@Stan Galat posted:I ended up buying a 16 ft, dual axle Texas Rollback trailer. It was really neat - it had a sliding deck, where the axles locked into place but the deck moved back about 4 or 5 ft and then dropped to the ground so that the approach angle onto the deck was 4 deg. Then you would reverse the process with the vehicle on the trailer, strap down, and head down the road. I used it for hauling my car and my scissor-lift. The trailer only weighed about 1200 lbs, and had an aluminum deck. I had to give $5000 for it, but it was soooooo sweet.
... until the roller apparatus started to rust and the emergency brakes didn't want to hold the axles, and I pulled something too heavy (a scissor-lift) onto the deck with it cantilevered out one too many times and bent the subframe. That perfect trailer became the bane of my existence, and I began to wonder how I was ever going to get rid of it.
@Stan Galat I've been using this for years for the cars. Volvo xc90, Minivan, Audi TT, BMW wagon, the donor VW, GTO, large 0-turn mower all loaded with ease. Pulling with the Cummins 3500 is no problem.. pulling with the Frontier... let's just say the truck/trailer combo needed more brakes.
I've also pulled 40' enclosed 'over bed' goosneck with F350 (7.3 powerstroke) & a 36' travel trailer.. so, I''ve pulled some bigger trailers as well.
I've used smaller enclosed 5x8 with 5' roof and 7x14 with 6'6 roof.. with regular F150.. there's a huge wind drag difference between the 2. the 7x14 did have less impact on the MPG of the Cummins than the F150.
@aircooled my .02...Keep it simple as possible, small as possible and by default it will be as light as possible and you will enjoy the trailer more. ramps are simple, & may not weigh as much as all that sled trickery. again my .02 (pre-covid, now worth about .002 ) or go for cool sled and the challenge of making it work.. I'm up for offering "advice" on designs as a engineering experience. Good luck with whatever you decide.