Advice please: Trailer for lakester

[entropy]

My Partner Don Davila & I have committed to buying a "Project in Progress" Lakester from Patrick D.
We are ex-bike guys, and are 110% thrilled with the project.
I am the motor guy, Don is the chassis/bodywork guy.

NEITHER of us is yet "the trailer guy"

At this point we want to get a light, (probably) open trailer to haul the 24' (end to end) vehicle around Houston and next summer, to the salt. A bigger, closed trailer is probably gonna happen a couple years down the way, but not yet.
We are looking for any advice regarding light trailering options.  Glider trailer?  Custom?
Car is currently in LA.

Thanks for any help you folk can provide.

Karl

[DND]

Hi Don & Karl

Well I see you finally jumped into the deep end of the pool getting your Salt runner.

That is very good news and I hope you two do well and have a lot of fun too, as it is such a great place

I guess it depends a lot on how you are going to get your car back to the pits, trailer it or tow it?

Sure seems like a lot of extra work to load and unload it each time, with a open front end like you have just hook on a tow bar with a lot less effort

Later, Don

[entropy]

Hi Don & Karl

Well I see you finally jumped into the deep end of the pool getting your Salt runner.

That is very good news and I hope you two do well and have a lot of fun too, as it is such a great place

I guess it depends a lot on how you are going to get your car back to the pits, trailer it or tow it?

Sure seems like a lot of extra work to load and unload it each time, with a open front end like you have just hook on a tow bar with a lot less effort

Later, Don

Don,
thanks for your thoughts; i was thinking about towing it to/from the pits, but am open to all options.
Karl

[salt27]

I have a Sloan Quick Load and love it.

Mine is 20' and I'm not sure what lengths they make.

They are made in Texas.

 Don

[Seldom Seen Slim]

My open trailer is likely not at all what you want -- but where I got it might be of interest.

We needed to rent a trailer to take our skid/steer to a shop a few hundred miles away, so I called the local rental place (independent, by the way) to get a price and such.  After we decided on what would do the job - 20', open, HD loading ramps (The Bobcat weighs about 7000#), etc -- the rental guy asked if I'd like to buy the trailer instead of just renting it.  He explained -- they rent equipment for a while, and sooner or later they then sell it to the public - at a used equipment price.  I got the $5000 trailer for about half that -- and the price included some chains and load binders.  And now I don't have to rent a trailer each time I want to move something.

So - how 'bout you and your partner checking out trailers at a rental location, finding one you like, and then offering to buy it out of their inventory?  You might get just what you want - for a bunch less $$.

[Stainless1]

Karl, trailering on the salt is a lot easier than towing.... working on the ground on a short car is hard on a tall guy... We built a custom trailer for working and towing, it was easier than the adapting we did at first. 
Wheel track and base measurements will help determine what size trailer you can use.  We might have a long narrow trailer you could borrow until we decide what our future plans are.

[sabat]

Congrats Karl, looks like a good start. I hope you will start a build diary thread.

Sorry, I'm no help with trailers - I just prowl on Craigslist with cash in hand, ready to pounce.

[Glen]

Regardless of the type of open trailer you end up with you will want a sheild in the front to prevent dirt, water and salt spray. On the salt you have a lot longer tow back to the pits or starting line. Protection and cleaning salt off is critical. A two axle trailer with load rated "E" tires and maybe two spares is a good idea. In the archives there has been a lot of discussions on trailer tires and towing in general.Good luck on your new toy.

[Freud]

Consider tire damage while towing on the salt.

It happens and the tow distances seem to be

getting longer and longer.

Race tires are not cheap.

They need to be pampered.

I vote trailer.

FREUD

[SPARKY]

I am converting a boat trailer--the axles under a boat trailer are usually made to slide real easy to get their tounge weight right--I plan on towing the car backwards and putting air bags so I can drop it to load easy on the salt

[redhotracing]

I heartily agree with Sparky's boat trailer idea. You can pick them up for cheap and fabricate brackets for your specific vehicle. A medium length bass boat trailer will be a great fit for the lakester and keep things relatively
low for loading. I've seen them for $500 or less.

[Freud]

WOW !! A boat trailer.

It may have already been introduced to salt water.

You won't have to teach it as much.

FREUD

[SPARKY]

and if it hasn't it will be sooner or later at the great white dyno

[Frankie7799]

Sadly an ex boat trailer would feel right at home on the salt today

[entropy]

Wow!!!!
There are a bunch of great suggestions, thanks much guys!

Special thanks to stainless1 for the offer of a loaner.
Robert, we were at Speedweek, very much looking forward to meeting you.
However, when you had that lil incident, i wasn't comfortable intruding on yr pits.  Next time?

Bad/good news is that we've been talking with Joe Timney (Delaware Chassis Works); know him from our bikes running at Maxton & Wilmington.  Joe confirmed that the tubing on the car we were getting wouldn't pass tech at Bonneville.

So we are back to looking.
On Sun we'll go to Dallas and look at Smiley's blue coupe-looking car.