. Store bought or you had it built??

Tom V.

[b-man]

Bought it back in the early ‘90s from a small time builder out of Texas. Does the job fine and tows well.

[vr1967]

Mine is 24 + 2’ dovetail. 102” wide with 10” drive over fenders. Could have gotten away with about 21’

Had this one built in Cookeville, TX (only picture i have of it)

[Skip Fix]

Mine is an 18! Pulls nice. Terry's Trailers out of OK but this was a guy in east Texas that sub contacted for him.

[71GP76TA]

Mine is a 21' Texas Rollback... the bed slides and tilts... no ramps to deal with and makes loading low cars a breeze.

[72projectbird]

I had a 16' for a while, but it was just a little short for my liking. Upgraded to an 18ft steel deck with a beaver tail and its awesome. Has a 12k lb winch on it.

I highly suggest getting one that has ramps that are solid/one piece. The ramps that look like ladders are a pain in the ass. The cars tend to walk up them rather than roll smoothly, and it jerks the tow vehicle around. Plus if you're dragging a non running vehicle up it, it's so much easier with actual smooth ramps.

[Half-Inch Stud]

Get the trailer with the longest ramps.

[Formulajones]

For the open trailer I use an older 18 foot Big Tex Diamondback with a dove tail and pull out ramps. I've had as much as a full size extended cab long bed truck on it. Just let it hang off the back a pinch, no big deal. Pretty much any size car fits on it fine. Been a great trailer.

[fyrffytr1]

When my best friend passed last year I bought his trailer. It's an 18 footer. Funny story about it. I went with him back in the 90s to buy one. We got to the dealer and Joe said he wanted a 16 foot one. While he was inside paying for it the helper backed me up to the trailer and hooked it up. The helper went inside and came back out a minute later and said he hooked the wrong one up. He had hooked me up to an 18 foot. So we went to unhook it but it would not come off the hitch ball no matter what we did. He went back inside and a minute later the owner and helper came back out and no amount of effort would unhook the trailer. The owner finally went back inside and a few minutes later Joe came out and said we are ready to go. On the drive back he said the owner told him he didn't even make lunch money off this sale and Joe didn't know what he was talking about until I told him he had an 18 foot trailer and not a 16, When we got home and backed the trailer into it's spot it came right off the hitch.

[61-63]

If you are going to put a winch at the front of the trailer and winch early 60s full size cars on with it you need a twenty footer IMO.

[61-63]

This is years old but shows a '63 cat on my trailer. The rear is not overhanging and there is room at the front for me to operate the warn winch I pulled it onto the trailer with. The winch is permanently mounted at the front of the trailer bed.

[Formulajones]

I've got a winch on my 18 and it works fine...

[Formulajones]

Here's a pic of mine. I have the winch hidden inside the tool box. It winched a 2005 3/4 ton extended cab 4x4 chevy truck up on there no problem.

[lust4speed]

Your Bonneville is a little over 18' long. While I get by with my 18' PJ trailer hauling my '65 big cars, I wish I had a 20' trailer for those. The 18' is perfect for the A-bodies, but a little short for the big guys. At least with the wagon there is enough weight on the rear that it centers on the trailer, the '65 Bonne 2-dr HT ends up about 8" back to have the correct trailer balance, and that leaves 8" of trunk overhanging the rear of the trailer.

[Formulajones]

Does that appear to have the wheels set back further than usual? Seems like it would be easy to get a bunch of tongue weight on that one.

Looking at that and then looking at mine it appears my 18 footer has the wheels maybe another foot or more forward so I can pull them on pretty far and still not have excessive tongue weight.

Maybe the picture is just an illusion.

[72projectbird]

Originally Posted by Formulajones

I've got a winch on my 18 and it works fine...

X2

This year alone I've drug up two 2nd gen Firebirds, a Grand National, a full size GMC truck, a Jeep TJ, a 69 and 70 GTO and a C3 Corvette. The trailer is plenty big for the job, and the 12k lb winch is sooooo sweet!

[Formulajones]

Originally Posted by 72projectbird

X2

This year alone I've drug up two 2nd gen Firebirds, a Grand National, a full size GMC truck, a Jeep TJ, a 69 and 70 GTO and a C3 Corvette. The trailer is plenty big for the job, and the 12k lb winch is sooooo sweet!

You're a busy guy, that's a lot of haulin'