ZSA Motorsport

was having difficulty gettnig the Gt3Rs onto the Mission open trailer without scuffing the chin spoiler. tried long 2 x 10s which helped but the angle off that open trailer is steepish, even with their 8 foot alloy ramps.

so, someone recommended ramps from RaceRamps.com very nice. they have all kinds of ramps, for show, for doing work, and for trailer ramps.
seems to work pretty good though i STILL have to use a small 2x10 section on the very end of the ramp.

figured id' share that link since they seem to have good stuff, adn they do custom ramps as well, which i might need to try.

which brings up a few questions i would love to ask:

1. is it true that most enclosed trailers like the Mission or the ATC are lower to the ground, the deck height that is, than open trailers?
2. any other points, suggestions on how to get that gt3RS onto the trailer , the open one, that i might be overlooking?
3. if one were to get an enclosed trailer (i've been mulling it over), what would one get? ive heard good things about ATC. what size? gotta figure 20feet. i have the RS's and some mustangs, camaro, etc.
what about the trailex enclosed?they look pretty nice. anyone haevone? work well? i like the idea of those openings/awnings so you can swing open the door to get out. they do not look cheap. while i dont mind spending on a good trailer, those things are in RS territory.

any other ideas would be welcome.
thx again

FL Porsche

I too started out with open trailers and basically made a shallow ramp angle by putting boards under the end of the ramp, etc. Or you can remove the lip spoiler and re-install it each time (not very practical)
I then investigated all of the enclosed trailers at many track events and decided on the ATC enclosed, liked the fact that it is primarily aluminum, modern design, customizable, etc.
I am on my second ATC. The first was 22', then after a year I ordered a 24+ v nose after observing many other goodies at the track. I traded my 22 in against the newly ordered 24. I picked it up at the factory and had them add some more items after I finished the factory tour. Extremely nice and accommodating team.
Also, they engineer the trailer for the types of car(s) you plan on putting in the trailer, this includes, axles, tie down points, ramps (ramp angle), etc.
I use the trailer for my GT3 and my muscle cars.
I pull it with a Ford F450 dually, prior to that I had the F250; both diesels.
I found a great dealer via this site, he is in OK, Rezner Trailers. Bob Rezner. http://www.reznertrailers.com/index.htm

OldGuy

Steve are going to go to the track? good on you man!!
if thats the case you want enclosed. It will have an awning for the sun when you are out there
and if you go out of town then no one knows whats inside. like your 140K car and tools and spares
etc.
Lots of grease and grime out in the outside air. Also if you buy used (and in todays market that means next to new for 50% or more off) you will get a steal. I am amazed at all the trailers and trucks that are for sale now due to fuel costs. Most of it knee jerk reactions to the bump in fuel now that its falling back to under $4 a gallon.

try http://www.race-cars.com/
and sites like that.

pdxjim

What you might try with the trailer attached to the tow vehicle is to jack up under the hitch to raise the front of the trailer, easing the angle into the trailer.

OldGuy

Jim thats a great point. We used to do that too as well as but some 2 X 6s and but them at a 45 degree angle and build little ramps with those to improve the angle we just made with the tongue jack.

GT3 Nut

Taking the lip spoiler off each time is a breeze. That is easier than messing with 2x10's. There is only 2 plastic screws - one on each side. Take them off and leave them off. Then the spoiler just snaps off and on. After you do it once you will see what I mean.

OldGuy

When the Truck driver came to pick up my GT3 and deliver the AMG ( Moment of Silence please.....................................)

We took off the lip spoiler in 30 seconds and he left it in the cab for the trip.
The problem with Steves car is they are in such good shape that the 2 little screws are probably
still in the car and the lip wont come off as easy as ours do.

lawjdc

I use race ramps also. Pull off the front spoiler and you won't have to mess with all the other stuff. PM me and I will send you photos.

khaug

I went from towing my '88 Carrera on a Trailex open trailer to a Trailex 22' enclosed trailer when I got my GT3. Multiple issues arose:

-MPG with my 4Runner V8 went from 14-15 to 9-10, because of the additional aero drag and weight (weight went from ~4000 to ~5500). The 4.7L 4Runner wasn't robust enough to tow the new rig in top gear, so I'm now towing with a Touareg V10 TDI (553 lb/ft), which is sweet and returns 14-15 mpg, but oh the bucks!

-The enclosed Trailex is much more difficult to tow and maneuver due to visibility issues. You WILL need extension mirrors if you go to any enclosed trailer.

That said, I mostly like the enclosed Trailex. Its 11' standard ramps are adequate to load my GT3 with only two short pieces of 2x6" at the ends of the ramps to provide a bit of additional spoiler clearance. Too, the trailer is an ideal winter storage place - sealed and varmint-proof.

If you get a Trailex, I'd recommend you do what I did and replace the OE Chinese tires with oversize Goodyear Marathon radial trailer tires. Very cheap insurance. You do not want trailer tire failure to spoil your tows!

TurboCup87

Too, the trailer is an ideal winter storage place - sealed and varmint-proof.

Don't leave your car in a leaf spring Trailex (or likely, other brands).... the springs can sag or even fail. It won't happen quickly, but it can happen. Longest I've left mine on was 8-10 days.




If you get a Trailex, I'd recommend you do what I did and replace the OE Chinese tires with oversize Goodyear Marathon radial trailer tires. Very cheap insurance. You do not want trailer tire failure to spoil your tows![/QUOTE]

+10 I've had enough trailer tire failures over 15 years. Unfortunately, the set of GY Marathon trailer tires I just ordered are made in...China, not NZ where they were previously made. Presumably, they're the same tires. Make sure you get fresh tires. Ask the date when you order.

ZSA Motorsport

well, decided to go with the 20 footer, the Mission aluminum trailer for the moment. Trailer Outlet about 40minutes away had a few options, some very nice ATCs, mostly 22footers, a mission 22 footer, etc. the mission 20footer was really nice with cabinet and lighting packages, nice flooring, nice lighting on the exterior, very slick. the problem i had with it was that it was extra tall, and it just felt really long. im not sure exactly where im going with the cars, maybe some lite track use on one of them, plus traveling to vermont ,etc.

so, i decided to go with anice mission 20footer. the beavertail and angle was really good. a tad nicer than the atc mainly due to lowerrated axles. not over done, basic flooring but what was nice was it was a V nose so you get an extra free two feet over the tongu eof the trailer.20 feet internal plus 2 in the nose. and it was really well priced, on sale, plus he gave me almost exactly what i paid for for th eopen trailer he previously sold me. 10k retail before discounts and trade. can always upgrade, i know where the guy is located!<G>

its kind of hard to know exactly what i need and i'd hate to gotoo big, too long, too much. dont want to feel overwhelmeved for the 10, 12 times/year it gets used.

they were able to installl some flip down 6 feet additional ramps, which with the bumpers on the outside of the tailboard shoudl make it perfect.

we shall see.

ZSA Motorsport

check out these ramp extensions. pretty neat design.

http://www.buffaloespeedenterprises.com/320086.html
they have their drag ramps and regular ramps, about 100 or 135 inches. wow. thats long. . what i find neat is the way they anchor them on sliding hinges on a pole on the back door so you can quick adjust to whatever tire width you got.

pretty neat. anyone ever use them? seems like a well thought design.
my only concer n is their being only 10inches wide. probably sufficient but man, why not 12 or 14 to handle wider tires especially sinc ethose drag cars have wicked wide setups.

which brings up a good queston about ETrack placement....
I have the trailer shop putting 2 x 10foot extra stripes X 2 along the trailer. the rears i planned on having a bit wider than the front to match up with the centers of each of the front/rear tires on the RSs. i've used the etrack before and its pretty neat. what spacing between the front and rear etracks do you guys use? i measure it about 59 inches center of rear tire to center of rear.
and 54/55 for center of front tire to center of front tire. anyone able to confirm that?

todinlaw

I have a trailex open trailer, easy to toe. I was thinking about storing my car on the trailer over the winter, any issue or concern about keeping the weight on the trailer for an extended period of time?

MagicMtnDan

There's more to towing than HP and torque. GVW and wheelbase of the tow vehicle are quite important. Your Touareg may pull the load OK but it may not be up to the task of dealing with all that weight and length. I wish you continued success but strongly recommend a more suitable tow vehicle. JMHO.

TurboCup87

I was told early on not to store the car on my trailer. There were a coupla stories of people who did and the springs sagged or failed. I have no idea about the veracity of these stories. I would call Bill or Carl at Trailex. They should know.

Are you going to the NOR or Allegheny DEs at the end of the month? I'll be there. We should say Hello! Mine is a SY 2004... on a Trailex