Page 21 - Issue 41
P. 21

The trailer may be the most borrowed piece     seen it a thousand times, I would never trust
              of equipment a rodder owns.  If you have one      this to tow a project with rotted tires that just
              yourself, you know exactly what I am talking      happen to hold air.  Maybe something a little
              about. Having a trailer is like sitting on the worst   bigger is what you need.
              kept secret on the planet.  This can be great        Next, we have the traditional car trailer,
              when you have a tight circle of rodders who are   maybe a 7000 pound gross unit with room
              happy to pay back what they owe, but it can       for 16-18 feet of car on the bed.  This will move
              lead to you having your trailer out on almost     almost anything you need, just be careful of
              a permanent loan, bouncing from driveway to       anything too big or too heavy where you can
              driveway.  How are you going to fi nd it when you   jump past the GVW very quickly.  Buy some new
              need to use it?                                   heavy duty ratchet straps, bolt on a winch, and
                 If you own a yard full of projects hauled with   you are ready for almost any automotive failure.
              the help of others, you also get what I am saying.    Then, we have the overkill trailer, the “let’s
              Borrowing one in a pinch is one thing, like when   see if I can break it” trailer, the implement
              your water pump grinds its own innards forty      trailer.  This will be over 20 feet long with
              miles from your shop, but borrowing one all the   double the capacity of your traditional car
              time is pushing it with your friends if you ask me.    trailer and held up by two axles both sporting
              Maybe you need to consider buying one instead     8-lug wheels.  This is the kind of unit you really
              of borrowing again?                               don’t           want to see leaving your
                 Trailers can be some of the most abused                         driveway without direct
              pieces of equipment, so tread lightly if you are                    supervision.  Friends, or
              looking at something used, yet, deals can                            more realistically friends
              be found if you take your time to                                     of friends, will try to
              shop.  They come in many                                               see how much scrap
              shapes and sizes                                                       they can really fi t on it
              where                                                                   before the tires start
                                                                                   to squat.  It takes more
                                                                           than the average truck to pull
                                                                    since the empty weight on one of these
                                                                can be more than what most cars weigh.
                                                           he 5th annual Hot Rod Riot, hosted by Darrell and Jennifer
                                                                   Finally, perhaps the rarest of the rarest friend
                                               each will   Heibel of South Texas Performance was held at the Victoria
                                                                will have a fl atbed truck ready to lend.  If you
                                                                don’t have one good axle able to roll, the dolly
                                        fi t your needs     Community Center on Saturday, September 17, 2017. The
                                                                is out.  If you don’t have a full-size truck to pull
                                 better than others.  There THRR started as an “open house,” but has grown into a great
                          really isn’t a perfect fi t for every   a full-size trailer, then those are out, too.  The
                               big fun-fi lled day. The community center is a new location for the HRR, after Darrell and
                                                                fl atbed car hauler can do it all with ease: retrieve
                  job, so here are some ideas for what to ents at their South Texas Performance shop headquarters. Due to
                               Jennifer held the fi rst 4 ev
                               the continuing increase of their fans and friends (and their vehicles) from all around the state,
              look for when needing to borrow or buy.           your broken down ride as well as haul home
                 First, we have the two-wheel dolly.  This little   your next project.  The problem of course is how
                               the move to the community center complex was a necessity to have the room for the show
                               as it continues to grow. This year there were more than 300 vehicles; from rat rods, muscle
              half-trailer will get you out of 99% of the jams   horribly impractical they are for the average user.
              you are in--all you need is the truck to pull it.    Do you really need another vehicle to maintain,
                               cars, classic restorations, motorcycles and even an awesome mini-bike parade and races in the
                               community center arena! More than 4,000 people came out for the FREE show; FREE to show
              These units can be pretty light depending on      pay for tabs/insurance each year, and store
              how much aluminum is used in the construction.    when not in use?  I would love to have one, but I
                               your car and FREE to walk thru and spectate at the vehicles assemble across the center’s
              They work slick as long as you can get your       need the space to park it.  Can someone tell my
                               huge parking area. That is why I was there; to document with my camera, the beauty of what
              vehicle up the short ramps.  Even though I have   wife a new pole shed is a need and not a want?
                               the participants brought to Victoria to display.
                                                                                     RATRODMAGAZINE.COM  RAT ROD MAGAZINE     21
         20x23 HotRodRiot.indd   21                                                                           12/12/16   7:36 AM
   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26