dbbarron

Looking for DD and tow vehicle for 10-15 events per year. Up to 500mi - most not nearly that far.

997.2/Trailex/Tires/Tools/fuel all put me under 5000lbs (but not by much).

XC90 rated at 5000lb tow; also need to use as DD and family car (but don't need 3 rows).

Should I have any reservations?

Other choices (must be safe and reliable - other possibilities are GLE350 and MDX)?

db

rnh204

I've towed an open trailex with my 2009 mdx, and I have seen a few other people tow with no issues. I can't speak for the xc90 but as long as you stay with an open trailex it should be okay. I was towing around 4500lbs at the time.

If you go enclosed. Definitely upgrade.

ExMB

Several things I can think of right of the bat.

1) Tongue weight
2) Combined weight rating
3) Wheel base

Mark in Baltimore

I'm moving this to the newly-created Trucks and Trailers forum.

Good luck with your purchase.

nxfedlt1

tongue weight is something I think is overlooked when using these midsize or larger SUVs. Not saying it cant handle it, but when you start factoring 10-15% of total trailer/load weight for tongue weight, you start getting close. I was amazed what my ATC is both loaded and unloaded when I had it on the scale....I think I was 1600 unloaded and 1350 loaded.....needless to say, no way my lx470 was towing that.

Martin S.

"10-15 events per year"....you owe yourself, for comfort and safety, a decent tow vehicle...not a short wheel based SUV vehicle. Long based, yes...I tow 6,000 Lbs with a Toyota Tundra, it's a 2006, only 270 HP, about 7,000 Lbs of towing capacity. It works magnificently with my ATC enclosed trailer. I have had Trailex AND Featherlike opens....NEVER FREAKING AGAIN.

Were it me, I'd be looking at a big Toyota...or.....by a crap wagon for a DD and rent an Enterprise diesel for tow dates.. If you can stow an open, you can stow a ATC enclosed. And with 10 - 15 DEs a year, buck up and spend the money.

Beantown Kman

I towed my Cayman on an open Featherlite with an XC90 for a brief time. It did the job but it was marginal in nearly all respects. I sold that car for a Cayenne diesel. The difference is night and day.

ShakeNBake

X5M does fine with a Trailex + full tire rack and GT car behind it. Having a full tire rack was the biggest impact on handling, more so than loaded trailer vs. empty.

To be honest, I am very much considering trading the X5M for a 2500/3500 series and an enclosed + a small fun daily. Mostly because as much fun as 600hp is around town, it's overkill. And I wish I could just leave the car and stuff in the trailer, and park in storage.

Beantown Kman

+1 Agree with you about the difference the tire rack makes. It's huge.

Once you get an enclosed trailer you will look back and wonder what took you so long to pull the trigger. It's so nice to leave the car, the tools, and all the other stuff in there ready to hook up and go for the next event!

Martin S.

The tire rack is the weight of the tire rack + 200 Lbs of tires, in the slip stream and moving the CG upwards, this can't be good. I have visited every iteration:

1. Rented an open steel railer just for the events,
2. Bought a used 20' Hallmark, 3,000 Lbs dry, used it for 8 years, added an escape door, internal tire rack and some other goodies...the escape door wouldn't open fully due to the fender well on the drive's side of the trailer...damn..I could have installed some board to elevate the height of the car..more weight arr.
3. Was then infected with the open trailer virus when a used Featherlire came up at an estate sale., sold off the Hallmark. Now the entry/exit from the race car would be a breeze.
4. Had a rire rack installed on the Featherlite, used it for about 6 months, made the transition from enclosed to open, got real good at rationalizing how good it was towing with an open trailer, the better gas mileage, went from 8 mpg to 13 mpg, and that's with a tire rack....but I am fickle, when it comes to trailers, easily bored (But no more..read on please).
5. Only to be infected with the "Why not a lighter trailer virus, why I could save 300 Lbs if I went to the Trailex!." My buddy had the big Trailex open, so bye bye to the Featherlite, hello Trailex. The longer ramps (compared to the Featherlite loading ramps were nice, bit a bitch (Tough on the lower back) They store in the center, so you have to slide them out pretty much all the way, then move them into the load/unload position.

A side note on loading an off loading the car on to ramps contrasted to the same on an enclosed "beavertail" trailer...you are driving blind up those narrow ramps...visions of driving off would re-visit me on every load/unload occasion. The visions were more intense with the Trailex as the ramps are narrower.

And speaking of rationalizations, I had convinced myself the loading all the supplementary track stuff into my truck cabin and bed was a piece of cake, NOT, it's a piece of sh*t. Fellow Rennlisters had warned me of this, but alas, I wouldn't listen....did I have some crow to eat.

5. Nirvana! I had concluded that enough was enough, I was going back to enclosed. Had it down to two (2) brands, Featherlite and ATC. I had a lot of difficulty making a connection with the closest Featherlite dealer, just couldn't get a straight answer from them on anything, other than yes, they are a dealer.

A friend had an ATC and loved it, so I looked at ATC. They mfg. several brands, ATC, Quest, Becker. I looked at their web page, Good God, I saw the the 20ft. they offered had two features I had to have, and seem to be exclusive to ATC/Becker/Quest:

A. Escape door (See enclosed pic)...pop open the escape door, remove the aluminum fender liner, and voila, you can fully open the drivers. The biggest PITA on an enclosed is getting in and out. Featherlite and Trailex got it, although with the Featherlite you need to remove the fender. Trailer uses teeny tiny tires (14") so you door will clear their fender with no removal required.

B. Increased track between the axels of about a foot, contrasted to other trailers.

So in my order went....you'll seldom find a used ATC, especially one with the Escape Door feature. The trailer is totally custom. You start with the basics and add options as you see fit. The fit and finish, the trailer construction overall is outstanding, 10 on a 1 - 10 scale.

Just think, they were to building me a trailer, to my order, and it will be all alumninum, and light. I was thinking all aluminum for weight savings...there is no significant weight savings! A 20ft. ATC all alumninum weighs in at a tad over 3,000 Lbs...my old Hallmark, a tad over 3,000 Lbs. Some of the ATC's weight is in the four (4) tires and spare, optional 235/80/16, VS 15" on the Featherlite and 14" on the Trailex. These are the heavy duty tires, cold psi, 80 Lbs.

I have rambled enough. Here is what I would conclude were I you, I suppose this is my point, if you can store the enclosed somewhere, go enclosed. It provides too many creature comforts that are must haves and no heavy loading ramps. Departing for an event is so easy, a quick review of your check list, replace what is needed, and off you go. The other good news, used enclosed are pretty cheap...maybe $3,000 for a used 20ft. Hallmark, or $6,000 for a new one. If you go ATC or Featherlite (Note Featherlite owns Hallmark), and you buy new, look at north of $17,000. Both have very good resale value...the ATC is lined on the exterior walls, not raw aluminum sheet as on the Featherlite. So good hunting. BTW, trailer was delivered to Becker, Las Vegas. My sales guy is Scott Rausch scott@beckercustomtrailers.com He is knowledgable, thorough and competent. He also has great follow up skills, a pleasant experience dealing with Scoot. Mention my name for a big discount

dbbarron

By the way, I'm on #1 right now, renting uHaul steel for long drives and towing with my son's '99 tahoe. I drive to anything closer than 2 hours. Mostly 4-6DEs a year and 6-12 AX. AX is an hour away, DEs are 1.5hr-5hr. Most people in PCA up here (Northeast Region Boston) used open trailers for AX and DEs to the extent they trailer.

I do have a large space next to my garage 'paved' in gravel for an extra vehicle/trailer. Squared off, I'm sure I could fit a 20' enclosed with tongue.
It would even free up a garage spot the 911 is occupying.

That said, I need to run the numbers on tow vehicles, my limiting factor. Want something other than the '99 Tahoe due to availability and reliability/comfort.
Unfortunately, I don't think a pickup will work for me. The largest capacity vehicle I could practically go with is a new Tahoe. I'll have to run the numbers on the Enclosed options.

By any chance, do you recall the gross weights and tongue weights of your various enclosed combinations?

db

Martin S.

With the two (2) open trailers I did't even check. On the Haulmak enclose I used a Reese Weight Distribution hitch..didn't do the to ge weight However on the ATC, I got serious and bought a tongue weight scale. Juggled the position of the car in the trailer to get 600 lbs, 10% of the 6,000 lb gross weight. With the ATC spread axels, it goes vey nicely, and it looks like I won't need anti-sway or a weight distribution hitch. I have a 600 mile round trip tow, in desert winds, and no sway, no I'll-behavior.

dbbarron

What year was the XC90? I think the new ones are significantly up on power (although that is certainly only one factor in towing).

Speeddemon944

So I have towed with a multitude of vehicles and trailers -

Toyota Sequoia (old body style, 4.7L) - Typical Toyota motor, made lots of noise but went nowhere fast. With an enclosed trailer flat roads were fine but hills (not mountains mind you, which were worse) sucked. It was stable though

2000 Toyota Tacoma with steel open trailer - I was at weight cap with the Taco - same story as the Sequoia with the enclosed trailer

06 Chevy Avalanche 5.3L motor w/ Enclosed trailer - stable and towed very well but not fast. The little 5.3 sounded like it was coming through the fire wall when going up a mountain. Great truck though.

08 Chevy Duramax 2500HD Crew Cab w/ enclosed trailer - AMAZING! Tons of power, very stable, able to do 80mph comfortably.

Same truck as above with a ATC 2 car triple axle 14,000 lbs. loaded. Towed well but the rear end squatted quite a bit.

12 Chevy Duramax Crew Cab 3500HD with both enclosed and trailers. AMAZING again. This truck get better gas milage with more power towing a much heavier trailer than the 08 diesel. The ride is quite a bit rougher though - 1 ton vs a 3/4 ton.

Trailer weights (loaded) -

- steel trailer 4800#s
- Single car trailer, Steel, enclosed - 8500#s
- 2 car trailer, Aluminum, enclosed - 14,500#s

My verdict is to get a diesel 3/4 ton at a minimum. They ride nicer, safer, better/same MPG. Also YOU MUST GET AN EQUAL-I-ZER for the hitch (or similar). They help to balance the tongue weight and reduce trailer wag. 1000000% safer than towing without.

Trailers of the East Coast

Coming from previously selling Volvos and now selling trailers, if your track rig is going to tip the scales just under 5,000# with a 5,000# tow rating, I'd hesitate to go that route. Operating anything at 90+% duty cycle on a regular basis just isn't a great idea, both from a safety and maintenance standpoint. Volvo lists the 2017 XC90 at the following:



So you'd probably be exceeding the tongue weight already -- I didn't see a breakdown for tongue weight capacity on a weight distributing setup, but on mid-size SUVs like that a lot of times they aren't listed.

At the bare minimum, one of the newer 1/2 ton offerings would cover you pretty well. I'm hearing a lot of praise from my customers on the new F150s for being quiet and efficient trucks. Most of my 3/4 and 1-Ton customers are going GM, specifically the new Sierra Denali trucks.

- Matt @ TOEC