tneker Posted October 30, 2018 Report Share Posted October 30, 2018 Seriously considering shopping for an enclosed car trailer during the off season. We have been a 'rent an open trailer' team thus far given lots of things like: lack of place to store a big trailer, limited towing capacity, spending any racing budget on the car etc. So, assuming we tackle the tow rig concern, we could perhaps convince ourselves we can deal with the other issues. I saw the recent post about securing the car and cargo well based 55mini's post which was educational. We currently run a dodge neon which is about 14.5' and have a #$%@ load of spares. What are those big lessons learned or things to keep an eye out for when shopping the used enclosed trailer market? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross2004 Posted October 30, 2018 Report Share Posted October 30, 2018 Biggest thing I've learned is that trailer tires, by and large, suck. Check the date code; if they're 5+ years old, replace them. 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Todd K Posted October 30, 2018 Report Share Posted October 30, 2018 (edited) Outside the obvious checks to make sure it's got the room you want here's some to consider: - Suggest torsion axles over sprung but regardless inspect the mounting points closely for broken or missing fasteners, excessive corrosion. - Check the underside of the floor for rot, especially in the corners, you have to crawl under to get a good view - Check the tongue and welds for integrity - Make sure the break away electric battery for the brakes is current ( you will want it to work); make sure they engage when you pull the break away switch - Check the wiring to make sure no rodent damage or questionable grounding connections - Pull a wheel and check brakes / lining - Check the wheels and especially the inside - if you see grease flung everywhere inside a wheel it's a good indicator you might have a bad seal or bearing going bad or bad - Check the roof inside and outside for leaks and around any opening such as A/C or panel seams - Any D-Rings should have backing plates or be anchored to the frame cross members. Nothing like having a race car pull free from it's anchors inside the trailer. Those are a few I can think of. Edited October 30, 2018 by Todd K 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Team Infiniti Posted October 30, 2018 Report Share Posted October 30, 2018 Roof leaks, check for inside water damage, even if you care less, it could strongly play into negotiations. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlorahDorah Posted October 30, 2018 Report Share Posted October 30, 2018 To add to @Todd K's post: Nev-R-Lube hubs have a 5 year, 100k warranty, but if they go, it could cost you an axle. Ask when the hubs/bearings were last serviced. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technical Advisory Committee Andrew D Johnson Posted October 30, 2018 Technical Advisory Committee Report Share Posted October 30, 2018 1 hour ago, ross2004 said: Biggest thing I've learned is that trailer tires, by and large, suck. Check the date code; if they're 5+ years old, replace them. Yep, I was having lots of issues and then got some good rubber from http://www.trailertiresandwheels.com/ Those have been working great for us. We went with kendra ST225/75R15 LRE 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jab31169 Posted October 30, 2018 Report Share Posted October 30, 2018 Enclosed trailers rock! Everything everyone said above me is correct. Just make sure you keep it in tip top shape like you would your race car. I'll make the suggestion now that finding a trailer with AC and Heat already installed would be double fantastic. Could even sleep in the trailer if you wanted to save some more money. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlorahDorah Posted October 30, 2018 Report Share Posted October 30, 2018 If you are looking at sprung suspension, here's what to look for - ovalized holes and wear: And here's what we replaced them with (about $250 from Amazon): 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginerd Posted October 30, 2018 Report Share Posted October 30, 2018 Leave some room in your budget to install lights on the ceiling. Makes loading and unloading (for us this is often at night) so much easier. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wittenauer Racing Posted October 31, 2018 Report Share Posted October 31, 2018 (edited) Make sure to take what you tow with into consideration. Most 1500's will tow a single car enclosed at 65-70mph no problem, but fuel economy can drop hard. With our Ecodiesel, U-haul open trailer and 3500 lb car we averaged 19-20mpg at 70mph. 16 foot long flat nose enclosed with the same car is 10 to 12mpg at 70mph. For us, the pros massively outweigh the cons, but if we wanted to go to Daytona or out West every year, we very well might be renting/borrowing/buying a van for spares/tools/gear and putting the car on an open trailer. Get the wide version (where the fenders are inside), and a 20' or 24' if you can, and if buying new don't bother with any options that aren't related to better tires, axles, lights or doors. Insulation is nice (helps keep it cool on the hot days too!) but shouldn't be too bad to add later. E track, lighting, power, tire racks, etc are all easy to add yourself (and at a fraction of the cost) later. Converting a "cargo" style side door to an "RV" door (so you have a latch on the inside)- not so much.... Our Supra fits in my 16, but it takes some gymnastics to get the front secured and leaves you zero room for spares or to move things around to balance the loading. Normally the Supra goes on a teammate's 24 to go to the track, but his cabinets eat so much space that we tend to put tools, tires, spares, gear, etc on mine and bring both. If I were to do it again, I'd buy a 20 or 24ft with a V nose, RV side door, dovetail rear, standard height, on torsion axles. Edited October 31, 2018 by Wittenauer Racing 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustylx Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 As a team that ran an open trailer for a few years. Moving to an enclosed was the best decision our team has made. The storage is a huge plus. Our team went from a 16ft open to a 20ft open to a 8.5x24+3ft v. A few observations since our purchase. If considering a v-nose, extended tongue is a must have. Interior lighting is a must have, interior fender height needs to considered. Securing the car can be problematic at times as with the open trailers you can work around them. With the enclosed everything has to be done inside the box. Just keep that in mind. Enclosed trailers also become a gathering place during poor weather conditions on race day which is awesome. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jer Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 Get a 24, not a 20. You won't feel the extra 4 feet with the tow but boy will you feel it when you load. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technical Advisory Committee Andrew D Johnson Posted November 5, 2018 Technical Advisory Committee Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 18 minutes ago, Jer said: Get a 24, not a 20. You won't feel the extra 4 feet with the tow but boy will you feel it when you load. The 24' V nose we use seems about right for us. That said, I have seen @ABR-Glen put a tire in front and behind of his car in a 16' trailer and not even tie it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDChristianson Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 2 minutes ago, red0 said: That said, I have seen @ABR-Glen put a tire in front and behind of his car in a 16' trailer and not even tie it down. not tie the tire or the car down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technical Advisory Committee Andrew D Johnson Posted November 5, 2018 Technical Advisory Committee Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 Just now, JDChristianson said: not tie the tire or the car down? The car. If the inside of the trailer was 15.5' the car was 15' long. It was a few years ago, but I remember him setting a tire against the front wall of the trailer then driving into it, setting a tire behind it, and lifting the door pinned the tire against the rear of the car. There would be less movement than if the car was tied down. He loaded much of his gear into the trunk and passenger area of the E36. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDChristianson Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 7 minutes ago, red0 said: The car. If the inside of the trailer was 15.5' the car was 15' long. It was a few years ago, but I remember him setting a tire against the front wall of the trailer then driving into it, setting a tire behind it, and lifting the door pinned the tire against the rear of the car. There would be less movement than if the car was tied down. He loaded much of his gear into the trunk and passenger area of the E36. @55mini has some pictures of what happens inside a trailer when stuff is tied down that folks interesed in this method might want to see................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technical Advisory Committee Andrew D Johnson Posted November 5, 2018 Technical Advisory Committee Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 22 minutes ago, JDChristianson said: @55mini has some pictures of what happens inside a trailer when stuff is tied down that folks interesed in this method might want to see................... Yea I saw them. That can't happen with Glen's loading method since there is 0 room for the car to move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginerd Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 47 minutes ago, red0 said: Yea I saw them. That can't happen with Glen's loading method since there is 0 room for the car to move. Except right through the front wall of the trailer. That car would “kool-aid man” the trailer spectacularly in a sudden stop collision. 3 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technical Advisory Committee Andrew D Johnson Posted November 5, 2018 Technical Advisory Committee Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 3 minutes ago, enginerd said: Except right through the front wall of the trailer. That car would “kool-aid man” the trailer spectacularly in a sudden stop collision. At some point bad things will happen regardless of how you secure the car. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jer Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 I drove for Glen and saw that too. I was impressed. I guess in an accident it might not be good but what is? I still think tying down cars is probably a good idea 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABR-Glen Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 There might be some "slight" exaggeration going on here, but I won't argue that my methods would certainly leave some of you shaking year head. I don't think I've ever gone strapless though, two straps in back to keep the kool-aid man inside at minimum (oh yeah!) The original setup in the 14' trailer where we had to take the front bumper off just to get the car in didn't leave much room for straps in front though. I also build up some wooden chocks that block the tires against the walls or are bolted to the floor. If I get in an accident that totals my tow rig, I'm not going to worry about what happens to the racecar. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustylx Posted November 5, 2018 Report Share Posted November 5, 2018 I drove transport for a shop where the owner would use the no straps method to deliver and pick up customers cars. This was high end classics and performances cars. 71 cuda vert hemi clone cars and the like. I tried it once, never again. 2001 Camaro SS. slid sideways about 8in and made it next to impossible to get it back out of the trailer. Never ever again. 4 straps and tie down anything heavy enough to exit the trailer in a accident. Just my .02. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted November 6, 2018 Report Share Posted November 6, 2018 10 hours ago, enginerd said: Except right through the front wall of the trailer. That car would “kool-aid man” the trailer spectacularly in a sudden stop collision. The mental video playing in my head right now is excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logdog Posted November 6, 2018 Report Share Posted November 6, 2018 On 10/30/2018 at 4:41 PM, FlorahDorah said: If you are looking at sprung suspension, here's what to look for - ovalized holes and wear: And here's what we replaced them with (about $250 from Amazon): Whats that new setup called.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlorahDorah Posted November 6, 2018 Report Share Posted November 6, 2018 41 minutes ago, Logdog said: Whats that new setup called.? Dexter E-Z Flex Tandem Suspension Kit. We have Dexter 6K axles so used this kit: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HOAGBSI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 From the Dexter site: http://www.dexterpartsonline.com/product/K71-652-00 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.