batmanm3

Shopping for an enclosed aluminum trailer for my RS. (let me know if you have one to sell ...prefer near Vancouver, BC)

There is one available on the lot locally for a good price, but it does not have a driver side escape door with the removable fender (dealer says a special order option with a lead time of 8 weeks).

How much room is there once car is parked if there is no escape hatch?

Can the door be opened enough to get out (I'm pretty skinny) or do people climb out the window and leave the window down while car is in the trailer?

Does anyone use a winch? This could solve loading the car, but then the same issue arises when unloading...

Any pictures would also be helpful.

ExMB

There is a lot of info in the trucks and trailer forum. Even answers to questions you haven't thought of yet.

mooty

u only need 18' floor to fit.
BUT you will be VERY sorry to buy a 18'. i did and sold it aftrer 6 days.
you need a 24' floor. that's the most popular size for cars and can carry spare wheels tires and such.
you can tow with SUV but it's to tow with 3/4 ton diesel.
using winch takes longer. you cannot open door fully to get out. but you can open it a bit to get out depenidng on how fat and flexible you are. i do not winch, i can get out from door or window.

search for "24chromium" and in his signature line, you will see his journal on trailer. study that carefully and all your questions will be answered.

Stephen Ayers

I recently bit the bullet and purchased a 22' Featherlite. Why 22' you ask? :-) I had a 20' and it worked but was pretty tight once the car, spares, tires, bike, tools, etc were loaded. My challenge is my primary tow vehicle is 45' long and I didn't want to exceed the 65' CA max by too much... My backup is a Cayenne Turbo S and I thought 24' was pushing the limits of the Cayenne.

Yes, you need to climb out of the car. Can't really even open the door as the likelihood of hitting the wheel well is very high. We just installed a winch which I highly recommend. Will be invaluable that one time that car isn't operable.

We are still in the process of installing cabinets, shelves, ramps, etc. The attached pictures will give you some ideas on size, etc.

ExMB

That hook up looks like a PITA. Hope you'll get more room there once you install your other planned stuff.

DDWPartners Ryan

Airline track and over the tire straps are a must. Makes life way easier, best way to strap and never have any issues worrying about the straps hitting anything or rubbing on anything.

DDWPartners Ryan

Pic of my RS in my InTech. You can see the over the tire strap on the left and the A-Track recessed in the floor.

batmanm3

Great pictures...exactly what I was hoping to see.
Read a bunch of stuff over on the truck and trailer section...

I'm a bit surprised that given the number of custom trailers and cost involved, that more do not have an escape door and removable fender. Am I missing something? Besides the extra cost, is there other hidden downsides? ie. leaking, decreased rigidity, etc

For the guys that winch or climb out the window, do you just leave the window down so you can get into it to unload ?

@ Ryan do you have any other pics of your over the wheel strap setup? Does it require more room in the trailer? Easier or harder to use than D-rings?

DDWPartners Ryan

IMO unless you're too big to get out of the window easily the side escape doors are a waste of time and money. I just custom build my trailer and I opted not to do an escape door. It's several thousand dollars and takes extra time to open it, remove the fender, go back to the car, load the car, then put the fender back on, close the door, etc. I like driving in, shooting out the window and done. I did do everything else though on this trailer, all aluminum and was about $45k.

Over the tire straps are very easy to use, doesn't need more room, safer and the best way to strap a car. Never have to mess around with strapping through wheels, looking for control arms to strap to, etc. Many modern exotics don't have any good places to strap to under the cars so people go through wheels. I don't like that option either. I'll post a video below for you to see what they are. All high end car transports use over the tire straps now as well. Ultra low cars are a breeze too.

DDWPartners Ryan

Pic of trailer... All aluminum, smooth sides, all LED's inside and out, A/C, insulation, drop skirts, big wheels, big axles, recessed a-track, onan generator, power awning, etc etc etc....

scott40

Depending on your tow vehicle and trailering needs, you may want to look at an enclosed Trailex. Highly recommended...

Joe731

I went through all of this last year, so it's pretty fresh.

It's a combination of how much you are willing to spend, for how much convenience, how much resale value, how much "stuff" you want to bring to the track, and importantly, how much tow vehicle you have.

First is the tow vehicle. If you can tow 9k or better (F150 with proper setup), you have lots of options. If you are towing with an SUV and are capped at 7k, you are very limited. If the latter, you need all aluminum, and 20-22' as you won't be able to put a lot in it and stay under weight.

If you have tow capacity, next question is steel or aluminum. Aluminum is lighter, lasts longer, and has higher resale value. If these are important, spend the money and the vast majority of the extra cost will come back to you when you sell.

Next is how much stuff. I have a 24' and put my full size rolling tool box in it, along with spare tires, folding chairs, spare parts, etc, all with ease. You can squeeze all of this in a 22', but it just gets crowded fast.

Finally, convenience. I did go with the side door, awning style with the removable fender and I LOVE it. It's just so easy to get in and out of. My car is expensive and I just could not see crawling in and out of the window -- it was worth the money to get the side door for me and I could afford it. Zero regrets.

ATC makes a good trailer with an awning door, but they will try to tell you that you need to buy a fully loaded Quest with rubber floors and built in tool benches, when you don't. My 24' with awning driver door, and finished walls/ceiling, was ~$16k. If this is what you want PM me and I'll give you more detail.

montoya

Get a good electric winch with a synthetic rope and wireless remote. Then you don't ever get in the car, you walk along side and guide it in. Keep a slope in the trailer so it doesn't roll forward when you stop winching (electric tongue jack). Only problem with PDK is that you need a prop stick to get the car back in park to depress the brake. Reverse the process to get it out. Simple, safe, easy.

az audi

Mac tie downs and JimGlo trailer. Great setup.

ExMB

They unfortunately are not the only ones that think your trailer needs to be a camper. But if you hold your ground they will sell you one anyway. RL, IMHO, is a little biased in the sense that you will usually find an either all or nothing approach. Let your conscience be your guide. Also, not everybody is skinny or pliable enough to crawl out of buckets through a window without removing the steering wheel.