What kind of Truck & Trailers are you guys using to tow your FDs to the track?
10-10-13, 01:28 PM
#26
and that is why you don't tow a car on a trailer behind a car weighing half what it is towing.
of course someone is going to say the trailer wasn't balanced properly to which i will simply say that is BS(it actually appeared to be very well balanced), the trailer will push the car in front and try to overtake it even on the most minor inclines. if the trailer has brakes and you take it easy you could get by, if you're experienced.
of course someone is going to say the trailer wasn't balanced properly to which i will simply say that is BS(it actually appeared to be very well balanced), the trailer will push the car in front and try to overtake it even on the most minor inclines. if the trailer has brakes and you take it easy you could get by, if you're experienced.
Last edited by RotaryEvolution; 10-10-13 at 01:34 PM.
10-10-13, 02:53 PM
#27
When I bought my RX7 I drove 4 hours to get it so I trailered it. The trailer is a tilt bed but I still had to use a few 2x4's to clear. My truck is a F250 with a V10 so I got 12 mpg empty trailer and 11.6 loaded. Also found out that hooking through a rim isn't the best idea put some small scuff marks on them.
10-10-13, 02:57 PM
#28
I tow with a 17' steel open trailer with an open deck and dove tail. Weighs about 1700lbs on its own. I actually borrowed an 07' GMC Sierra 5.3L to tow with for a long time and just recently finally got a tow vehicle of my own. I got a good deal on a Saab 9-7x Aero (Trailblazer SS) that I'll be using now.
I strap my car down through the wheels and have never had issues with it.
As for driving...I can't fit my track wheels/tires into the FD, so my options were to build a hitch and tire trailer or get a trailer. I chose to get a trailer as I'm very good a breaking my FD at the track and it's nice to know I'll always get home. Plus, driving all day at the track and then driving home in aluminum seats is not fun.
I figure fully loaded with gear and gas my setup weighs around 4800lbs. If you go with an aluminum trailer that would allow you to lower your weight by roughly 700-800lbs and then be able to reliably pull with a V6 option which would get better mileage as a daily.
I strap my car down through the wheels and have never had issues with it.
As for driving...I can't fit my track wheels/tires into the FD, so my options were to build a hitch and tire trailer or get a trailer. I chose to get a trailer as I'm very good a breaking my FD at the track and it's nice to know I'll always get home. Plus, driving all day at the track and then driving home in aluminum seats is not fun.
I figure fully loaded with gear and gas my setup weighs around 4800lbs. If you go with an aluminum trailer that would allow you to lower your weight by roughly 700-800lbs and then be able to reliably pull with a V6 option which would get better mileage as a daily.
10-10-13, 05:02 PM
#29
Why not?
Exactly that, keep the speed down and be sensible and its a non issue (Think the max I took it was 55). That trailer has brakes, was perfectly balanced, and didn't snake at all. The car is rated to tow the weight it was towing, as is the tow bar. Its perfectly legal/safe.
and that is why you don't tow a car on a trailer behind a car weighing half what it is towing.
of course someone is going to say the trailer wasn't balanced properly to which i will simply say that is BS(it actually appeared to be very well balanced), the trailer will push the car in front and try to overtake it even on the most minor inclines. if the trailer has brakes and you take it easy you could get by, if you're experienced.
of course someone is going to say the trailer wasn't balanced properly to which i will simply say that is BS(it actually appeared to be very well balanced), the trailer will push the car in front and try to overtake it even on the most minor inclines. if the trailer has brakes and you take it easy you could get by, if you're experienced.
10-10-13, 05:04 PM
#30
Why not?
Exactly that, keep the speed down and be sensible and its a non issue (Think the max I took it was 55). That trailer has brakes, was perfectly balanced, and didn't snake at all. The car is rated to tow the weight it was towing, as is the tow bar. Its perfectly legal/safe.
Exactly that, keep the speed down and be sensible and its a non issue (Think the max I took it was 55). That trailer has brakes, was perfectly balanced, and didn't snake at all. The car is rated to tow the weight it was towing, as is the tow bar. Its perfectly legal/safe.
even when i see small trucks towing something like that i stay far far away.
granted i have done worse, towing a 35' trailer with about 15,000 lbs in it(including the trailer) behind a 3/4 ton truck(weighing just over 1/3 of the load it was pulling). going down the long grades was no fun.. after smoking a rotor to the veins and boiling the fluid out of the front calipers i decided it was a good time to fix the trailer brake. being past the truck turnout and facing a 5 mile straight grade with 5% braking will make anyone cautious about towing, luckily what little brakes hadn't been cooked managed to keep the speed steady at 80mph until it leveled off.
Last edited by RotaryEvolution; 10-10-13 at 05:11 PM.
10-10-13, 10:59 PM
#33
There are 2 people I regularly see at the track with a Nissan Titan towing an open trailer + race car. Should be fine for Nor Cal given we don't have many hills or harsh weather. Just keep an eye on tranny oil temps, engine oil temps and coolant temps. You can probably do that through ODBC and ScanGauge.
If you don't have space or funds to buy and store a trailer, FJM in San Jose rents some nice open ones.
Tie downs through the wheels or over the wheels are my preferred method of securing the car. Check out Mac's Custom Tie Downs and their videos.
10-10-13, 11:02 PM
#34
That's a bit extreme to call people who tow their cars posers... When we make the 7 hour trip down to VIR I would MUCH rather be sitting in the comfort of my tow vehicle. Its quiet, comfortable, has great A/C, and nice stereo. My FD has none of those things. Additionally, even for closer tracks its great to unwind in the comfort of the tow vehicle for your trip home after a long day at the track.
Fair enough. I can understand in that scenario.
At a recent NASA event, I saw a bunch of BMW weenies towing their BMW street cars w/ street tires in their Range Rovers and X5s. I know the ones I chatted with lived within an hour of the track. They were running HPDE2 and 3. I call that poser.
10-10-13, 11:10 PM
#35
While I don't have an RX7 any longer, I do tow "a" vehicle to the track which is similar in weight to the RX7. I use a FJ Cruiser for towing and I have a Maxey 18 ft wooden deck trailer. I have to say I'm skeptical about some the trailer weights mentioned as I looked into 18 ft steel deck trailers and pretty much all of them were around 2200-2300 lbs. Anyway, the FJ is not the best choice, but I needed something that my wife could use for her and my daughter's Girl Scout outings and for myself during the winter. A few things I would recommend if you are towing with a smaller less powerful vehicle:
* Make sure to install a transmission cooler
* The trailer must have brakes (you'd think this was a no brainer, but...)
* Use a weight distributing hitch
* Take your time
The FJ does ok, but it's real problem is with it's range. It has a tiny fuel tank and it gets crappy gas mileage (even without towing) so the range is small. Add in towing and you won't get anywhere without stopping for gas. I'll be looking into an auxiliary fuel tank to assist on the towing trips.
I have a friend who has a diesel Jeep Grand Cherokee. He races Spec Miata so his car is smaller/lighter and so is his trailer. However, he averages around 18 mpg towing and sometimes higher if he's not in a rush.
As for tying the car down, I go through the wheels. This way it doesn't compress the suspension.
* Make sure to install a transmission cooler
* The trailer must have brakes (you'd think this was a no brainer, but...)
* Use a weight distributing hitch
* Take your time
The FJ does ok, but it's real problem is with it's range. It has a tiny fuel tank and it gets crappy gas mileage (even without towing) so the range is small. Add in towing and you won't get anywhere without stopping for gas. I'll be looking into an auxiliary fuel tank to assist on the towing trips.
I have a friend who has a diesel Jeep Grand Cherokee. He races Spec Miata so his car is smaller/lighter and so is his trailer. However, he averages around 18 mpg towing and sometimes higher if he's not in a rush.
As for tying the car down, I go through the wheels. This way it doesn't compress the suspension.
10-10-13, 11:11 PM
#36
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V8 4th gen 4runner to tow my 7. I usually rent or borrow a generic car hauler. Making due with what I've got.
10-11-13, 06:37 AM
#37
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While I don't have an RX7 any longer, I do tow "a" vehicle to the track which is similar in weight to the RX7. I use a FJ Cruiser for towing and I have a Maxey 18 ft wooden deck trailer. I have to say I'm skeptical about some the trailer weights mentioned as I looked into 18 ft steel deck trailers and pretty much all of them were around 2200-2300 lbs. Anyway, the FJ is not the best choice, but I needed something that my wife could use for her and my daughter's Girl Scout outings and for myself during the winter. A few things I would recommend if you are towing with a smaller less powerful vehicle:
* Make sure to install a transmission cooler
* The trailer must have brakes (you'd think this was a no brainer, but...)
* Use a weight distributing hitch
* Take your time
The FJ does ok, but it's real problem is with it's range. It has a tiny fuel tank and it gets crappy gas mileage (even without towing) so the range is small. Add in towing and you won't get anywhere without stopping for gas. I'll be looking into an auxiliary fuel tank to assist on the towing trips.
I have a friend who has a diesel Jeep Grand Cherokee. He races Spec Miata so his car is smaller/lighter and so is his trailer. However, he averages around 18 mpg towing and sometimes higher if he's not in a rush.
As for tying the car down, I go through the wheels. This way it doesn't compress the suspension.
* Make sure to install a transmission cooler
* The trailer must have brakes (you'd think this was a no brainer, but...)
* Use a weight distributing hitch
* Take your time
The FJ does ok, but it's real problem is with it's range. It has a tiny fuel tank and it gets crappy gas mileage (even without towing) so the range is small. Add in towing and you won't get anywhere without stopping for gas. I'll be looking into an auxiliary fuel tank to assist on the towing trips.
I have a friend who has a diesel Jeep Grand Cherokee. He races Spec Miata so his car is smaller/lighter and so is his trailer. However, he averages around 18 mpg towing and sometimes higher if he's not in a rush.
As for tying the car down, I go through the wheels. This way it doesn't compress the suspension.
I was towing a FD a few years ago with the stock wheels and used that method, about 1 mile before my destination (only a 20 mile trip) the strap was cut due to the slightly raised edge of the stock wheels. Luckily I heard the strap break and saw it in my mirror so I was able to stop without issue and re strap the car.
10-11-13, 10:40 AM
#38
Just a word of caution I have experienced.
I was towing a FD a few years ago with the stock wheels and used that method, about 1 mile before my destination (only a 20 mile trip) the strap was cut due to the slightly raised edge of the stock wheels. Luckily I heard the strap break and saw it in my mirror so I was able to stop without issue and re strap the car.
I was towing a FD a few years ago with the stock wheels and used that method, about 1 mile before my destination (only a 20 mile trip) the strap was cut due to the slightly raised edge of the stock wheels. Luckily I heard the strap break and saw it in my mirror so I was able to stop without issue and re strap the car.
10-11-13, 10:45 AM
#39
Full Member
I bought a 2000 F350 dually, 7.3 diesel, crew cab, utility bed with 185k miles for $5000 to tow my dumbass street car to track days and ****. It's big, ugly, and realistically, overkill BUT it gets real life calculated 15mpg, loaded, unloaded, city or highway. It simply does work and will continue to do work for probably another 200k miles. Longetivity is the advantage of using the correct tool for the job. Not saying a Range, half-tons or whatever else you're tow vehicle is won't do the job, it's just how well and how long they will last doing it. If you ever get a chance to drive a diesel truck with a load, do it for comparisons sake. It's night and day. I towed my FD with an 03 Tahoe a couple times. In hindsight, it sucked.
My FDs parking space is an all steel 18ft flat bed with 4ft dove, dual axle trailer. Plenty of space. Can fit spare wheels/tires, cooler, chairs, pop up tent... everything I need for a weekend, on the trailer.
Sure, I could drive the FD anywhere but at the end of a track day, I want ac, cushy seats and a damn auto trans.
My FDs parking space is an all steel 18ft flat bed with 4ft dove, dual axle trailer. Plenty of space. Can fit spare wheels/tires, cooler, chairs, pop up tent... everything I need for a weekend, on the trailer.
Sure, I could drive the FD anywhere but at the end of a track day, I want ac, cushy seats and a damn auto trans.
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