Guys this is why you work on your car trailer

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Most guys wouldn’t spend what I do for tires but let’s just say one was over 200.00 and move on from a tire shop that treats me well. My plan was to buy 4 more this year but I’ll wait till next year now. I went from 235/80/16 load range E to a 23//80/16 load range H. That’s a big difference.

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That was a game changer for me too John…. Dumped the E rated tires for some Greenball Towmaster G rated tires. Only caviet is that I’m quite sure my wheels are not rated for them. Usually leave the house with them at 90psi. I wouldn’t buy a trailer that didn’t have 16” wheels. I also take full advantage of their 75mph rating as we have long open stretches on the way to racetracks out here.
By the way in my “at track” research shows that outer rib wear is perfectly normal. Nice, smooth, and uniform.

Mine have worn 3/32 since 2020. Two trips to SoDak from AZ and quite a few 600 mile runs to Famoso and back.
 
I hear all these enclosed heavy trailer horror stories and am thankful I have an open trailer I am super happy with. Car and golf car on it, and never blown even a single tire on the few I have had in the last 25-30 years.
Knock on wood
 
…..and I prefer enclosed. Ya never know what you’ll wake up to lol

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A body said:
…..and I prefer enclosed. Ya never know what you’ll wake up to lol

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You, I, and most racers that do their own work want parts and tools because we are going to do whatever is needed to hopefully make it through the weekend. You sleep in yours and know how nice it is to stay at the track. I haven’t had to rent a room since probably around 1982 at a Halloween Classic race. That used to really suck.
 
I've had my flat open trailer for almost 40 years (and had bought it used!). Great trailer, tows easily, very stable, and can take it most anywhere. Always garage kept. Love this trailer!

I got my 24' enclosed trailer last year. What a totally different experience. Makes it much more enjoyable at the track having a place to just hang out, etc. Tools, misc, etc. BUT....it comes at a cost of towing fuel economy, big to store it, and the worst is simply I can't just take it anywhere. Have to plan ahead for fuel stops as well as where I will take it as you can get "stuck" in places you wouldn't hesitate to take the open trailer. It has 6000# Dexter axles as those come with the bigger wheel bearings and brakes compared to the 3500/5200# axles. Has 8-bolt rims and bigger/higher load rating tires too.

Having said that, the boss (wife) really likes the enclosed trailer so that's what we use!! And after all these years, I may well sell my open trailer later this year.

From this:
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To this:

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I much prefer to stay in a motel at out of state events( 3 or so a year)
Takes a lot of those rooms to pay for a motor home, which strands you at the track when you get there. Then you have motor home maintenance, insurance, storage, etc, etc.
I had a 34 foot class A number of years ago. Had some pluses no doubt, but they are far eclipsed by the negatives.
Having done it both ways, I prefer to hang at the track a while after racing, then get out of there and enjoy the local stuff away from the track.
Only bad thing is if it rains, think I am going to invest in a nice car cover to have handy for such eventualities.
And if I am racing locally,( which I am most often) nice to drive 30 minutes home each night and sleep in my own bed with the wife
My room for the upcoming London KY Mopar race is 225 bucks for 3 nights tax included.
So figure 700-800 bucks a year on motel rooms out of state, and I don’t have to wash sheets, stock a motor home up, and everything thing else taking it entails.
 
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If I raced more, and had the $$, I'd definitely go enclosed, with some kind of ability to sleep and eat. Hotels and restaurants are a pain. As others have mentioned, you can carry spares, tools and it provides shelter for people and the cart. Don't have to unload/load constantly. I won't even go to a hotel with my open trailer. It screams, "STEAL ME"!
@Demonx2 I wish I had indoor storage for my trailer. It kills me just sitting there a majority of the time. I'm jealous!
 
SpeedThrills said:
If I raced more, and had the $$, I'd definitely go enclosed, with some kind of ability to sleep and eat. Hotels and restaurants are a pain. As others have mentioned, you can carry spares, tools and it provides shelter for people and the cart. Don't have to unload/load constantly. I won't even go to a hotel with my open trailer. It screams, "STEAL ME"!
@Demonx2 I wish I had indoor storage for my trailer. It kills me just sitting there a majority of the time. I'm jealous!
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I definately wouldn’t take my open trailer to the motel. Leave it at the track with friends near by.
Nothing pain at all about restaurants and motels. No messes to clean up, no muss, no fuss.
Regards tools, spares, etc, my crew cab truck has plenty of room to carry what I need to race with. If I need a part at the track, I can run into town and grab it.
Anything serious that gets broke 99% of the time it’s gonna stay broke till I get home, unless it’s an easy quick fix.
Only two things I have broken in recent years was a trans and a rearend, no matter what I used to get to the track I wouldn’t have spares for those.
And stuff like a starter or a rocker arm I have plenty of room for, if I chose to keep spares of them.
I do need to invest in a portable generator for if my golf cart needs charged or the car battery, that’s on an off season to do list already.
The generator I can keep locked in the back seat of the truck if not in use.
All this said, at the end of the day, it’s personal preference. I just do what I do because it works for me, having had the experience of having done it both ways, plus the majority of my racing is done 30 minutes from home typically
 
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SpeedThrills said:
If I raced more, and had the $$, I'd definitely go enclosed, with some kind of ability to sleep and eat. Hotels and restaurants are a pain. As others have mentioned, you can carry spares, tools and it provides shelter for people and the cart. Don't have to unload/load constantly. I won't even go to a hotel with my open trailer. It screams, "STEAL ME"!
@Demonx2 I wish I had indoor storage for my trailer. It kills me just sitting there a majority of the time. I'm jealous!
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Nothing to be jealous about! lol. I now keep it (open trailer) outside and the Florida sun will take its toll hence why I think I'll sell it.

But I DO store my enclosed inside. Now THAT I am very grateful for! Here's a shot when I was just starting to set up my new shop. The open trailer was inside then for a while. (That's a little cargo trailer in the foreground that now sits inside the house garage.) Shop looks nothing like this now. FULL of cars, parts, benches, a lift, etc, etc. And of course junk!!
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There are many things to consider when purchasing trailer tires. Too many people do not check the speed rating on trailer tires or just do not care. Most trailer tires are rated at 62 mph. You usually have to look and pay more for a higher rated tire. You may not need the extra speed, but also consider it an extra margin of safety, both for you and the other people on the roadway. My last fifth wheel came with E rated 16" wheels. The first thing I did was buy a set of five Alcoa 17.5" wheels and some H rated tires with a 87 mph speed rating. I did not need the higher speed, but I felt it added a layer of safety. Also, once a tire is five years old, it is replaced, be it on a car, pickup, or a trailer.

Long story short, buy quality tires with appropriate load and speed ratings and take care of them.
 
B3422w5 said:
I definately wouldn’t take my open trailer to the motel. Leave it at the track with friends near by.
Nothing pain at all about restaurants and motels. No messes to clean up, no muss, no fuss.
Regards tools, spares, etc, my crew cab truck has plenty of room to carry what I need to race with. If I need a part at the track, I can run into town and grab it.
Anything serious that gets broke 99% of the time it’s gonna stay broke till I get home, unless it’s an easy quick fix.
Only two things I have broken in recent years was a trans and a rearend, no matter what I used to get to the track I wouldn’t have spares for those.
And stuff like a starter or a rocker arm I have plenty of room for, if I chose to keep spares of them.
I do need to invest in a portable generator for if my golf cart needs charged or the car battery, that’s on an off season to do list already.
The generator I can keep locked in the back seat of the truck if not in use.
All this said, at the end of the day, it’s personal preference. I just do what I do because it works for me, having had the experience of having done it both ways, plus the majority of my racing is done 30 minutes from home typically
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Forget the trailer - I just want your Dart!!

(I recall when you broke that rearend. Whaaaattttt? You didn't just pop in a new third member and make the next round????? lol)
 
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My roadtrip hacienda….. just enough room between the golf cart and the Duster

On 3-4 day events we used to get a motel…. but that’s all stopped with society. Our stuff is safe at the track so we make do living there.

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A body said:
My roadtrip hacienda….. just enough room between the golf cart and the Duster

On 3-4 day events we used to get a motel…. but that’s all stopped with society. Our stuff is safe at the track so we make do living there.

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Even though I tow with the motorhome on Multi day events a carry a air mattress in my cabinet with an electric pump. That way if I towed with my truck and it was a late night and I wanted to stay for an adult beverage I could safely do so. I finally unloaded it a month ago.
 
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