RogerT

I am interested in a tire trailer to haul four slicks, and storage/tool boxes.
Size can be 4 x 6, 4 x 8, or 5 x 8.

I am interested in ideas for buying, setting up.
Also will need a hitch for a C5.

Can you show yours? Details please.

Thanks,

Roger T

Nitro-C5

Roger, I'm actually selling my tire trailer (held 4 racing tires 335x18") and a tool box along with my trailer hitch which is made specifically for the C5. I have ~ $770 all in with this set up with only about 500 total miles on the trailer. Let me know if you are interested, will part with everything all in for $450.


Here was the ad I just ran recently with some pics:


Racing Tire and Supply Trailer (~500 miles on it) – Metal Platform, wired for a trailer hitch, (1) Aluminum Tool/ Supply Box. Galvanized Pipes bolted to the platform and strapst. Holds (4) Tires of almost any size
http://www.deezee.com/products/279//...ailer_Box.html
(All parts Retail ~ $600) FOR SALE $400 or BEST OFFER

Corvette Mount trailer bracket with removable hitch and ball.
http://www.draw-tite.com/content/pro...005&part=24658
(Retail $170) FOR SALE $85

RDnomorecobra

some good info in this thread ...

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/auto...ier-164-a.html

72Vega

Built by Forum member Reddy Z06 and purchased from him a year ago (Thanks, Mike!!) Started life as a Harbor Freight 4' x 8' folding trailer. Now 4 x 4. Stronger set up with V tongue rather than a single beam. Use a 20% off coupon at HF store or on line. 12" wheels are the way to go. Throw out the bearing grease that comes with the trailer and get some high quality stuff like Mobil 1. Consider replacing lights with an LED set up from HF (about $40 less with coupon.) Get a plug and play wiring harness for the car on ebay for $25 - harness is perfect and easy to install but instructions are wrong so contact me and I'll tell you how to wire the car in 15 minutes. Be careful about how the trailer is balanced (front to back and left/right) when loaded. I'm no trailer expert, but I have about 40-50 lbs of tongue weight to keep the trailer from bouncing around on the ball and draw bar.

Picture below was my first trailer trip to the NCM event at VIR in June 2011. All the way up and down some serious hills in the rain -- no issues at all. I've modified it so now I carry a spare Toyo on the front where the jackstands are in the picture. I can carry 4 Toyos (305-18) standing up on the main deck. Simpson seat harness eye bolts through the deck and frame as anchor points for the ratchet straps.

Tires are secured by running a piece of pvc pipe through then ratchet straps passed through center of pvc pipe. It's very secure.

I carry all tools and some spares in the Kobalt toolbox (Lowes). Although I've never weighed it, I am probably carrying 450-500 lbs total weight. Reddy Z06 took out one of the spring leafs when he first built it because the trailer was bouncing around quite a bit even loaded. It rides very well now with the load I have.

Maintenance: Be sure to nut and bolt the whole trailer before leaving for every event. Check trailer tire pressures including spare (I run about 36 lbs cold.) Torque trailer lug nuts before every event. Repack wheel bearings at the beginning of each season.

Like many of us, you will sometimes fondly remember the HPDE 1 days when all you had to do was drive to the track on street tires!

Good luck!

CHJ In Virginia

Here is the "Budget" trailer that I used for three years. It is a Harbor Freight kit that cost about $350. The wiring came with it to tie into the brake light circuit on the car. If you go this way, be sure to get the one with the larger size wheels for fewer rotations per mile at highway speeds.

You will have to supply a bed for the frame, I used 3/4" plywood. The tool box is one of the HD Plastic ones available at Loews or Home Depot for $60 and will hold tools, jack ans a bunch of spares. I used precut lengths of plumbing pipe and 4 bolt flanges to fashion tire holddowns and slid a PVC pipe down over the metal pipe to keep from damaging wheels.

The hitch I used was a Delan cost about $125 and was not too difficult to install.

The trailer tows great even at highway + speeds. You can spend a lot more and not get any better functionality.

BEZ06

I have a 4'x6' Tractor Supply trailer. It's completely stock and comes with nice sized 12" 5 lug wheels. I think it was about $350 several years ago.

I haven't welded anything on or modified it at all, except for bolting on a flip down/roller tongue support. I should get a spare tire for it.

It comes with that framework welded to it around 3 sides, and that is very handy for holding tires in and securing my Stanley plastic/composite boxes I load all my tools and track junk in.

I run a piece of PVC pipe through the wheels, run a chain through that, and lock it to the frame. I then secure the wheels and boxes with a couple cargo straps running fore/aft. Bungees hold down some boards used for ramps, and also secure a couple gas cans.

It pulls great at 70+mph all day long and I don't even know it's back there except for seeing the tops of the tires in the rearview mirror.

Bob

jwg2

I have the Harbor Freight trailer too, with a Draw-Tite hitch.

http://www.harborfreight.com/1090-lb...res-90153.html
http://www.draw-tite.com/content/pro...005&part=24658

If I recall, the hitch installation require unbolting mufflers, but otherwise it was a no headaches install.

I've tried both stacking the tires and having them stood upright as you see here in these photos. They wind up using less deck space upright. I've put small small trim strips on the deck to help hold them in place while loading, but to secure them in transit I use a combination of trucker's knots to bind the tires together and tow straps to hold them to the trailer. The tires hang over the edge by an inch or two, but nothing problematic.

The only gripe I have is the trailer electrics have been Lucas-like at times. If I'm thinking i'll get the trailer out a week early and test to avoid last minute problems.

The trailer comes with everything but the deck. I went with some thick exterior grade plywood, but am planning to switch to lighter aluminum diamond plate. If I had it to do over again I'd probably buy a slightly larger trailer as I still wind up filling the trunk with track crap.

hookem79

BEZ06 Did you have any issues getting a trailer hitch on your Z06. Are there issues with the Z06 frame and exhaust??

BEZ06

Yes - the main issue is that the V-shaped supports on the Curt hitch won't work with the dual mode exhaust because of the solenoids on the mufflers. I'm not concerned about the aluminum frame at all.

Here's a real light-duty hitch:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...n-details.html


An here's a thread with info about modding a Curt hitch by removing the V-shaped pieces and welding on a vertical piece:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-z...ler-hitch.html


I went to a local fabricator and asked if he could mod a Curt hitch for me like that, but he said he could just build me a custom one for the same price, so that's what I have!!

Bob

RDnomorecobra

Amen to that.

BEZ06

as well!! Don't skimp on the size - I find my 4'x6' to be about perfect.



I couldn't haul what I like to drag to an event without having that 4'x6' trailer.

I store it in the garage and it hardly takes up any room at all. I just lift up the tongue and it sits on its tail end against the wall and I stack the boxes on top of each other next to a stack of tires - the boxes and tires take up more room than the trailer.

The picture below is at my sister's house not too far from VIR after driving from Daytona up to the NCM HPDE last summer.

You can see below that the rear is riding a little low. I keep the trailer's tongue weight to about 35-40 lbs.

However, my pit crew (read: wife!) drags along a lot of stuff for a week or so away from home, and it fills up the cargo compartment and adds to the weight in the rear.

Wow!!! A Corvette cargo compartment can really hold a huge amount of stuff!!!!




Bob

RogerT

A big thank you to everyone who contributed to my trailer inquiry. This is a big help.

Roger T

Baron7700

OK, I know this is an older thread (2+ years) But I found this to be great info, and was wondering if anyone has messed around with a c7 yet. Would love to tow the autox tires.

JeremyGSU

I can't see how it would be possible with the exhaust setup the C7 has. I'd be curious to see what someone comes up with on that one.