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  Aggregated  SPEC 7 FORUM  General Discussion - what's going on!  I'm shopping fo...
 I'm shopping for a car trailer
 
 2/10/2010 3:07:24 PM
kbrew9194
80 posts
1st


I'm shopping for a car trailer
 (United States)

I'm shopping for a car hauling trailer - looking at a nice open one or possibly a bare-bones, small, enclosed.  What companies do you guys recommend?


Ken Brewer 1994 Toyota MR2 - #6 PTF
 2/10/2010 3:44:53 PM
Travis
279 posts
1st


Re: I'm shopping for a car trailer
 (United States)

Ken,  go to our links page. There is a link for Waco Bill under car haulers. He is a Spec7 racer and great guy. He will treat you honestly and give you a great deal.. He and his wife Michelle cooked food and provided drinks for anyone at the races the last few years.

 2/10/2010 3:46:28 PM
Travis
279 posts
1st


Re: I'm shopping for a car trailer
 (United States)

BTW, he sells both open and enclosed car haulers.

 2/10/2010 5:14:12 PM
mbuskuhl
220 posts
1st


Re: I'm shopping for a car trailer
 (United States)

If you buy a new trailer, Waco Bill is the best choice.

 2/10/2010 6:02:49 PM
kbrew9194
80 posts
1st


Re: I'm shopping for a car trailer
 (United States)

thats who I was trying to remember.. thanks!

Didn't see any open ones listed on his site.. guess I'll just have to go visit.  Once Uncle Sam gets my money back to me that is...


Ken Brewer 1994 Toyota MR2 - #6 PTF
 2/11/2010 10:03:21 AM
Chris Taylor
133 posts
1st


Re: I'm shopping for a car trailer
 (United States)
Open vs. enclosed... open is nice because it's widely useful if you're doing a lot of moving vehicles and whatnot, but when it comes to going to races enclosed is the way to go as long as you've got the tow vehicle. Not having to load everything individually into the car/truck/onto the trailer and then unload it when you get home is a real benefit. Plus you can spend a little time and a little money and have a specific place to put all your stuff, that way you can locate your spares, tools, oil, tires easily and quickly without having to fish around through boxes and totes or getting everything that's stacked on top of the box with the wheel studs, etc., etc.

Open trailers are cheaper and easier to tow, but in my opinion the benefits of an enclosed trailer far outweigh the cost/ease of the open. And then we get to the security issue driving between races.

When my family and I started racing (again) almost 15 years ago we did it with a van and a 15' box trailer for quarter midgets (kart size oval cars). We had room for almost 40 tires, two cars, two stands, 3 complete cars worth of spares minus frame, 4 tool boxes and enough supplies for a week or 2 of racing. Had lights inside and out for night racing, water for washing hands and parts washing bins. When my dad started racing we had use of a open trailer with a big secured box on the front of it, which turned out to be the best overall comprimise -- security for tools but lighter than a full enclosed. When it got stolen near the coast we hadn't been using it much because we'd bought a 32' open trailer that would fit 2 cars and a pit vehicle. Since then I bought a 53' open gooseneck that will fit 4 cars (5 if I go 6" overlength and risk the ticket from DOT) and am waiting on a 53' enclosed if it'll ever get delivered. Needless to say, I REALLY miss the enclosed trailers -- I grew tired of loading and unloading the cars many years ago, although at least with the 53' open trailer there's plenty of room to put boxes or enclose the wedge portion of it, I just haven't gotten around to it.

If you're looking at new trailers definitely give Bill a shout but if your budget pushes you to used trailers craigslist and eBay seem to sport pretty good deals on enclosed/open trailers.
 2/11/2010 2:13:55 PM
kbrew9194
80 posts
1st


Re: I'm shopping for a car trailer
 (United States)

I am pretty sure I want new, would rather not spend alot of time and money fixing other people's mistakes and lack of maintenance.  We'll see what the final budget looks like and what kind of deal Bill can get me... that'll probably make the open vs closed decision for me.  I've got enough truck for a small minimal enclosed ('08 Tundra, 11,000lb rating, most small enclosed are only rated for ~8k total weight so plenty of excess coverage).  I might miss being able to blast down the interstate at 75-80 though like I can with an open but the upsides sure are nice when we're not at TWS or MSR-H with awnings/garages...


Ken Brewer 1994 Toyota MR2 - #6 PTF
 2/11/2010 7:33:09 PM
Rob Lay
243 posts
1st


Re: I'm shopping for a car trailer
 (N/A)

 kbrew9194 wrote

  I've got enough truck for a small minimal enclosed ('08 Tundra, 11,000lb rating, most small enclosed are only rated for ~8k total weight so plenty of excess coverage). 

I have a 2001 Tundra, so yours has about 2k more pulling than mine does.  With the flat trailer and 3,200 lb. car I could go 8 hours to Topeka 80-90 mph 10-12 MPG.  The enclosed trailer is much harder, but doable 70 mph.  Whatever truck you have, an enclosed bumper pull is a pain with the sway.  I had a professional hauler tell me a 3 car 5th wheel is easier to pull than a single car bumper pull.  The Tundra also struggles on gas with the enclosed, about 6-8 MPG.

I'm actually thinking about moving up to the 2nd gen.

 2/12/2010 7:44:49 AM
kbrew9194
80 posts
1st


Re: I'm shopping for a car trailer
 (United States)

Rob - you're welcome to look around my truck and drive it a litle if you want.  I'd highly recommend it so far if you didn't want to step up to a 3/4 or 1 ton diesel.


Ken Brewer 1994 Toyota MR2 - #6 PTF
 2/12/2010 7:45:53 AM
kbrew9194
80 posts
1st


Re: I'm shopping for a car trailer
 (United States)

the sway thing is the biggest thing that has me concerned - there are some anti-sway kits out there but I'm not sure how effective they are...


Ken Brewer 1994 Toyota MR2 - #6 PTF
 2/12/2010 11:29:33 AM
Chris Taylor
133 posts
1st


Re: I'm shopping for a car trailer
 (United States)
The friction anti-sway is a joke... when you look at one and think about what it does, if the trailer does manage to sway it actually keeps it swayed over like that rather than doing any real preventing. Reese, I believe, has an anti-sway that works off the load leveler bars and several friends have those and highly recommend them.

Gooseneck/fifth wheel and triple axle trailers pull MUCH better than dual axle/poorly loaded trailers. A lot of that though is fairly obvious -- if you've got a small pickup with a relatively short wheelbase and are towing at it's maximum things will eventually get hairy under some condition. The same trailer on my 15k GVWR dually, even if it does start a pretty gnarly sway, will do little more than transfer slightly through the seat. Personally I wont put a lot of miles on anything that doesn't have 3 axles or gooseneck/5th wheel anymore... too spoiled by the comfort even with a triple axle tag trailer poorly loaded.

That said, the big Tundra with load levelers and a good anti-sway *should* be pretty comfortable and calm under most conditions.

Chris
Put 40k miles on a '97 F450 hauling crap cars all over Texas last year
 3/12/2010 10:17:32 AM
Rex
54 posts
1st


Re: I'm shopping for a car trailer
 (United States)

Bumper pull does fine if you load it intelligently. The only time I ever had a problem with sway was when I loaded my daughter's car backwards.

I will not make that mistake again!

Otherwise. swaying has never been an issue.

18-ft enclosed  (all steel) behind 1996 F350 single rear wheels

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