Keeping rain out of race car when open trailering...
 

I have a Spec Boxster that I haul with an open trailer and am looking for a good solution to seal up the windows for hauling when it’s raining. I have a car cover, but it nearly ripped off at speed, even when strapped down pretty well. I’m planning to buy some plexiglass to cut into a window shape, but some test-fitting with cardboard shows that there will be lots of sealing issues (the door doesn’t have a top rail over the window to help hold the plexiglass in place, the door seals have been removed, the fiberglass top has no seals, etc). If I use plexiglass, it looks like I'll have to use a lot of weaterstripping. I’m curious what other solutions you’ve seen for race cars on open trailers?

Thanks in advance…

Kevin

That is a real problem. I have seen on rare occassion open trailers with box tubing attached to them like a stake bed truck. A marine type heavy tarp was placed over the box to make a towable semi-enclosed trailer. The cool thing it the convertability and small size to still fit in a home garage.

http://i54.tinypic.com/28rfojr.jpg

Make some plexi windows, and then use wide painters tape to seal the edges if you end up facing rain. It won't be perfect, but it will do a good enough job.

We use cardboard covered in copius amounts of racer tape, taped into the window openings on our 914. Not the best system, but it works to keep about 95% of the rain out. When the car isn't moving, we have a tonneu cover of sorts for the cockpit.

body shop use a clear wrap to protect vehicles out in the yard. very sticky. might work.

Friend of mine came up with this, works great. Make thin plastic windows (I got the plastic from Home Depot) using the glass as templates. Hold in place with two rubber door stops on each window. Keeps the weather and critters out of the car.

I have the same problem. My plan is to have a canvass cover fabricated by a local outfit that makes boat covers. It will cover just the windshield, side and rear windows. I've seen boats tooling down the road with no trouble, so I figure it should work for a car.

This is my plan but I haven't pulled the trigger on it yet, so if anyone else has tried this I would be interested in hearing about your experience.

Michael

My car cover works perfectly. I have front and rear toe hooks (rather than securing through the wheels). The tie down strap anchors go right over the fabric of the car cover. Then when I crank them down, the anchors make a small hole through the cover, firmly securing front and rear. I then open each door, stuff a segment of the cover under the lower edge of each door, and gently shut the door, securing it on each side. I trailered it back from Daytona in monsoon conditions, and it stayed perfectly.

Removable Plexiglass windows - very easy to make with Home-Depot material, or get someone to do it for you. I use them on my Interseries Cayman.

Break down and buy an enclosed trailer. Unfortunately that is what I am thinking of doing. Also excellent storage for all the bits of stuff you only use for the track.

At the next race you can use other SPB's polycarbonate windows as a template and see the ideas they used to keep them in place. I know there will be 4 cars with plastic windows at ECR in a couple weeks. But yeah, they all look like they leak. I used to use crashwrap before getting an enclosed.

This ^^^

Good ideas everyone - thanks. One suggestion I got was to use the sticky clear carpet protection film sold to protect carpets from paint and mover damage. Looks like it is similar (but not as thick) as the crashwrap mentioned above. I picked some up today at Lowes (24" wide roll) and applied it to the car and it made a really nice, water tight, clear barrier across the window. If it will hold up at speed, it might be the easiest solution. Just not sure if hundreds of miles of wind buffeting will start to tear it off or if it will eventually puncture.

Has anyone done this and does the adhesive hold up to the road? I could easily double coat it for extra strength if need be...

Wow that is a really good idea for someone that can't have an enclosed trailer...

^I was just going to say the same thing, quite ingenious...