RE: [Chrysler300] Trailering a 300D

["Rich Barber" <c300@xxxxxxx>]

Excellent points.  I tried to rent a trailer from U-Haul and they wanted to
know what I was going to have on the trailer.  As my C-300 has a "dry"
weight of 4005# and listed wet weights up to 4,340#, it was apparently too
heavy.  I got the feeling their limit was 4,000#.  It would not have taken
too many trips to justify purchasing the new trailer and the U-Haul rentals
usually looked like they had been rode hard and hung up wet.  

The deck on my trailer is just high enough so the doors easily open over the
tops of the fenders.  My dealer said I would not need an anti-sway bar and,
so far, he is right.  But the hitch has provision for it.  The hitch does
have a long vertical drop to match the fairly low trailer tongue to the high
receiver slot on the Durango.

C-300'ly,
Rich Barber
Brentwood, CA

-----Original Message-----
From: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Russ Vaughan
Sent: Saturday, January 06, 2007 2:08 AM
To: John; chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Chrysler300] Trailering a 300D

If you don't intend on using a trailer much, why not have someone transport
the car or rent a trailer from U-haul?   I think that's what I'd do if I
didn't intend to haul very often. If you intend to use a trailer enough to
justify the expense, then you really ought to buy one suited to the purpose.
The added expense will be a lot less than the cost of removing skid marks
from the roof of a 300D. 
   
  That said, regarding your potential purchase, it's really difficult to
comment without seeing the trailer. My initial thought is the trailer
doesn't sound like it's designed for a full size car. You might consider
going to a few dealers to look at new trailers. Pick their brains, learn
what to look for and stay away from in the design of a trailer. I think I'm
somewhat qualified to give some input. 
   
  Since I bought my car trailer in '99, I have had quite a bit of experience
towing everything from a Honda to a Suburban, 300J :-) to Imperials.
Personally, I would buy no less than an 18' trailer with # 7000 GVW. Brakes
should be on all four wheels (a law in most states) and the axles should be
a bit aft of center. This increases the weight on the tongue but also
reduces any tendency to sway. A full steel deck is much more rigid than a
partial steel or wooden deck.  The deck should also be as low as possible,
again in the interest of sway control. A sure recipe for disaster is a heavy
car sitting high on a trailer. By all means stay away from a trailer where
the deck is above the tires. That places the center of gravity way too high
for safety with a heavy car.  On my trailer, the driver's side fender is
removable so that you can get out of the car once it's up on the trailer.
   
  Regarding the trailer you're considering,  I feel it is too short. 16'
leaves a lot of room for overhang and with more weight aft, the trailer will
sway more.  The fence all around might allow you to drive the car on, but
what if you get a flat? Will the body hit the fence when it jounces up and
down?  
   
  You probably have noticed, I put a heavy emphasis on sway control.  If
your trailer sways a lot, you have to slow down (not a good thing for a 300
nut) and it is very tiring to drive. The biggest thing though isn't how it
works going down I 95 at 60, it's how it works when you have an emergency
and have to make an unexpected maneuver.  This past November while hauling a
New Yorker back home from out west, I had two instances in traffic where I
had to make emergency maneuvers. With the wrong rig in those circumstances,
it's not hard to imagine looking up at your pants cuffs.
   
  Well, there's a bit more than .02 worth, but it is from my experience. 
   
  300ly
   
  Russ Vaughan
   
  PS: For John there are a few pictures of my trailer with '61's on it. 
   
   
  

John <spiers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
          I am considering buying a used 16' x 6-1/2' car hauler to carry my
300-D home to Florida from South Carolina. I've picked this particular
trailer because the price is right- I didn't want to spend $5,000 on a
custom enclosed trailer I'll hardly use. The trailer has a 12 inch high
fence on the front and sides, and none at the rear

>From the vast experience of the members of this listserver, am I going to
be able to load a D on a trailer of those flatbed dimensions and a 12" high
fence around the front & side perimeter? I know the overall width of a D is
79.6", but the front tire track is 61.2"

Importantly, the bumpers will NOT be on the car. I think this will affect
both the maximum width and the amount of front overhang ahead of the front
tires.

Thanks,
John Spiers

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