Truck Trailer combo - will it work?

[Ron Earp]

Look, Malcolm and I traveled to Donnington towing his GT40 with the rig that is attached. Surprisingly it did just fine with the eight hour round trip. Folks in Europe manage to "do more with less" when it comes to towing. Car doing the towing is an Audi, I think the 2.8L FWD V6 and it was equipped with a manual tranny of course.

 

[Mike Christian]

How does this one look as a start?

16' steel deck car hauler

the*CT 16* is 80" betweeen the fenders. the trailer weighs in at 1300 lbs and a GVWR*of 5499 payload is 3999 lb . two 3500lb axles with an angle iron frame , brakes on both axles.the runners are 24" wide with a 32" gap. 4" drop axles and beaver tail. the lite frame is the reason for the lite rating. the trailer uses a 205 / 75d 15 tire ( bias) and i like to be real honest about these tires, they are about a 5000 mile tire.replace with radials as soon as they start to get bald. 2 5/16 ball and a 7 way RV plug.16" to the top of the ball. 4' ramps.*



I need to check dimensions.

 

[Doc Kaler]

Mike,

I know this one is more costly, but I have had great success towing both a Viper and the SL-C on this platform. It's major advantage is it can load a low ground clearance vehicle and the side fenders are removeable if needed. I have a 9000 lb winch on a receiver hitch welded on the platform under the stone guard to help with a nice controlled on/off.

Kwikload Rollback Trailers

 

[Al Jones]

My Explorer will tow a 16' steel deck double axle car trailer and car without much problem but it's a v8(302HD) and has the towing pkg w/ 3.73 locker, trans cooler,heavy duty elec sys, heavier sway bars. Even with that, you don't want to tow without locking out the OD, which is the standard recommendation, and it will downshift on most hills. I went to an Expedition and this handles the job much better. The 5.4 Exp also has the 3.73 axle and comparable tow pkg so the comparison is apples-apples. It doesn't feel the hills so much and it is more stable (6000lbs vs 4500, longer wheelbase).
The Jeep trans and cooling system will expire rather quickly if used hard and frequently and the handling, minus the tow pkg, will keep you working. The suggestion to get an older pickup or a Suburban was a real good one. I had two 'Burbs and they were excellent tow rigs. You won't arrive at the track feeling like you've already driven an endurance race! And.. the Jeep will be working so hard on the hills, the gas mileage won't be much different than a rig made for the job. A.J.

 

[Mike Christian]

Thanks Doc and Al,

I have installed a trans cooler and a class 3 hitch on the Jeep Cherokee. The Jeep is rated for 5000 lbs as is the hitch. I might add a trans temp gauge too. Since I will be towing maybe twice or three times a year, I want to try it instead of adding another car to my stable (8 already). I am looking for a lightweight trailer and came upon this one at 1300 lbs. Of the cars I would tow, the GT40 is the heaviest. The other is around 1500 lbs (550 Porsche spider replica). How do you think this trailer would work under those constraints? It has dual electric brakes (I still need to add a brake controller). I would also add a winch and may a windbreak/front rock guard.

What do you think?

 

[Chuck]

We use a 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the small V8 to pull the GT in a Serpant Express aluminum trailer. Pulled it to Road America in 2009 with no difficulty. We did add a winch and a controller, of course.

Used the same rig to pull a 1965 Mustang, although the cover had to be removed. It worked just fine.

The Jeep wil handle it.

www.Serpentexpress.com

The 14' trailer, which is barely long enough for the GT, weighs 1200 pounds.

Hope this helps.

 

[David in Durango]

1st, you want to be safe - pay attention to the brakes.
2nd (IMO) all autotrans vehicles need a good cooler just to drive around. You might want to add a temp gauge (so you know when you are cooking the trans).

If you are towing a couple of times a year, why not rent a U-haul? just a thought.

 

[Howard Jones]

Spider, the one you have a picture of above is just fine for your needs. I have nearly the same trailer (it could be the identical, it's had to tell from a picture). As far as it's ability to handle the job it will be fine. I am going to pull mine down to Willow Springs in May for the third time. Never had a problem with a light duty V6 F150.

The main thing is height above the road of the deck. If it's like mine then its perfect for a GT40.

Just drive like an adult and you will be fine. 60-65MPH on I5 is about right. Just find a truck going that fast and follow him at a nice safe distance and listen to a few CD's.

The really good news is that your GT40 is so low on that trailer that it nearly does not increase drag and at contant speed there is almost no additonal reduction in fuel mileage. Mine is well below the tailgate in height. I get about 13-14MPG towing on flat ground like I5.

 

[Mike Christian]

Thanks Chuck, David and Howard,

I will add a trans temp gauge, a good brake controller and a winch. I want to try to get some use out of this Chrokee.

David, I will be moving the GT40 between houses in CA and OR and it will be one way...making UHaul cost prohibitive.

 

[Al Jones]

The Jeep will do OK if, as you say, it will only tow a few times per year. When you set up the controller, start with the 'gain' setting at MINIMUM and adjust till you feel the trailer just pulling you down, not too much or the trailer will lock prematurely. Don't forget to use a breakaway set-up that will lock the trailer brakes (electrically) if the trailer gets loose. A winch is a necessity. I used a cheap 2500lb unit from Summit as well as their tie-down kit (comes complete in it's own bag - add one of their 2-into-one 'Y' links, too). The other thing you may want to invest in (or build) is a set of ramp extensions that will allow loading of the 40 without scraping the nose. See the attached photo, and if you (or anyone else) want the plans/dimensions for these, let me know. Very inexpensive to fabricate, no special tools. You can build them for less than it would cost me to ship them to you.

 

[Mike Christian]

Thanks Al! Yes, I would like more information on your ramp extensions...

Mike

 

[Al Jones]

I will be 'defrosting' the car and ramps from their New England 'igloo' this week and moving it to a larger working area. At that time I will take some photos to include with the plans and send them on to you or any other interested party. These are simple to construct and lighter than you would suspect. They will hold anything you can put on a 16-18' trailer. The only variable is the resting angle of the trailer which depends on the hitch height. I set mine up with the trailer bed level, as you can see from the photo. Also, if you are concerned with trailer sway, which will be more apparent with a shorter wheelbase tow vehicle, you should arrange for the center of the load to be just a bit ahead of the center between the axles on a double axle unit or similar for a single. That's why my car is loaded tail-end-first. A.J.

 

[Al Jones]

For those do-it-yourselfers, here's the plan for homemade ramp extensions. If the pic is too small, import it and expand it. These will work well with a standard 16/18 foot car trailer (with pull out steel ramps) set up to tow with the deck relatively level. Cut the sides and top, check dimensions and make any slight adjustments to upright cross pieces,then assemble sides and uprights. Then add top plates. Fasteners are 2" decking screws and Titebond glue.Finally,coat the small ends with JB weld epoxy on the plywood 'end grain' to prevent chipping or fraying and follow with a coat of paint. Check previous post #30 to see actual ramps in use. There's more info to go with this, PM me if you're inerested.

 

[Mike Christian]

Got your meat AJ, thanks!

 

[Mike Christian]

not sure what my last post meant - I suspect foul play by the spelling corrector.

To continue to document my progress I have:

1. bought and installed the B&M Transcooler ($75)
2. bought and installed a Curt Mfg Class 3 hitch and 7 pin RV plug wiring (about $200 total)
3. bought a steel decked dove tail trailer that weighs 1300 lbs and has dual electric brakes with emergency break away switch and battery ($2395)
4. bought and installed a Tekonsha Primus IQ brake controller ($75)
5. bought a Superwinch 4500 Winch ($209)
6. paid a fabricator ($250) to modify the trailer to use hitch part for a winch quick disconnect. That way I can pull the winch and store it while the trailer is left outside, or I can plug the winch into the Jeep hitch to pull my field mower when it gets stuck.


I still need to:
1. install tranny temp gauge
2. make ramp extensions
3. make a battery box mount for the battery, solenoid, circuit breaker that is moveable from the trailer to storage to the Jeep.

more to follow!

 

[Mike Christian]

oh, and I need to install the buy the ETrack and the tire web straps.

Here are some pictures of the progress to date.

 

[Scott]

Just something to think about,
Keep a close eye on the trailer tires, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to carry a spare. Usually the trailer manufactures put the cheapest tires possible on the smaller trailers. (ie. anything less than 6-lug wheels) I shredded two brand new tires on a brand new 18ft trailer on its first trip loaded properly with the correct inflation. Now when I buy a smaller trailer I immediately change/upgrade the tires. Mileage may vary, Scott

 

[BenL]

I shredded two brand new tires on a brand new 18ft trailer on its first trip loaded properly with the correct inflation

I recently read some trailer advice (for a horse trailer) that suggested getting two spare trailer tires because, if you encounter road debris that damages one tire, there's a good chance it'll damage the other tire on that side.

For changing a tire on a trailer without using a jack, these little ramps are useful:
http://www.traileraid.com/categories/Traileraid/

(and make sure you carry the appropriately sized tool for removing the lug nuts).

 

[Bob Lemke aka deckofficer]

Mike, I think that'll be white knuckle driving for part of the way, and very slow driving the rest. You'll arrive at the race spot drained, and behind schedule.

If you're even semi-serious about the racing then you'll have at least another 500lbs on board for extra wheels/tires, tools/jacks, batteries, water, oil, etc. along with your personal effects for a weekend's racing. You'll be right at the max of your vehicles capacity going uphill, and stopping that load on a 5-8% grade will be difficult at best, and dangerous at worst, even with trailer brakes.

No offense, but the Jeep has a short wheelbase, fairly high CG, and modest brakes. The engine is good and torquey but not up to the same level as a decent V8.

Here's an idea: how about an old ('82-'99) gas or diesel suburban? You can sleep in the back, they tow like nobody's business, and do OK on gas mileage. You personal junk can go in the back and you still have room to sleep (take out the second and third row seats and put a single mattress back there). You'll arrive at the race stop reasonably fresh and relaxed, on time, and have an OK sleep on the night before practice.

Good luck!

Good 'ol Cliff always has the best responses when he chooses to answer a post. One added note is the two passes you plan to cross can be shut down at a moments notice. With Cliff's recomendation of a diesel tow vehicle, even though only 30% more efficient than a gasser doing the same work, they will idle (and keep you warm) 4 times longer than a gasser. I tow my enclosed 20' transport trailer with a 2001 Ford Diesel 4X4 Excursion, and 8000 lbs of tow vehicle doesn't allow the tail wagging the dog going down hill. I know you have 8 vehicles (I currently have 7) but a diesel Excursion or Surburban can replace at least one if not 3 vehicles. I don't drive mine much, but when the snow is falling, or I need to do two 1000+ mile days towing at 78 mph, it is hard to beat the relaxing ride of a good towing combo. Just my and Cliff's 0.02 worth

 

[Mike Christian]

Yes, I forgot to mention I was going to have a spare tire holder welded on after I load the trailer and see where to put it.

I am going to try it first before I decide whether this vehicle is an solution for the long term...