How much enclosed trailer an I reasonably tow?

[HiFiGuy]

I started doing some racetrack stuff this past season in my BMW E30 coupe, HPDE-1 and then graduated to HPDE-2 almost right away. After the season was over, I took my car to South Carolina, and it is getting built by a race shop right now. It will be lighter than stock when we're done, something on the order of 2450-2550 pounds without driver, I think. The minimum weight limit for the SpecE30 class is 2700 with driver, and I weigh about 250+, so the car might weigh only 2450 if we can realistically get there.

In addition, I will have a couple of sets of wheels, some small toolboxes, a small compressor, a couple of EZ UPs, etc., so let's say 3000 lbs to be safe. What size enclosed trailer (including car and stuff) can I reasonably tow with my stock LC? I have been trying to find a used trailer to save money, and originally decided on a 20'x8.5', but that size seems scarce. I have seen lots of 24'x8.5', but I am concerned it might be too much for the ol' Hundy. Anybody got experience with this kind of thing that could chime in? I have mostly been doing flat open trailers, and started out renting U-Hauls, but those things suck because the vast majority of the car's weight is over the tongue since the car's so short, so they are tough to tow.

 

[jboylan]

I can't help you much, but I've towed a Mercedes 300TE (maybe 3500 lbs) on a uhaul flatbed (2000?) and been fine. It was definitely loaded but the car seemed to handle it. Not many hills on the route though so I can't comment on uphill performance.

 

[JETTIX2]

I've pulled lots of trailers (not with my Hundy yet), but here's my perspective.

I have a 7 x 13 V-nose Legend Cargo trailer. All aluminum, weighs 1200ish empty. Single axle, torsion, with elec brakes. If I load it with gear for my business, it's somewhere around 3,000 (maybe 3500#) loaded.

I've pulled it with an 06 Sequoia, and it was *definitely* back there. I normally pull it extensively back and forth 6 miles to work with my 3/4 ton Burb, and while the handling is a non-issue ( the reason we have a 3/4 ton is to haul our 8500# loaded camper), the aerodynamic drag from even a small enclosed trailer is surprising. Even my Burb downshifts a lot on hills with it back there. We just recently swapped our garage around (traded a '15 Cummins and '15 Qx80 for two paid for vehicles instead), and my plan is to haul that trailer back and forth for work with my Hundy. I figure the Hundy will pull it fine, though I'm glad I won't be pulling it 100 miles a day. And that's about 3500# loaded, max.

Way back when we first started camping, we had a 24' x8' Coachman Catalina Lite travel trailer. It weighed about 4500# dry, 5500# loaded. It was everything our 2001 Sequoia (at that time) could do to pull it up long hills without running redline in 2nd. The 06 Tundra DC that replaced it was better from a wheelbase standpoint, plus it had Vvti and an extra gear in the trans.

I'd much rather have too much tow vehicle than not enough. If you're going to tow near the limits of the Hundy, invest in a good weight distributing hitch system. I run a Propride 3p (Hensley arrow) on my Burb and it is terrific.

Hope that helps a little.

I started doing some racetrack stuff this past season in my BMW E30 coupe, HPDE-1 and then graduated to HPDE-2 almost right away. After the season was over, I took my car to South Carolina, and it is getting built by a race shop right now. It will be lighter than stock when we're done, something on the order of 2450-2550 pounds without driver, I think. The minimum weight limit for the SpecE30 class is 2700 with driver, and I weigh about 250+, so the car might weigh only 2450 if we can realistically get there.

In addition, I will have a couple of sets of wheels, some small toolboxes, a small compressor, a couple of EZ UPs, etc., so let's say 3000 lbs to be safe. What size enclosed trailer (including car and stuff) can I reasonably tow with my stock LC? I have been trying to find a used trailer to save money, and originally decided on a 20'x8.5', but that size seems scarce. I have seen lots of 24'x8.5', but I am concerned it might be too much for the ol' Hundy. Anybody got experience with this kind of thing that could chime in? I have mostly been doing flat open trailers, and started out renting U-Hauls, but those things suck because the vast majority of the car's weight is over the tongue since the car's so short, so they are tough to tow.

 

[HiFiGuy]

Yes, with the U-Haul flatbeds I've used, it's not the overall weight, it's the distribution. The trailer's design seems geared towards mid-sized or larger cars, and the wheel straps and chocks up front really force you to put the nose of the car past the front of the trailer, so with a short car like mine, a majority of the weight is on the tongue. That's not good for any tow vehicle. I have tried to ask for a small car trailer, but they don't seem to have such a thing. So I decided to find one to buy. One benefit of the enclosed trailer is that it gives some place to sit which is out of the sun, so in between sessions you don't have to be slow roasted. Hopefully someone will have done something similar, towed a 24' car trailer, or maybe a 22', and can offer input that it towed great, or maybe the truck struggled mightily and they wouldn't do it.

 

[HiFiGuy]

The U-Haul flatbeds are around 1500 lbs themselves, according to the guy behind the counter, so the weight is substantial on those. I do see your point on the enclosed trailers being more affected by wind, for sure. I don't know how much a V-nose helps that, probably some, but not a lot.

As far as gearing is concerned, so far I have just locked out O/D and gone slower, like 65. Keeps the trans from hunting and downshifting on hils and stuff. It's not awful, but I'd certainly like more torque/power. I have gone to Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL, which is about 4.5 hours away, and I've gone to NOLA Motorsports Park in New Orleans, which for me is about 2.5 hours away. I have also towed my car to Atlanta a few times, about 6 hours. Last month I went to Greenville, SC, which is even two hours+ past ATL.

 

[HiFiGuy]

After talking with some of my Spec E30 racer friends, who all tow their cars to the track, the consensus seems to be for me to stay with a 20' trailer, not a 22-24', and with the less weight and less length, it should be fine. I will be getting airbags for extra support, and a Tekonsha Prodigy P3 brake controller, for sure. I did find a nice blog called David's RV Tips which offers some solid guidelines re: weight, wheelbase vs trailer length, etc. Worth checking out, IMO.

 

[AMGAndrew]

I do HPDE's as well. What organization do you run with? I'm always surprised by the number of guys using uhaul trailers. Did you ever try loading your e30 backwards to try to get some weight off the tongue?

If you're deadset on an enclosed, I also vote for the smallest trailer you can get away with and use a weight distribiting hitch.

 

[cwmoser]

I'm interested in this topic as I am about to pull the trigger on a
3,900 lb Travel Trailer - 22' long, 8'wide by my 2002 LX470.
Certainly will need a Sway and Weight Distribution Hitch along
with Electric Brake Controller.

 

[BenScott]

I'm interested in this topic as I am about to pull the trigger on a
3,900 lb Travel Trailer - 22' long, 8'wide by my 2002 LX470.
Certainly will need a Sway and Weight Distribution Hitch along
with Electric Brake Controller.

I would suggest adding some air bags to the rear suspension too. Tongue weight is going to be your biggest problem I think. I have a TT of similar dimensions, hooked it up to my LC once just to reposition the TT and it really had the rear squatted down. I'm not saying it can't do it but I have my doubts. FWIW, I tow with a 1/2 Suburban with HD tow package.

 

[TeCKis300]

I've towed a couple cars with my '06 LX, U-Haul car hauler, and airstream trailer before. The setup works incredibly well. All these were likely right under or over the 6k lb range. The u-hauls car haulers are heavier than you would expect, right over the 2k lb range as they're built for serious abuse. I had great towing experiences in all my setups, though there are some differences between the '06 and '99, namely VVTi and 5-speed, that may affect your experience.

Do you have any major hills you have to tow over? That combined with an enclosed trailer drag at speed, may be somewhat slow going. It's not so much about length of the trailer, as it is the frontal area. So IMO, if you do choose the enclosed trailer, the longer will tow much the same. Unless you decide to put that much more in it.

Tongue weight is actually a great thing for stability. I actually load my 911 backwards, partly for clearance against the forward wheels chocks, but also to ensure stability by putting the engine over the forward part of the trailer. Granted, you're trying to avoid too much squat. While bags would be good to level the setup, if you do invest in your own trailer, look more at weight distribution hitches. These actually will remove weight off the rear axle, putting it more on the front axle, and returning some weight back onto the trailer axles. More importantly, buys more stability again.

Have you considered an open trailer with small cabinet at the front for stowing items? Open trailers have way less drag and I think you'll find your towing experience better. And perhaps add a fox wing type awning to the LC for shade. That and a cruiser tailgate would be a nice place to be out of the sun. Probably cooler than in the hot box of a car trailer.

 

[TeCKis300]

I'm interested in this topic as I am about to pull the trigger on a
3,900 lb Travel Trailer - 22' long, 8'wide by my 2002 LX470.
Certainly will need a Sway and Weight Distribution Hitch along
with Electric Brake Controller.

No problemo and she'll handle it easily.

As a public service announcement, I think it's important to me to emphasize that tongue weight is not all a bad thing. Target is 10-15% of trailer weight. Because newbies to this will read it wrong, and start adjusting weight to offset tongue weight to the rear of the trailer, which is just about the worse thing to do for stability.


Also, airbags are a nice tool to level the car and trailer. Though the real answer to lots of tongue weight is really weight distribution. You may not even need bags with the correct weight distribution.


The LC100 platform will handle a really heavy tongue weight without issue. It's also has a great robust hitch. I've been upwards of 6k total, with 1k on my tongue and handling is completely stable.

 

[cwmoser]

That is a great video showing the comparison of Air Bags vs Weight
Distribution Hitch. I'll go with Weight Distribution Hitch and forgo
Air Bags for my Travel Trailer.

 

[e9999]

after doing some reading and asking some questions here, I've concluded that the 100 should be able to handle 5,000 lbs safely over most topographies, although it won't be any speed demon with that behind on significant hills. One could argue that this may even be the case with the 80 and that one is likely not as a good a tower as the 100.

 

[HiFiGuy]

I do HPDE's as well. What organization do you run with? I'm always surprised by the number of guys using uhaul trailers. Did you ever try loading your e30 backwards to try to get some weight off the tongue?

If you're deadset on an enclosed, I also vote for the smallest trailer you can get away with and use a weight distribiting hitch.

I have been talked out of an enclosed trailer by my car builder, who tows with a Tundra long wheelbase crewcab. He said the LC is just too short and not powerful enough in his opinion to safely pull a 20+ foot enclosed trailer. So I am now looking at an open trailer in the 16-18 range.

I do HPDE with NASA. I just started last year, did two events. Graduated from HPDE-1 to HPDE-2 after my first day of my first event, at Barber Motorsports Park. I was HPDE-2 at NOLA Motorsports Park, but had a bunch of mechanical crap, including a completely detached CSB, a delaminating tire and bad right front wheel bearing, so I only got three of my six sessions. I hope to have my car, with cage, race seat, SpecE30 suspension, etc. in time for Road Atlanta in March.

I hadn't thought of loading backwards, but my E30 is pretty well balanced F<->R, so I am not sure it would make much difference. I am going to look into loading it further back, and strapping to the trailer frame, next time I have to use a U-Haul. Sadly, they have a trailer that fits well and pulls fine because it's slightly shorter, but they claim their trailers are all the same size, so they can't help me locate one when I've asked in the past. It was pure chance I found this, and the place I got the last one apparently sent it on a one way somewhere, so now it's gone!

 

[HiFiGuy]

I've towed a couple cars with my '06 LX, U-Haul car hauler, and airstream trailer before. The setup works incredibly well. All these were likely right under or over the 6k lb range. The u-hauls car haulers are heavier than you would expect, right over the 2k lb range as they're built for serious abuse. I had great towing experiences in all my setups, though there are some differences between the '06 and '99, namely VVTi and 5-speed, that may affect your experience.

Do you have any major hills you have to tow over? That combined with an enclosed trailer drag at speed, may be somewhat slow going. It's not so much about length of the trailer, as it is the frontal area. So IMO, if you do choose the enclosed trailer, the longer will tow much the same. Unless you decide to put that much more in it.

Tongue weight is actually a great thing for stability. I actually load my 911 backwards, partly for clearance against the forward wheels chocks, but also to ensure stability by putting the engine over the forward part of the trailer. Granted, you're trying to avoid too much squat. While bags would be good to level the setup, if you do invest in your own trailer, look more at weight distribution hitches. These actually will remove weight off the rear axle, putting it more on the front axle, and returning some weight back onto the trailer axles. More importantly, buys more stability again.

Have you considered an open trailer with small cabinet at the front for stowing items? Open trailers have way less drag and I think you'll find your towing experience better. And perhaps add a fox wing type awning to the LC for shade. That and a cruiser tailgate would be a nice place to be out of the sun. Probably cooler than in the hot box of a car trailer.

What is a fox wing awning? I would like to look into that. Also, the tailgate has been used as a great shade. The bottom makes a great seat, and the top keeps the sun off, especially with a towel or something over the glass, held down my the rear wiper! I hate using the U-Hauls, but until I can find an affordable flat open trailer, I will still have to use them. I do have a friend with a nice rollback, and I've towed my SpecE30 on that once. Worked great, but I can't always count on it, because he's an active racer himself, and it's his primary trailer.

 

[pnolanIH8MUD]

I've towed with an 80 and my 100. With the 80, I towed a 2500# pop-up camper. It was painful and braking was scary until I got the brake controller and flushed my brake lines.

With the 100, I tow my 2900# 21' hybrid travel trailer and a dual axle 14' landscape trailer with a 7000# gross capacity. The travel trailer demands sway control and weight distribution. The landscape trailer with front tool bunk demands good brakes and a well positioned load. Air bags would be a plus for that but steering is fine without.

I've made a point of not towing more than 4500# so while the max capacity on the 100 is 6000-ish#, I don't like the lack of power and the lack of wheelbase. Trying to keep the LC is power band above 2500k is a challenge and its a constant twitching thumb on the overdrive to try to keep some MPGs. If push comes to shove, look at aluminum trailers to offset the overall. I wouldn't tow without sway/distribution if I had a vehicle sitting up high.

I can only describe my experiences towing with the LC as requiring almost constant awareness of RPMs, winds and large passing trucks. Go slow through windy passes. My neighbor has an F-350 he uses and loves for towing. Extending electric towing mirrors, torque, long wheel base. He tows a 30' travel trailer and says he doesn't know its there.

In full disclosure, my LC has 213,000 on the Odometer, stock suspension, stock gearing...I wouldn't set out on a cross country trip with a large trailer near 5k# but for an hour or two drive its doable.

 

[AMGAndrew]

JustTrackIt.net run pretty solid events around the Southeast. Check them out.

I'm a fan of flatbeads. Sure you can't lock up your car and tools/stuff inside but you can just keep the stuff inside your LC or bolt a decent sized lockable toolbox on the front/nose of the trailer. They are so much more efficient to tow, easier to manuver and more versatile. If you can swing the extra cash, the all aluminum trailers are really nice and save you a few hundred pounds. It will make a difference.

I'm also a fan of just renting also. Pick it up, use it, drop it off. Never have to maintain or listen to the wife complain about the eye sore in the yard.