Racing Trailer Buyers Guide
Whether you’re a professional, an enthusiast or a dabbler, purchasing the right race car trailer for your car and all related equipment is extremely important to make sure you can focus on what you want to focus on—racing—without having to worry about where things are or how you’re going to get from place to place.
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Types of Racing Trailers
Primarily, race trailers are built to transport your car, but as anyone in racing knows, there is a lot more than the car that needs to travel from race to race. Two main types of racing trailers help drivers at all levels take care of their precious cargo:
Enclosed race car trailers give your car full protection from the elements while traveling and while parked, plus can be equipped to hold all the other equipment you need with you. Tools, gear, parts, equipment are all essential at the track and can be permanently stored in an enclosed trailer for convenience. A race trailer with living quarters will give you private space to rest and relax while at the track. The amenities for an enclosed racing trailer are nearly endless, including the incredible opportunity to display your team’s brand on the outside of the trailer walls.
Open race car trailers have several benefits prized by many. They’re lighter than enclosed trailers, don’t require as much maintenance and are very easy to load, unload and park. More often than not, you’ll get better gas mileage with your towing vehicle with an open trailer as opposed to an enclosed trailer. In addition to the convenience of operation, open trailers are generally less expensive than enclosed trailers.
Both enclosed and open trailers can be made from aluminum (most expensive), steel (least expensive) and a combination of aluminum and steel (priced in between). Single axles, tandem axles or, in some cases, additional axles, all impact the price and operation and getting the right trailer for you will make your life to, from and at the track much easier.
Racing Trailer Common Sizes and Capacities
Some of the common dimensions and capabilities of racing trailers:
- Length and width and height: Most racing trailers, especially enclosed trailers, are the legal maximum 8.5 feet wide. A frequently purchased length is 24 feet, which is plenty of space to secure your car as well as your tools, parts and accessories. Adding extra features, such as living quarters or transporting multiple cars, will require extra length on the trailer. In enclosed trailers, the height usually starts at 6’3” and can be increased to 8 feet.
- Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): A racing trailer’s GVWR will depend on its size, axles, composition and other factors. Generally, a racing trailer will have a GVWR of 14,000-23,000 pounds, but when necessary, it’s possible to find trailers on either side of that range.
- Payload capacity: Subtract the weight of the trailer from the GVWR and get the payload capacity, which puts the payload capacity of most racing trailers around 7,000-11,000 pounds.
- Tongue weight: The recommended tongue weight (downward force exerted on the hitch ball by the trailer’s tongue or coupler) for racing trailers is 10-15% of the trailer’s total weight, including the load.
Towing and Hitch Needs for Racing Trailers
The right towing vehicle and the right hitch are essential to a safe, smooth hauling experience of any racing trailer.
- Hitch type: Racing trailers are often attached with a 5th-wheel hitch, which enhances durability and stability and is easy to connect and disconnect.
- Hitch class and rating: Hitch classes range from Class I to Class V and most racing trailers, due to their size and hauling capacities and frequent use of a 5th-wheel hitch, require a Class IV or Class V hitch.
- Towing vehicle capacity: Check your owner’s manual to find your towing vehicle’s gross combined weight rating (GCWR) and make sure you can safely tow your loaded trailer.
- Braking systems: Racing trailers will have electric, hydraulic or surge brakes to assist with control and stopping while towing heavy loads. Tail lights, turn signals and reflectors are often required by law.
Racing Trailer Pricing
The price of a racing trailer obviously fluctuates based on its composition, features and whether it’s open or enclosed, but you generally need to be prepared to spend at least $10,000 on a used trailer. A common size, 8.5’x24’, can run $20,000 or more and more involved enclosed trailers can approach six figures.
Racing Trailer Add-ons and Extras
Open trailers can be built with toolboxes, dunnage racks and tie-down systems specific to what you’re hauling. Enclosed trailers can be customized with even more: branded wraps on the outside are the most striking to anyone on the road, but inside the trailer is where you can have a lot of fun putting in what you need or, if you have more space, what you want.
Many trailers have work benches, cabinets, mounts, racks, D-rings, tracks, shelving and other storage systems. Custom floors can be installed. Living quarters, kitchens and more can make the trailer a comfortable place to spend your time when not on the track. The options for customizing the interior and exterior of your enclosed trailer are limited only by legal width/height/length restrictions, your imagination and, importantly, your budget.
Popular Racing Trailer Brands
Some of the popular trailer brands buyers consider when purchasing a racing trailer include:
- ATC Trailers
- Cargo Mate Trailer
- Featherlite Trailers
- Gold Rush Manufacturing
- Haulmark Trailers
- InTech Trailers
- Pace American Trailers
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