ptindall

I had a 16'x7' open trailer for five years. I just sold it. I had welded extensions to the ramps to make the angle shallow enough to get the corvette on and off but that made them really heavy. And the Corvette just barely fit side to side and I had to climb in and out through the trunk if I wanted the windows rolled up. I used it for other things too like hauling couches and my drill press. Now I'm unsure if I want a 18-20'x8' dovetail open trailer or a 20-22'x8' enclosed. These are the questions I think someone with experience with might be able to help me with;

Will I be able to get in and out of the Corvette through the door rather than the window or trunk with an enclosed?

If I get an open with a dovetail, will a C5 go on and off with the standard length ramps?

Are there any downsides to storing the car in the trailer when not in use? For example, does it get extremely hot inside to the point it might be hard on the car interior or anything?

How much more difficult is it to tow and how much worse is the fuel economy compared to an open trailer?

How short of an enclosed can you reasonably transport a Corvette in considering the tie downs?

Gordy M

I have had both, the answer to your question would be how much extras do you carry and will you be doing a lot of overnight travel. For an open trailer I would recommend you look at an aluminum 18' with a dovetail. They are easier on your truck to pull and require less maintenance also you can add a tire rack and still have plenty of room. The closed trailer is very nice when you are staying overnight for events, you can and will carry more spare parts and equipment and you will feel more secure when parking at a motel for the night. With an enclosed trailer you are adding about 2000 lbs more weight to tow and a lot more wind resistance.

For fuel economy I would recommend a slope nose trailer...a friend who has a wedge nosed aluminum trailer had some problems with his and borrowed mine. He went 1200 miles to a week long event in Colorado and returned. He commented he was surprised to find he was getting 1 mpg better gas mileage with my trailer over his aluminum one.

ptindall

This is what I tow with going to the track so shelter from the elements is already taken care of and I think the difference in wind resistance is lessoned by the camper. But it also means I'm already a lot heavier than just having a truck.

bigmackloud

I've got an 18', 2' of which is a dovetail. I still have to jump through hoops to get the nose of my car to clear. I've got race ramps, plus the trailer ramps. Plus i drive the back tires of my truck up wooden ramps I made. It's a hassle. Get something with as low of a deck as possible.

Have you seen the air ride drop deck trailers? Pretty snazzy. No idea how the price compares vs an enclosed trailer.

Most recently, since I have a wood deck, I screwed down some wooden pads under each tire, to raise the car a bit. It's tight but I can open my driver's door now. much better than climbing out through the rear hatch.

How far do you travel to the track? What are you towing with?

ptindall

Ah, that's a bummer about dovetail ramps not being enough. Closest tracks to me are about 100 miles away but I occasionally go 800 miles to Laguna Seca.

eogel

I had a 22 ½’ open trailer for several years. Three years ago I bought a used 24’ Haulmark enclosed. I would not go back to an open trailer. My reasons are: 1) it serves as a garage for the car; 2) more security for my “things”; 3) serves as a place to get out of the sun at the track.

Here are my responses to your specific questions.

Will I be able to get in and out of the Corvette through the door rather than the window or trunk with an enclosed? Maybe. I can get the door open a few inches and that is enough to allow me to crawl in. It is not the easiest, but I can do it (if I don’t gain more weight).

If I get an open with a dovetail, will a C5 go on and off with the standard length ramps?
Maybe. Ramps that come with trailers can be different lengths. Most of the comments I read regarding this indicate people do something to extend the ramps. My trailer has ramps attached to the rear door that are as long as the door is tall. With a splitter, I still need to raise the front of the trailer to get a smooth transition out of the trailer. My car is a C4, but I don’t think that makes a significant difference.

Are there any downsides to storing the car in the trailer when not in use? For example, does it get extremely hot inside to the point it might be hard on the car interior or anything? I have found no downsides. My experience has all been very good for storing the car in the trailer. Heat has not been a problem, and I live in NC where it can get pretty hot in the summer. One of the main reasons I bought an enclosed trailer was to store the car.

How much more difficult is it to tow and how much worse is the fuel economy compared to an open trailer? For me it has not been difficult at all. I towed both open and enclosed with a dually pickup with a big block engine, so there was no inherent challenge with either one. I was extremely surprised how smoothly the 24’ enclosed trailer towed, and I am very comfortable with it. I replaced the GM factory mirrors with a set that was much larger and could be extended out. I am very concerned about knowing what is around me to the point of considering a rear view camera for the trailer, but have not done that yet. I have not noticed a gas mileage impact, but it is reasonable to expect it to go down.

How short of an enclosed can you reasonably transport a Corvette in considering the tie downs? I do not know how short it can be, but I would not want less than 24’. The extra length works for both the tie downs as well as storage. It is very convenient to be able to store items and not have to load them up every time you go to an event. Even then I have a checklist to verify I have what I need & want and it is in place. I go thru the checklist before every event.

Another consideration is a winch. It makes loading easier with either trailer, but especially the enclosed.

I recommend an enclosed trailer only if your tow vehicle is of sufficient size and power to handle it. Otherwise you are asking for trouble.

Let us know if you have other questions.

Ed

c4cruiser

I started towing my '87 autocross car with an 18' open trailer and I found it pretty easy to do. The trailer had a 2' dovetail which helped with loading/unloading but I did have to get longer 6' ramps and I also built 3' wood extensions. The car was still at stock height and I didn't have any clearance issues. The left side trailer fender was removable so that made entry/exit easy.

A few years ago, I upgraded to a 20' enclosed trailer. I went this way for increased storage and security. In the off-season, the trailer becomes a storage unit. This trailer has an internal 2' dovetail but I still needed a set of ramps so the car bottom would clear going in. I'm using some 5' Race Ramps in front of the rear door. They were pricey, but they only weigh about 10 lbs each. I now have a '93 that is lowered but still no clearance issues. I can also get my '02 (which is lowered) in the trailer, but I just have to go slow and make sure it's in the right spot to tie it down.

The trailer has 9" high inside fender wells so I did have to install some risers so that I could open the driver's door once the car was inside (not doing the NASCAR entry/exit thing ). I'll eventually install a winch, but for now I can drive the car in and out. Once the car is inside, it only takes a few minutes to tie it down with ratchet straps. There's enough room for a roller tool cabinet, a storage shelf, and a set of tires/wheels.

I tow the enclosed trailer with my '08 Silverado 1/2 ton 4x4 pickup. It has the trailering package which include an integral trailer brake system and has the 6.0L engine and HD auto trans. The owner's manual says it will tow just over 9000 lbs and my loaded trailer is right at 6800 lbs. I use a weight distribution hitch and it keeps the truck level. Haven't seen the need for a sway bar as yet.

Gas mileage is around 10-11 towing but driving it as my DD, it gets 15. I use a set of clip-on towing mirrors and they work well for looking down the sides of the trailer. The trailer has brakes on both axles (3500 lb Dexter) and it also has an optional 5' long tongue. That makes it a little easier to back up and not worry too much about jackknifing it when going around a corner

Nokones

An enclosed trailer is the way to go. It will provide security for your car and the spare equipment. It will also keep your car clean and dry and you will have an extra garage at home.

As for if you can get in & out of your car while the car is in the trailer, would not be a problem if you have a wench with a wireless remote, you can just wench the car in and out of the trailer. All you have to do is weld a tab underneath to the frame of the car for hooking up the wench. Make sure that the wench is mounted to the floor of the trailer with a backing plate and the backing plate is welded to a trailer frame member and the wench weight capacity far exceeds the weight of the car.

A trailer with a ramp door and extended ramps would help with the ease of getting the car in & out of the trailer.

Before you buy an enclosed trailer, you need to decide what you intend to carry in the trailer. Think of everything. Weight is a humongous factor for the longevity of your tow vehicle and the trailer. You should design the trailer around the car and equipment instead of shoehorning the car and equipment into a trailer. You should never tow at capacity. Always tow no more than 75% capacity on the weight ratings (Trailer, Tow Vehicle, and combined tow vehicle & trailer.)

There are things that will add up the weight, that you should consider in designing a trailer in order to determine size and weight rating the trailer to be designed and built for your needs. Things such as tools, jack stands, floor jack, electric generator with fuel system, interior AC & DC lighting systems, exterior A/C lighting system, interior and exterior electrical outlets and an interior DC electrical cigarette type outlet for the DC stuff, nitrogen bottle, tire and race fuel racks, cabinets for spare parts and supplies, roof vents with weather/wind protectors, portable chairs and tables, if you have kids, the kids stuff; size (width & height) of the side door, side awning (Do not cover the side door with the awning), Microwave, BBQ, ice chest(s), on-boards batteries (you want two batteries one for starting the generator and one for all of your trailer electrical accessories including the electric tongue jack with light. Keep the generator battery separate), and Luggage bags. The weight of all this stuff will add up not only on the trailer gross (laden) weight but, also the tongue weight.

I strongly recommend Propane fuel for your generator and that will also add weight to your tongue for the propane tanks.

You should have the trailer car tie-downs backed up with backing plates and welded to the frame. You should have more than 4 tie downs. The extra tie downs will come in handy for equipment and other extra loose stuff you are hauling.

Besides the weight of your vehicle and equipment that will beat up the trailer, the rough roads are horrible and will beat up the trailer in a heartbeat.

The trailer weight rating will be based on the trailer tongue configuration and hitch coupler, the number of axles, the axle weigh ratings (Don’t use sealed hub assemblies, use serviceable bearings), the tire weight rating, and the frame construction and the thickness of the trailer floor.

Besides the weight rating of your trailer, you need to be aware of the weight rating of not just your towing vehicle capacity but, also the weight ratings of your hitch receiver and how it is mounted to the vehicle frame. The OEM hitch receiver will not meet the needs of most enclosed trailer. You will need to go to a higher weight rating not only in gross weight but, in tongue weight. The minimum receiver inlet size should be 2 5/8” not the 2” like the OEM receivers. Be cognizant of the receiver weight ratings.

To help with the tongue weight, balance the weight inside the trailer, it is best to tie the car down over the trailer axle group.

Now, with all this weight stuff being said, you need to know how much weight you are carrying for several reasons. You want to make sure that you have not exceed the rear axle weight rating of your tow vehicle, the combined gross vehicle weight rating of the tow vehicle with trailer, the weight rating of the trailer with car and equipment, and the restrictions of your home state driver’s license. Know what all of your weights are fully loaded with fuel and passengers.

By looking at your second posting on this subject, I would suspect that with the Camper Unit you are already at or will exceed the weight rating of your rear axle weight rating if you tow a trailer with a tongue weight 1500-2000 pounds and you may or will exceed the combined gross weight rating of the tow vehicle.

It would be best to know what the weight of the truck is with the camper before you start pulling an enclosed trailer. If you decide to get an enclosed trailer and only tow with the minimum stuff that I have mentioned, you most likely will at least 7,500 pounds to maybe 9,000 pounds.

If you end up towing with all the stuff that I have mentioned, your trailer will be near or over 11,000 pounds. You may want to think about a fifth-wheel style enclosed trailer.

I strongly recommend that you do not exceed any of the aforementioned weight ratings or the restrictions of your driver’s license. You may experience some real serious repercussions, either or both legally and civilly, if you are involved in an on-highway traffic collision.

Additionally, when you tow near or over the weight ratings of the vehicle(s), you will experience some real high maintenance cost on your power train and other vehicle components. Just because your vehicle can pull it and stop it under normal conditions doesn’t mean that you will be able to pull or stop it under extreme or emergency conditions. There are real reasons why there are laws and about weight ratings that were established by the manufacturers.

Also, one other factor is can you store the trailer at your house. You should consider your storage space. In some areas the enclosed trailer are targets for break-ins. You may want to think about Lo-Jack and a Vehicle Alarm System with Tracking capabilities for the trailer. Also, think about your tow rig. On-Star definitely helps and if you do not have On-Star, you better think about Lo-Jack with Tracking capabilities and Vehicle Movement Detection. Tow vehicles and trailer are being either broken into or stolen from motels in certain areas of the country. Even some NASCAR teams have experienced those problems

Just so you know, some states are stepping up enforcement on Big-Rigs trucks and are including RV combinations in their enforcement efforts because of the traffic collisions. In regards to RV towing, they are looking at overall lengths, combined vehicle weights, and the driver’s license class restrictions because a lot of the RV towing are driving in violation of the laws.

The overall length of my triple-axle enclosed tag-trailer is 31’ and the trailer weighs just under 11,000 pounds. The trailer GVWR is 15,000. In California, I have to have a non-commercial Class A driver’s license because I have exceed the weight limit of 10,000 pounds for towing a tag-trailer with a Class C Driver’s License.. I’ve been towing race cars (Camaro, Monte Carlo & Corvette) well over 25 years.

My current tow vehicle is a Chevrolet Silverado 1-Ton Dually Diesel. I have sorta outgrown my trailer and I would like to get a larger trailer. If I go to larger trailer, I may go with a true truck tractor type frame tow vehicle and a stacker trailer so I can haul two cars (one Race Car and one for grocery getting). I am also thinking either a Renegade tow vehicle with sleeping quarters or a Trailer with sleeping quarters. Still mulling it over.

I hope this helps with your decision and that I have not confused you or anyone one else. Sorry that my response was too long.

ptindall

Thanks for the reply. There is a lot of good info in there. I'm not a serious racer. I just go to the occasional track day. I'm looking at low priced used trailers on craigslist. Race fuel, benches, large amounts of tools, nitrogen, and lot of other stuff you carry, I won't be carrying. I don't need a generator as my camper has a built in propane generator and my truck has an on board air system. I don't even bring a second set of tires unless I'm traveling long distance with the possibility of a wet track. My hitch system is a SuperTruss rated at 12,000 lbs with a weight distributing hitch. 6,000 lbs without it. My truck and camper combo weighs about 12,000lbs loaded. I'll have to look up what its rated for. I found a website for a trailer manufacturer that lists the weights of the trailers they sell. Their 22'x8' enclosed was 3200lbs. Add 3100 for the car and I'm only at 6300 lbs. Maybe 1500lbs more than with my open trailer in the picture that pulled so easy I could barely tell it was back there. In the past I would put the floor jack and the tool I took with me in the back seat of the truck.

Bill Dearborn

I just went through this earlier this year. I used to have a 16 ft 7K wood bed utility trailer with a dove tail and extended two piece ramps. I had a tire rack with thin fiberglass panels attached to the supports that acted as a wind deflector. Ramps were made out of 2 inch angle iron and 2 inch C Channel. There was a 1/8 inch thick 2 inch wide strap that went up the ramps to keep the wheels from falling down into the space between the angle iron cross bars. I had that trailer for 23 years and it worked great. My Tahoe's could easily pull it and the tongue weight was low enough I didn't overload their rear axle.

When I got my C7Z the trailer wasn't wide enough so I had to purchase a new one. I decided to go with an 18 ft steel bed open trailer with a Dove Tail. The first mistake I made was not paying attention to the unloaded tongue weight of the new trailer. I had a tire rack and wind deflector added to the trailer which with the extra length of the trailer all being in front of the trailer wheels brought the unloaded tongue weight to about 1000 lbs which took me far over the Tahoe's rear axle rating. The new trailer was a Big Tex trailer and for some reason they put 5 ft long 20 inch wide ramps on it. They weigh close to 60 lbs each which is at least double what the ramps on my previous trailer weighed. It is a 7K trailer so with a non modified 2400 lb empty weight that only leaves 4600 lbs of load capacity.

With the weight distribution of the empty trailer I have to place my C7 Z so the rear wheels are about 6 inches down the dove tail to get the loaded tongue weight down to 800 lbs. The added two feet of trailer length buy me nothing since using it increases the tongue weight to much. Basically, the trailer will work better if you have a Dualie and can take a heavy tongue weight, it is not designed properly for hauling cars behind an SUV/1500 series pickup truck even though it is sold as a car trailer. I am not going to trade in my 2003 Tahoe which I have owned since new to get a higher rated tow vehicle. It has no problem with the total combined weight only the tongue weight which is affected by where the trailer wheels are located.

As for getting in and out of the car on the trailer you can buy one like my old trailer which has plenty of clearance above the fender or has removable fenders. The Big Tex has removable fenders but they were awkward to work with especially when reinstalling so I took it to a shop that cut the left side fender down two inches and I don't have to fuss around with it anymore. Big Tex could have done that from the get go as there was plenty of suspension travel even if the trailer was fully loaded.

Bill

TrackAire

I own both a flatbed and enclosed car trailer....here is the main downside to the enclosed trailer:

1. The added wind resistance lowers mpg substantially.....my trailer has A/C on top plus multiple fans with covers. All add to aero drag. In fact, on flat land towing I get nearly the same mpg regardless if there is a car in the trailer or not. But since it tows so nice, I often find myself between 65 and 70 mph.....the California legal tow speed is 55 mph. Luckily, I just tuck in behind big rigs and stay with the flow of trailer traffic and hope the CHP doesn't single me out.

2. It cost more to buy.

That's it, the two major downfalls of an enclosed trailer. Everything else is a major upside and I can't see how I survived without one in the past. Besides hauling the car to the track, it has been used multiple times to move kids to and from college, pick up furniture in the rain, store stuff in, camping at the track and family adventures, getting out of the heat and cold at the track, etc. Mine also has a mini living quarters in it with shower, toilet, fridge, sink, water heater, microwave, heater, air conditioning and a couch that folds down to a bed. I always haul a silenced type inverter 3000 watt generator to the track just in case I need major AC power for something or if I want to run the A/C on hot days.

If you do buy an enclosed trailer, add in a small electric winch with a wireless remote. Makes loading and unloading a one man job that is drama free... especially if your car is broke down or not running. With the winch, you don't have to spend extra for an exit side drivers door option on the enclosed trailer.

apex26

I love my 24ft enclosed. It stung to buy, but it's so handy. Built a bunk across the front, that also holds a microwave and coffeemaker. Also made 2 portable bunks for family so we can stay right at the track. So we do avoid paying for hotel rooms, some meals, coffee and commuting, guess you could say it's helping pay for itself in some minimal way. I had a 20ft enclosed before, that extra 4ft makes a huge difference. With the aluminum roof it's cool in the summer, and built a screen door for the side to keep the bugs out. The only annoyance is having to crawl in and out a window to get in the Corvette, but a winch would solve that. I got the 3500lb axles, so costs more to register, but it moved my daughter from Nashville to Boston, it's useful and convenient for many reasons. Stick with quality--US made axles and tires, LED lights, etc.

zrtman1

I went through same problem this spring. Ended up buying a 3 year old used 27 V for not much more than a new cheap 18' no name brand open. I would recommend getting the heavier axles (I did). Empty trailer and C5 are close to 7k gvwr of trailer. A lot of the new 7K enclosed (and open) I looked at only had single axle brakes. All of the upgraded 10,500 axles had brakes both axles. Probably not a big deal on open trailer but important to me on enclosed (you are already heavy with camper). I have had or seen so many problems with hubs and tires on trailers I like the extra weight rating. F350 here too but SRW.

I winch on. Trailer came with a very small 2500lb winch but it actually works fine. I added a cheap wireless remote from Harbor freight.

As Trackaire stated - downfalls of enclosed are aero drag (but with your camper should not be an issue). They are 1000lbs or so heavier than an open. They do cost more. And I think an open is quicker to load. But personally it would be very hard to go back to an open.

zrtman1

Any pictures of your bunks etc? I just insulated my roof, will be doing walls over the winter. Was thinking of a fold down bunk on pass side of trailer. Right now sleeping on air mattress. It is nice staying at track...

fleming23

I really enjoyed my Aluma 18' open tilt trailer. It towed nicely behind a Grand Cherokee as it was very light but when I upgraded to an F150 earlier this year, I also upgraded to a 24' enclosed trailer (actually for sale in the classified if you want to take a look) and have zero regrets. The car is not as easy to load but the wireless winch makes pretty short work of it. Getting ready for a track day now only consists of connecting to the trailer and winching in the car as all my crap is already in the trailer ready to go.

I will say this, it is really easy to get carried away with trailer tongue weight! That is the biggest reason I have mind listed for sale right now as I am interested in spending the small fortune to buy an aluminum enclosed. Once you add cabinets, a winch/battery, generator(s), A/C and all the tools and miscellaneous crap in the cabinets, the nose can get quite heavy.

ptindall

A lot of helpful posts here. Thank you guys. I actually had a winch on my open trailer but didn't use it to load the Corvette. If I use the winch, I need to leave the window down so I can operate the steering wheel. If I am going to leave the window down, I might as well drive the car on and then just get out Duke's of Hazard style. I would be more open the leaving the window down in an enclosed, but for long term storage, I'd still want it up. I'm leaning heavily towards an enclosed now due to people saying they tow easy and also because I don't want to deal with long, heavy ramps anymore. The enclosed's fold down door looks like a better option. The nice thing about buying a used trailer is if I don't like it, I should be able to sell it for about what I paid. And we have no sales tax on private party sales here in Arizona.

BEZ06

I do often drive the car in/out of my enclosed trailer.

But, I do have a winch with remote which make is really easy to load the car, and especially if you should have a problem at the track such that you can't drive the car into the trailer to get it home!

However, I wouldn't ever get an enclosed trailer without an escape door on the left side to allow me to open the door of the car and easily climb in/out of the car when it's in the trailer!!

ptindall

Wow, beautiful trailer! Its much more than I need though. Good luck with the sale.

ptindall

Yeah, I'm really surprised how rare that seems to be, at least for trailers in the length and price range I'm looking. They all seem to just have a man door near the front on the right.

TrackAire

For you young and limber guys that can climb through the window without causing damage....I'm jealous.

This is what I look like trying to climb out of the cars window: