My Kingdom for a Trailer

[xcarguy]

Okay, guys,

 

I know this topic is 'old hat', but I'm in the market for a trailer and want (NEED) your input on enclosed vs. open trailers. I know there are pros and cons with respect to gas mileage, size, security, single/double axle, protection from the elements, etc., but I'd like some 'real world' input from a group who has used both. My tow vehicle is a gas-guzzling 2013 Tundra by default. In my part of the world, a pickup is pretty much a necessity, and we have a tendency to tow other things that require brawn. Still, if gas mileage is your debatable point, please put it on the table as I would like to hear all points-of-view. :grouphug: If you've towed long-distance with an open/closed trailer, I'd like to hear how about; any issues you had, etc. Please chime in with all.

 

Thanks in advance. :cheers:

 

Standing by. . . . . . :lurk:

[pksurveyor]

An enclosed trailer provides security from prying eyes to allow peaceful sleep at strange motels. Double axles provides redundancy in the event of a flat tire and the additional stability in strong cross winds. My trailer has traveled from Texas to Canada. Your Tundra mileage will be in the 10 to 11 mpg range if it has the same 5.7 liter V-8 as my Landcruiser.

[xcarguy]

An enclosed trailer provides security from prying eyes to allow peaceful sleep at strange motels. Double axles provides redundancy in the event of a flat tire and the additional stability in strong cross winds. My trailer has traveled from Texas to Canada. Your Tundra mileage will be in the 10 to 11 mpg range if it has the same 5.7 liter V-8 as my Landcruiser.

 

pksurveyor,

 

Good points all around. And yessir, got the 5.7 liter. Your MPG is dead-on with what I get when I tow to MSR Cresson using a rented (open) U-haul car hauler.

[powderbrake]

:iagree:

 

I have towed my seven in my Haulmark 16 foot trailer( with dual axles and electric brakes) on several 2000 miles trips. My trailer is also 6" higher than normal, so you can stand up inside it. If I had to do it over again, I would get a V nose , lower than normal trailer, simply for wind resistance(gas mileage)

I get about 9 or 10 mpg with my Tahoe.

 

 

One thing I can HIGHLY recommend is a load eqalizing hitch. It throws more weight on the front wheels, and GREATLY reduces the side wind effects. When I bought my trailer from Haulmark in Northern Indiana, an towed it home empty to St.Louis, Semis almost blew me off the road.

 

I do not have a sway control hitch, but the fact it is a weight distribution hitch does help a lot with sway control. I got mine from etrailer.

 

http://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Weight_Distribution.aspx

 

You also need an electric brake controller, which is also available at etrailer.

 

If you have a big tow vehicle, like you have, get an enclosed trailer. It comes in useful for other stuff as well. I seldom tow my seven anymore, but I use the trailer to take the steel shooting targets which we mnufacture to gun shows, and for that the extral tall trailer a great help.

[xcarguy]

One thing I can HIGHLY recommend is a load eqalizing hitch. It throws more weight on the front wheels, and GREATLY reduces the side wind effects. When I bought my trailer from Haulmark in Northern Indiana, an towed it home empty to St.Louis, Semis almost blew me off the road.

 

I do not have a sway control hitch, but the fact it is a weight distribution hitch does help a lot with sway control. I got mine from etrailer.

 

http://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Weight_Distribution.aspx

 

You also need an electric brake controller, which is also available at etrailer.

 

If you have a big tow vehicle, like you have, get an enclosed trailer. It comes in useful for other stuff as well. I seldom tow my seven anymore, but I use the trailer to take the steel shooting targets which we mnufacture to gun shows, and for that the extral tall trailer a great help.

 

powderbrake,

 

I've not given thought to sway control with an enclosed trailer, or brake bias; excellent points. Thanks.

Edited February 15, 2014 by xcarguy

[yellowss7]

I've been towing an 18 foot enclosed now for 13 years. Definitely get the weight compensation bars and anti sway bar. Wind or semis do have an effect on the control.

 

That said, George A. dropped off my car in my driveway with a small open trailer that he unhitched and spun it around one handed and then turned his car around and then re hitched. No way that I can get my truck and trailer to turn around in my drive. I was able to do it with a hummer that I borrowed to tow with but the turning radius of the F150 sucks.

 

Without a top, an open trailer is a no go for me though.

 

Make sure you have good extended mirrors to see with the enclosed trailer as the view out the center mirror is gone with the enclosed trailer.

 

Tom

[xcarguy]

Make sure you have good extended mirrors to see with the enclosed trailer as the view out the center mirror is gone with the enclosed trailer.

 

Tom

 

Dang! Headed outside to check overall mirror widths. :ack: You guys are making me think; bringing some very good considerations to the table.

[xcarguy]

Thed mirrors on my Tundra measure approximately 8' from outside-to-outside. Anybody towing an enclosed trailer with this approximate mirror width? If so, what width trailer? I thought I'd done some good research up to this point, but my ignorance is starting to shine. I'm all :bigear:

[xcarguy]

It should be pretty obvious by now that all of my towing (regardless of what's being towed) is done with an open trailer. If I go enclosed for the 'Storker', this may solve my mirror woes. Anybody use these?

 

http://www.etrailer.com/Custom-Towing-Mirrors/CIPA/CM11300.html

 

Thanks again, pksurveyor, for the link. Lots of good stuff there. Looks like my Tundra is plug-n-play for a brake controller.

[DeanG]

There are two widths of enclosed trailers. Those with the sides inside of the wheels and those with the sides outboard of the wheels. It makes a big difference in what you can see in back.

 

One nice thing is that low weight of a 7 allows you to use a motorcycle trailer. I have a V nose all aluminum featherlight. If I were racing or doing lots of track days I would like a bigger trailer to hold all the canopies, tools, chairs... I tow with a Ford Ranger with an after market electronic brake controller and suction cup extension mirrors. A trailer mounted RF back up camera would be a very nice addition. I get 11-13 mpg towing depending on terrain. It would not work in the wester mountains. OK on the east coast.

[mrmustang]

It should be pretty obvious by now that all of my towing (regardless of what's being towed) is done with an open trailer. If I go enclosed for the 'Storker', this may solve my mirror woes. Anybody use these?

 

http://www.etrailer.com/Custom-Towing-Mirrors/CIPA/CM11300.html

 

Thanks again, pksurveyor, for the link. Lots of good stuff there. Looks like my Tundra is plug-n-play for a brake controller.

 

I used to use those with my Expedition, towing my 20 and 24 foot enclosed trailers. Takes a minute per side to install and take off, work great.

 

As for enclosed trailers, if all you are going to haul is the "7", you might consider a low roof 16 footer designed for the motorcycle crowd. A lot of the Cobra replica guys use them.

 

In regards to brake bias on a trailer, get yourself an adjustable (digital) controller. Weight distribution hitch will be a must for an enclosed trailer, and I suggest you opt for the anti sway bar as well. I never town anything enclosed without those three items. Even my featherlite open trailer I use a digital brake controller.......

 

 

Bill S.

[xcarguy]

Thanks, DeanG,

 

I've looked at the smaller motorcycle trailers, but wondered (for the very reasons you pointed out) whether or not I could fit all the other stuff along with the car.

 

Tom,

 

You said you were pulling an 18' trailer. Is that overall length or usable inside length?

 

Anybody else got a trailer length they want to toss in for discussion?

[yellowss7]

18 ft is the box length. And as it is not a v nose it is all usable space, which as I think Dean said, I have a Pop up tent, 2 chairs, 3 fuel jugs, a box of stuff like jack stands, jack, etc. And I often put a set of extra tires and wheels in as well. Plus I have a battery powered winch to save me pushing the car in. With the longer length of your Stalker, you may want to look at 20 to 24 foot ones.

 

Oh, if you are specing your trailer, get a 4 foot beavertail in the back, which is a downward ramp on the last 4 feet of your floor which aids in ground clearance under your car's sump on exit and entry to the trailer.

 

Tom

[xcarguy]

Tom,

 

Thanks for the input on length. Although, with my car having a 92" wheel base, I wonder if 18' might not be plenty. Great idea on the dovetail.

 

Since I've yet to put any coin on the table, I'd like to through out another idea for discussion. I've also considered pulling the trigger on an open trailer and building an enclosure to suit my taste (not sure just what that 'taste' might be). Thoughts?????

[jimrankin]

I have an enclosed 20' X 8'6" with a beavertail. It fits the 7 with so much extra room that even all the track related stuff noted above and a spare set of tires doesn't crowd it. Could use a V front at the same length, everything would still fit but it would get a little tighter, especially for one of my larger cars.

"Legal" width limit without wide load signs is 8'6" on DOT stuff so the factory "extendable power mirrors" on my 2500HD Sierra do not see close in "around" the trailer, but do show the lane next to it well. Some of the extendable aftermarket mirrors actually go out past the 8'6" DOT width so you actually can see the sides of the trailer while towing, or more important, while backing. I have to wait for one side or the other to get to about 10 degrees from center to come into view so backup tracks look like a snake made them :-). I would go with a V front before I would go "low" to save on gas. The added height is a real bonus when it comes to just plain "usability" like doing something on the car without backing it out or just hanging in the shade at a hot track. If your going with an enclosed trailer remember that the towing mileage doesn't really change as you add length, it's all about frontal area, so longer wont matter much and a longer trailer with a V nose will outdo shorter blunt noses.

Always double axles and always adjustable electric brakes if you want to avoid white knuckle driving, leave that for the track!!!

[coffee break]

In addition to mirrors, has anyone used a rear view camera on the back of the trailer?

[subtlez28]

 

Since I've yet to put any coin on the table, I'd like to through out another idea for discussion. I've also considered pulling the trigger on an open trailer and building an enclosure to suit my taste (not sure just what that 'taste' might be). Thoughts?????

 

As I was reading through, this is just what I was thinking.

 

My last toy was a UTV. I picked up a single axle utility trailer to haul it. It was 1,200 pounds. Within 400 pounds of the Stalker, so I think I will be fine. That said, I have not towed it complete yet.

 

However, the idea of making it to some distant tracks makes me strongly desire the security and rain protection of enclosure. I was thinking about building a light weight and aerodynamic lid.

 

I would like to see more discussion and maybe examples of that!

[bigdog]

In addition to mirrors, has anyone used a rear view camera on the back of the trailer?

 

Better to just get out and survey the area. Better yet. Do like I did while practicing for my CDL test. I set up 5-6 traffic cones and backed up a tractor and 56Ft trailer slalom fashion. Then set up more cones to fashion parallel parking and did that with the same trailer on the blind side. You will really learn a lot about backing a trailer.

 

In other words, Practice, Practice, Practice. Electronic nannies will just make you look stupid when they fail to work. Learn to do it properly first. Then play with the nannies.

[Nick OTeen]

In addition to mirrors, has anyone used a rear view camera on the back of the trailer?

Yes, in addition to using mirror extensions I have a rear view camera mounted up high over the back door of my 19ft enclosed trailer.

 

My tow vehicle is a supercharged F150 crew cab. I installed a small rear view video camera on the back of the truck (adjacent to the tailgate handle). The signal from the camera is visible on the screen of a Kenwood double-din receiver I installed in the dash. It comes on automatically when you shift into reverse or it can be manually selected via a button on the Kenwood unit.

 

When I tow the trailer, I unplug the video line from the tailgate camera and plug in the video line from the trailer camera. Being able to see whats behind the trailer while towing - and when backing up - has been a real plus.

[locost7018]

I have a 7 x 14 homemade enclosed trailer that my book build se7en fits in perfectly. It is aerodynamic and tows great. I took a homemade trailer that had angle iron sides and filled in the spaces between the angle and the bed. Then I added a sloped front square tubing frame on top of the angle iron and covered it with .040 aluminum sheets. The rear door lifts up with gas springs making a covered awning to sit under Works out great. Tows like a dream. Been to Estes Park, CO and Door County, WI and several Midwest Se7ens Gatherings with it. Russ