97C5inSD

I've been looking at alotta trailer options for my vette lately And well since the misses dosen't like always missing out since she usually stays home and watches the little one. Ive been starting to look at Toy haulers and Cargo trailers converted with Living quarters. I mostly AutoCross and Do track days. But i figured if i got the right unit i could use it for family camping and taking 4wheelers and such out in the future.

And i just would like to know what you guys have for setups? Garage lenghts and living quaters Lenght? I have a 3/4ton diesal pickup to tow with so thats why i am looking at the trailer option. I have considered an RV pulling my open trailer But then if the misses wants to go galavanting off for something she's not exactly one to drive an RV around.

My other option was to get a 5th wheel Camper and pull my Car trailer behind it as long as you stay under 70ft total length you get by ok. But i have Drove Semis with Pup trailers which would be similar to this and well going to some of the autox events this would make things rather intersting.

Ive looked at enough campers and such and toy haulers that it's making my head hurt So now i'm looking for some adivce from the fellow vette racing community

So what have some of you peeps got and your setups for bringing the family along with you as you play on the weekends?

AU N EGL

Living quarters for most guys is a blow up mattress, sleeping bag, micro wave, coffee maker and small grill.

But there is a whole range of options for trailers

You have the truck to haul almost anything.

28" foot is a nice size for your car and other things.

mwvettec5

If you go to any SCCA Regional or National (or NASA) event you'll see the full spectrum of tow vehicles and trailer combinations.

From you description probably the most popular choice would be an RV with a dual wheel chassis and enough power to pull your racecar trailer.

I have a friend who races SCCA GT-1 who just bought a new Ford based RV that is a pretty hi-tech camper with all the "amenities" and it pulls his racer quite well. He only gets 7-8 MPG but my Navigator hauling our 26 Ft enclosed trailer can't top 9 MPG.

You don't see many "Toy Haulers" long enough for a Corvette that still have well equipped living quarters, especially one that can be pulled by a pickup. There's a lot of custom built trailers with tons of car and living space but most are hauled by purpose built rigs based on semi chassis.

BTW - Do you know that the CCC Corvette Club has an open track event at MAM on Monday August 11 (2-7 pm) ??? It's intended to be a "warm up" for their Labor Day "hi-speed" event(s).

97C5inSD

I hear you there Trust me i'd actually be happy throwing my Pickup Camper in the back of my truck and hauling the car on a trailer. as of right now i have been driving the car to events pulling a tire trailer. behind it. only downside to that is if i need to run somewhere aways from the track or course to get something.


As of what i have seen and liked most so far are the work and play models one has a 20ft garage space the other has 18. I'm not looking to take my workshop with me but need room for basic tools and a extra set of wheels and tires. Granted them models are like 44ft total length gooseneck models. i havent found prices yet i'm almost scared to hear them. But if it makes the misses happy and i get to see my kid some more i'm game

AU N EGL

New and used are listed on Racing Junk dot com

http://nasa.racingjunk.com/category/13/Towing.html


Minimum trailer most ppl say is 24 foot with double 5000 lb axles, electric brakes on both axles. Most 28 footers come with 5000 lb axles.

most 24s come with 3500 axles

I have a 24 and is OK. 28 would give a bit more room.

vettl83

Open trailer and motels is what I use. I do have a 2007 27' Dutchman motor home with hitch and trailer brakes. It's on a Chevy 3500 Work Horse chassis with 4:11 gears and has tow mode. I might give that a try. Small enough to drive around in traffic with no issues and has a back up camera. I found out that 5th wheel toy haulers aren't big enough for cars, but you can get car haulers with living quarters. Good luck with your decision.

anotherone

I tow with a 33' motorhome and all the facilities are great. At 7mpg its gotten out of reach at this time. If you must get an rv its a buyers market right now because they almost cant give them away. All the snow birds left them in storage here in fl and drove home in their towed cars!
Going to vir hurt when $200 doesnt even fill the tank. Think hard about 7-8mpg towing or not.
A slide in at the track looked interesting ; after the camper taken off the truck it was good for run around. Its a tough decision, good luck.

0RAAMaudio

I just put a for sale sign on my 28' Featherlite toyhauler yesterday, very nice unit, I just sent you a PM

Rick

97C5inSD

Well i have found a few toy haulers that can haul cars and basically the bar essestionals as far as tools go wich for me if i have that big of a break i'm just gona tow it home to fix i don't mind being able to do some maitnces and minor work at the track but major breaks i'll save for at home.

So Far i've seen Work and Play from Forester have 2 units that have garages that are big enough. Campmaster also has one. and then Raam's Featherlight model Some are priced ok others are super spendy. But in some cases i'm sure you get what you pay for and in some others i think your paying for the name.

And as some of you stated it's a RV buyers market right now. with fuel prices and everything the way that they are. But since i have a truck already thats pretty well capable of towing most of my 5th wheels needs i'd rather lean twoards that route The big Toter homes and such would be awesome but i'm not a world class racer nor do i have that kinda budget.

Thanks for all your guys help and suggestions. My search continues

mikahb

The difference in cost between a decent hauler with living space and a straight 28' box is significant, probably $30k. The thing that convinced me to go the box/hotel route was just how many hotel stays we could do for $30k! Admittedly if you're making a mortgage payment on a trailer with LQ you're at least building some equity, but I'm not sure it's a great place to stash ones cash at the moment with the market in such decline. Yep, prices are low, but it's going to be quite a while before this over-supply corrects and the values come back - and what will it be worth then?

My wife comes along, and we hire a nanny to watch the kiddos on weekends we're gone, then we stay in a hotel. If you look at what we pay the nanny plus what we pay for hotel, we could make a payment on a pretty nice unit, but not having the kids (2 and 6) at the track to worry about is worth the extra $$, and the kids love having the nanny here now and again anyway.

We've talked about when the kids are older, what would be the right solution, and from what I've seen so far, I think a motorhome pulling an enclosed trailer would be the best option. Car stuff stays in the trailer, people stuff stays in the motorhome. If you want to use the trailer more locally, you can pull it with your truck. If you want to use the motorhome for something other than the car, you're not dragging 20 extra feet of trailer around with you just because.

Anyway, good luck - hope you find the right package and deal for your needs and budget.

BuckeyeZ06

My first truck/trailer combo was a 1 ton Chevy with the 496 gas and a 28' TAG. It worked pretty well, but I wanted to buy a golf cart and it wouldn't fit so...

My second rig is a 2007 GMC crew cab duallie with the Duramx/Allison combo pulling a 40' gooseneck with air/heat and gas generator. I, too, normally sleep in hotels, but it is nice to set up a small lounge in the trailer with the air cooling things off.

This coming weekend I am heading to Lime Rock for the SCCA national there. Because hotel rooms are so dran expensive in that part of the country I am going to do something I have never done before: camp! Well, my version of camping. I am going to set up a inflatable mattress in the trailer (with the air on) and sell the heck with $250/night bed/breakfast prices in CT.

I have considered buying a Class A RV and pulling a smaller trailer. Also considered is keeping what I have but still getting the big RV for that "home away from home" sensation. But that's a ton of money to waste for 8-10 weekends per year.

AU N EGL

Here something that is kind nice

called a "Weekender" 48' trailer

http://nasa.racingjunk.com/search?se...categoryId1=13

Not quite a full decked out living quarters, but still a lounge, bathroom, bed on the goose area.

Gray Ghost GS

I have an '07 Ford F250 Super Duty (Diesel 6.0 Turbo) that easily pulls a Trailex aluminum trailer with tire rack, tool box, etc. with a Lance 835 truck camper on the back that doesn't interfere with the trailer while towing, etc. Great setup!!

FastZR1

Be careful what you get as far as size. You can quickly overload a 3/4 ton truck, especially if you have a 4x4. Check the axle weights of your truck on a CAT scale with the truck full of fuel, tools, wife and/or whatever else you may need for your trip.
My truck is an F250, 6.0L, crew cab, 4x4. After I have the truck loaded up, my truck is at 7900 #s. The GVWR for a 2004 F-250 is 8800 #s. So, to be within Ford's weight ratings, I can only have 900 #s of more weight I can put on the truck axles. So a goose neck trailer where you typically want 12-15% of the trailer weight on the truck, you have most likely just overloaded your truck axles.
Many rigs on the road are overloaded and many owners may not worry. I have pulled a little overweight and I was fine. I know my limits and I know that too big of a trailer is too much for a 3/4 ton truck. I do tow, and have for sale, a 28' Pace and with everything loaded up and tied down, I'm at the max per Ford's ratings.
Just my 2 cents.

97C5inSD

See i have no issues with this i have a slide in pickup camper now thats a pop top on it but no bathroom or A/C is the only downers on it but the a/c part can be remided pretty easy just not the bathroom part but hey may be a option i may consider.




Hmm them things look almost perfect that is a great find thanks AU N EGL



And thank you everyone else for letting me know what you have and your opinions also I have alot to think about consider cause as well as you all know this is a large investment in anyway you look at it.

1320jon

I went the utility route. I do several different things, like drag racing, autocross, and offroading. I went big because I haul a lot of stuff but with one car you could get away with 34-36 ft gn. Mine is a 50ft GN with expandable living quarters. I have a portable toilet (a great thing), a fold out camp style kitchen, sleeping for 6 and could hold a few more, two roof airs, a couple windows, water tank, a camp shower that was altered to work in or out of the trailer, and ofcourse tools.

Tools weigh a lot, and I use a roll around tool box for tools and camp utensils. The tool box never moves, its bolted to the wall. I ussually hual two cars and one quad to the drags, or one sandrail and a 4 passergen jeep and 5 quads to the sand dunes. Thats a tight fit , since the rail is a long 4 passenger car.

After I pull the toys out, it takes maybe 15 minutes to convert the forward part to a pretty complete living quarters. I often run a small portable gen out side on the ground for the "family" comfort power, for lights, tv, etc...instead of running the 7500 watt contained gen that is mounted. Its not bad, you need it for the airs , the compressor and big outside lights but its nicer to not feel the vibes, and just use the little one when applicable.

I never run out of water and if your conciuos of it 10 gallons will due just fine for two days for four people. (two kids)

Weight is an issue, esspecially without a dually. I make it, just barely on all axles.

MJM

I agree 100%.

Trailer is a 24 foot haulmark. Big enough for the Vette and my motorcycle plus spare wheels/tires and all my tools.

If you purchase new it will be ridiculously expensive. Buy a used semi and have the conversion done to save lots of money.

Matt

73-84 IMSA Widebody

We pulled our car trailer last year with a class b camper. Pulled great, wonderful facilities for up to 6, a cool quite place for the wife to hang out, and 7 miles per gallon.
I think hotels end up being cheaper but having a "home" 10 feet away sure is nice.

Kanmer

Here is what we use. A 22' Ultra on a Ford E350 Chassis. Has the Triton V10 sao there is towing capacity. The open trailer, either the 16 or 18 foot trailer has brakes on both axles. Motorhome gets 7-8 mpg on reg gas.

If she wants to go anywhere (only if she is not driving in the event) she calls Enterprise Rent a Car. They pick you up.

The little boxy one in front.






HTH
Bob