[MrC1]

I went through this a few years back and I ended up getting most of the options available - and glad I did. Relatively speaking a trailer (car hauler) is pretty inexpensive, so if you regret any of the options based on price, your hard feelings shouldn't last long.

I'd go with brakes on all the wheels. It's been a great asset for me and I live in a pretty flat area. Personally I'd go with steel floor since it won't rot. If you're in an area that uses salt on the roads I'd get it undercoated well, too. That wasn't a problem for me, but I didn't look to see where you're at.

I thought about leaving the center of the floor open as well. I figured it would be easier to work on a car while it's on there. I went with a solid floor, however. It just makes the trailer more versitile to carry other stuff. You may also want to make sure there's stake pockets so you can install sides if you want.

2" ball is pretty standard. Not a big deal either way, but I guess the biggun would be stronger. Always a good thing.

18' length is standard for a car hauler and you'll want that length for anything larger than a sportscar. When positioning a pickup for example, you'll put the truck a little back from the front to get the weight balance correct and a shorter trailer will only increase the overhang off the back. You'll already have some overhang with the 18-footer.

If I remember right, typical capacity is 6000 or 7000 lbs. Remember, this figure includes the weight of the trailer, so you need to subtract about 2000 from that number to get the usable weight limit. I'd go as HD as possible w/o going nuts.

You didn't mention tires, spare tire mount or ramps. These are really important, too! Pay the extra $100 for the HD trailer tires. They're rated for much higher loads. Also, get at least one spare tire mount. I think it's a cheap option, except you gotta buy another wheel/tire.

Lastly, ramps! I talked to my salesman about this and finally found that they could make wider than standard ramps up to 18" wide. I went with the widest they would make and MAN they're nice when loading a car! Also, see if any special tread is available (like punched holes) for better traction. You'll do better when the ramps are wet. It should also lighten them a little. I got the ramps that tuck in underneath behind little doors in the back. Nice setup.

Hope this helps!