Deal breaker right there and everyone should make it one. No one smart ever wishes for less brakes on their car hauler. Quite a few have wished they had more.
Another thing to consider. Most of the car trailers have 3500 lb axles. This is plenty for hauling a Jeep, but look into an axle upgrade to 4400 or 5200 lb axles with higher weight rating tires. This usually includes larger brakes also.
Good advice but be careful with the weight rating if you get the 5200 and make sure they rate the trailer under 10,000 lbs. I've got 52s under mine with a 9500 lb rating to keep it under commercial status. That and I'm just not a fan of the 3500's under a car hauler. The bad thing is they just aren't that much less money than the higher rated stuff.
I agree about not going over 10k GVWR. My next trailer will have 5200 or 6000lb axles with 16" tires and 9900 GVWR. The cost is about $250 for the axle upgrade.
Anyone buying a trailer needs to chat with the mfg and find out how they measure. Mine has a 13' deck and I put a 40" tire rig on it with 104" of wheel base.
We have a semi local trailer place that builds very nice trailers. The problem with them is when you custom order to get the heavier axles, they beef up the rest of the trailer so much that you've almost lost the gains you made with the extra rating of the heavier axles over the 3500s.
I've priced out a PJ 18' and 20' trailer. They are actually 12k rated trailers, but derated to 9900 lbs to keep it under the CDL requirement in Ca. I have a Non Commercial Class A but that license is only good for RV Trailers.
A 2" trailer ball done correctly with the right coupler isn't an issue at all. I would tow anything I would reasonably carry on my trailer with the right set up.
Yep, seen quite a few like that and while I haven't put one on a scale, they are not even remotely close to elegantly built with thought given to everything you need and nothing you don't. They throw lots of steel at them.
