Bought a new high quality locally built car trailer

[Advanced Design]

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.

[Advanced Design]

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.

[Advanced Design]

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.

[Advanced Design]

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.

[Advanced Design]

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.

[Advanced Design]

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.

[Advanced Design]

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

[mongocanfly]

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

[Scott2]

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

[Clyde65]

Wow! A lot of trailer right there! Nice!

[truckster]

That should haul whatever you need it to.

[wahl4m]

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

[Advanced Design]

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!

[gearheadperkins]

very nice trailer.. Congrats..

[Advanced Design]

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

[wahl4m]

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

[Advanced Design]

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.

[lower50's]

WOW almost to nice to use lol

[Bigdav160]

That's a lot of trailer.

How heavy is it?

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by lower50's

WOW almost to nice to use lol

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.

Originally Posted by Bigdav160

That's a lot of trailer.

How heavy is it?

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.

[Advanced Design]

Headed to Memphis tomorrow on another adventure.

I blame the square body guys.....

[Advanced Design]

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.

[Advanced Design]

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....

[Advanced Design]

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.

[mongocanfly]

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