shizzle

I'm planning on ordering an ATC 24' CH305 trailer this fall, and i'm wondering what people thing about a few different 'nice to have' options. I plan on towing my RS, and all of my tools, jack and accessories will easily fit in the cabinets. I won't be storing fuel jugs or anything like that in this trailer and it will be stored empty over the winter.

1. Salem vents - are these really useful?

2. Winch - Do you prefer having it in-floor, or in the cabinets at the front of the trailer?

3. Other than looking cool, does anyone ever get the extended 4" and 7" rub rails?

Has anyone done a 22' trailer with cabinets in the front, or is it too short? Not so concerned about weight, I'd just prefer to keep things compact for driveway/storage space.

dogger15

Think of flow through ventilation more as a safety precaution. I have always specified Salem vents or the equivalent on every race trailer I have ever bought.
Fuel, whether in the car or in jugs, in an enclosed space leads to fuel fumes. Probably not the best situation if some kind of ignition source presents itself.
ATC also offers a straight flow through vent system if you don't want the ability to close the vents off.

I don't want anything taking up what little cabinet space I have. I even had my winch and trailer batteries mounted in the floor to free up more space.

If you're talking about the top and bottom trim, those sizes are standard on the 305.

One option you might want to consider, ATC trailers don't come with bogey wheels as standard equipment. They use a skid plate instead. Even the lowest
driveway to street transition can cause a "ramp" strike with a 24' trailer so a pair of bogey wheels will be useful in keeping the bottom of your trailer and
the concrete on your driveway pristine.

ExMB

Escape door over wheel well

shizzle

Would you still add them if you didn't keep fuel in the trailer?

Agreed. I guess its more of an issue in a 20' trailer where things get tight. In floor at 24' should be no issue.

Oh, I thought that was an option, cause on my build sheet, it shows as optional (only $300CAD, but still).

Brilliant! Not a problem for my driveway, but the tunnel at the Glen is seriously steep.

Absolutely. To me the escape door is a must which is why I never bothered mentioning it.

jlanka

If you put the winch in the floor, how do you get the height above the floor for the cable when using it?

shizzle

With the ATC in-floor prep, there's a special bar with a roller that you put into a slot. That gives it the height. You can see the bar and slot in the picture.

dogger15

Yes, storing or keeping fuel in the trailer when not in use should not be your only concern. You will be transporting fuel (in your car) in a fairly air tight, small space. There may or may not be fumes present after the car has been "shake, rattled and rolled" to your destination. With ventilation, those fumes are forced out of the space while underway. Without ventilation, all the ingredients are there for something bad to happen. By the way, most manufacturers will advice you to keep your pop up vent closed while underway, so that's not a good option. I know many say they leave there pop up vents cracked with no problem, I used to be one of them until I arrived one time with a missing vent cover and a big hole in my roof at a rain soaked race.

This is strictly advice based on an abundance of caution and having witnessed a trailer fire resulting in the loss of the trailer, contents and tow vehicle. In this instance, the trailer contained a drum of VP C12. Once that torched off, it was like a scene out of "Apocalypse Now".

True statement. When I first started looking at ATCs, I went from 20' to 28' and everything in between. With my car length of 15' and a 20' trailer, the winch was going to have to be in the cabinet.

That doesn't sound right. Check out this link:
http://www.aluminumtrailer.com/produ...dCarHaulers/65
Scroll down to "Exterior" and read what's standard. You shouldn't be paying extra for that.

nxfedlt1

I don't have the salem vents, but I might add them to my next trailer. If I go that route, I think I'll also add additional air intakes to try and "move" more air through the trailer. If fire is of concern, I would just add a fire suppression system or two, but at the same time, I never plan to store or transport fuel in the trailer.

As to the winch in the floor/cabinet, also think about putting your batteries in the floor as it will free up even more space, which you'll need in a 20-24' trailer. I added additional storage behind the axles in the floor where my floor jacks and stands go plus in floor spare tire. In my next trailer, there will be at least 4 to 6 in floor boxes.

Mine is a 22', not sure if going to 24' would satisfy my space requirements. 28' would, although the more space I have, the more things I am going to justify taking with me. At this point, I take 3 extra sets of wheels/tires, tools, extra brake calipers/pads/rotors, air compressor, folding chairs, protective equipment, fluids etc. What I wish I had space for is either a pit bike or golf cart and data. I wish I had windows too, or plexi-glass sliding doors so I had more natural light. I would have plumbed my exterior air outlets to each corner of the trailer too.

Drew_K

Put a Maxxair vent cover over your vent and you can drive with the vent open without any issue. It also allows you to open your vent while parked in a full rain without letting water in the trailer.

Wireless remote control winch in the floor is the way to go. That's the way my Intech is set up, with the roller bar shown above raise the rope off the floor.

I'd also look into insulating the trailer. It really helps, especially if you're going to add AC as I did.

Trailers of the East Coast

ATC dealer here!

The 4" upper/ 7" lower rub rail option will come as part of the package on all CH205/305/405 trailers. It is not, however, standard on the base Quest model trailer. When you select the option for the polished cast corners/verticals/top radius, the heavier upper and lower rub rails are added by default. 3" upper/lower are the standards.

If anyone has any questions about the options on ATCs, I'm more than happy to answer them.

- Matt @ TOEC

Trailers of the East Coast

This is one of the newer winch setups as well with the synthetic rope -- if you add your own winch make SURE you get this option as if it contacts the floor it won't dig in like the cables will.

Maxxairs are a must have if you're going to run the standard roof vent. No rain entry, less worry about stuff busting the cover. Money well spent.

Insulation is a case by case basis, but ATC offers several options from low cost 1" "white board" EPS (R-3 value) to spray foam (R-16+).

Lou D

I have an ATC and one of the best options I ordered was the docking lights -- small lights mounted on the sides about 3 feet from the rear of the trailer. On those occasions when you arrive home after dark and need to back your trailer in next to a structure, they let you see where the rear corner of the trailer is in relation to the surrounding area.

I also ordered the electric wiring option which has a plug for a generator input and several 110 outlets throughout the trailer wherever you want them. I also got some fluorescent lights in the ceiling.

In floor battery with the charger and some LED lights.

Don't forget the electric jack up front and the scissor jacks in the rear in case you ever want to load or unload your car without having to hitch up to your tow vehicle.

L-Track tie down rails mounted around the walls of the trailer to allow for easy fastening of stuff.