Trailer Talk.....

[SteveM]

I've been using a friend's Pace Shadow GT 24' trailer for my Bonneville wanna-go adventures.  It's an older trailer, pretty nice, but if I have an opportunity before next summer to beg, buy, or borrow a different trailer, I would if I could.

First item - are there any trailers (open or enclosed) that allow a low-slung doorslammer to actually open the driver's door?  I made the doors on my Rampage fairly easy to remove for loading & unloading the trailer.  Without the removable driver's door, there is no way I'd be able to get out of the little truck once it's in the trailer, and I'm a fairly skinny guy.

If I could come up with a trailer that would allow me to open the door, even 12-18 inches or so, I could possibly squeeze in or out once it's loaded.

The biggest issue in this Pace trailer is the "box" that's constructed as the inner fender for the trailer tires.  That's the spot where the door would hit when open, no matter how far forward or back I load the Rampage in the trailer.

I know that some open trailers have semi-removable fenders to address this problem.  I'd have to measure one or two of those to see if the door would clear, but I suspect that the Rampage may be too low to work on those, either.

Basically, I'm soliciting advice for a new trailer.  What do you guys have, what works for you, and how the hell do you get out of the vehicle once it's on/in the trailer?

Steve.

[desotoman]

Steve,

Buy a electric winch. That way you do not have to get into the car. And it does not matter what kind of trailer you end up with. On my old trailers I used to do it by a hand crank on a winch but that got real old, so my new trailer has and electric winch and a long cord so I can operate it anywhere in the trailer. They also make a remote control now that is like a car door lock button.

I have found loading cars you do not have to turn the wheel very much and they will go right on, so no need to even be in the car. That is what works for me.

Tom G.

PS. You can always just grab the front tire and twist it, I have done that more than once while loading. 

[Glen]

After loading on whatever you get. Be sure to check the tongue weight not to heavy or to light , you don't want it to sway. Two spares and new tires it they are getting close to 5 years old. Load range (E) Towing across the desert in the August heat is hard on tires.

[SteveM]

Electric winch will be on the "must have" checklist.  I prefer to put the vehicle in gear once it's in the trailer, but I suppose I could do that from under the hood, so that's not an issue.

I was thinking I would want 10,000 capacity.  I'll have to double check to see if that's load range D or E tires.

I have a little homework to do now - thanks for the recommendations, guys, and keep them coming.

[RidgeRunner]

  I saw a neat deal at Maxton a few years ago.  Driver was loading his car in an enclosed trailer from the LR quarter using a remote control winch and a steering wheel mounted on a long shaft going forward through a hole in the left C pillar to the quick disconnect.  I complimented him on the idea and IIRC he said he picked it up from some folks that were running dirt circle track cars back home.

Ed

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Get load range "E" tires no matter what's standard on the trailer you choose.  And, of course, you should check the pressure before moving the trailer -- while the tires are still cool.  Make sure the pressure is up to where it ought to be.  I'm no help on trailers for a car (being a bike racer), but our trailer has the fenders outdoors, not inside.  There are others out there, too.  I don't remember the brand trailer we've got -- it's still in Wendover.

[gkabbt]

Steve, The 20' V-nose Continental Cargo trailer I bought from Charles Venable (Cajun Kid) a few years back has a drivers side as well as a passenger side doors. In order to haul his 32 Vicky, he screwed 3" x 12" (I think that's right) rough sawn runners the length of the trailer to raise it so the car door would open into the trailers drivers door opening. His Vicky was not as low as your truck but you could probably do something similar if you found a trailer with the drivers side door.

This is the only pic of my trailer I have available now:



I'm in Wilmington now and when I get home, I'll measure the runners and get a pic of the drivers side door.

Hope this helps,
Gregg

[saltracer1]

 I bought an open trailer last year with removable driver's side fender. Currently it's not a problem, but if my car were one inch lower the fender would have to come off. I also have a tilting hitch on the tow truck so it can lift up the front of the trailer to help load the car. Also added a winch and some added ramps to help step the car up onto the kind of short ramps that came with the trailer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VorUQEhiWm4

http://www.discount-trailers.com/images2/trailer-hitch-adapter.jpg

[kiwi belly tank]

I'm one of the open trailer mob. Used ones are cheap, they are less of an aero drag going down the road than a big a$$ box, everything gets a good wash if you run into weather especially going home & you get to show off your cool $hit while you're traveling.
If you want to put a stone guard on the front, go check out the trucking companies in your area & pick up a roof fairing. They are either cheap or free, made out of fiberglass & the trucking companies have no way to get rid of them so they just leave them in the yard.
That's assuming it's not too redneck for you.
  Sid.
 

[Tman]

Sid, I am building my open trailer around one of those!

[kiwi belly tank]

I figured you probably had some "Hill" in in ya Trent!
  Sid.

[salt27]

Check out "Sloan Qwik Load" trailers.

Very easy to load and door clearance isn't an issue.

I found a used one on Craigslist and it works great with low ground clearance.

 Don

[Freud]

The best advice that has been posted so far is to buy the BEST tires available.

You don't want to have to change a blow out on a narrow mountain lane.

Tires can cause more problem than you can ever imagine.

FREUD

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Picking up where Freud left off -- don't forget that when packing to take the trailer to the races (or anyplace, really) take a bottle jack and the pumping lever for it, lug nut wrench, and WHEEL CHOCKS.  Like the good Dr. implied about a narrow mountain lane -- worse still if you have your flat there and it's hilly.  I carry a DeWalt battery powered impact wrench set and a pair of loading-dock type rubber wheel chocks (about 8" on a side, triangular).  As long as you're loading that kind of stuff - take along a few boards to put under the jack for when you're stuck on soft soil of some kind.

Some folks will think you're being anal -- until they break down and you stop to help them.

[desotoman]

Steve,

I hope this is not to boring, but these are some of my thoughts and opinions.  I like enclosed trailers for long distance towing when going to races as you can put all your tools, etc in the trailer.  My philosophy is out of sight out of mind. It gives me peace of mind when staying in a hotel overnight and I am pretty fussy where I park it when at a hotel.  I don't put any lettering or names on the trailer. IMO you are just asking for it to be broken into if the less desirable know what is in it, and in certain states it is an invitation to be pulled over by the highway patrol for being a commercial vehicle, and that can be a real headache.  Also an enclosed trailer is nice to have around the house just for vehicle storage in the off season as you can pull the motor out of the vehicle and then put the vehicle back in the trailer. It is also nice at the races to have a place to get out of the elements, wind, rain etc.

I would go with a 10,000 lb GVW or more with two 5200 lb axles with brakes on both axles.  Your enclosed trailer will weigh in at around 5000 lbs depending on length unless it is made of aluminum, and that only leaves you with putting 5000 lbs in it.

My current trailer is a 34 foot Featherlite aluminum gooseneck with two 7000 lb torsion bar axles equals 14,000  lbs gross. It weighs about 5000 empty, has 26 foot of floor space with 8 over the bed. One of my cars weighs 5000 lbs. so with this trailer I can put in an additional 4000 lbs before being overloaded. I like springs better than the torsion bars but that is just my preference, and this trailer came with torsion bars. I also like having a gooseneck for safety purposes, and 8 lug wheels. I use a 1 ton truck to pull with. 

In the end it just comes down to your preference, your tow vehicle and how much your car weighs with all the stuff you take to the races. If you have a very light car and don't take much to the races you can get by with less trailer and less tow vehicle,  but heavy race vehicles need HD trailers. Remember how much time and money you have invested in your race vehicle, then buy a trailer and tow vehicle accordingly. Or you will be telling horror stories on how many tires you blew, bearings you burnt up, etc. Most people unknowingly overload their trailers and pay the price.

Tom G.