Trailer Queen?

     Some people would say so; me, I prefer to refer to it as my "mobile garage". So what fun is a car if you haul it around in a trailer? The fact is, there is a great deal of enjoyment in showing the car; there is also the reality that every time you put it on the road there will invariably be the nicks and smudges and dings, the "road rash", that cars acquire in driving from point to point. With the '73 Midget I decided to try to maintain in as good condition as I possible can, thus the car hauler seen here. I also use the trailer to store the car; it's very tight (no dust), easy to heat in the winter, rodent proof, and the car can be quickly retrieved for driving.

     The hauler is by Pace American and I had it built to specifications in late winter of 2005. The list of options stretched over two pages, but in the end, I think the final result was worth the time, effort, and money that went into it. The base trailer is an 8'x16' Cargo Sport model with a 6'4" ceiling, 36" beaver tail, and full interior finish. You'll notice a lot more options and features in the photos below. With the car inside the trailer weighs right at 4600 lbs. That required a vehicle that was built for handling such a load; I finally settled on a new Nissan Titan. With it's 9500 lb towing capacity it's more than up to the job.

     Loading is a simple, quick, and safe one-person operation. The remotely controlled electric winch makes it so easy. The Ramsey ATV winch has a 2400 lb pull and the stranded steel cable has been replace with a space age synthetic fabric braided rope (3/16") that is rated at 3000 lb. The synthetic rope is much easier on hands, car, and flooring. The combination of the long loading door and beavertail rear section of the trailer allows loading the car (with 3 1/2" of ground clearance) without dragging. The trailer has six 5000 lb "D" rings in the floor for tying down. The new truck handles the trailer effortlessly.

E-mail Ray at ray@raysmg.com about MG interests you may share.