We dare to compare... to ANY other trailer brand!
We bet you won't see a comparison like this on the OTHER guys pages!
Here's why our trailers stack up and whip the competition every time!
Here's why our trailers stack up and whip the competition every time!
One Good question we get over and over is... why are we so cheap?
Well... because we can be.
Thanks for visiting and thanks in advance for the business and the referrals.
Sincerely,
Craig and the Crew
Hull Porter Trailers
302 Hwy 71 Box 147
Braddyville, IA 51631
712 589 3100
Well... because we can be.
I know that sounds somewhat facetious, but it is true in all aspects. We started with cash, have no debt, keep our overhead stupid low (as you will see from our 'Palatial office', inside the little Red Shed here in Braddyville), and we know that if you do keep your price right, you will sell so many that the volume more than makes up for it.
At the same time, I have been hearing competitors (ALL of whom got into the trailer business through CRAIG to begin with) taint the water with mentions of how their trailers are superior somehow. So.... no bull. Let's go down the list of what other companies are calling superior for their extra $500-1000 per trailer and then YOU make up your mind.
The biggest Lies in the trailer business!
A compendium of false truths being perpetrated throughout the trailer industry and the facts that debunk them, from someone who would know. - Us.
Lie #1. Powdercoat Finishes are superior.
When done properly, powdercoat is a wonderful system for small to medium sized parts but it has a hard time laying down properly and maintaining a good adhesion over larger areas. And most trailers have some pretty large surface areas. But... here is the real ringer. The powdercoat being used by trailer companies today is actually HALF the cost of applying a good multi-stage paint system on the same trailer. Half us much money? But they charge you $500 more for it? Really?
My one answer to the powdercoat question is the same I had when the powdercoat guys were pitching it to me years ago.
"If powdercoat really is the superior coating system, then why doesn't GMC, Ford, Dodge or any other major company powdercoating their trucks?"
Nobody could give me an answer, so we still choose to acid wash, phosphate, prime and paint trailers. It's good looking, durable, REPAIRABLE and proven technology.
All Hull Trailers are put through a 5 step process when the finish is put on.
Stage 1: Hand Prep.
You'd be surprised how many companies bypass this step and think that a quick wash, some blast sand and a run through a powder coat booth can fix anything. Not so. As a very smart and talented old car painter told me years ago. 99% of a good paint job is before you pick up the gun.
So, each unit is wheeled to a prep area where two dedicated guys will spend an hour or two just going over every trailer. Smoothing out welds, taking the rough edges off of a corner here and there and hand sanding the unit.
Stage 2: Acid.
By coating the entire trailer with a Sulfuric Acid solution, it assures us that there is no leftover oil or contaminants to cause any issues when the top coats finally go on.
Stage 3: Steam Cleaning
By using extremely high heat and high pressure water, we flush the acid back off of the chassis and then coat the entire trailer in a very thin film of white iron phosphate coating.
Stage 4: White Iron Phosphate Coating.
This phosphate acts as the first step to bond the primer and topcoats to the steel underneath. Think of it as a chemical 'middle man' that gives the steel what it needs and also the topcoats what they need to get along.
Stage 5: Chlorite Resin Prime.
In the last few years, the advances made in the chemistry around industrial and automotive finishes have made some pretty severe leaps and bounds! The best kept secret lately is the development of new Group M Chlorite based Aliphetic, or A class primers. This custom designed primer system falls in love with the white iron phosphate and 'intermarries with the phosphate base coat' (There words not ours).
Stage 6: Carbon BTXE Top Coat
Once the primer and white iron phosphate have attached and flashed properly, we then lay on more coats of a newly designed top coat called Carbon BTXE (Butoxyethelene) Resin. Two to three coats of this and you have a pretty darn good paint job for the money and one that will take a little more of a beating than the average paint job while doing it's best to stay where it was sprayed to begin with.
All of that being said. It is still doomed. Sitting just 5 feet behind a pair of tires throwing rocks mercilessly at it for the rest of it's life. It's a death sentence for anything that ends up there, but we do our best to create something that will hold out for many years to come.
Lie #2: Theirs is the only trailer with good wiring!
(Note about this photo: See that shiny metal plate? That is one of many access boxes built into this trailer chassis so that you can always get in and access your trailer wiring in the future. It's weather tight, tough and built to run for decades and it is standard on all units we build!)
Sorry to say it, but some people really just grasp at things sometime to get things sold. The entire concept of an enclosed wiring loom came to I and my brothers back in the 1990's when the need to create better units for the far North and Canadian Oil fields came into play. So, we adapted 1/2" seamless black PVC tubing that is actually intended to be used as underground waterline for your house or business and reversed the concept. We figured that if it kept water in, it would definitely keep water out! And it does.
Lie #4: They are the only people with a nice floor.
At our place nice floors come standard... and with a 10 year warranty too!
We ORIGINATED the concept of a warranted wood floor way back in 1999. Now everyone touts it like they thought up the idea.. you gotta laugh sometimes. Anyway. All of our units come with a #1 grade ACQ treated wood floor that is fitted and bolted in place at multiple points and it comes with a 10 year replacement warranty against rot! Yes... we have the SAME floor they do and in most cases a little BETTER floor... for less money!
But Craig, What makes your trailer so much better?
Well, read on and learn the why of trailer engineering and how it applies to what you will be using your trailer for.
.
Being the lower priced trailer also carries connotations of being of lesser value than other trailers, which we believe is just NOT the case. And we think that once you see our trailers for yourself, you will agree. In that light, let's start doing some comparisons with other trailers you may find out there and let's talk about what is really, truly important to you, when it comes to a good, usable trailer.
#1: The Frame..
Let's face it, all the whiz bang goodies you may see on a trailer don't mean squat if the frame won't take a serious pounding for a seriously long time. That's why we are very happy to always use the good stuff on all models. Let's take the M/T Tilt Speedhauler for instance. We know that there are others out there... heck! We know that because we originated this design and if you asked ANY of the companies who build this trailer if Craig Hull was involved in the design or manufacture of it, you would get a yes each and every time. So, yes... we are the originators of this unit and just about every feature on this unit you can point at.
All M/T tilt Speedhaulers have a 6 plus lb per foot rated 5" channel steel frame. (If I were a guy who had never been in the trailer business, that might as well have read strawberry monkey pretzels... so.. let me explain what we are talking about here.)
At the same time, I have been hearing competitors (ALL of whom got into the trailer business through CRAIG to begin with) taint the water with mentions of how their trailers are superior somehow. So.... no bull. Let's go down the list of what other companies are calling superior for their extra $500-1000 per trailer and then YOU make up your mind.
The biggest Lies in the trailer business!
A compendium of false truths being perpetrated throughout the trailer industry and the facts that debunk them, from someone who would know. - Us.
Lie #1. Powdercoat Finishes are superior.
When done properly, powdercoat is a wonderful system for small to medium sized parts but it has a hard time laying down properly and maintaining a good adhesion over larger areas. And most trailers have some pretty large surface areas. But... here is the real ringer. The powdercoat being used by trailer companies today is actually HALF the cost of applying a good multi-stage paint system on the same trailer. Half us much money? But they charge you $500 more for it? Really?
My one answer to the powdercoat question is the same I had when the powdercoat guys were pitching it to me years ago.
"If powdercoat really is the superior coating system, then why doesn't GMC, Ford, Dodge or any other major company powdercoating their trucks?"
Nobody could give me an answer, so we still choose to acid wash, phosphate, prime and paint trailers. It's good looking, durable, REPAIRABLE and proven technology.
All Hull Trailers are put through a 5 step process when the finish is put on.
Stage 1: Hand Prep.
You'd be surprised how many companies bypass this step and think that a quick wash, some blast sand and a run through a powder coat booth can fix anything. Not so. As a very smart and talented old car painter told me years ago. 99% of a good paint job is before you pick up the gun.
So, each unit is wheeled to a prep area where two dedicated guys will spend an hour or two just going over every trailer. Smoothing out welds, taking the rough edges off of a corner here and there and hand sanding the unit.
Stage 2: Acid.
By coating the entire trailer with a Sulfuric Acid solution, it assures us that there is no leftover oil or contaminants to cause any issues when the top coats finally go on.
Stage 3: Steam Cleaning
By using extremely high heat and high pressure water, we flush the acid back off of the chassis and then coat the entire trailer in a very thin film of white iron phosphate coating.
Stage 4: White Iron Phosphate Coating.
This phosphate acts as the first step to bond the primer and topcoats to the steel underneath. Think of it as a chemical 'middle man' that gives the steel what it needs and also the topcoats what they need to get along.
Stage 5: Chlorite Resin Prime.
In the last few years, the advances made in the chemistry around industrial and automotive finishes have made some pretty severe leaps and bounds! The best kept secret lately is the development of new Group M Chlorite based Aliphetic, or A class primers. This custom designed primer system falls in love with the white iron phosphate and 'intermarries with the phosphate base coat' (There words not ours).
Stage 6: Carbon BTXE Top Coat
Once the primer and white iron phosphate have attached and flashed properly, we then lay on more coats of a newly designed top coat called Carbon BTXE (Butoxyethelene) Resin. Two to three coats of this and you have a pretty darn good paint job for the money and one that will take a little more of a beating than the average paint job while doing it's best to stay where it was sprayed to begin with.
All of that being said. It is still doomed. Sitting just 5 feet behind a pair of tires throwing rocks mercilessly at it for the rest of it's life. It's a death sentence for anything that ends up there, but we do our best to create something that will hold out for many years to come.
Lie #2: Theirs is the only trailer with good wiring!
(Note about this photo: See that shiny metal plate? That is one of many access boxes built into this trailer chassis so that you can always get in and access your trailer wiring in the future. It's weather tight, tough and built to run for decades and it is standard on all units we build!)
Sorry to say it, but some people really just grasp at things sometime to get things sold. The entire concept of an enclosed wiring loom came to I and my brothers back in the 1990's when the need to create better units for the far North and Canadian Oil fields came into play. So, we adapted 1/2" seamless black PVC tubing that is actually intended to be used as underground waterline for your house or business and reversed the concept. We figured that if it kept water in, it would definitely keep water out! And it does.
Lie #4: They are the only people with a nice floor.
At our place nice floors come standard... and with a 10 year warranty too!
We ORIGINATED the concept of a warranted wood floor way back in 1999. Now everyone touts it like they thought up the idea.. you gotta laugh sometimes. Anyway. All of our units come with a #1 grade ACQ treated wood floor that is fitted and bolted in place at multiple points and it comes with a 10 year replacement warranty against rot! Yes... we have the SAME floor they do and in most cases a little BETTER floor... for less money!
But Craig, What makes your trailer so much better?
Well, read on and learn the why of trailer engineering and how it applies to what you will be using your trailer for.
.Being the lower priced trailer also carries connotations of being of lesser value than other trailers, which we believe is just NOT the case. And we think that once you see our trailers for yourself, you will agree. In that light, let's start doing some comparisons with other trailers you may find out there and let's talk about what is really, truly important to you, when it comes to a good, usable trailer.
#1: The Frame..
Let's face it, all the whiz bang goodies you may see on a trailer don't mean squat if the frame won't take a serious pounding for a seriously long time. That's why we are very happy to always use the good stuff on all models. Let's take the M/T Tilt Speedhauler for instance. We know that there are others out there... heck! We know that because we originated this design and if you asked ANY of the companies who build this trailer if Craig Hull was involved in the design or manufacture of it, you would get a yes each and every time. So, yes... we are the originators of this unit and just about every feature on this unit you can point at.
All M/T tilt Speedhaulers have a 6 plus lb per foot rated 5" channel steel frame. (If I were a guy who had never been in the trailer business, that might as well have read strawberry monkey pretzels... so.. let me explain what we are talking about here.)
From the photo above, you get a pretty good comparison of the size difference between different channel steel sizes, but that is not all you have to look for. Though our standard M/T Tilts come with a strong, thick web, 5" channel steel frame and tongue, they are also built with 6.7lb per foot A36 channel steel. What this is telling you is that each foot of channel (in linear length) was built using a full 6.7lbs of A36 grade steel.
Did you know that there are 7 different sizes of 5" channel steel generally available from mills? The only way you can tell them apart is to measure the thickness of the channel at four separate points. We choose 6.2lb per foot because it gives you a full 30,000lbs of load bearing within any foot of length of just one channel. In other words, it is stout stuff!
And even over a 12 foot span, it can take a lot of load! More importantly, Schedule A36 means that it is flexible and can give and spring back when loaded extremely heavy, which means it has a cycle time (how many times it could flex before fracturing) of about 15,000,000 cycles. In other words, you don't have to worry about it cracking.... ever.
A very large truck giving this 20 foot M/T Tilt Speedhauler nearly all the axles are rated to carry.... (5300lbs of Chevy Silverado SS Pickup Truck) and she could do this all day long for 10,000 days. Why? Because it was built using the right stuff and put together the right way! Read on... Craig explains more about the engineering of a Hull Trailer below.
#2 The Welds!
It doesn't matter how nice the bricks are when you build your house if you used mud to hold them together. Good grout is vital to a good brick wall, just like good materials, proper training andskill go into taking great steel and welding it together.
Every Hull Trailer is welded using the best Miller Brand Equipment, the highest quality welding wire and the best 'rich' mix of Stargon gas you can find. Add to that the talent and experience of our guys in the shop and you have a trailer that they are more than happy to offer a 10 year weld warranty on. I think that says it more than anything else. Trivia: On a 20' M/T there are nearly 27 FEET of welds throughout the entire structure.
#3 You've got to keep it square!
We can't show you the actual JIG's used to manufacture Hull trailers, because it is somewhat of a trade secret. But the basics of the design are solid, basic and simple. By creating a 3 dimensional JIG that all of the components of your new trailer drop into, the finished trailer will be perfectly flat and square when it comes out.
Why is that so important? Well, an out of square trailer will not put the trailer tires on perfect alignment with the 'tow axis' which is an invisible line running from the front of your vehicle through the hitch ball and out to the tail of the trailer. The closer we align everything to meet that invisible line, the less effort it will take to move the trailer. Less effort, less fuel burned, less yanking and jerking around you'll experience while towing your trailer. So... it is VERY important.
As far as we know, Hull Trailers is the ONLY company doing this on all models. Many manufacturers are still just clamping frame rails down to floor stands and doing all of their 'alignment' with tape measures!!!! REALLY!!
#4. Good Parts = Good Trailers
Every item and component you find on our trailers is the product of over 20 years of trailer manufacturing, sales, customer service and personal use experience. We choose the parts that go into our trailers because we KNOW that those exact components have proven themselves cost effective, user friendly and nearly indestructible!
THIS is where our experience benefits YOU.
Good Parts Highlight! What is CGI and why should I care?
CGI is Compacted Graphite Iron. It is pretty impressive stuff when you read about it!
Check out this page on the advantages of CGI in engine blocks Here!
With all of this in mind. How else can we help you, other than to get you towing with a brand new trailer? Let us know. Call Craig any weekday at 712 589 3100. We are here to help.
Did you know that there are 7 different sizes of 5" channel steel generally available from mills? The only way you can tell them apart is to measure the thickness of the channel at four separate points. We choose 6.2lb per foot because it gives you a full 30,000lbs of load bearing within any foot of length of just one channel. In other words, it is stout stuff!
And even over a 12 foot span, it can take a lot of load! More importantly, Schedule A36 means that it is flexible and can give and spring back when loaded extremely heavy, which means it has a cycle time (how many times it could flex before fracturing) of about 15,000,000 cycles. In other words, you don't have to worry about it cracking.... ever.
A very large truck giving this 20 foot M/T Tilt Speedhauler nearly all the axles are rated to carry.... (5300lbs of Chevy Silverado SS Pickup Truck) and she could do this all day long for 10,000 days. Why? Because it was built using the right stuff and put together the right way! Read on... Craig explains more about the engineering of a Hull Trailer below.
#2 The Welds!
It doesn't matter how nice the bricks are when you build your house if you used mud to hold them together. Good grout is vital to a good brick wall, just like good materials, proper training andskill go into taking great steel and welding it together.
Every Hull Trailer is welded using the best Miller Brand Equipment, the highest quality welding wire and the best 'rich' mix of Stargon gas you can find. Add to that the talent and experience of our guys in the shop and you have a trailer that they are more than happy to offer a 10 year weld warranty on. I think that says it more than anything else. Trivia: On a 20' M/T there are nearly 27 FEET of welds throughout the entire structure.
#3 You've got to keep it square!
We can't show you the actual JIG's used to manufacture Hull trailers, because it is somewhat of a trade secret. But the basics of the design are solid, basic and simple. By creating a 3 dimensional JIG that all of the components of your new trailer drop into, the finished trailer will be perfectly flat and square when it comes out.
Why is that so important? Well, an out of square trailer will not put the trailer tires on perfect alignment with the 'tow axis' which is an invisible line running from the front of your vehicle through the hitch ball and out to the tail of the trailer. The closer we align everything to meet that invisible line, the less effort it will take to move the trailer. Less effort, less fuel burned, less yanking and jerking around you'll experience while towing your trailer. So... it is VERY important.
As far as we know, Hull Trailers is the ONLY company doing this on all models. Many manufacturers are still just clamping frame rails down to floor stands and doing all of their 'alignment' with tape measures!!!! REALLY!!
#4. Good Parts = Good Trailers
Every item and component you find on our trailers is the product of over 20 years of trailer manufacturing, sales, customer service and personal use experience. We choose the parts that go into our trailers because we KNOW that those exact components have proven themselves cost effective, user friendly and nearly indestructible!
THIS is where our experience benefits YOU.
Good Parts Highlight! What is CGI and why should I care?
CGI is Compacted Graphite Iron. It is pretty impressive stuff when you read about it!
Check out this page on the advantages of CGI in engine blocks Here!
What is CGI? It is the acronym for compacted graphite iron. A new iron compound patented in 1965 and is now in use where higher density, lower weight, less corrosion and better wear properties are required. Pretty well sounds like darn near every part of a trailer to us.
That’s why we were so happy to hear that nearly all of the suspension castings, brake drums and other components we use for our trailers now contain CGI instead of the standard old Grey iron you would find on most other brands of trailers.
Need a real world example of the benefits of CGI compared to the old style cast irons? How about all of these new trucks that can go 200-300,000 miles on the original motor? Wonder how those blocks can run and run and run without wearing the cylinders down, like trucks of the 80’s did? You guessed it, Compacted Graphite Iron.
Center suspension equalizers and all brake drums on our trailers are CGI material units.
So, will your suspension equalizer last longer? Yes. Will it take more punishment without failing, definitely. Did it cost you any more money to have it? Nope.
Kind of neat, huh?
We build them so that you can't break them... and if you DO break them, you are going to be too embarrased to call and tell us what you did most likely! We know... we've broken a few things ourselves!With all of this in mind. How else can we help you, other than to get you towing with a brand new trailer? Let us know. Call Craig any weekday at 712 589 3100. We are here to help.
Thanks for visiting and thanks in advance for the business and the referrals.
Sincerely,
Craig and the Crew
Hull Porter Trailers
302 Hwy 71 Box 147
Braddyville, IA 51631
712 589 3100