Post your Car Hauler and Auto Carrier pictures here

You probably won’t have to. Mine doesn’t even have a sliding 5th wheel. But I guess all of them are a little different.

 

I have a 264 wheelbase now. The first 80ftr was a 252wheelbase and I needed the porch flippers to load and unload.

 

Couple things... @Banker they make a version for day cabs with a shorter top deck. But I think you pretty much have to have the long bridge behind the cab to make it work.

As far as the canvas front, Ford Super Dutys are the only thing that has to go all the way to the front to open the door. Pretty much everything else you should be able to leave far enough back, unless you're trying to put 2 flat in the belly or load 3 down there with a truck.

I have the aluminum big bat wings, and I've never had any issues with them, but I'm much more aware of where I'm at than the guys who have bent theirs. The biggest issue with rocks is when you only have 2 units on the bottom, it really sucks a lot of stuff up through the tandem hole and onto the back bottom unit. It's bad enough I was going to build a cover if I got another Cottrell. (I'm picking my new Lohr in 2 weeks. )

And whenever you have 3 in the bottom, back the rear unit on, and take advantage of the flipper droop.

 

Thanks for the tips. I am doing full belly pans again so hopefully my issues are limited.

 

I don't have belly pans, and even in the mountains in winter, those huge bat wings keep the belly very clear of debris. With your smaller wings, I'd probably want pans, too.

Just dawned on me, the newer 80s have traps at the front of the belly. They'll gain you a lot of height with pickups, but they're well forward so curtain interference could be an issue. Not sure what freight you're pulling, but I'd use them on most loads pulling Fords, if I had them. Just something to think about.

Your going to love having the extra space. I have the long stinger on mine, and I can basically drive like a rookie, even with an F-250 all the way forward in the belly. You have to get really stupid to make the pinch an issue.

 

You’d definitely touch the drives against the trailer tear the mudflap off and come to a complete stop before you pinch that belly unit…. LMAO It happened to a friend of mine

 

Missed it by that much!

 

Well spread

 

Thanks. My initial plan was for the diesel in the belly and the Yukon on #2, that would have balanced a touch better, I think. But both of them are wider than a 550, so that wasn't going to happen.