LIGHT TRAILER

[shotgunslade]

Thanks all.

 

More and more sounds like this is the railer for me. Will give Glenn a call. in an earlier email conversation with him, he implied that this trailer weighed about 1000 lbs in single axle form. Looks like he might be about 100 lbs off. I might be able to get the second axle and still be only 1000 lbs. Might want to get that higher GVWR just in case I take leave of my senses and change to a heavier car.

 

Dan

[Hudson]

I'm very happy with my Trailex trailer and Trailex is having a sale.

 

http://www.trailex.com/

 

Ed

[gjslutz]

I just looked at Trailerex as they are close to me in Ohio. The price is much higher than I want to spend.

A 12' Aluma trailer is about $900 less than what they are offering. I can do an Aluma Trailer with aluminum floor $2460.

The local dealer here http://www.mrtrailersales.com/CONTACT.htm will change over to a double fold ramp for me on an ALUMA.

These people had the best prices http://www.johnstrailers.com/ in N. E. Indiana he has them with wood floor, around $1560.

 

I need to stay light as I just purchased a little F150 Ford to pull it with. It is a 2003 with 6 cyl. Off to Fl. in the AM to pick it up. Here I thought I was saving money buying a 4 Cyl. car. Now I just need more HP & tires. Ihis is bad as A/C & boats.

[Kitcat]

Guys-simplify-stop towing and just drive your Sevens. You will have more fun & adventure, make lots of new friends and accumulate many more stories. So what if you have a little tinnitus and back pain when you arrive? That's nothin an extra beer or two won't fix!

[Al N.]

I looked at Trailex units many years ago, but when you finish adding options, I think I had an open trailer at $8k (in fairness, it was a double axle)!

 

Regarding Mike's (KitKat) comment....since I can't fit the wife and two kids and our stuff in the Seven at the same time, I've got no option! She much preferred riding with me in the tow vehicle for 12 hours down to the Dragon than watching me get rained on for 9 hours on the way to Skyline East in 2006.

[Kitcat]

My hat's off to any parent with kids at home who can also pull off Seven ownership. I agree, a tow vehicle and trailer is a small price to pay given the alternative that I employed (no Seven til kids left home).

[Boxologist]

Guys-simplify-stop towing and just drive your Sevens. You will have more fun & adventure, make lots of new friends and accumulate many more stories. So what if you have a little tinnitus and back pain when you arrive? That's nothin an extra beer or two won't fix!

 

ur nuts.

 

oh wait, its me talking:lol:

[MHKflyer52]

 

ur nuts.

 

oh wait, its me talking:lol:

 

Jon,

 

:crazy: Us Old Guys like our creature comforts and our cars and all wish we were your age.:jester:

 

The beer dose help from time to time though with those aches and pains.

 

 

[BirkinBernie]

Guys-simplify-stop towing and just drive your Sevens. You will have more fun & adventure, make lots of new friends and accumulate many more stories. So what if you have a little tinnitus and back pain when you arrive? That's nothin an extra beer or two won't fix!

 

Hey, I drove my Se7en all the way from Dallas to San Francisco a couple of years ago. With side trips, 4000 miles in 3 1/2 weeks. I thnk I've earned the right to tow it once in a while! :-)))))

 

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1579310185_ontour.jpg

[slomove]

Guys-simplify-stop towing and just drive your Sevens. You will have more fun & adventure, make lots of new friends and accumulate many more stories. So what if you have a little tinnitus and back pain when you arrive? That's nothin an extra beer or two won't fix!

 

I will drive any distance in the Seven in any weather, given the road is fun. Unfortunately sometimes you just need to cover some annoying distance (I5 from LA to Sacramento in Summer comes to mind) and I just can not see a good reason to tear up the Seven and myself for that.

 

Or, when going to a track day I prefer to take some tools, fuel, wheels, maybe a canopy etc. that I can not load up in the Seven. That is when the trailer comes in. It was also pretty handy as support vehicle for the PNW2007 tour.

 

Right now I am working on a shell for my open bed trailer (better protection and a sleeping place at the track). Will post some pics when I am done. For now I am that far:

 

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1762320699_P1000506 Large Web view.jpg

 

Gert

[southwind25]

We have had a trailer for years..and tow with a old stepvan EX fed-ex truck we call "the breadtruck".

We tow the sailboat with it as well. Actually, the breadtruck has been everywhere and done about everything..camping, towing, and even a big obnoxous limosine.

Now.....with the birkin we are getting...one of the goals might be to see if we can fit the birkin..INTO the breadtruck!!

Now,,there is NO way the Birkin wil ever be a trailer queen..

whats the point in that?

but on some longer extended trips,,,we will tow for sure..

 

our present trailer is about 2x what we ever need..but has come in handy for many things. but it does need the breadtruck to tow it!

[MHKflyer52]

Right now I am working on a shell for my open bed trailer (better protection and a sleeping place at the track). Will post some pics when I am done. For now I am that far:

 

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1762320699_P1000506 Large Web view.jpg

 

Gert

 

Hi Gert,

 

Your going to have one nice trailer when your finished from what I see.

 

 

[gjslutz]

This looks like a deal for enclosed trailer:

http://columbus.craigslist.org/for/479924704.html

I still want a light open trailer though.

 

Gary

[S1Steve]

I like to drive my 7 to most places we go, down the New Jersey shore most summer weekends with the wife. But Al's got a good point, I wanted to drive the old Watkins Glen road course last summer. And my two kids seem to like Vintage Racing, so we load the 7 on the trailer, two kids, 16 and 18, 75 pound lab, wife , me camping stuff,food, two women that like to travel heavy,dog food and god knows what else. It's a tight fit with the GMC Envoy. So to get it done I towed it. Not like my old camping trips, Packback was all it took!!!!

 

Steve Novelli:nopity:

[shotgunslade]

I just got my new trailer from Glenn Ehrgott at Performance Trailer. It is the narrow version, like Jeff Duncan got, except it has the double axle. It has electric brakes. I elected not to get the electric winch. Unfortunately, somehwere between the invoice and the build. the spare tire and mount got lost, but I have contacted Glenn and I am sure he will make it right. (91.5 inches wide, 900 lbs., 6000 lbs. GVWR, $4500, including tax) Pardon the quality of the picture, it's my phone camera, since my regular camera is in the shop.

 

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa83/shotgunslade/danstrailersmall.jpg

 

Thanks to all of you for pointing me in this direction. In about a month, I should be able to post a picture with the XR7 sitting on the trailer.

[lowflyer]

I know that the subject here was "light trailers" but I thought I would throw in my two cents.

 

Anyway, I've been towing my Stalker with a converted open trailer which was originally designed to haul a Formula Ford race car. It's main advantage was that it was already "in inventory" and fit the car well.

 

But, as with any open trailer, there are serious trade-offs to be made. On one of the first outings we awoke to find a cold, rainy, windy day. Fortunately, I had a custom tonneau cover made for the car, which kept most of the wet outside of the cockpit, but it was still a mess to deal with. Plus, I always worried about the lack of security while parked in the hotel parking lot.

 

My answer was a motorcycle trailer. In my case it's a Haulmark "Low Hauler" bike trailer. It's just a shade under 14' centerline measurement and 6'9" width fits my car beautifully. The only "mods" I've added, so far, are two additional tie downs at the rear and a set of cleats into which the front wheels will settle when the car is in the proper position. The trailer has 2 3500 pound axles, with brakes on both axles. It's rated for about 5500 gross.

 

The main concern I had was that in my neighborhood, we have a dreaded thing called a Homeowner's Association, also known as the neighborhood Nazis. In order to keep the trailer on my side yard it had to be out of sight from the street. The Low Hauler design is made so that it can fit into a normal garage, so it's only 6'8" high at the roofline, which keeps it out of sight - out of mind!

 

Here's a couple of pics of the trailer, with the Stalker inside. There is about 2 1/2 feet of clearance at the front of the trailer, so movement around the front is easy. There's even a small shelf at the front for our folding chairs and such. Spare tire is also inside.

 

The trailer weighs about 2200 pounds empty, the car adds another 1500, so I'm well under the gross limits of the Chevy Trailblazer that I use for towing. I was able to pick it up, used, for $4200.

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1948433170_trailer1.jpghttp://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1335369210_trailer5.jpghttp://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1260948895_trailer2.jpg

[gjslutz]

I did the 12’ Aluma Trailer that is light and I had them switch the tailgate for one that folded. I then cut most of the center cross braces out to clear the sump on loading. It is the same as the one Birkin Bernie has on page 1 of this thread. I would do it again. It weighs less than 800 pounds and has a GW of 2990 pounds. With the little F150 with the 6 it is a great package for my needs. Others have their needs as well.

Gary

 

[Al N.]

I just got my new trailer from Glenn Ehrgott at Performance Trailer. It is the narrow version, like Jeff Duncan got, except it has the double axle. It has electric brakes. I elected not to get the electric winch. Unfortunately, somehwere between the invoice and the build. the spare tire and mount got lost, but I have contacted Glenn and I am sure he will make it right. (91.5 inches wide, 900 lbs., 6000 lbs. GVWR, $4500, including tax) Pardon the quality of the picture, it's my phone camera, since my regular camera is in the shop.

 

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa83/shotgunslade/danstrailersmall.jpg

 

Thanks to all of you for pointing me in this direction. In about a month, I should be able to post a picture with the XR7 sitting on the trailer.

 

Looks like Glenn has already incorporated a mod I suggested...to chamfer the edge of the loading ramps so they go flush to the ground...on mine they are squared off to there is a little lip the tire has to over come...never been an issue, but....

 

 

 

[WestTexasS2K]

I had thought of the motorcycle low boy trailers as well. I built one similiar in size for Paul S and like the size. I can not build it for what I can buy it built so I am leaning to that direction myself. I also like the idea of a low boy because it catces less wind and helps with gas mileage towing. I have a Dodge 2500 cummins so I can tow what I choose with no problem but I still have to pay 3.90-4.25 per gallon. So 16 mpg compared to 11 mpg makes a huge difference in pocket output.

 

I have a 20ft heavy duty car hauler 11000lb payload which is a bit over kill unless you are carrying 5 LSIS. It pulls well. I get 17-18 towing it with the car but I would like a place to keep my tools and my car secure when staying at hotels and for extended stops while traveling.

 

So my only obstacle is finding the dough to make my dreams reality. LE

[lowflyer]

You're right about the wind resistance of the low hauler.

 

I had forgot to mention that, but it did enter into the decision.

 

The roofline of the trailer is about 1 foot higher than the roof of the Trailblazer.

 

One downside... a friend came over to look at it and walked into the back end without ducking! It will be a while before the "goose egg" goes down on his forehead. The inside is only about 5'6" high, which works out fine for my wife, but I've forgotten to duck twice now.