RJay

Yeah...944 huh? Is it that they break down a lot or don't have enough power to get up the ramps? Sorry...sorry... just couldn't resist.

ltc

Yes you can.

Just call the guys at Atlantic Coast Trailers (www.actrailers) and they'll order it from the factory (your choice of color) and install it. I added an overhead side cabinet to mine after I had it for a while.

KOAN

How was it pulling that beautiful ATC with the Cayenne? How much does it weigh?

mikew968

Any thoughts on finishing the interior or leaving bare? It would seem pretty easy to "ding" up the exterior with no interior liner????/?

Mike

camber799

Yes and no. An enclosed trailer CAN become your garage, shop, and shelter when you're at the track. A Trailex is very tight inside and it is difficult to get in and out of and therefore you will not use it in the same way that you would a full-size trailer.. Nor will you have easy access to many things such as tool chests, wheels/tires, etc. which you will use daily at the track. It is also much more difficult to load and strap down.

Thule makes a relatively low-cost and nice aluminum trailer that I see being pulled by all sorts of SUVs. It is more of a rolling shop/shelter than the Trailex. The trailex will certainly be easier to tow for a Toureg however and might be the best choice especially if you are tight for storage space. The space issue is perhaps why RJay bought his. I can't speak for him but I do recall this being an important (a deciding) issue for him. Perhaps if he had the storage space he would have preferred a larger trailer but I can't speak for him. What do you say RJay?

Atlantic Coast might be able to give you some references of Tuoreg/Cayenne owners that pull Thule trailers. See what they say. If they say the pull great with a similar race car and gear in tow then I'd be more inclined to go this route. You will be thankful for the access to the trailer when you're at Mosport in the snow or any track in the rain, cold, wind, etc. It can also be a good shelter from the sun. Get extra height so you can fit a tire rack inside.

camber799

This is a tough one I've agonized about before. The finished interior adds weight and cost (sometimes a lot of cost). If you don't want to spend the $ or your tow vehicle can't handle the extra weight then you should skip it.

Two benefits to finishing the interior?:

1. A white interior does brighten the inside of the trailer which makes working inside of it a little easier. Aluminum intereriors are darker.

2. Certain personality types can't deal with having an unfinished look inside. I'm one of them. I'd prefer the finished interior but this is purely form over function type of reasoning.

The real truth is that you can do anything with an unfinished trailer that you can with a finished one. You might need some extra support pieces but you can hang all the same stuff. he unfinished one will probably take abuse better because you won't worry about scuffs and etc.

The finished one will provide a more pleasant environment. If you end up using the trailer as a club house (like most end up being used for) at the track then you might prefer the finished interior.

I hope this helps rather than confuses.

mikew968

Thanks for the thoughts on finishing the interior.

The trailex is a great trailer but I want more space inside and storage at home is not an issue. I have a Featherlite horse trailer and it is great so i am inclined to think the same of an enclosed trailer. I talked with a salesman from ATC and I am starting to lean that way. The beginning cost is less and there are more choices on options.
The cite the lower weight over a FL as being better engineering. Anyone look at that angle?

Thanks, Mike

camber799

I think Featherlite make great trailers. If I were in the market for a trailer I'd probably put ATC at the top of my list. I don't know if lighter weight is better engineering. I do know that with an SUV, lighter weight is an advantage. If I were pulling with a diesel pickup I probably would look at construction quality. In either case you'll have a great trailer.

RJay

Well first, it was not a tough decision for me as I bought a very light used '05 Trailex that was virtually brand new from a good friend. Basically my trailer cost me about what a new 18 or 20' V-nose ATC with a few extras would have prior to shipping. I looked at the Thule, (formerly cargo pro) and they're very nice trailers. Only thing I didn't like was the plywood floor. I don't think its available with aluminum and no plywood in it. Had this trailex not come along, I would almost certainly gone with an 18' V-nose ATC. I am, as camber mentions somewhat limited in where I can park my trailer, so I can't go much over 18' even if I wanted to. My attitude was that simplicity of towing was the most important thing, the whole package car & trailer weigh right at 4000#s, I wasn't going to have to eat almost any depreciation on the Trailex, so thats the way I went.

For me the decision around which trailer was also tied very tightly to the problem of hating to drive a pickup truck as my comuter car. What this trailer does allow me to do is go with something like a Ridgeline which my wife is willing to drive during the week, which lets me commute in the MINI. Yeah! And if I can't fit all the stuff I need to in the Trailex, theres always the back of the truck (which is why a Ridgeline versus a Cayenne or Toureg).

Finally, as we all say to newbies all the time, the most dangerous part of tracking a car is getting there and back. Given that my wife and son come on a number of these trips with me, I wanted to have a lot of headroom when towing, particularly if I dropped the current F250 in favor of an smaller SUV or something. I needed an enclosed given the rust bucket potential of the cargo I haul, therefore I highly valued having the lightest package giving me the most flexibility as to what I haul with. Others probably have a different set of problems and you just have to weigh them in the context of your own situation. I'm sure the others are better in some ways, not as good in others. All I can say is that the Trailex is one of the more satisfying things I 've spent $$$ on. If you can live with its constraints, you will undoubtedly enjoy its advantages.

BTW Happy Holidays Rennlisters! Even you Camber.

BrianKeithSmith

Not trying to hi-jack this thread but I'd like to find out if anyone here on the board has ever purchased a Classic Manufacturing brand trailer - http://www.classicmfg.com

I'm lookin at their 28ft Dominator XT, and I recently saw one in person, and it looked very nice. Just wondering if anyone has one and what their experience has been with them.

Thanks,

Brian

camber799

I owned a 24' Dominator for several years. I sold it about 18 months ago. It held its value very well, and I had no problems with it. It towed very well. If I were shopping for a steel trailer I'd consider it again. There is another steel trailer mfgr. that Atlantic Coast Trailer Sales sells that sprays a heavy rubber finish on the frame (same stuff as the spray-in rubber bed liner for pickup trucks) that is priced similar to Dominator. I think I'd consider that mfgr. as well. The Dominators seem to have a lot of traction within the Porsche "crowd" so the trailer would be easy to resell if you decided to at a later date.

Mine had a diamond plate floor ( a very good idea), finished interior and ceiling, extra lighting, full cabinets, etc. Make sure if you order any trailer that you consider the celing height and the location of any interior lighting. With an enclosed trailer you will want to put a tire rack in it and if the lights are in the wrong place or the ceiling height is too low you won't be able to do it. If the tire rack is too low the car can bounce and hit the tire rack (I have a friend this happened to).

I also like having the ell cabinet configuration with the generator door and a closet on the right side for your driving suit/helmet, etc.

BrianKeithSmith

Thanks Camber!

Here's a pic of the inside of one that I am looking at from Classic.



Thanks,

Brian

camber799

Glad to help. The interior is nice. Be careful of the perpendicular light arrangement. If the lights are in the wrong location you won't be able to install a tire rack. My lights ran longitudinally down the center of the ceiling which created a lot of wall space for tire racks, etc.

ltc

No, actually you can get aluminum flooring, it is available, you simply have to ask:
https://rennlist.com/forums/attachme...chmentid=18140
I can tow my 20' Cargopro V nose with Cup car or 968 with the Cayenne no problem.....don't have to 'borrow' the bride's 05 Excursion 6.0L Power Stroke.
The trailer is also my son's karting trailer, so in between races, you will find it populated with 12 year olds, all playing PSP.

camber799

The image shows a diamond plate floor. What lies beneath that is plywood. Not a big deal if it is good, exterior quality and is finished underneath to protect it from the elements. I think RJay was referring to an extruded aluminum floor which replaces all wood components.