How the right trailer can make towing not suck | Column

ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) said:

Single axle trailers are great... until you blow out a tire. That scenario may have cost me what little hair I had left. 

That is why I haven't built a custom single axle just for small British cars.   Years ago I was towing a double axle heavy trailer loaded with a tractor down an interstate.  I had no idea that I had a flat on the trailer until a car pulled up beside me and this very pretty lady pointed back to the trailer.   It wouldn't have been the same if it had been a single axle trailer.  

In reply to frenchyd :

To clarify some of my earlier statements, our experiences with tires, both shared and seen, have given us totally different opinions on tires, and the damage they can do. 
That being said, the potential for damage is not better with a tandem. In thinking back, I believe that was a part of your point. And that is correct. My difference of opinion came from the words you use to describe that. 
 

In reply to spitfirebill :

I've had tires do a lot of damage, on lots of styles of trailers. Tandem can do as you described, but can be catastrophic as well. Singles can be no big deal (as F describes) or can be catastrophic. 
I had a front right steer tire have a complete blow apart doing 80 mph one hand on the steering wheel, and cruse on. On my RV made from a Semi!!! Was lucky and all the tire rubber flew out, and only did minor damage to fender. I just pulled over to side of interstate, and had the tire changed. 295/70R24.5. I have the tools to do it, but didn't have a tire!Only scary part was how loud the "explosion" was! Turned out the be as simple as F discussed. My wife said the coolest part was watching the hundreds of pieces of tire flying past the passenger window!!! " Wow. So that's what that looks like!"

If anyone sees a 14' featherlite for sale holler.  I'd love to have one but they seem super rare.  

In reply to 03Panther :

I do agree with you. I have seen complete fenders blown off  and damaged race cars arrive at the track from blow outs.    It can happen. 
   I understand there are people who panic and cause problems.  By over.reacting.  Diving on the brakes etc.  

  I'm maybe a little too casual. I just check stuff rather than assume. Then relax as I pound down the road.  

Tandems are a bit more forgiving of the balance of the load. But proper tongue weight still matters. As I said a little bit more forgiving. Tandems are a bit more stable while loading a car. Two tires can (not will, but can) give a slight increase in safety factor. To say there is non, is incorrect. 

For the minus side, buying 4 tires (and two spares if towing more than 100 miles imho) instead of two, and spares. I you buy a $50 dollar trailer tire, or a $500 trailer tire, a road hazard can take it out an hr. later! 
Tandem is harder to move around the yard, if you live in town (not one of my problems, tend to be a bit heavier (not a problem, if you have enough car) and some are longer, if going in a garage. Again, only a problem for some neighborhoods 

In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :

Featerlite  Are built south of me , I used to service them for equipment they used to paint and decal.  That's where Dale Earnhardt bought me lunch for the suggestion I gave him. 

03Panther said:

In reply to APEowner :

Used oil is only carcinogenic from skin contact, ingestion etc. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't try to eat my trailer wood (you do know that treated wood is poisonous and carcinogenic right?) and would not let the general public try to eat it either. And you can buy nitrial gloves (no medical license needed, at least where I live) while applying. 
I do hope you would not roll around on in in your skivvies. I know I wouldn't. 

And yes, I still grill beef, even though it's been proven to be a carcinogen.
what I don't do is pore my used oil on the fence line, to control the weeds. 
Let's keep a conversation in the realm of reality. 

They stopped treating PT lumber with chromated-copper arsenate in 2004 so it's no longer carcinogenic.  I don't roll around on my car trailer in my skivvies but I do lay on it in a short sleeved t shirt while strapping down cars on a pretty regular basis. 

In reply to APEowner :

I understand, but the change in 04, changed from a publicly known environmentaly harmful chemical, to a less known chemical. If it wasn't poison, it would not do the intended function. 

After the oil soaks in, it probably a lot safer than the treated. No, I have no fact to prove that part, but EPA, as an origination (not every individual) does not care about the environment. The org. only cares about money. And lies a LOT. Again not every individual. I can support that, but we are far enough off topic, so... back to our regularly scheduled forum...

This trailer is local to me.  I may go check it out tomorrow.  
 

16 ft double axle and steel deck.  

frenchyd said:

  I'm maybe a little too casual. I just check stuff rather than assume. Then relax as I pound down the road.  

I'm exactly the same, in my personal use. Different when driving under dot rules, but I hope I don't have to do that these days. 
But giving advice on the internet, based on one blowout (no matter how many miles etc.) that everyone's experience will be exactly like yours, is irresponsible at best, and could even be dangerous. 

In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :

Will do what ya need, and then some. Overkill is often just right. As long as it fits at property / house. 
That deck will save a lot of money / headaches over the years 

If your race car is a door slammer, make sure your open trailer has a removable driver side fender. Climbing in and out of the window gets old pretty quick unless you're an acrobat or one of the Dukes of Hazzard. I am neither. 

In reply to 03Panther :

What do you expect a properly balanced single axle trailer to do when it has a blow out?  
Remember there are 5 other tires on the ground pulling it straight. 4 on the car and one on the trailer. 

ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) said:

If your race car is a door slammer, make sure your open trailer has a removable driver side fender. Climbing in and out of the window gets old pretty quick unless you're an acrobat or one of the Dukes of Hazzard. I am neither. 

If you're not able to climb through a door  then don't get an enclosed trailer.  
     Or you can do as I do which is pull the car in straight standing outside of it steering, out of gear. ( neutral )  and properly tie the car down.  Then when you arrive at your Destination park slightly up hill and let the car coast back out on the winch.  
     Lacking that, use a snatch block to pull from the rear with the front mounted winch.  
 In short you don't have to be in it.  Hint; don't trailer a car in gear  it's hard on the transmission. If you are worried about the tie downs holding  put tire blocks in place.  

This trailer has removeable fenders.  I'm going to see and measure it today.  

They do sell enclosed trailers with "escape doors" and removable fenders so that you can drive into the trailer and get out without needing to climb through the window.

That said, I'm totally converted to using a winch for loading the car.  Much easier on the clutch if nothing else.

AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) said:

This trailer is local to me.  I may go check it out tomorrow.  
 

 

16 ft double axle and steel deck.  

That looks like a good solid unit.  I'm not crazy about the bar across the front but I could see how it might be useful for some.  If you find it annoying you can always cut it off.  My suggestion to check ramp lenght and thing about where you're going to carry the spare tire apply to this trailer as well.

frenchyd said:

In reply to 03Panther :

What do you expect a properly balanced single axle trailer to do when it has a blow out?  
Remember there are 5 other tires on the ground pulling it straight. 4 on the car and one on the trailer. 

You and I have beat that horse to death. Let it go already.
Your one time going well, has given you a mistaken impression, and despite all the problems you have seen, your one time is the fact for everyone. 
as the court drama say, asked and answered. 
Glad you've only had one tire problem in you entire life, and it didn't turn out badly for you, despite being completely reckless and irresponsible, by your own admission. 
Others have not been so lucky. 
None of the way you tell it, has one iota of relevance to this thread. 

In reply to frenchyd :

Excellent tips on load/unload/tie down. 

AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) said:

Okay so my search for a Big Tex 14' double axle auto hauler continues.....  I'm afraid a 16 ft trailer deck with tongue and a frame will be too much in my 22' long garage.  

A Trailex 8045 is just less than 21 feet long and is wide enough for most track cars

As a Trailex 8045 owner, I can say they're not hard to move around with a trailer dolly, either -- I move mine around on a gravel pad without much strain.  Balance the load right, and the only time you know it's back there is coming off a stop light.

And get the right hitch.

A load equalizing sway control hitch makes a world of difference.

I like the Blue Ox Swaypro a lot, but there may be other good ones.

I tow a 16' enclosed trailer and a 25' toyhauler.  Never a white knuckle moment, tows straight and true. IMO a good hitch is safety equipment just like good tires.

My buddy had an enclosed fiberglass TPD, pretty long.  Great trailer but horribly heavy.  So, hard on the rig (it had a yearly cycle over the Rockies, and one over the Siskiyous) on grades.  Lots of side-wind interaction.  And triple axles scrub annoyingly when trying to turn tight.

Next was an aluminum Montrose enclosed, duals.  So much lighter.  Great driver door, both front and rear also open.  Lots of miles with an E46 inside.  Towed great.

Decided to move to a Mustang class.  Good news, Montrose prices had gone up so much that he didn't lose much at all selling the old trailer as the Mustang wouldn't fit.  Bad news, had gone up so much that a new wider one was not in the budget.  I think it was going to be $30K.  So he's back to a steelie dual axle open trailer, I forget the brand.  Tows great behind a Tundra with tow package.

Two buddies have the Futura aluminum lowering trailers.  They LOVE them.  Not cheap, $12K ish.  Probably worth a look.  One of their model specs: https://bit.ly/3guWCea

In reply to APEowner :

agreed 

I think the "10% weight on the tongue" is often overlooked....causing the coupler to lift and thus sway side to side.   with the proper tongue weight, the ball centers the tongue preventing sideways movement.