V8 Juice

Looking to get enclosed trailer for C6 for track events and narrowed down to aluminum Featherlite or Trailex with all good comments on both so far. Looking for any expereince with either...quality, durability, service when purchased, any follow-up with manufacturer? Who did you deal with? What would you do different if buying again? Did you get a winch? 20' or shorter? Longer? Highway handling empty..loaded?

I plan on 4 wheel brakes and a quality brake actuator, a top of the line egualizer hitch with sway control, assume with help of my friends that I can get the trailer balanced out properly with the car inside and all of the equipment. Plan on tow vehicle with 8,000 pound capacity so the hills of western NC and long trips to Road Atlanta and Road America are less draining of vehicle and driver.

Thanks

BuckeyeZ06

I have no experience with either, as I use a Pace.

However, I would choose the Featherlite. Trailex is built right around the corner from where I live; in fact the owner belongs to the same golf club as I do, so I do have a bit bias towards the Trailex, yet still would buy Featherlite

My reason? Re-sale value. Featherlite is such a well-known and respected name in trailers. You don't have to "explain" what a Featherlite is.

Just my 2 cents..

AU N EGL

a few things to consider;

the load capacity of the trailer.
- Vette 3300, plus trailer 3200 plus 1000 junk = 7500 lbs

Most trailers short then 24 feet may not have that 7500lbs PLUS load capacity.

one might say that they would never put in a 1000 plus lbs of junk, well OHHHTAYYYY spanky. Wheels, tool box, fuel jugs, jack, extra boards, extra rotors, extra extras It all adds up very fast.

Load Leveling hitch helps to even out the wt distribution and towing

Next Your Tow Vehical:

What is its tow capacity?

does it have a heavey duty oil cooler and transmission


Feather lights are great but very expesive.

Hve you looked here for a new or used trailer? http://nasa.racingjunk.com/

on that note

I have a Pace Pursuit 24'

and tow with a 1500 HD. It works, but I should have more.
Cant do more then 65 mph on smooth roads, 55-60 is best. 18-wheels are hell to deal with as they just want to suck you into them when they pass.

Over the mountains of NC I do about 45 mph up or down and average 11.5 mpg towing in the mountains or on the flat lands

John Shiels

what ever you buy get 9999 GVWR as it will be easier to sell later/ I also think Featherlite would have better resale.

outnumbered

Try to find a Trailex used. You will be hard pressed because they usually are sold before you sell it. If you talk to owners of them, they usually have a list of buyers. The resale is also good.

The Trailex will be much lighter, I believe an enclosed is in the 1,700 lb. range. Very expensive though.

I have spent a lot of time looking at trailers. Both are very nice and very pricey.

I don't think you can go wrong with either.

Mikelly

Trailex. The porsche crowd LOVE them, so resale wouldn't hurt my head at all!

Mike

V8 Juice

Thanx guys....David and John have valid concerns about resale value...but Outnumbered has different view, wouldn't be the Forum without contrary opinions! The first Trailex I saw was at VIR with a Porsche in it and the guy raved about it and claimed impressive gain in haul vehicle MPG compared to his prior trailer. The trailer is lower than most roof to floor height and is very light. Tom, thanx for all the good comments...you always hit the info apex! Will talk to both companies and see what else I can learn...only want to do the trailer thing once. VARKSWO says if I do it right one trailer will outlast many track cars!
Outnumbered, check your PM.

larryfs

Trailerx is very popular. Especially their open line.

outnumbered

The open trailer is less than 1,000 lbs. That is the lightest trailer I could find.

AU N EGL

What ever you get make sure it has D-rings in the floor. Makes life easy for tie downs. e-trax works too.

V8 Juice

Mike,
Thanks, the Porsche guy I spoke with mentioned popularity with the engine at wrong end crowd. Shortthrow Mike just called me and Trailex with Silverado 3500 Diesel/Allison trans w/goose neck is the recommended combo.

Gray Ghost GS

I have a Trailex and am very happy with quality of construction and weight. You don't even feel it behind you - tows very well. I've had it for three years - they never rust and always look good. They're not cheap, but I've always believed, "You get what you pay for!" I like the removable fender option on the Featherlite - I don't need it, but its a cool feature. Mine looks similar to this: Mike

C5 XTC

So this is how your best friends find out you've made the decision to go with a trailer for sure.........and I have to read about it in an open forum......I feel violated!!!!!! Either one will meet your needs, make sure you get the one with the lounge chairs, bar, AC, stereo, large screen HDTV, kitchen and john. See you in a couple of weeks. C5 XTC

undertaker

I have a 95 featherlight I bought used....no complaints other than age and it needs new gaskets around the doors but I haven't been in a rush to fix em.

I'd def. say go 24, leaves you room for cabinets, tools, jackstands, jack, tires, tire racks, chairs, bbq grill, all the fun stuff you wonder if you'll need that you just wind up throwing in the trailer 'just in case'

I tow with a 2500 sub rated for 7500 lbs (has 3.73's if it had 4.10's they say 9500....I tow it anyway and note that I dont' agree with their rating system)

Def a nice trailer, I purposely bought used figuring.....goign from nothign right into an enclosed was a major change.....I'd rather pick one up used, godforbid plans change then I can dump it for what I put in to it, give or take. I do drag racing as well, a winch comes in handy for a non-functioning/broken down/no motor etc. car. Hell now that i have the trailer, its amazing how many friends I've acquired, but now that i have it, I don't know how I'd exist without one.

Just a thought might want to try somethign used, and spend alot of time at events checking out other people's equipment, most guys are happy to show you what they have, heck, everyone wants to see whats different out there so they can have the coolest toys...Then after some time when you know what you want instead of us telling you what we think you (we) want, you'll be happiest in the end. trailers ain't cheap, and if you wanna go big do it once, do it right

Bill Hetzel

Goose necks are easier to maneuver around the paddock and slightly easier to hook up since you can see the hitch out of your rear window.
But, they are harder to resale, just like a TAG over 28 ft is harder to sell. If you get a goose neck, I'd keep it under 28 ft., not counting the section that goes over the truck bed. I'd also get the hydraulic tongue jack system.
Other than checking the wheel bearings and brakes, I haven't touched my Featherlite in 7 years, still looks like new.

Winches: Yea, I'd get one. IMO, Ramsey and Superwinch are the best value. Be sure to get one with mechanical braking besides the dynamic.
I've mounted a couple in Featherlites by just drilling thru the floor and used one 3" x 3" aluminun angle that buts against 2 of the cross beams under the trailer. Used a 2300lb. Superwinch "GP" series winch, it pulls a 3500lb vintage Nascar up into the trailer easily.

V8 Juice

Thanx Mike, I saw your trailer at VIR early November CHIN when I was the lone C6 among all the trailers - seeing so many good trailers encouraged me to get serious.
Art

varkwso

Whatever you get it needs A/C and a big flatscreen so we can all watch videos of JD and TimZO6 spinning off the track....in comfort...

Cobra4B

Good call on the 4-wheel brakes, brake controller, and equalizer hitch. I've modded my GMC Canyon to safely tow 6000+lbs. I'm using a Sweet Rivers Trailers low deck trailer w/ 4 wheel brakes.

I've got a Valley inertia switch controller which is great. Get a Valley or Tekonisha (sp?) Prodigy. Both units are load sensing in that they have inertia switches inside them that can sense your rate of deceleration and adjust braking force accordingly. "Standard" brake controllers require you to re-adjust the clamping force for highway use, side street use, and stop/go traffic, you don't have to with an inertia switch controller.


For ride control I have air lift helper springs and an Equalizer weight distribution hitch with sway control. FYI you can get an Equalizer for $400 shipped from rvwholesalers on Ebay... it's a great deal considering they retail for $650.



No matter what route you take, spend a weekend getting it all setup and adjusted correctly. You want to make sure everything is level when loaded. The Equalizer has an adjustable shank so you need to take your time setting it up correctly and accounting for compression of the trailer suspension and truck sag when loaded. Test tow around the town and tweak as needed. Good luck... tow safely

0RAAMaudio

I like staying at the track but finding I like to be more comfortable than camping and looked at allot of trailers and what I could do with them. I have a truck rated for 10,400 lbs and wanted living qtrs, not many options but I found a new 2005 28' Featherlight toyhauler that took a few mods to fit the vette into, barely. This is a very expensive trailer, list price is $48k but I got lucky and paid a great deal less, my best Ebay buy ever (raam on ebay, with an ID that short it shows I have been on there a very long time

I use the same EQ hitch posted above, huge help, air bags are next, and the Teko top line brake controller. It is a bit tough to get right but tows well without air bags but be even better with them, going on before spring. No room for tires, etc in the trailer so I will carry them in the truck.

Nice thing is, stand up shower, big bed, pull down bed in back, 42" 1080p going on the wall, good size fridge for some cool ones, stove, heater, AC, awning, BBQ, a race trailer and party house on wheels all in one

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I also needed to tow my car last week and was snowed in with the big trailer, rescheduled and bought a steel open trailer for utility duties and the times the big trailer is just to much trouble. I picked up a great new 18" trailer locally for $1,900, nice to shop when snow is on the ground and more falling
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I agree, Featherlight and Trailex are the trailers to go with.

Rick

V8 Juice

Rick, Thanks for the time and info. If your 48' also floats, I wonder if your Navy background influenced buying a party house on wheels that incidentally carries the Vette, a suspicion reinforced by the purchase of another trailer to haul the car! Whatever the motive, you are the guy to hang with at the track!! Enjoy.