looking into a 24ft and was wondering if you guys can get out of your car once its in the trailer, or do you winch it in? ive got a door bar to crawl over. being 250 pounds doesnt help either.
i can add a side door to the trailer to make it easier for loading, but they look odd and adds to the cost of the trailer.

any info is appreciated.
thanks.
TJ

 

I have fiberglass doors and take the drivers side off to load the car. It stores on a rack on the wall. If you don't have the left side access door over the trailer wheels, it's going to be a real tight fit getting in and out especially with a door bar but might be possible if you still have roll up windows. Even with the side access door, the car door needs to clear the inner fender of the trailer so if the car sits too low, the door still won't open enough. Even though I remove the car door, I still wish I had an access door on the trailer.

Unless you can remove the driver's door, the best option is to winch the car in and out of the trailer. That also means you need to fabricate some sort of winch point on the front of the car.

 

I can get in and out of mine pretty easy.. but I just slide the ttop off and climb out lol I leave the window down and just slide right in to unload it. I would do like Alky said and put a winch up front and winch it in, then lean in and put it in park.

 

x2 on a winch. I hang the doors in the trailer, but still winch it in/out. - The only way you could get out would be to have the window open and climb out.

If you ever think you might get to the point of having a pit bike I'd highly reccomend getting a 28' instead of a 24'. Even with the wheenie bars off of my car and the front bench built so the wheeler can go under it, it's super tight.

As for your other question on YB, the little bit of extra cost for the v-nose is worth it IMO. A little extra space is never a bad thing, and the aero helps considerably behind a truck.

 

X3 on the winch.

 

28' minimum honestly and get the trailer side door unless you're climbing out. I had a 20' for a while and it had 6" of clearance in the rear and barely 2 feet in the front and was a huge pain. if you plan on a pit bike/quad/tools in the future I'd get much bigger.

 

My 20' is fine for what I need it for. It's a little tight tying down the front of the car but I'm getting used to it. A 26 or 28' would be nicer but I just don't have the room to put one on my property.

 

i dont think i have the room for a 28' either. im on a 1/2 acre, but the way the house sits, i can only put it on one side. a 24 is very doable. my 18ft tilt bed has a 4ft landing, plus tounge. its 26'3" overall. i can drive it in circles in the back yard if you drive in right. a 28ft would be a no go.

any pics of your car loaded in a 20ft stephen? id imagine you just about have to get in and lay down to tie the car down.
nonetheless, it may be an option and maybe keep my open trailer for other stuff.
thanks for all the advice.

 

For note, a 26 often costs more than a 28. It's an odd length, and requires splitting panels and an odd spaced floor truss, thus is less comon making it more $.

I need to off my 24' in favor of a 28', but it's just not in the cards right now.

 

I have a 24ft with a parachute mount on my car and pull in close to the right side to help with getting out and I have plenty of room up front for my scooter and other stuff even with the factory metal cabinets up front. I drive mine in.

 

t tops

 

oh i was just stating the measurements of my current setup.

if you need a deal on a trailer and can drive to douglas ga to pick it up, i can get you hooked up with a guy that will sell you a trailer cheaper than anyone in the country, and doesnt mark up options like everyone else. only makes the money on the trailer itself.
brand is lark united.

 

I was lucky my car sat high enough to clear the inside trailer fenders, and agile enough to wiggle my way out of the car after pulling it in. I tried winching a few times, but it takes a lil while longer obviously. I could easily be in the trailer, tied down and road ready before my buddies had their cars winched in. Like stephen said, keep your bottom of the door height in consideration since the "concession door" wont do you a bit of good to get in/out of the car if you cant open the door LOL

IF you plan to get in/out of the car, i highly suggest installing carpet 3' up the wall..measuring from floor up. this way when the car door accidentally tags the inside of the trailer it has a nice carpeted/cushioned stop to protect the paint and metal from dings...makes it look much nicer too obviously.

My uncle has a 20' enclosed and I can fit my car, but I was always loaded for bear since we traveled alot, my 28' often seemed too small at times LOL, but it was really ice when we were out of town/state having a bathroom/cabinets and such since we just stayed in the trailer.

24' will be okay obviously, but man, having that extra 4' really makes a huge difference.

 

I know several people who are using planks on the floor of the trailer to help "raise" the car so as to be able to open the door. Like Josh said, the carpet on the walls for sure needed, as trying to crawl in and out and hold the door is impossible, unless yuo have the "S" on your chest.

 

i talked to the manufacture and they are set up on 11 1/2 fenders. my door is 11 in front and a foot in back, so a board would take care of it.

trying to line up a friends trailer to pull in and see how i like it before i bite the bullet.

 

LOL, if your using an open trailer, or driving to the track now...I promise, just like everybody that ever bought an enclosed...you will kick yourself in the azzz for not buying one sooner.

The benefits FAR outweigh any sort of cons. Shade in the hot summer, ability to get home, unhook, and walk away until next weekend knowing any and everything you will ever need is housed in your rolling garage. Crappey weather rolling in...now problem. Extra garage stall in the winter time so you have a bay open in the garage at home and/or dont have to pay storage, etc....you'd be a fool NOT to get yourself into one if this will be your first.

 

Ooh. Shade. Our season this year sucked but already the shade I have experienced has been fantastic. While waiting between rounds, during the lunch break etc, I was sitting in the trailer with the tunes cranked. The downside of only having a 20' trailer is if we get a brief shower, there isn't enough room to sit in the trailer when the car is put in it. The interior lighting is also a bonus for those late night loadings after an evening race.

One addition I would love to have but don't know if it's in the budget would be an RV awning off the side of the trailer to keep the car in the shade. Right now I always try to pit so the trailer can shade the car during the heat of the day.

 

Just keep your eyes peeled for the awning, I scoured the local swap sheets, classified ads, craigslist, etc... always ever looking for "a deal" on an awning. They're out there, just not everyday common. Might be worth contacting your local RV dealers to see what they got, they often get insurance jobs or buy auctioned junk RV's to part out...but having a big awning would make things even better!! esspecially while trying to keep the car cooler inside LOL, I remember one day shooting the dash of the car with my infared temp gun, and the dash was 155*F sitting in the staging lanes....radiant heat SUCKS!!LOL

 

been keeping an eye out for a 28' myself.... any of you guys have any experience with the cheap ones? im sure there are downsides to them compared to a haulmark or some of the other big names. ive seen some of those cheap ones going for $4500 or so for a 28' new.

 

Yrs ago at the shop I supervised, the company also sold trailers, we dealt with Featherlite, Wells Cargo, haulmark, H&H, XL, etc...lots of different manufacturers. When we got shipment in, we went through each trailer making sure everything was upto snuff and ready to go down the road hassle free if a customer purchased on on the spot without ordering..like many actually did suprisingly.

Anyhow, honestly each has their own fit and finish issues. All use the same brand of axles, Dexters, since they're readily available as well as replacement parts for new and old..so axles are'nt a good comparison since they're all the same (for the most part)

Wiring, lol, well...how can I say it...even in featherlites $50K+ living quarter gooseneck horse trailers, featherlites wiring...like most brands..stunk. Everything was held together with scotlocks. I've never been impressed with any trailer manufacturer wiring, all seems hacked together...I do remember haulmark starting to use plastic grommets to chase wires through metal stud points so that was a nice change to see take place vs drilled or punched holes only with no wire protection.

Alot comes down to frame, alot of the cheaper models use smaller C channel and thinner guage metal to help lighten the trailer overall, this causes excessive flex which transmits to roof and exterior aluminum panels seperating allowing water in. I know alot of guys need/want the lightest trailer possible, but there has to be a trade off if you expect to keep it long term.

If given a choice, get a V nose, you pick up extra interior storage and it helps pull a wee bit easier/better mpg. Your not going to break any records for millage, but it does help cut the wind coming over the truck vs a standard brick wall.

If given a choice flat roof or domed...I highly recommend domed roof. We did ALOT of repairs on flat roofs since the water just lays on the roof, giving ANY crack a place to leak...and come winter, gives the ice a place to pop and leak later.

Overall, even with the cheap units..just take a GOOD LONG look, scrutinize every weld/joint under the trailer, basically common sense to what us car guys/fabricators look at anyhow. Look at enough mid-high end grade vs lo-mid grade..your going to see a see-saw effect going on. We've had some high end units really show why they cost more and have also seen low-mid grade be put together as well or better than some of the high end units...

 

Awnings are not cheap. I've been wanting one myself, but it's not in the budget. Been looking at getting one of these. Little more setup, and it would have to be stored in the trailer. But it's definetly in the budget. http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/pro...p?Product=5434

24" is good as long as your not hauling a golf cart along with everything else. One big difference between cheap and good trailers is the frame. Good one's are I-Beam frame. Watch out for the tube frame, as the tube will hold miosture in it, and rust out from the inside out.

 

Wow, that's a really cool idea and cheap too!! sucks it'd be one more thing to store, but on the long 3-5 day races, who cares.

 

I got to the track tonight and was able to take some pictures while the sun was still up to show how the car fits in the trailer. I'll upload later this weekend.

 

Car inside 20' trailer. Parachute is still installed so a car without a chute could sit back about a foot. The car is inside just enough for the trailer door to close. The bench is 18" deep and I can still squeeze by to access the tie down straps.

 

awesome.
thank you.

 

I'll keep that in mind. Had been figuring on heading to south Georgia/Alabama/S. Carolina to pick one up, as the pricing is a lot better up in that area. - Had a FL dealer on YB shoot me some numbers that were pretty good as well though, and that was delivered to my door.

Our current trailer is a 24' Wells Cargo motortrack; I have to say I've been more impressed with some of the no-name cheapies than this one.

 

hey man i saw you said you have fiberglass doors. where did you get them from? does all the origonal hardware and window regulators,power door locks and door pannels bolt up and fit inside those doors? i need new doors and i would rather it be lighter. please let me know thanks

 

Fiberglass doors for a third gen are a race only option. They can't be made street legal.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/orga...r-project.html

 

They're only an option for a car with full frame rails and a cage. The doors are a big part of the chassis structure in the stock unibody. - No logical way to make windows that roll up/down and they wouldn't like the weight of glass at all.

 

Am I the only fool who crawls out the back hatch? This is on an open trailer but the door would hit the trailer fenders if I opened them so in order to keep the windows up I crawl out the back hatch.

 

You can crawl out the back hatch with a cage in the car?

 

My "hatch" doesn't open. The Lexan is secured to the body. The aluminum sheet I use for a deck lid is held on with Dzus fasteners but there's a battery mounted under it so there's no way I could even get out that way.

As for opening the door on an open trailer, I had no problems opening my door when I used an open trailer. If your trailer fenders are too high or car sits too low, nail some boards onto the floor where the tires sit. Raising the driver's side up an inch or 2 may be all you need to open the door.

There's a second gen Camaro that I've seen at the track regularly who has an open trailer with a removable driver's side fender. Take fender off, load car, put fender back on. I never did look to see how it was attached but the idea is good.

 

most quality trailers have a removable fender option FYI.

 

Climb out the hatch? Let me know how that works out....




Many open decks with dropped axles have the fenders too high. Seen several open decks that simply put a hinge at one end of the fender and a pit-pin at the other; pull the pin, fold it over out of the way.

 

i havent heard pit pen in a while. i have a heavy equipment tilt trailer(ramps blow) and i cut my fender off and rewelded it an inch lower. nailing a board down is an easy fix, though.

ordered my trailer last friday. axles are on backorder, but i should have the trailer by the end of the month.
using a 45 degree torsion axle to keep the inner fenders down to 8.75-9". this should put the door around 12"
i hope i dont have to have a board to get the door open. that would suck, but they are making the escape door "as low as humanly possible" according to the manufacturer. well see.

 

My Pace Daytona GT trailer uses torsion axles. It's the only way to go.

 

I can crawl out the hatch because I don't have a cage. I only trailer my car to the strip in anticipation of carnage

 

As a guy who pulls a trailer everyday and has had many trailers, I agree that torflex axles are the way to go.

I had one trailer that got used so much that I wore every part out on the trailer and some of them more than once. Suspension linkage parts were some of the parts that wore out often. Torsion axles eliminate all the wear points in the suspension and also seem to ride better than standard leaf springs.

The other thing I highly suggest is a 5' tongue on a trailer. I see so many trailers with short tongues and it makes me sick. With a longer tongue you can back the trailer up with less of a chance of jack knifing.

I would also get the best hitch you can get. If it's a ball hitch, get 2 5/16" and put some grease on the ball and hitch. I have worn a hole right through the top of a coupler because of so much use and friction.

 

i did not get the extra length tounge. i thought about it, it wasnt forgotten. std length for lark is 42", which is a few inches more than some brands.
i pull an enclosed leaf spring trailer for work everyday and it will bounce you around on rough roads.
buddy keith said he could drive 100 miles with a cup of water on his bench and it wouldnt spill a drop.
in some searching, i also found companies who move antique furniture will not ship anything in a leaf spring trailer.

 

well. where is the best place to strap the car down in an enclosed?

where i strap my car now on the open trailer wont be feasable.
i use the frame in front of the tranny crossmember for the front, and the holes in the frame just in front of the lca for the rear.

 

I use the factory hold down loops in the frame at the front. The rear goes to holes in the 4-link mounts on the diff.

The front mounts don't allow a lot of forward pull but with the straps x-ed at the front and rear, it's enough to keep the car from moving back and forth and side to side.

 

you mean the pill-shaped holes on either side of the radiator?
those always looked thin to me for strapping.
i may end up welding some d-rings onto the k member and rearend.
ive also thought about getting a couple axle straps to help load the car.

 

Ive been using those pill shaped holes for the last 4-5 years and no problems at all, starting to show wear but no tears or bending.....I`d love to get an enclosed, pulled the car back just last saturday from a rain out...if it were just a wash and go I`d be okay with it but man the dirt gets in under the hood all over everything.

 

i took a trip to kentucky, and after 20 hours of driving there and back, im ready to replace the windshield and pull my hair out!
lots of fine scratches everywhere. several rock chips i had to touch up in my lip spoiler. i even had some areas down to the metal i had to touch up on the side view mirrors.

i love the ease of pulling an open trailer, you can stick them anywhere, but its time to protect my baby.
windshield is just blasted with sand. looks like a windshield in an old truck. speckled everywhere.

 

mud flaps for the tow vehicle since you're kicking stuff way up, they make those huge rubber sheet looking ones that mount off the hitch like dually transport trucks have

 

yea, but the trailer cost more.

i have thought of those after-the-fact, but i need an enclosed for many other reasons.

 

Noticed that on mine as well, i was curious where that was coming from.. mud flaps wow, never pictured those hanging from one of my trucks

 

http://www.gemplers.com/product/1477...ud-Flaps-24x18

 

Flaps and/or some sort of shield on the front of the trailer. I have a large truck bed box across the front of my open deck.

I have a d-ring on the front of the car. At eh back, I have two 1" straps with d-rings that are looped over the coil-over crossmember and zip tied on each side(zip ties keep them from being able to come off the crossmember). I hook my rachet straps to the rings on the loop straps. - Keeps the suspension compressed thus not adding wear/tear on my springs and shocks.


We're actually going to change some things around, as we discovered this past weekend that our weight distribution is better with the car backed into the trailer.

 

24ft. its a skyjacker. dealer ordered trailer from factory with incorrect axle. with the way i wanted it setup, it was going to be a few inches higher than a standard build, but a 45 degree axle was used in place of a 22 degree. with the correct axle, the trailer should be ble to come down 2-3"
i have 6" clearance from wheelbox to top of tire. i measured several trailers at the factory and all of them only had 3-3.5" of clearance from the wheelbox to the top of the tire.its HIGH as you can see in the pics. will try to get my car in it this afternoon. dont know if its gonna fit without some work. i have searched and searched and it looks like the average ball height for a tag is around 17.5-19 inches.
with the trailer loaded level, mine is up there.
rear of trailer is 20.25 inches off the ground. ive looked and measured at plenty before ordering mine and i have come up with 12-14" standard.
long story short im unhappy both cosmetically and structurally.