Race Trailer Recommendations

[MarkMarine]

I recently picked up a legit tow vehicle and traded in my A4. Now I'm looking for recommendations for a race trailer... What size have you guys found appropriate? I do bring a ridiculous amount of spares and tools with me, so the 5x8 is definitely out, but I don't have an unlimited budget and I have to park this in what amounts to 1 + 1/2 of a car space, so I can't get a 19' toy hauler for those two reasons. I'd like something with brakes, something that will handle two bikes plus tools/crap and something I can bunk in. I don't need fancy though. Just functional.

Thoughts? Experiences with brands, types, manufactures/dealers? Options I should make sure I get? Anything that will/could bite me down the road?

[maxim_X]

I did this last year. I ended up with a 6x10 V-nose 6.5" height all aluminum 'stealth' brand from a little place in Swansea. It was about $4k out the door with taxes and tie down rails. It will fit 2 bikes, all the tools and stands and pop up and all that ish. Ask anyone who has seen me at the track I bring a ton of crap. It would even fit a scooter or something with clever wheel chock positioning. But, if your trying to use it as a workshop too, it's too small. Packed up there is no room for anything movement inside.

[OreoGaborio]

My 14 footer is just long enough for me to be comfortable when camping 2-4 days at a time.
The 7.5' width is awesome, especially when you've got two bikes already loaded up & have to get around inside.

If I had to do it over again I'd look for something a foot or two longer but I've got it pretty packed... two bikes, two sets of spare rims, two LARGE tool boxes/chests, a handful of Pit Posse goodies from amazon, double high dorm fridge, etc.

[MarkMarine]

I tend to hear that from everyone I ask. 14' might be the the max for where I want to park this, maybe I can go 15-16' but there is a risk one of my roommates will hit it. They already hit my car. It's a tricky driveway

[The Snowman]

6x10 all aluminum is what I use as well. Since mine is a horse trailer, we can't mount anything on the walls where the horse would be, so we use totes. It works awesome.

[MarkMarine]

You just have the 1 bike though right? I plan to have a B bike (I've accepted I crash a lot) and a scooter or pit bike, maybe next year. Do you think the 6x10 would be too tight then? I do like the idea of having room to work, I don't have a garage and this will serve as my garage at home.

[OreoGaborio]

Two bikes in a 6x10 leaves VERY little room to work.
If you're gonna be wrenchin in it you're gonna want to unload the other bike.

If I were in your shoes i'd buy the biggest one I can fit in the pace it's getting parked and learn to deal with any shortcomings that might arise from being restricted to that size.


If I could comfortably get away with having a smaller trailer I would... but I like the 14x7.5.

[MarkMarine]

If you don't mind me asking Pete, how much was your trailer?

[OreoGaborio]

Second hand, I got it for 3.5k

Dual axel, electric brakes, wired & lit interior. Purchased from a fellow NESR member.

[MarkMarine]

Is it V Nose? What kind of mileage do you get with/without it? I have a Ram 1500 with the hemi so I can tow it, but I do love going to NJMP and would like to hit VIR, so decent mileage would be a nice bonus

[maxim_X]

With my 6x10 I get about 11-14mpg towing. 18-20 not towing. That's with a hemi Jeep GC.

[OreoGaborio]

Flat nose. Steel frame. Wouldn't mind having a V but it hasn't proved to be a dealbreaker.

I get about 11 mpg's towing. 4 liter V6 Nissan Pathfinder.
Got about the same MPG's towing The Creepy One's ~20 foot all aluminium v-nose.

[MarkMarine]

That's pretty good. Is the 14 MPG when you have a light foot or is it something else

[MarkMarine]

Got about the same MPG's towing The Creepy One's ~20 foot all aluminium v-nose.

That's a lot of trailer for a V6 SUV.

[OreoGaborio]

Not 14mpg.... 11mpg. That's trying to be easy during accel/decel, but still doing 70-75ish.
EDIT: Oh, you were talkin to Maxim.

That's a lot of trailer for a V6 SUV.

Yeah... it's based on a truck frame, though.
600lb tongue, 6000lb pull rating.

[maxim_X]

That's pretty good. Is the 14 MPG when you have a light foot or is it something else

Big hills, driving 80, stopping a lot is worse. Going 65 on easy highways is near 14. I think the biggest killer is the wind resistance even with the V because the trailer is tall. Granted the V isn't very steep on my trailer

[OreoGaborio]

is that 14mpg caluclated for the trip or 14mpg instantaneous while doing 65?

[maxim_X]

It's calculated at the fill-ups.

[MarkMarine]

So V nose is worth it then? 3-4 MPG is real $ on 400 mile trips

[The Snowman]

I have plenty of room in my 6x10 with 2 full sized bikes in it, even with all of the totes and other stuff I bring. Putting stuff on the walls would squeeze things in a little bit.

You actually don't have to pack everything but the kitchen sink. When I've had 2 bikes, I've also had:

Medium sized dorm fridge
7 drawer lower tool chest
Spare set of wheels w/ rains
1 or 2 take-off tires
Fold-up 2-person quik cot
Large tote with sleeping stuff (pillows, 2-person sleeping bag), room-darkening curtain panels (the trailer has 3 windows w/ sliding screens)
Large tote with bike stuff (gloves, helmet fan, all shorter electrical cords/surge protectors, go-pro stuff, Netbook computer, bike spray chemicals)
100' power cord on roller
Milk crate with bike fluids (gallon of oil, water/wetter, drain pan)
Fan and/or space heater
Leather suit (hanging on forward rack)
Step stool (to get into trailer when it's parked)
VP fuel filler container
Front and rear stands (2 sets when I have 2 bikes)

Sure, there isn't much walking room once it's packed, but we have a decent system now that fits everything quite nicely.

[OreoGaborio]

So V nose is worth it then? 3-4 MPG is real $ on 400 mile trips

Careful. Comparing a 6x10 aluminium (?) to a 14x7.5 steel framed trailer being towed by two different vehicles is comparing apples to elephants. I can almost guarantee the v-nose has almost nothing to do with our MPG difference.

My research showed that although a V-nose doesn't hurt, it also doesn't really help MPG's as much as one would expect.
Aluminium, on the other hand...

[MarkMarine]

I'm asking for advice and trying to interpret the streams into one concatenation Pete. If a V nose with almost the same engine I have can get 14 MPG going 80, when I'll go 65, it seems like a decent thing to look for in a trailer.

[The Snowman]

Don't know how you're getting 14mpg w/ the hemi. I have a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee w/ the 5.7 hemi and the 8 speed tranny and the best I've gotten is 12mpg at 70mph. I might be able to get 13 at 65, but probably not 14.

[carsick]

Mark, slow down and double check your reading comprehension. Maxim said "Going 65 on easy highways is near 14". And as Pete said, V-nose doesn't improve mileage like you think it might. More room inside, a little better looking, but you'll notice no manufacturers are touting better mileage on their v-noses.
And stop worrying about fuel mileage. It's racing, you will be spending cubic money anyway! Get the trailer that will give you enough room and safely haul your stuff. Too small and you'll overload it, too big and it'll wreck you.

[OreoGaborio]

I'm asking for advice and trying to interpret the streams into one concatenation Pete. If a V nose with almost the same engine I have can get 14 MPG going 80, when I'll go 65, it seems like a decent thing to look for in a trailer.

I know what you're doing here, Mark... That's why I'm trying to tell you the v-nose doesn't really make that huge difference. .5-1mpg? I'd believe it... 3mpg? no. Absolutely not.

Let me summarize

Maxim towing a 10x6 aluminium flea at an easy 65 = 14
Me towing my 14x7.5 steel elephant at 70-75 = 11.

WEIGHT accounts for the bulk of the MPG difference, not the v-nose.



But I'll say it again since you seem to have a hardon for a v-nose.... it doesn't HURT, so go ahead & get one if that's what you wanna spoodge on. I know that's what I was dead set on getting when I first started looking, too... But from everything I read, which was pretty substancial, it's really not that big a deal. If you're worried about MPG's and want something that'll actually make a noticable difference, spend the extra coin & go all aluminium. THAT'S where your MPG's come from.