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Anyone who follows my Packard adventure knows that half of my fun is packing up and towing the car cross-country every 2-3 years. I have a good pickup and a nice open trailer, but now that I have upgraded Packards, I was planning on upgrading trailers. Currently making the steel vs. aluminum decision (likely will come down to what I am willing to pay), but I wanted some ideas about length.

My current thought is a 22' trailer with a 4' V for storage. My 120 is about 17' long, I was thinking 22' would be long enough for anything except a limousine (not likely in my future) and have plenty of room for storage up front. Any thoughts? Not sure when I'll get my next Packard, but I do plan on continuing in the hobby, so I want to buy a trailer that will give me a lifetime of service even if I end up with a senior car from the same era or an earlier car. Right now, I don't think I'm likely to get a post-war car, but certainly not ruling it out.

Another advantage to me of the covered trailer is it gives me the flexibility to not rent a house with a garage if I am stationed somewhere for a year or two where I will not have time to work on the car much, or the boss would rather live in a neighborhood where a garage isn't feasible.

My tow vehicle is a 3/4 ton Chevy with a Duramax, so I'm not too worried about weight. I am planning on putting 5200# axles on whatever trailer I get.

Ken, first of all I would get a gooseneck trailer. It pulls so much nicer and you don't have that trailer jerking on your bumper. The gooseneck trailers keep their value a lot better compared to bumper pull. Over time you most likely will collect enough parts to fill up the nose of the gooseneck and it won't be in your way. I would not get a 20 foot trailer even for your 37. It will give you 1.5 ft in front and back, and you hope your tie downs are in the right places. If you get a prewar senior car you're looking at close to 20 ft bumper to bumper so that would be another reason for a 24 ft trailer.

Ive been pulling with a 22' Gooseneck for 20 yrs. Had a couple of Bumper Pulls before it and its like black and white when ur going forward. Backingup gets a little tricky - im sure if u had it on the back of ur truck 24-7 it would be NO BIG DEAL.
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Ive had some big stuff in it and think the 22'is more than enough. If i had to do it again i would go with 22. Havent had 24 in the back but ive been in situations when im glad i didnt have another 2' back there. Dont know what u can order nowadays but i speced out 8 bolt axles mainly because the brakes were larger than the 6 bolt. Might think of a Vnose also - they really do cut the wind. Went a 1' higher than std for tall ones - needed it a couple of times - plus the door is longer which give u less angle when it turns into a ramp.

Backing up a gooseneck is easier than a bumper pull because the distance from the ball (pivoting point) to the axles is longer. I pulled goosenecks from 20-48 ft long and up to 30 ft or so there's hardly a difference. Now the 48 ft is a different story, you have to take turns like a semi. I have a 26 ft now (oddball size) but it's perfect for even my 139 inch wb packard. Another benefit of a gooseneck is it won't fishtail on you while a bumper pull will if you go too fast or have hard wind.

I thought about a goose neck, but not crazy about spending more on the trailer than my car is worth! They do drive nicer but I was thinking an equalizing hitch will do the same thing. Plus it gives me more flexibility by keeping the bed free. Thanks for the inputs.

If you go on price only, you can cause yourself problems - i.e., how much you value your life and equipment.
A few things to consider:
Total weight of trailer and vehicle, not just length.
Where the center of the load will be. (affects tongue weight - best over the axles. That's what a goose neck does.)
Allowable tongue load and towing capacity of truck and hitch system.
Some states require brakes on all axles, some do not, so you have to think about how to stop it also.

Personally would not pull a "valuable" classic vehicle very far without a diesel dually and enclosed trailer. I'd have it shipped, if I didn't want to invest in tow equipment. Cheaper and less hassle for the occasional haul.
I had a rear tire blow towing with my 4x4 down hill at interstate speed, and it wasn't pretty once the rim went down on the pavement. Thankful not much traffic in that rural area or I wouldn't be posting.

On goosenecks I pull heavy loads on (on a regular base) I put tires on with load range H. You spend a little more but tires last a lot longer and blow outs are virtually non existing!

Jim, totally agree! Just trying to balance price, quality, and desired features - the normal age old problems with everything. It's pretty easy to spend north of 20K on a trailer, but the car isn't worth that much! I have a 3/4 ton diesel pickup, so I can tow a bigger trailer with no problems. I towed a '55 Patrician from MA to Roanoke, VA on my open trailer with no issues, but I knew it was back there!

Not sure if I am extra particular about tires, or just lucky, but I have never had a blowout (yet). I probably towed my 115c 9,000 miles while I owned it (three cross-country moves) and have never even so much as lost a wheel bearing. I towed the 120 from Cleveland back to Saratoga, again no issues, but I don't want to tow an all-original car on an open trailer much longer. If I had a dual cowl phaeton, transport would be the way to go, but I probably have 5 or 6 moves left in my Navy career before I settle down, so a trailer upgrade is in order.

If I go aluminum, I am looking at ATC or Intech. If I go steel, I am looking at Haulmark or maybe a company out of Georgia called Diamond Cargo. They are cheaper, but my fear is getting what I pay for! Anyone with experience with any of those brands?

For guys hauling pre-war cars - are escape doors worth it, or a waste of money? It seems like a nice to have and not a need to have with the narrower bodies of the pre-war models.

Stay away from the diamond guy in Georgia. That business changes their name on a regular base. Do a BBB search on them, or a review! I don't have an escape door in the middle (so you can swing your door open to get in or out, and I think that's a waste with a prewar. Now the escape in the front is absolutely nice. If you need something in the front you don't have to squeeze by the car with the risk of scratching it, and it gives you some daylight in the front when tying down or getting stuff out of the nose.

Ken- I recently purchased a Sundowner open carry for my 1940 coupe. I have been completely satisfied with the 20 foot aluminum trailer, its strong, well made and light weight. It's a bumper pull and I have had no issues pulling it with my 1/2 ton Ford. Lots of benefit to a gooseneck closed cargo hauler. Sundowner makes just about anything you might want so I suggest you check out their web site. Good luck.