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GT4 Trailering Info (My experience and specs for the intimidated)
Skip to II+ if you only what specs and no backstory. Long story short, it's not as difficult as I anticipated.
I-Rationalle:
So, I’ve had the GT4 for almost 2 years and I’m going to COTA for the PCA event this weekend. Last year I drove. I figured I might want to trailer this time. But to be honest, the info available on here here typically are a bit vague and combined with the info about glide angle, it seems to be a bit intimidating. I know I was. But, after doing some maths, this is what I found, and his hopefully helpful to some that may feel equally intimidated. The race ramp website calculations always told me I needed to have something special made and didn’t really provide any value to me. For sure I could have been using it wrong, but it is what it is.
II-Key specs of my rented trailer:
MaxxxD Trailer
20’ trailer flat bed with dove tail
2’ dove tail at end of 18’ flat bed
Flat bed is 19” off ground when parallel to ground
Dove tail is 17” off ground when flat bed is parallel to ground (2” drop on dove tail over 2’
That being said, the actual measurements from my car came to 36” from the bottom of the front tire to the very front of the front bumper. My ground clearance was 4”. So the glide angle calc was roughly the same as the thread above. ~6.5 deg.
IV-Method/Wood Ramp/Rhino Ramp Specs:
I used 5” Rhino ramps for my truck. Basically I backed my truck up onto the ramps (picture attached). The 5” ramps netted a 4” decrease in the trailer height. So now I was looking at a 13” height. I did more calculations that any human should ever do for temporary wooden ramps, but I just wanted to make sure before I committed to trailering. With the dimensions stated after using rhino ramps, I figured a 10ft ramp should suffice at a 6 deg glide angle. So made a 12x2X6 ramp with 6” overlapping (cut a slit) underneath the 5 foot ramps that came with the trailer. I then placed a 4x4 under the 12x2 at the very end. Key concept is that it needs to be place at the end of the 12x2, otherwise, as you drive up, it may rotate the board (pictures of setup attached). So the final dimensions, was a 10.5’ combined ramp (5’ ramp + 5.5’ un-overlapped wood).
V-Conclusion:
So, what I ended up with are the pictures below. I have never pulled up a car so easily onto a trailer. I know this post may seem a bit stupid, but since I tend to overthink a lot, I figure giving some hard dimensions (which may exist, but I couldn’t find or consolidate into useful specs) combined with what worked for me might help people be a bit less intimated to trailer their car. So if anything is unclear, let me know.
(Sorry, for the bad pics and grammar. It was night by the time I could attempt the loading and I'm tired, but figured if I didn't do this know with the dimension in my head, I wouldn't ever do it. The short 12x2 that are perpendicular to the longer one on the passenger side was not needed during loading so ignore it.)
Rhino Ramps I used to back my truck onto (I know it's hard to see, but will give you the gist of what I did):
The pieces of wood I used. I cut a 6" notch at the end of the 12x2 so I could put it under the 5' trailer ramp:
For what its worth I use race ramps RR-TR 11. Its a standard size, not custom like their website suggested. My car is lowered 12mm, and my BigTex CH60 trailer is 19inch at tge rear without a dove tail and 4ft ramps. At $600 the race ramps seem pricey, but they earn their keep being light, purpose built, and durable. Makes sense if you trailer often.
Geo: did you measure your tongue weight with your set-up?
No, not yet. I suck, I know. Totally irresponsible of me. Just going off butt feel. Tundra tows strong and I've tried to move it back a bit on the trailer. Didn't feel a difference.
I have to remove the trailer fender to get in and out of the GT4.
This is a pretty common problem. In my enclosed trailer, I screwed some 1x10 to the floor. I needed two sections together (I guess that's 1.5" total thickness) for the door to clear the fender wheel wells.
Here's a photo of my GT4 loaded on a Trailex 7541. I use 4" high Race Ramps and the standard trailer ramps. The doors clear the trailer fenders.
Bill - have you measured your tongue weight? Looks like the CG of the car is near the rear trailer axle. Might be light, but I suppose you have driven it like that. Any issues with swaying?
I have not measured tongue weight but I have no sway. Towed my 987.1 for several years with the same trailer and setup, starting my third year with the GT4.
03-01-2018, 02:01 AM
GT4 Trailering Info (My experience and specs for the intimidated)
