What do you guys haul your racecar with?

[2eighTZ4me]

Just looking to see what 'extremes" you racers go to to tow your vehicles to the track. Looking to get a used pickup or van - don't want to break the bank - but want to see what you guys are using to see if there is anything reasonably priced out on the market that would be suitable for towing. I have an open trailer (a converted boat trailer) and my car weighs 2380 - so I'm figuring maybe a 4500-5000lb load? Maybe less?

 

I have a 97 Jeep Wrangler - but it's a short wheelbase, and I've been told that I don't want to do that. I haul our band trailer with it, and it does just fine. The band trailer loaded must weigh a good 3500-4000 lbs.

 

Thoughts?

[DrSideways]

In racing it isn't the cars that kill the wallet. It is the trucks and trailers. Look around for a used 2001 or back Power Stroke F250. You need a CAR trailer. A boat trailer isn't even good enough for lawn mowers. Why risk all of your hard work and money with the wrong tools for the towing job.

 

Everyone who has towed a trailer more than 200 miles has a trailer story. Even the ones who buy the right equipment. Do yourself and everyone who has to share the road with you a favor..... save up... buy the right thing.... be careful.

 

One more thing..... you ALWAYS have more crap that weighs more than you think going to the track.

 

Alan

Edited February 1, 2011 by DrSideways

[Tony D]

During the last 'gasoline panic' I skorfed up a 1990 Chevy Dually with a Rat Motor along with a 20 foot enclosed trailer. Package deal, $3500. At the time you could find dually's with gas engines all over for $1500 - 3500. More truck than you need? Probably, but for the price what do you want sitting around the yard all but 110 days a year? (less if there is snow)

 

I will probably get a nice open trailer for transport and pickup from shops, and other sundry towing duties outside of where I have to use the enclosed trailer.

 

But the Truck? I could tow Mt. Rushmore with that thing if I had to! I will second the suggestion that you get a used Powerstroke Turbo, I loved my 99 F350 and the Y2K F250. Truthfully if I could substitute that powertrain into this truck I'd be set for anything. When I can drop 4000# of Railroad Ties in the bed and it doesn't even bulge the rear tires...THAT is a TRUCK! (would have made two trips in my F250...if the 350 was a dually I could have done it though...)

[randy 77zt]

if you just put some channel for the wheels on the boat trailer it shouldnt weigh more than 1000lb.i tow my car with a ford e150 van.5.8l with the big e4od trans.tows great .engine has bigger exhaust and a ecm reflash.i have had to pick-ups before this and i like the van better.i sleep in it in the pits at 2 day events.no need for motel room.

[Tony D]

I would have to say I loved my "Moby the Van" Chevrolet G30 van....clocked at 84mph+ on radar by UHP coming back from Denver to SoCal while towing (they should have shot me going downhill and not just after the crest! No speed limiter in a 1990 TBI GM Product! Liked that a lot more than the Ford E250, it was limited to 98 made catching up to the club after shooting photos from an overpass a monumental undertaking (towing or not!)

 

 

My old "Van Hammock" is now hanging inside my 20 foot enclosed trailer! Yes, sleep in the trailer, just like in the van.

Edited February 2, 2011 by Tony D

[2eighTZ4me]

I beg to differ with you DrSideways. This trailer has been done RIGHT. Double axle, and even has a tire rack. All welding done by a professional architect welder. I am intimately familiar with the trailer before purchasing it, and it has seen well over 25000 miles with a car on its' back with nary so much as a problem. It's been to Cali. and back to the East Coast at least 4x (with a car), so before you go bashing a trailer you've never seen, I thought I'd share a little history with you. It is a proper road-faring vessel. This topic is about a tow vehicle - not about the trailer.

 

Randy - I had thought about the van thing, as my buddy who's an ITS racer has one that he picked up used from a transportation company. He's been all over the place with it and he sleeps in it too - I like the idea of no hotel fee!

Edited February 2, 2011 by 2eighTZ4me

[DrSideways]

Glad you can make the trailer work. Still need a real truck.

 

http://www.race-cars.com/trasales/ford/1296534579/1296534579ss.htm

 

Alan

[burninator]

You don't need a huge truck to tow with. Jeeps do have a pretty short wheelbase though, so I'm sure that will limit you somewhat. But check the tow rating in your Jeep's owner's manual, that will tell you how much you can safely tow. If it's within the limit of the vehicle you're probly okay. Take a test drive with it and start slowly, if you end up with too much trailer for your tow vehicle it'll probly be obvious from the driver's seat.

 

I tow my race car with a GMC Envoy with a 4.2L 6 cylinder. I wouldn't have bought it just for that purpose but it works well. I already had the Envoy as my wife's daily driver and I really don't want to have to park yet another vehicle at my house or pay for gas in a bigger vehicle all year round when I'm not towing.

[JMortensen]

I agree with burninator. I have friends who tow with turbo Toyota 4 cyl trucks and 1/2 tons, so I bought a GMC 1500. It's rated to tow 9000. Biggest thing I've towed is an S10 Blazer on my tilt trailer, which was probably 5500 or 6000 lbs total. It wasn't a long tow and I was sweating it at first, but it pulled through like a champ. The electric winch I bought was struggling to get the Blazer on the trailer though. American 1/2 ton trucks have come A LOOOOONG way since the 80s. The brakes are a lot better, they have a lot better motors, trans and ps coolers, etc. They're much better equipped for the job nowadays. 2500 or 3500 is better, but not absolutely necessary as it used to be.

[kiwi303]

I've seen M35Ax deuce and a halfs going cheap on ebay... should be able to manage your tow needs, and make a nice ride to the memorial day parades.

[Racer Z]

We currently flat-tow our 240z to the track. We use my brothers Jeep, I forget the model, but it's the SUV version. I am setting my F250 up to become the tow vehicle and we hope to get a trailer in the future.

 

I have done some research in this subject.

A trailer of a suitable class will weight about 2500 pounds as will the race car. We need to include the weight of tools, spare parts, extra gas and of course, our own lard asses. Whether the weight is in the truck or on the trailer, the most important issue is brakes. We must be able to stop, safely. Most state laws insist on trailer brakes long before we get into these trailer weights. Most racers end up with tire racks and tool boxes on their trailers. Just like you don't want to keep your truck at maximum GVWR, you also don't want your trailer to maxed out. You need that margin for safety as well as reliability and longevity.

 

A trailer with dual 3500 pound axles comes into play. Now we have a GVWR of 7000, 2000 over our known minimum. This gives us room for add-ons and some left over. Yes you can get a single axle with that kind of load carrying capacity, but, it won't have a drop-axle. The single axle will also require larger tires to handle the load. A dual axle uses smaller tires because they share the load. Our Z'z, like most race cars sit low to the ground, and then we make them lower. Being able to open the door over the trailer's fender is a good thing.

 

Did I mention trailer brakes? I can't stress this point enough.

 

Check with the manufacture of your tow-vehicle. They already know it's safe towing capacity. Don't scrimp on the hitch or safety chain either. We have all heard too many horror stories. I don't want to be the one to tell the next trailer-horror story.

[Tony D]

Yeah, my enclosed trailer is a behemoth compared to the flexible flyers made today. EMPTY it weighs in at 6600#!

 

The thing is so stiff I can jack it up from one corner and all the doors open and close. Definately not like todays trailers. The difference between 1978 and modern day, for sure.

[zredbaron]

I agree with Jon/others who suggest you don't need a ton of truck, our cars are light. Make sure you get a 4x4 if you don't get a dually, you never know when a track wants you to tow your trailer across a mud lot! I still tow my Z with my '98 Chevy 1500 5.7L which has more than enough power, but gets 8 mpg while towing on the hwy. If you put enough miles on a trailer, perhaps diesel is the better option. Also depends if the truck is your daily driver like it is for me.

 

That said, on the road you would be *safer* stepping up a notch from say a F150->F250 or equivalent. Perhaps it depends on how many miles you think you'll tow a year, what kind of highways and roads you're on. Oh, and if you get an enclosed trailer, get extended side-view mirrors!

 

Next go-around, I'm stepping up the truck a model or two, if that's worth anything. Yes, it's enough, but it's old and it isn't that safe. I agree with others that safety is a concern, why not protect your car on the way to the track, too?

 

I keep hoping to run into someone who went with a new Ford with an EcoBoost engine and tows with it. I don't think I'd like it (I think you should be able to hear if your truck is running, but that's just me!), but it's a sweet setup regardless.

Edited February 13, 2011 by zredbaron

[burninator]

The F-150 with the EcoBoost engine is not out yet. Should be soon though.

[Tony D]

I've seen M35Ax deuce and a halfs going cheap on ebay... should be able to manage your tow needs, and make a nice ride to the memorial day parades.

 

Guy up the street bought one of those, decided to go with the local 4X4 club 'mudding' in the field off Nandina road near the house. Most of them found out what the locals knew long ago: Groundwater in this area is at about 12 feet, sometimes less. Lots of rain makes it like a bog, and if you hit that vein of groundwater....who knows how deep you will sink.

 

I know an M35 that looked pretty funny listing at a 45 degree angle to the right, and nose-down buried up over the hood in a field. Lots of other 'clubmembers' were sunk deeper than that. They called in a Semi-Tow to pull up the small ones.

 

I saw the M35 a couple days later...I don't know HOW they got it out, but it must have involved a BIG cable from the nearest road BEHIND it, and that was about 300m!

 

Maybe they called in a 'Tracked Vehicle Assist"?

 

I digress...

[Mikelly]

I have a dodge 3500 Cummins Megacab and two different trailers, depending on the need... Small 18 foot open deck trailer for local stuff and the "large" 24ft. enclosed trailer for weekends...

 

Both ends of the spectrum have their good and bad... Having a half ton pickup and open trailer means you can tow easily with a reasonable amount of weight. The Dodge Cummins can pull a lot of weight at a rapid pace, and the enclosed trailer is nice when you have a car without windows in the doors or want privacy for what you're towing... That said, I have a winch in the enclosed trailer. I may put one on the open trailer "just incase".

 

Biggest thing to remember is that the more you go to the track, the more you want to take with you, just incase. You really want to make sure you're able to tow that extra "stuff". Full gas cans? Well I carry four at 132 pounds. My tool box in the enclosed trailer? Add another 300 pounds minimum. Jack, air tank and jack stands? Yea mine are about 100 pounds... Add a second set of wheels? 200 pounds is a safe guess. Spare tires for the trailer? Might want at least two. The point is, don't be "undersold" on what some think you can get away with... Be reasonable and plan accordingly.

 

Mike

Edited February 22, 2011 by Mikelly

[ModernS30]

DO IT!

 

[kiwi303]

Guy up the street bought one of those, decided to go with the local 4X4 club 'mudding' in the field off Nandina road near the house. Most of them found out what the locals knew long ago: Groundwater in this area is at about 12 feet, sometimes less. Lots of rain makes it like a bog, and if you hit that vein of groundwater....who knows how deep you will sink.

 

I know an M35 that looked pretty funny listing at a 45 degree angle to the right, and nose-down buried up over the hood in a field. Lots of other 'clubmembers' were sunk deeper than that. They called in a Semi-Tow to pull up the small ones.

 

I saw the M35 a couple days later...I don't know HOW they got it out, but it must have involved a BIG cable from the nearest road BEHIND it, and that was about 300m!

 

Maybe they called in a 'Tracked Vehicle Assist"?

 

I digress...

 

At one point I nearly got a Scammell Explorer, a 6x6 recovery vehicle version of the Scammell Pioneer the UK Army used as a general heavy duty traction vehicle... 12 litre inline 6 rolls royce engine with a tickover idle speed of 200RPM and TONS of torque. Swing beam rear axles.

 

They used them to haul broken down tanks to be repaired, made M35s look anemic!

 

 

But haulling my 280ZX back from Christchurch to here I used my old '85 Hilux Surf, what you guys know as a 4Runner. 2 litre 4cyl carbed engine, it didn't like the load

Edited February 22, 2011 by kiwi303

[Moltar]

At one point I nearly got a Scammell Explorer, a 6x6 recovery vehicle version of the Scammell Pioneer the UK Army used as a general heavy duty traction vehicle... 12 litre inline 6 rolls royce engine with a tickover idle speed of 200RPM and TONS of torque. Swing beam rear axles.

 

They used them to haul broken down tanks to be repaired, made M35s look anemic!

 

 

But haulling my 280ZX back from Christchurch to here I used my old '85 Hilux Surf, what you guys know as a 4Runner. 2 litre 4cyl carbed engine, it didn't like the load

 

I thought the 22R was a 2.4L.

[JMortensen]

I thought the 22R was a 2.4L.

Outside the US there were different engines. I have seen one, I can't recall the name (18RG???), but IIRC it was a DOHC Mikuni carbed 4 cylinder that was either 1.8 or 2 liters. We got the 20R and 22R, the turbo 22R and a diesel which is pretty rare, but the rest of the world had more variety.