Jay, if you buy a trailer with 15" tires on 6 stud wheels, and plan to switch to 16", do some measuring to ensure they will fit. On my trailer, a tall tire like the common 235/85R16, will not fit. The top of the tires would have rubbed on the fenders, and the tires would almost touch each other between the axles. Unless you get an all aluminum trailer, it is unlikely that you will find a 24 footer that actually weighs less than 3500 pounds. My 24 foot Wells Cargo is almost 4500 pounds empty, although it has a lot of extra weight options. Before I bought my trailer which is a 1999, I went to several trailer lots, and looked at a lot of new trailers. Most of the new trailers in my price range, under $9000., were very bare bones, and normally had leaf spring suspension, light 3500 pound axles, and were basically a very plain, cheap looking box inside. I did look at a new Wells Cargo virtually identical to the trailer I ended up buying, and it stickered for $23,000!. I found my trailer locally, it was bought new by our local VP racing fuel dealer, who used it for hauling 55 gallon drums of race gas to & from the local tracks, another racer bought it several years later, and rarely used it, mostly just parked his race car inside, along with hay for his wifes horses. I paid $8200. for it, and the seller even threw in the equalizer hitch and bars. The only real downside to buying the used trailer, was that it had large VP Fuel stickers on the rear door and both sides, as well as his businesses name, a bunch of stickers, and a few minor scratches. But it came with so many added features, I couldn`t turn it down. Since the original owner used the trailer for hauling heavy drums of race gas, it has a high end 8500 pound HD Warn winch mounted under the trailer floor, which is way overkill for pulling a race car into the trailer, but it certainly is not working very hard to pull the Fairmont in. I would imagine a 3000/3500 lb winch would be more than adequate. Also, by going with a well known brand name trailer, I would have to think the resale value would be better. I know several racers who bought cheaper trailers, with big plans to add their own cabinets, work benches, more lighting, finished walls and ceiling, and many other "toys" that never got done, and their cheap trailers are still strippers, and now have leaking roofs, poor fitting doors, and peeling cheap wall boards.They all wish they had paid a bit more and got a better built trailer. On the other hand, I know a couple of guys with high end, all aluminum Gold Rush trailers, but those are crazy expensive. With all the Stock & Super Stock racers from Minnesota, Jay, I would be looking to see if any of them have a nice used trailer for sale.
