Let's talk car (hauling) trailers

[magnumP5]

Even though my RX-7 is perfectly streetable (and legal) an unfortunate event at Mid-Ohio last weekend nearly got me stranded 2.5 hours away from home on a Sunday and I'm considering an open car hauler for track weekends.

For towing I have a '09 Toyota Tacoma with the V6, but it doesn't have the "tow package" so it's only rated for 3500 lbs of towing. The "tow package" supposedly allows up to 6000 lbs towing, and from what I can tell it consists of the towing hardware (hitch, etc.), higher output alternator and battery, a transmission cooler and pre-wired electronics (for electric brakes, etc.). My RX-7 weights ~2800 lbs so according to the Tacoma's manual I don't have too much weight to spare. However, I'm thinking I can get away with towing more because (1) I have a 6-speed so a transmission cooler would be pointless (in fact, I don't think they install those on the manual trucks anyway), (2) I won't be pulling anything more than an open trailer with DOT lighting and likely electric brakes so the higher capacity alternator and battery would be over kill and (3) I can have aftermarket hardware and electronics installed.

I've looked at a few trailers and the name FeatherLite keeps coming up. Regardless of brand, I think I'd prefer an all-metal trailer because I don't want to have to deal with wood. I'd also prefer something as low as possible so I can actually get the car on it. I don't think I'd need any accessories though. I tire rack might be convenient but I always have the space in the back of the truck for storage.

I know there's like 10 people on the forum who regularly track their cars so I'm seeking input from you guys.

 

[sm76]

I'm not going to be much help because I still rent trailers because I don't feel like storing one all year for the 4 or 5 times I use one.

If you are getting your own trailer, I would highly recommend the electric brakes. I've towed a bunch of times with trucks and trailers from my old job and having the trailer doing the braking work makes life so much nicer. I am now towing with a Trailblazer because it is a compromise between a tow vehicle and a DD and it does a decent job in most situations, but some of the hills going to VIR last year toasted my brakes because the surge brakes on the trailer were not adequate (and I pushed it a little too much at the top of the hills).

Also, towing with a small truck with a Manual will be a pain. I towed a car down to Florida once with an F250 that had the crappy 6.0 L diesel (that acted like a gas truck) and a manual and it was annoying, we were in the creeper gear at every stop. A real diesel with a manual on the other hand is not a problem. I would definitely try it out with the truck before you jump in and buy a trailer.

 

[aMaff]

I don't track the car (yet), but it is regularly towed.

Few things:
-Tow ratings are there for a reason. It's one of those things where overkill is the far better option. My rig's rated to 5000 lbs, and total including all my gear, trailer and car, I'm only toting about 3700 lbs or so. See what it would take to "convert" it to a tow package car. If it's just a trans cooler and some wiring, do the work yourself. The owners manual should tell you what "configurations" create different tow-ratings. There's usually at least 2 or 3.

-A weight distributing hitch may help you here if you have crap rear springs.

-If the car won't make it onto the trailer, just get longer ramps. Other pro tip: drive the rear tires of the truck up onto a set of oil change ramps to raise the tongue and drop the rear of the trailer. It's something else to bring with you and / or throw in the back of the truck, but it works great. Those ramps also work great if you get a flat on the highway.

-Trailer brakes: If you're running a rig that's already marginal when it comes to the tow rating, don't skimp here. The problem with towing is almost never getting it moving, it's getting it stopped. Especially in an emergency. Get brakes on at least 1 axle, get a decent adjustable proportional brake controller.

-There are some people who think wood is the devil for trailer decks, I don't know why. Honestly, good-sealed wood will last for a good long while. And it won't rust. When it eventually gets old, a few bucks at LowesDepot and a few hours of your time, and presto! Brand new trailer deck. And if you don't know how to weld, it's really easy to add tie downs for extra gear (no, don't tie the CAR down to the wood LOL) with a drill and some hardware from LowesDepot.

Towing a car is, IMO, a great thing, if for the only reason that if something breaks, push / winch it up onto the trailer, tow it home and worry about it later when you have time. The added bonus, at least for me, was even when my racer was streetable, it didn't have A/C, power steering, much of a radio, had a crazy loud exhaust. Call me a wheenie, but the best thing after a long hot day out in the sun, is to be able to get in the truck for however long the haul home is... and flip the A/C on.


Ok, so that was long winded. I think I touched on the questions you had... If I missed something or if you have more questions / thoughts / etc, feel free to ask

 

[magnumP5]

Excellent advice guys!

I did some more research and according to Toyota the towing package contains: "Class IV hitch, transmission and supplemental oil coolers (transmission cooler not available on manual transmission models), 130A alternator, heavy-duty battery and 7-pin connector with converter." Based on this it may be a little more work involved getting my truck to "tow package standards" but it should be doable and with aftermarket parts. I don't really see the need for the 130A alternator or heavy-duty battery as I do not ever intent pulling a camper. However, are electric brakes something that would severely tax a vehicle's charging system? That is definitely something I am looking for in a trailer so a brake controller is on my list; it's odd that Toyota does not include one. An oil cooler is a simple addition; it's just a matter of figuring how Toyota configured the stock unit on the equipped vehicles and mimicking that system. For some reason I can't seem to find any aftermarket Class IV hitches; only Class III, which is rated to 5,000 lbs, I believe and that should be more than sufficient for my needs. I've been snooping around etrailiers and it looks like I can get a pretty good Class III package including brake controller and all the plug-and-play wiring for like $500. The one thing I really need to look into is the rear springs. The newer Tacomas haave notoriously soft springs in the rear. The rumor is Toyota realized people were using the trucks more for commuting rather than actual truck duties so they softened the suspension. As a result, I've driven with the rear suspension riding on the bump-stops with 900 lbs of hardwood flooring in the back. Fortunately there is a TSB out there for stiffer springs so I am going to look into having that done.

Aside from the wood-rotting issue I've tried to stay away from wood trailers mainly due to weight. I'm sure the aluminum trailers are pricey; however, so I'll probably end up looking at wood trailers anyway.

Towing a car is, IMO, a great thing, if for the only reason that if something breaks, push / winch it up onto the trailer, tow it home and worry about it later when you have time. The added bonus, at least for me, was even when my racer was streetable, it didn't have A/C, power steering, much of a radio, had a crazy loud exhaust. Call me a wheenie, but the best thing after a long hot day out in the sun, is to be able to get in the truck for however long the haul home is... and flip the A/C on.

This is exactly why I'm looking into one right now. I had my RX-7 overheat pretty badly on track two weekends ago and I was really nervous I wouldn't be able to make it home. Even though it is still street-legal and as much as wrecking it would suck there is at least comfort in knowing I won't be stranded somewhere. There's also comfort in not having to deal with stiff springrates for several hours!

 

[aMaff]

Fortunately there is a TSB out there for stiffer springs so I am going to look into having that done.

Also look into getting air bladder helper springs. I have a pair on the Pathfinder that made towing a million times better (they had the same soft rear end problem). For the Pathfinder they were like $80, but they're a bladder that fits into the coil spring. It doesn't look like you've got that option, but for a couple hundred this is likely the next easiest thing:
https://www.amazon.com (commissions earned)

Looks like a bolt-in kit, which would probably be easier to install than mine where. But man, they made a hell of a difference in my truck.

Aside from the wood-rotting issue I've tried to stay away from wood trailers mainly due to weight. I'm sure the aluminum trailers are pricey; however, so I'll probably end up looking at wood trailers anyway.

Wood trailers are actually really light, compared to their steel decked counterparts. Not compared to Aluminum tho, but yes, unless you find one used (and even then they retain their value really well), they're FUH-spensive.

This is exactly why I'm looking into one right now. I had my RX-7 overheat pretty badly on track two weekends ago and I was really nervous I wouldn't be able to make it home. Even though it is still street-legal and as much as wrecking it would suck there is at least comfort in knowing I won't be stranded somewhere. There's also comfort in not having to deal with stiff springrates for several hours!

Egg zachary

 

[WillD]

I went through the whole trailer search process last spring/summer and ended up with a Lightning all-aluminum open trailer with electric brakes on both axles for $4k brand new and it weights just over 800lbs IIRC. My original idea to find a used Trailex or FeatherLite didn't really pan out as they were all over $5500 used if I could even find one within driving distance. I really wanted aluminum though because I just believe they hold up nicer, and the resale value of a steel or wood decked trailer is almost non-existent.

I only used it once last season to go to VIR. But it worked without issue and I couldn't be happier with it! I'm actually getting it out tomorrow to go to Mid-Ohio at the end of the month.

Here are some pictures!

On the way back from VIR. My dad's Porsche is in the back of the truck

 

[brians_d-ride]

if you need any more info about towing with your tacoma, check out customtacos.com. i was there before i sold my 02 tacoma and bought my P5. its a pretty good forum.

 

[bgibb68]

If ya tow....definitely wanna up the rear springs....if they are leaf Have one added..it will pay off....I towed my p5 here from TX with my dokota....it was fun...tyranny oil cooler is a must and surge brakes for the most part are crap

 

[magnumP5]

if you need any more info about towing with your tacoma, check out customtacos.com. i was there before i sold my 02 tacoma and bought my P5. its a pretty good forum.

I'm on TacomaWorld although I don't post much. There is a pretty good writeup there about towing setups and etrailers.com also has some very good installation information.

If ya tow....definitely wanna up the rear springs....if they are leaf Have one added..it will pay off....I towed my p5 here from TX with my dokota....it was fun...tyranny oil cooler is a must and surge brakes for the most part are crap

I was blessed with one of the two-leaf rear spring Tacomas so I definitely need to get the TSB three-leaf rears at minimum. Probably a set of those rubber stops as well to keep from bottoming out on the stock bump stops. I have a manual transmission so it has no provision for a transmission cooler. I know you can install them on manuals but I REALLY don't want to go through to work involved to install one (pump, lines, fittings, cooler, etc.). Selling/trading in the truck is not an option at this point either.

Now that the RX-7 is torn apart I may need a trailer sooner than I though so I can drag it around. I considered a tow-dolly for a little while but quickly realized how useless that would be if the RX-7 ever suffered rear end damage.

 

[bgibb68]

You wanna look at 4leaf springs.....I got a new set for an old s10 I had and the new ones had an extra leaf and each leaf was about 15% thicker....I used to haul ice for the bar I worked at and a few times had about 1200 lbs on the rear and it only dropped it about 2.5 inches.......if I were to keep my Dakota I would look into whole new springs just for that reason

 

[eprx799]

DO NOT get a tow dolly!!!!! I had on to tow my miata around with they SUCK!!!! They have a large turn radius, you can't back them up because of the pivot on the axle. I use to tow with the rear wheels on the dolly and the fronts on the ground and I used 2 tie down straps around the steering wheel to hold the wheels straight.

 

[aMaff]

Yeah, if you're going to spend money on something, a tow dolly isn't the way to go.

 

[magnumP5]

Bumping the hell outta this...

DO NOT get a tow dolly!!!!! I had on to tow my miata around with they SUCK!!!! They have a large turn radius, you can't back them up because of the pivot on the axle. I use to tow with the rear wheels on the dolly and the fronts on the ground and I used 2 tie down straps around the steering wheel to hold the wheels straight.

Yeah, if you're going to spend money on something, a tow dolly isn't the way to go.

I had to use one of these to move the RX-7 around last month to get an exhaust made. The large turning radius, inability to reverse, having to deal with disconnecting the driveshaft and leaking transmission fluid has me swearing to never use one again.

So over two years later I still haven't purchased a trailer. The RX-7 has been down since this thread started and my Tacoma is long gone having been replaced by a '13 Ford Flex (yay family). I got the tow package (Class III hitch, pre-wired for 4/7 pin harnesses and brake controller) this time around so I'm one step ahead of where I was last time. With the Flex it's basically a requirement to use a weight-distributing hitch. My plan was to stick with U-Haul trailers for the near future but I'm told they won't work with weight-distributing hitches for some reason. I'm not sure how I feel about towing 2400 lbs plus trailer without one even though U-Haul says it's perfectly fine.

 

[aMaff]

With the Flex it's basically a requirement to use a weight-distributing hitch. My plan was to stick with U-Haul trailers for the near future but I'm told they won't work with weight-distributing hitches for some reason. I'm not sure how I feel about towing 2400 lbs plus trailer without one even though U-Haul says it's perfectly fine.

They don't have WD Hitches because it's added expense and complexity when they're trying to pump out trailers as cheaply as possible.

U-Haul is right. It IS fine...for the trailer. It'll almost certainly be terrifying to drive. I hope you don't need to turn or brake

 

[WillD]

I know exactly how I would feel about your scenario... not good!

U-Haul recommends a minimum towing capacity of 5000 lbs. for their trailers. The Flex has a 4500 capacity with a weight distributing hitch as you mentioned. The Flex only weighs around 4450lbs... with any vehicle as you approach the weight of the vehicle (and/or the maximum towing capacity) with what you are towing you are better off with a weight distributing hitch to get the weight more evenly spread out across the car. It will make the car tremendously more stable, easy, and safe to drive! Think about a emergency braking situation with more weight pushing the vehicle from behind!

I'm not sure how much the RX-7 weighs... but the empty weight of the U-Haul trailer is 2200lbs, assuming the RX-7 is around 2000, that puts you very close to the 4500lb limit of the Flex.

Now... braking... The U-Haul trailers do not have electric brakes. In my opinion when you are that close to the limit of the vehicle I'd want to have electric brakes to give you that extra bit of control should the trailer attempt to get away from you. On top of that, it has been my experience that electric brakes are much more effective than surge brakes and you can dial them in to work best with the tow vehicle.

At the end of the day, could you make it work? Yes, probably. But it's definitely not an ideal situation and I absolutely would not do any long hauls with your proposed setup.

Disclaimer: This is just my $0.02 based on my towing experiences. Others may have a different opinion obviously, but I prefer to err on the side of safety.

They don't have WD Hitches because it's added expense and complexity when they're trying to pump out trailers as cheaply as possible.

U-Haul is right. It IS fine...for the trailer. It'll almost certainly be terrifying to drive. I hope you don't need to turn or brake

Haha, very true!

 

[magnumP5]

Yeah just went to a U-Haul facility over lunch and they won't let me tow a car trailer for two reasons: (1) 5,000 lb minimum tow rating as specified above, and (2) the RX-7 is supposedly too low for their trailers. I guess it's dolly time until I get my own trailer - at least for this RX-7 I'm going to look at next weekend in WI. Fortunately it doesn't have an engine or transmission so as long as the rear end is in good shape it shouldn't be an issue.

I re-read the Flex's owners manual and oddly enough it disagrees with Ford's online towing guide. According to the online guide ANY Flex requires a weight-distribution hitch to tow up to 4500 lb. According to my owners manual that only applies to the FWD Flex w/ towing package. For the Ecoboost AWD w/ towing package it says "weight carrying hitch that distributes load to the unibody," which it distinguishes from a weight-distributing hitch. Regardless, the long-term plan is to get my own trailer and go with a weight-distributing hitch setup. Ideally, I'd get an all-aluminum trailer that's around 1,000 lbs empty. Assuming a 2500 lb RX-7 that gives me an extra 1,000 lb of buffer towing capacity more buffer to the maximum GVWR.

 

[aMaff]

For the Ecoboost AWD w/ towing package it says "weight carrying hitch that distributes load to the unibody," which it distinguishes from a weight-distributing hitch.

That makes no sense, because that's exactly what a WD hitch does.