Anyone tow an 8.5x16 enclosed trailer?

[Scruf]

I borrowed a buddies 7x16 enclosed trailer this weekend to pick up a race car I bought. The car fit, but it was very tight fitting through the ramp door opening, only an inch or so to spare on each side.

I need to buy my own trailer. I had been planning on a 7x16, but now I'm thinking an 8.5x16 would make fitting the car much easier. The draw back though is the 7' wide trailer was already very difficult to see around with the stock mirrors. I ordered the Rampage mirror extensions and the Thorn adapter brackets; they should be here today or tomorrow. So that should help a little.

Just curious if anyone has towed an 8.5' wide cargo trailer? Was it significantly worse than a 7' wide trailer?

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[Bestop]

I think one of the biggest changes in going to that width is the ability to use your side view mirrors effectively. Plan on mirror extensions.

Lee
- the Bestop team
www.bestop.com

 

[Scruf]

I installed my mirror extensions last night before I towed the 7x16 trailer back to my buddies house. They help a little. The rampage mirrors are just so small, it's hard to see much. Your eyes have to refocus as your view transitions from the stock mirror to the extension mirror.

Just curious if anyone has personally towed an 8.5' trailer. Was it awful or manageable?

 

[darjo]

I have the Sport S with the max tow package. I have an 8.5'x20' that I built out as a camper that I have recently towed cross country, including through the Smoky and Rocky Mountains (went across southern Colorado).

Weight of the trailer was about 4800lbs loaded, the jeep was loaded (4+dog).

I don't have a ton of trailering experience, so don't have much to compare to -- I've towed a few flatbed trailers and boats from time to time, but not much of this size / height / width. It towed it fine -- there were a couple of points at high grades+elevation (8%, 11,000 feet) that I was tapped out at about 60 mph.

The width took a bit of getting used to, and is wide, but manageable. I did get side mirrors at Walmart for $20 each that strapped onto the existing mirror and did the trick for the most part, although not enough to overcome even slight bends in the road. It did take a lot of care at gas stations / toll booths / etc..., and we did scrape pretty bad at a tollbooth in Kansas but nothing that wasn't repairable.

I did end up doing sway bars from Harbor Freight because trailer sway got pretty bad at higher speeds, although this was likely from not having the best weight distribution in the trailer. It still was there from time to time, but more manageable.

All in all it is doable.

 

[Scruf]

@darjo thanks for the feedback.

Luckily my towing the racetrack won’t involve any mountain passes.

Long term I might look into one of those wireless backup cameras to mount on the trailer.

Finding an enclosed trailer in stock is a bit tricky right now. But I found one not too far away at a dealer. It’s an extended height (7’ inside) which I don’t need and was trying to minimize wind frontage surface area. But maybe it wouldn’t be too bad.

 

[KVJ]

Going to the 8.5 width will increase wind load as well. They make low profile box carriers if you don't mind bending over when inside of it. But if you only want it to trailer the car and store it as well, it could be an option.

seen here: http://xtratufftrailers.com/product/colonys-8-5x16-low-profile-cargo-trailer-735/

The rear camera is the way to go with a wide trailer.

 

[Gatorac]

@darjo ... It’s an extended height (7’ inside) which I don’t need and was trying to minimize wind frontage surface area. But maybe it wouldn’t be too bad.

Don't get the extended height. You'll likely regret it for as long as you own it. When Chin added a 2nd rig to the fleet they mistakenly ordered the extra height trailer. This 24' trailer is a chore to tow even behind an F-450. It is much more prone to side drafts. For a sports racer like your car, try and find a really low trailer. You could likely get away with something 4' tall with an escape door on one side.

Have you checked Racinjunk.com for trailers?

 

[Factoid]

Timely thread, thank you! Next month, I will be towing my ‘64 Corvette from Atlanta to NY. It drives, but still requires body work and interior to be complete. I will tow it with my JTR and want an enclosed trailer. The low profile 8.5’ x 20’ may be just the ticket. Here is a picture of my cargo.

 

[Scruf]

Ugh, I'm sure you're right about the extended height (7') version.

Inventory is so limited right now, there are very few options. I was talking to one trailer dealer; he said they normally keep 50 units in stock. right now they only have 1. I spoke to another dealer, they had 4 units coming in; all 4 were already claimed.

I was hoping to do one track day before the end of the season, but if I can't find a trailer in the next week or two I may just have to wait until spring. I'm also going to have to install a winch to help load the car.

Car only has 1.75" of ground clearance. front splitter isn't removable. so the approach angle is terrible.

@Factoid - that's going to be an awesome car! can't wait to see finished pictures.

 

[Scruf]

As a follow up, I bought an 8.5x16, standard height (6'6") enclosed trailer today. Trailer weight is 2800 lbs empty.

For the 2.5 hr drive home, I decided to take backroads instead of the interstate. The was a bunch of construction and narrow lanes on the interstate, just decided I didn't want the hassle. Plus it made for a more interesting road trip with the wife. Stopped for burgers in a small town, etc.

Anyways, no noticeable difference in towing vs the 7x16. Visibility was bad before, slightly worse with the 8.5. I try to run my turn signal for a few seconds before changing lanes, just incase I missed somebody.

The last 25 mins were on the interstate, 65mph. Fairly light traffic. Again, no issues.

Gas mileage is around 11.5 mpg, and that was running 55mph for most of the trip. That's pretty much the same as I averaged with the 7x16 coming home from DC to Raleigh on I95/I85 running 65-68mph. Basically you're pulling a parachute. Motor is rarely below 3k rpms.

Going to research a wireless backup camera. And I may end up doing a w/d hitch. Fully loaded I'll be around 4,000-4,500 lbs. Not maxed out, but if it cuts down on some of the sway in traffic, then it might be worth the investment.

 

[KVJ]

Take another picture with the car in the trailer like your fist one and let us see the fit.

 

[Scruf]

Take another picture with the car in the trailer like your fist one and let us see the fit.

Will do, though it may be a week or two before I have everything ready to load. Have the car in the garage getting it prepped.

I'm going to add a small winch to the trailer to help in loading. And I ordered a wireless backup camera this evening (gotta love Amazon Prime)

Maybe a project for this winter, but I'd also like to put down some of that rubber flooring stuff in the trailer to dress it up a bit.


But just for fun, here are a couple of pictures of the racecar.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I borrowed a buddies 7x16 enclosed trailer this weekend to pick up a race car I bought. The car fit, but it was very tight fitting through the ramp door opening, only an inch or so to spare on each side.

I need to buy my own trailer. I had been planning on a 7x16, but now I'm thinking an 8.5x16 would make fitting the car much easier. The draw back though is the 7' wide trailer was already very difficult to see around with the stock mirrors. I ordered the Rampage mirror extensions and the Thorn adapter brackets; they should be here today or tomorrow. So that should help a little.

Just curious if anyone has towed an 8.5' wide cargo trailer? Was it significantly worse than a 7' wide trailer?

You should see what the pros used to haul show cars, or those hauling for hire - not much more clearance than you have, if any, actually. I watched the guy that hauled my 70 Javelin to its new owner in Texas - the guy could BARELY get in and out, and with one SUV, he had to crawl back to the hatch to exit (he moved it out and put the Javelin up front then put the SUV back in. Good thing the guy wasn't over-weight)

I suspect that guy had an 8' trailer as the room on each side of the car was about the same as it was when the car was on my car hauler and it's 8' wide.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Going to the 8.5 width will increase wind load as well. They make low profile box carriers if you don't mind bending over when inside of it. But if you only want it to trailer the car and store it as well, it could be an option.

seen here: http://xtratufftrailers.com/product/colonys-8-5x16-low-profile-cargo-trailer-735/

The rear camera is the way to go with a wide trailer.

Right -these are rated for a maximum FRONTAGE as well as weight. So you have to watch that width and height, or the square footage of the front face.

 

[josephvikky]

There is nothing much to say since you already got enclosed trailer and you've experienced the towing yourself. Let me just tip this in. The 8.5 x 16 enclosed trailer is able to haul quite a load. Empty the unit weighs 2,800 pounds. Most large cars, vans, and light SUVs are able to tow up to around 3,500 pounds, with many running in the 6,000-pound and 7,000-pound range. This means no matter what you drive, you should still have ample room to load up and safely tow your 8.5 x 16 enclosed cargo trailer.

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