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Thanks! I'm not sure if you noticed how excited I was that Frank Stippler was one of the instructors at the Nordschleife Scuderia S7 event we were at together in September. He won the Porsche Supercup in '03 in this car, so it was fun to meet him and talk with him about the car at that event.
That is a nice story!
Think he is in car #5 in tomorrow's N24.
I've survived with a 20' non V-Nose for over 10 years now. I was limited to that size given my town's ordinance's on trailer lengths. Anything longer than 20' and you have to store it inside.
I have towed this trailer with an F250 Powerstroke Crew Cab extended bed, a diesel Excursion, and now my Cayenne Turbo S. It has three tire racks, cabinets, has held a portable generator, tool box, TV, amplifier, large compressed air tank, etc. I sleep in it at the track and have the back setup with a zip-up mosquito net so that I can sleep with the tail down and be in a big solid tent. As you get bigger in trailers your tow vehicle options shrink and they become more of a pita to maneuver, not to mention suck down more gas, etc. But the space is nice.
Cost no object, I'd have a gooseneck 34' on a F450 Dually, no doubt. How I'd hide it from the town would be another problem. But my point is, you can survive with 20.
Ryan: brand and model? Diesel? I am guessing 4x2 not 4x4?
Previous truck was a 2005 Dodge 4x2 quad cab short bed. Current truck is a 2015 Dodge 4x4 crew cab long bed.
My trailer is 2002 Pace Shadow GT, 30 foot enclosed box, 5 foot RV tongue, triple axle rated 15,000 lbs GVWR. Trailer weighs approximately 7000 lbs empty. Connected to my truck the overall length is around 59 feet. Current trailer is a bumper pull and while the dually is not required, there is a huge difference towing with a dually. In the hills and mountains the short bed single rear wheel made you pay close attention, not white knuckling, but kept you busy. The single rear wheel felt like the truck and trailer had an agreement to let the truck lead most of the time, the dually feels planted, competently in charge.
By the time you add tools, generator, air conditioning, chairs, coolers, spare wheels and tires you'll easily add 1-2 thousand pounds beyond the car's weight. For taking one car to the track I regularly scale near 12,000 lbs., car weighs under 3000.
This summer I will be configured for two cars, my Spec Miata and our Chump BMW at close to max trailer Gross weight, should be interesting to see how it handles.
I've survived with a 20' non V-Nose for over 10 years now.
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But my point is, you can survive with 20.
You can indeed survive with a smaller trailer, especially if there are reasons or limitations (e.g. Ordinances) that you must contend with in your local area. Storing a 35' rig takes a lot of space and storage facilities are another expense of you don't own sufficient property.
There are also a number of other things to consider. I own one race car and I am partial owner of another. These cars don't lock and when it rains the interior gets wet (no side windows). My 30' trailer allows us to convert the front 10' into a cooled lounge area and still have enough room to get the race car out of the elements. At night the cars go in the trailer and the trailer locks. Keeps radios, fire bottles, tools, pit bikes, etc. from walking away.
if you go with an open trailer or an enclosed without air conditioning you'll want to find a track buddy with air, stewing in the heat between track sessions in the middle of summer is no fun.
Maybe not exactly what you are looking for but here's my experience: I've been running a 18' Kwik-Load open trailer with fairing and E-Track under each corner of the loaded vehicle. The Kwik-Load is a roll-back type trailer with steel frame and aluminum deck. I also use RaceRamps 5" trailer ramps to help with the approach angle further. The nice thing about the roll back is there is no "break-over angle". The bad thing is, once you drive the car onto the trailer, you have to get out while it's on an incline... That's coming from a flat lander, though... Streets in SF can be much steeper. It's strapped down with Mac's over-the-tire straps with idler pulley and tire blocks. Super easy to use and lots of clearance for really low vehicles. I haven't seen hardly anyone else using them but I highly recommend them.
Tow vehicle is a 2012 Sequoia with a 4" drop hitch. I'm able to keep up with Texas highway traffic without huffing and puffing. It stops close to as quickly as without a load. (the Sequoia has IMO terrible brakes from the factory and I am running Hawk HD pads and slotted stoptech rotors to help with that. Though they squeal. Bad.)
The trailer has a winch but I've never used it for a car that moves under it's own power. It also has removable fenders which I've never needed to use because the door of the GT3 ends up being "behind" the fender when the trailer is in the loading position. (No tire rack offered and I don't currently need one. I'll need one in about 4 months and will have one built at that time)
Regarding tow vehicles, I can't speak very highly of Ford diesels as we've had some serious quality and reliability issues with our fleet trucks over the past few years. It's too bad because they have great power and the most comfortable seats for long hauls IMO. YMMV
Good post.
I have towed with a Sloan Qwik load, they certainly get the job done.
Many folks here tow with Cayennes and Sequoias just be sure to pick a tow vehicle with sufficient rating for the trailer and load you intend to pull.
IMHO a winch is a must.
With respect to tow vehicles, it is hard to beat the Dodge. I like to tell folks I bought a Cummins, it just happens to be wrapped in a Dodge. All kidding aside, the current 4th Gen Dodge has a great reputation for reliability, the Cummins is dead reliable, and the AAM differential is bulletproof.
Two generations back the transmissions were a bit weak, starting with the 48RE and now with the 68RFE the transmissions are very stout. They even offer a manual option though the torque is downgraded if you go that route.
Enclosed allows you to park overnight without worry. Garage away from home, leave tools/tires in it, hook up and go.
For a tow rig, Diesel or go home. Everyone here talking about how great or adequate their gas tow rig is---is simply lying to themselves. And get the larger transfer flow fuel tank installed. Double your range.
Guess I will throw my two cents into the mix. I am not a big fan of the enclosed trailer as I have had a couple in the past. I use a 26' open Texas Rollback when hauling one car to the track or I use my 36" open Load Trail when hauling two cars. Storing equipment is an issue, but there are ways around it when considering it is so much easier to load and unload the cars as an upside.
I upgraded to an 2015 F-450 from a 2013 F-350 SRW that had 50k flawless miles - I like having four tires in the back in case a blowout occurs, among many other reasons a dually is the one to get. Not necessarily an F-450, but an F-350 will be sufficient for most goosenecks.
I tie all of my cars down through the wheels. I never strap down a car via a component that is affected by suspension travel - body, bumper, jack point, etc. When you tighten down a component such as this, it has a better chance of breaking loose because it is under compression and affected by the bumps in the road (compression and extension of the straps). When a wheel is strapped down, the car is able to release energy from the road/trailer without fighting the wheels which are tight to the trailer - more solid connection with no movement. No, the amount of movement the wheel exhibits while strapping down has no effect on suspension components - there is enough movement/flex in the bushings to allow for this minimal movement.
This is a great thread. I agree with most that larger is bigger and 24' is the minimum ideal setup. But, we do what we have to do...covenants in my neighborhood don't allow anything outside.
I'm gonna miss the AC this summer for sure. The trailex fits nicely in my garage, tows smoothly behind my Diesel Grand Cherokee. I was nervous about buying a Chrysler product, but with 33k miles on it, not one problem. 25mpg in town and 15mpg towing isn't bad either.
05-27-2016, 06:00 PM
