Trailers - towing and storage

[ckearns]

I'm starting to look into a trailer and dragging the miata to events (camping in lieu of hoteling = more track weekends), but my HOA precludes parking trailers on the street, and the driveway isn't an option. I'm leaning toward an enclosed over an open trailer for all the trackside benefits and to keep the car out of the weather when it's parked between events.

With regard to towing, my brother is likely going to be moving to DFW and he's got a Silverado 1500. Is that enough tow rig for a 7000# trailer with brakes on both axles and a WD hitch with sway control? This would be for towing to the TX/OK/LA tracks and we wouldn't be climbing any mountains with it. I'm ok with shitty gas mileage, but not so ok with too much weight or too little brake. I believe the rating on the truck is 8100-8600# or better and it's got the tow package (he drags around a boat in Florida.), and I'm pretty sure I'd be at 5.5-5.8k in the trailer with car/tires/tools/spares/overnight kit.

For those of you with trailers that you don't park at home, where do you store them?

Chris

[johnwag]

i towed a miata with an '04 Chevy Tahoe to 5 events cross-country on an 18' open car hauler with no trailer brakes. Never had a problem pulling it through mountains or stopping.

Now, for a comparison more along the lines of "7000lbs", I used the exact same tahoe to tow a 4000+lb lexus RX350 (packed to the roof, front to rear, with personal belongings) on the same 18' car hauler with the trailer brakes connected and had zero problems. The truck pulled it with no issues and stopped it with no issues, but having the trailer brake was absolutely necessary.

[GregW]

With my old 04 Silverado ext cab 1500 w/ factory towing package I towed a 85 s15 Jimmy 4x4 on a 18' open trailer from Greensboro NC to DFW with no issues at all.

[Webspoke]

As with the other posts, no issues with an open trailer for those loads and truck, but any 8.5x16-20ft enclosed trailer will add a lot more weight, and tremendous aero drag. The enclosed trailer will be a large strain on the truck, and you will find there are mountains between here and oklahoma! At a minimum at a gas engined 2500 series would be my suggestion. You can do it with less, but it will strain the equipment and your nerves.

[OZMDD]

As with the other posts, no issues with an open trailer for those loads and truck, but any 8.5x16-20ft enclosed trailer will add a lot more weight, and tremendous aero drag. The enclosed trailer will be a large strain on the truck, and you will find there are mountains between here and oklahoma! At a minimum at a gas engined 2500 series would be my suggestion. You can do it with less, but it will strain the equipment and your nerves.

+1
We found that an enclosed trailer adds tremendous drag and stability issues, between the aero and higher CG. We pulled a 5x10 enclosed trailer full of PA equipment and instruments, definitely under 3000lbs total weight, behind a 1/2 ton Conversion van for gigs and found the strain to be really surprising on even modest hills, much less the Arbuckles.
Flat trailers are much easier to pull and control. I happen to know of a really good deal on a custom-made race car trailer that is built low enough to not need extra ramps or jacking to get a very low car onto it, and has all the bells and whistles (loading lights, winch mount, heavy duty brakes/axles, locks for everything) for under $2500. Iain and I used it for the Houston Tour and ProSolo, and it pulled fine with my 92 1/2 ton chevy.

The other option for lightweight and enclosed is the trailer Mark Sipe uses for his RX-8. He'll be at the Divisional at TMS this weekend (I assume; he's at every other event) and you coudl check it out. Not cheap, but VERY light.

[jakepkoe]

The enclosed trailer will be a significant burden over an open one. But, I don't think you'll have too much trouble with a small enclosed trailer behind that pickup unless the winds are as fierce as we've seen them here recently. How big is the trailer? I'm assuming you'll want to be able to stand in it without ducking your head, so it will offer a pretty significant profile to anything but a direct tail wind. I used to pull a 4500 pound tall Jeep on an open trailer, and for cruising down the highway I'd rather have 6500 pounds of steel sitting flat on the bed. Getting up to, and down from, cruise speed is another story. Anywhere the truck is lagging a little bit probably won't be of any concern for the truck, just might annoy you a bit.

[ckearns]

Great feedback, fellas, thanks.

Looking into V-Nose trailers to help offset the wind loads and get a bit more storage area.

I was planning on a weight distribution hitch and sway control - something like this
http://www.reese-hitches.com/product...nion_Bars,7902
combined with this
http://www.reese-hitches.com/product..._Control,26102

(skip to 1:25 for the WD part or 4:00 for the SC part)
http://www.youtube.com/user/etrailer...FQE2gwodrE6HBw

I know an enclosed puts a 1/2 ton through a work out, but with good weight management systems it should take some of the frazzled nerves out of the tow and it should just be slow with bad mileage rather than unsafe. But, frazzled nerves in a air conditioned truck on the way home from the track should be better than frazzled nerves in my miata with no AC, rock hard suspension, no sound dampening, hot foot, and a horrible stereo while dragging a tire trailer. In either case, I don't plan on running in July/August when temps are at their highest that would put the worst of the workout on a tow rig with borderline power.

I may have to bribe my brother with oil changes for the engine, trans and rear end, but going the enclosed route would provide for sheltered parking when that next 'aww, hail!' moment blows through and eliminate lodging expenses in exchange for camping (I think I'm over 1k in hotels already this year.)

Chris

[general default]

One other item to think about is getting the car door open. Will it clear the fenders or wheel well boxes.
If not you can add some boards to the floor to raise the car an inch or so.
Make sure the trailer has trailer rated tires. If they are two years old or they don't know how old they are
plan on replacing.

[doc]

I use to do trailer hook up packages,and there was nothing worse than seeing somebody pull in with a tow vechile that did not fill the bill you could just see the fun go out of them
Take some time and look at several different trailers one thing is get a wrap around tongue and add a good trailer hitch to it and jack
Make suree you check warranty info with them
check with the insurance company and see if you are covered if someone elses vechicle is pulling it
you may have to get a different policy as most companies will not cover a trailer that is being pulled by a vechicle that does not belong to you
If getting an enclosed make sure you put a door where the car door will be so you can get in and out of the car
There are as many trailer mfg's as there are miatas that have been modified and shopping around can save a lot of headaches down the road
talk to them about the size of vechicle you need that will not wear you out pulling it
I had a bronco II with a v-6 that we used to pull a 17 ft charger bass boat but it would wear you out on the road
Talk with several mfs about what you are going to use and then get pool all that info
hope this helps