spearfish25

It's a beautiful setup. Can I ask the taboo question of what the setup cost? I'm shopping for a similar trailer and weighing all the options.

Hoyt

jrbkarter - have you looked at using an adjustable draw bar? A good friend of mine uses the #9 draw bar on the following website. He swears by it. He uses it on his F-150 to tow various trailers and has had zero issues with it.

https://www.etrailer.com/Best/Porsch...ble_Ball_Mount

Just some food for thought

jrbkarter

Not taboo at all in my book. It's pricey at first glance but worth the cost in the end. Figure you're roughly around $25k to duplicate my setup +/- a couple of thousand depending on options/discount. My original budget was $12k, and I doubled it in the end, simply because rather than get a setup that I knew I would out grow in 2-3 years, I decided it made more sense to do it right the first time rather than go through the hassle of selling the old trailer to fund the new trailer. My particular setup gives me the ability to expand as I go (adding the genset+AC) but the main stuff that can be easily retrofitted after the fact (insulation, wiring prep) is all there.

Thanks for the link, I'll definitely check them out after I get some more measuring/weighing done!

spearfish25

That's great. Thanks for sharing. $25k really isn't bad considering everything you got along with customization. My only hangup with the Intech trailers is they still come in quite heavy. Trailex enclosed trailers are much lighter but then you're not getting all the great customization features you have. I'm planning to tow a Z06 Corvette with a Tahoe (ignoring all the gasps when you guys read that), but we're in the same ballpark in terms of tow vehicle weights and limits.

jrbkarter

I actually towed our previous setup (2007 build 20' ATC) with my 2008 Denali and it was perfectly fine. Again, in a perfect world we'd all have 3/4 or 1 ton diesels sitting around to be used for nothing but towing duties but that's just not reality for many (most?) of us. They are, and always will be, the premier option for significant regular towing but that's not to say a properly setup SUV or 1/2 ton pickup can't come close.

Weight wise you're totally right, the inTech is going to always run heavier than the Trailex unless you do a completely unfinished inTech interior. Which, I actually started at with my $12k price range. You can still add an upper cabinet, or an electrical junction box, and maintain the open spar/unfinished interior for weight savings. One thing to note is that the aluminum floor is lighter than any combination plywood/covering so that's a large chunk of where the added cost comes from. Using last year's pricing (both ATC and inTech have had to raise base pricing I believe 10% recently due to raw aluminum price increases now) a 3500lb axle 20' inTech MSRP was $10,625.00 and a 5000lb axle setup was $11375.00 (I only priced torsion axle setups but I believe at least ATC offers leaf options in their shorter trailers). Add in approximately a 5% discount and you're around the $10k-11k mark. The aluminum floor upgrade works out to $58.75 per foot (so 20' = $1175) but the ramp is priced separately- $625 + another $312.50 if you want an aluminum flap (you can already see where things start to add up). However, the customization really is limitless and gives you the ability to tailor the trailer perfectly to your needs-aka if you're using ramps that aren't designed for a flap- save $312.50 and don't option it! Anyway, apples to apples inTech to Trailex you're at roughly that $12k-$13k zone for a stripped inTech with the aluminum floor/ramp with 6'6" interior height. Weight is going to be right around 2200-2300lbs for that setup and will be easily towed behind a Tahoe- while still giving you a full height trailer allowing you to walk inside the trailer/use it while you're at the track. That was always my turnoff to a Trailex- they're really designed to be transport for the vehicle only- once you're at the track/event you're not using the trailer for anything. Perfect for show car events or events where you're detached from the trailer but for my HPDE activities, I'm basically in the trailer if I'm not in the car. I believe Trailex allows you to option extra height as well so that could be an option for some.

But really it boils down to really planning out and analyzing not only your basic trailer needs but tow vehicle constraints, vehicle constraints (aka my setup would be very dicey with a front engine car- I'd be way over tongue weight rating for the Cayenne), storage plans (my Cayman lives in the trailer 24-7, which really emphasized the need for insulation), and activities at the track. Even which tracks you go to plays a role and the type of shade system you prefer (more flexibility with a EZ-UP than a hard mounted awning on the trailer because you never know what direction you'll be parking the trailer in relation to the sun), etc etc etc. Once you've formed your outline of needs/processes, you can build the trailer to suit around that.

spearfish25

^Thanks! That's really helpful. The stripper InTech with some select customization may be a very good way to go. I'm going to call them and play around with some design ideas/plans. How much weight did insulation add? I'd like to use it as a shelter but if it's an oven that plan won't work so well. Also, how did you decide between the flat front vs other lengths of V-nose options?


My other concern is Intech resale compared to Trailex. One appeal of the Trailex is that they seem to sell second hand before you can even blink.

linzman

You're comparing apples to oranges. Both are great quality trailers with good resale. The trailex is MUCH smaller, you won't be able to stand up in it or put nearly as much gear in it, but in exchange, it is much lighter. All depends on what you want

ExMB

At the same time I've seen Trailex's sit for a while before they sell; especially if they are a far distance from their normal region which IMHO seems to be in the upper 1/4 of the USA.
Since Intech doesn't have a smaller trailer like the Normal Trailex CTE-84180 you should compare it to the CTE-80210HD (~$22k base). One big issue, at least for me, was the fact that on the larger Trailex I was facing a deck height that was almost 5" higher than the Intech which makes their pull out ramp angle even worse than normal. The advantage for the Trailex seemed to be that it weighed ~ 400 lbs less than the Intech.

In the end lbs = $ when equipped equally. A quick google search also indicates that a MY18 Tahoe has a 6400 - 6600 lbs tow rating (MY16 = 8600 lbs) and a C7 weighs 3350 lbs. Keep in mind that a lot of #s go into actual tow ratings; best to consult your OM.

You're talking about using it as a shelter; or are you wanting to camp out it? I would think that both trailers would be equal in regards to heat retention.

Disclaimer
1) I'm spoiled and use hotels
2) I let a fellow track rat stay in it and since the ceiling vent was open and the fan running he didn't complain much. He stayed dry and out of the wind compared to his tent.

spearfish25

ExMB

Link

If you are concerned about loading angle then Trailex won't be your best bet IMHO. If you need flood lights you will have to cover all sides. And don't forget the spare, rain, tires that might come in handy.

I like my Intech since I can stand up in it as well as stay dry with the escape door in case of rain while watching the action on track. Nothing better than having a cold one (not an adult beverage til track goes cold) watching while everybody else gets wet.

Its a slippery slope. There is no "one" solution. Also you won't need to worry about insulating the walls (previous post) if you don't plan on camping in it.

spearfish25

ExMB

Yes, and as I stated previously other #s come into play. A lot of it depends on how your Tahoe is configured and how much you load it. Based on that GCWR and axle rating come into play. Tongue weight counts towards GCWR. So lets look at the numbers. Tongue weight should be between 10-15%. Trailer and car = ~ 6500lbs. Therefore tongue weight can be as high as 1k lbs. Your Tahoe weighs ~ 5400+ lbs and has the max tow package with a 14k lbs GCWR. Based on that you have ~8600- lbs tow empty. Now deduct the tongue weight and everything else you load (including fluids, passengers, dogs, etc) from that GCWR. What is left is your true towing capacity. That does not account for the axle load.
Once you go enclosed you will find stuff to put into it and increase the weight. Just read RL and/or check with your track buddys.

jrbkarter

My trailer came in about 400lbs heavier than I was hoping after comparing a myriad of similar builds/weights. I do believe roughly 100lbs or so is due to the insulation but the real weight was gained from the multiple in floor boxes. They are VERY robustly built and when combined with the tongue box being ATP with the rest of the tongue ATP, it was quick to see where the weight comes from. Also, any A Track or E track is mounted to it's own aluminum backing plate so in addition to the weight of the track itself, you're also adding additional aluminum plate. It all starts to add up but honestly, the weight penalty was still worth the flexibility for my particular situation. However, as I've stressed over and over, you really have to drill down to every aspect of your usage and form your own priority list. There's always going to be some kind of compromise required without an unlimited budget and 1 ton or more tow vehicle.

As for the insulation- it's really only a priority if you're a) going to add an AC unit to the trailer (which will require a generator) or b) you're storing the car in the trailer regularly. Even then, both of those really only apply if you're in a hot/southern climate. Having been in an insulated and then a non-insulated trailer, both with AC, at 5pm in August at COTA- it's not hard to justify the weight and cost of adding the insulation. It sounds like you're in Florida, so you've got the hot climate part down, but it still boils down to do you realistically expect to want to deal with the extra cost/weight of an AC and generator. If you don't, then don't worry about the insulation.

As for slant nose vs V nose it boils down to why you're doing the V. If you're doing it because you think it'll increase your fuel economy- from my experience it's a negligible difference, if any. We towed a 28' TAG inTech 2000 miles to Phoenix and back to Dallas with a 2016 RAM 3500 dualie. That trailer has the standard iCon package 7' interior height. We then picked up a brand new 40' Gooseneck at the factor and brought it back to Dallas. Then promptly loaded it up with a GT4, a spare set of wheels, 10 VP fuel jugs, and everything else you would take for an 1100 mile away track weekend and headed to Road Atlanta. The 40 GN interior trailer height- 8', AKA TALL. Any guess on the fuel economy with those two trailers, same exact truck, over nearly the exact same mileages on three trips? +/- 1mpg at 75-80mph cruise. The best fuel economy was actually the empty 40' GN trip from Indiana. Toss a trip to south Florida and back to drop off one car and pick up another- same exact fuel mileage. We now have two flat nose TAGs, my 20', his 22', both 6'6" interior height, and we're still at nearly the exact same fuel economy with his new '17 RAM 2500 (and 3.42 gears this time instead of 3.73 in the dualie). Bottom line- we've tried a multitude of different trailer heights, trucks, gears, and have seen almost no change in fuel economy so the chances of a v-nose improving it dramatically are pretty slim. On the flip side- if you want to do a V-nose because of the added covered storage it gives you inside the trailer, then by all means- go for it!

From your description, aka if you want interior/exterior LED lights, etc, then I would suggest planning to just do the iCon package and delete things off it. I priced trailers both ways, adding in the options a la carte or doing the iCon package and deleting off. It ended up being cheaper to just do the iCon and work backwards for me but it could work out for you in the other direction. Regardless, if you just did LED exterior scene lights, no upper or lower cabinets, and limited your in-floor boxes to just battery and winch (since you won't have any cabinets to hide them in this would be my choice- but you can just have them floor mounted instead), you should be able to stay pretty close to 3200lbs empty, even with the fully finished (non-insulated) aluminum wall interior.

Pruettfan

Just beginning my research for an enclosed trailer I will buy in a year or so (doing all I can to delay but the day will come for sure). Lots of great ideas, I think the in floor storage you have done is an excellent use of space. I will steal that large box idea for the floor jack etc. I also like your cargo bar/tire rack idea, I think that is a great way to transport and store tires while being able to remove it (on a longer trailer perhaps) to free up space while at the track or just add flexibility. It is clear you took the time to plan this out very well. I suspect you will end up with a pickup at some point, I have tossed around the idea of just renting a 3/4 or 1 ton from Enterprise Commercial for track weekends so I don't have to own a truck to use 6-10 times a year.

911Königin