Trailer - Need Recommendations / Advice

[Mitch Krause]

I guess a trailer is a "tool", at least I hope this is the correct place for this. So I am going to get a trailer soon, I don't anticipate that I will have to do extensive trailering of the GT, certainly a few times in the next year for painting and such and then maybe only once a year for some reason.

Anyone have recommendations on "make sure it is this wide, so you have door clearance" or "make sure it is this long so that you have room for a toolbox" or anything like that you would share?

It would seem that a tilt bed trailer is the only one that you would be able to load a GT on. Those seem to get a lower load angle the longer they get, i.e a 16 foot might be 14 degrees, a 18 foot 12 degrees and a 20 foot 10 degrees. Does anyone know what the required load angle is? (given normal ride height and such), or have a handy way to figure that out?

Thanks

 

[Neil]

Mitch;

After renting open trailers and struggling with the heavy steel ramps, blocks of wood to get the loading angle lower, etc., I broke down and bought an all-aluminum 18 foot tilt bed EGO trailer from Jimglo. It is light weight and well constructed. It is so much easier to tow than my old 24 foot enclosed Haulmark trailer that I finally sold the Haulmark. I have been very pleased with this trailer. The options I wanted were a "standard build" for Jimglo so that saved a few dollars. Main options were a built-in winch and battery, 7,000 lb axles, a wind deflector and storage box (including spare tire), and LED bed lighting. The 18 foot trailer has an 8.4 degree ramp angle. They also offer a 16 foot version with an 11 degree ramp angle. If that is enough clearance for the nose of your GT40, it would be less cost than a longer one. In my case, my car has a 3.5" front ride height but the 4.5" rear ride height gives the car a downward slant so its nose is probably lower than a GT40. Here is a link to the specs page:

https://www.jimglo.com/ego-specs

BTW, Jimglo builds the trailers that Ford used for its Ford GT concierge service- a pretty good recommendation.

Regards, Neil Tucson, AZ

 

[Larry L.]

...or...if you really want to eliminate approach angle issues no matter what the car:

https://www.airbaggedtrailers.com/

$12K, $14K and $16K.

(Riverside, Ca.)

(Edit: It doesn't appear they make an enclosed version, however...so...if that's what you need...uuuuh...well...??? )

 

[Neil]

Larry L;

I'd be cautious of those trailers. Their gallery seems to have only computer-rendered 3D CAD drawings. Having a fully open space between the drive-on pan rails almost guarantees that your car will arrive with its underside coated with dirt (and water if it is raining). They don't tell you what the trailer weighs or even if it is aluminum or steel. Granted that a Jimglo tilt trailer is expensive but you get a very high quality well designed product.

 

[Olf59]

hire my self made trailer to bigest racecars
gruß meinolf

 

[Ron McCall]

Check out Futura Trailers.

 

[Larry L.]

Larry L;

I'd be cautious of those trailers. Their gallery seems to have only computer-rendered 3D CAD drawings. Having a fully open space between the drive-on pan rails almost guarantees that your car will arrive with its underside coated with dirt (and water if it is raining). They don't tell you what the trailer weighs or even if it is aluminum or steel. Granted that a Jimglo tilt trailer is expensive but you get a very high quality well designed product.

Adding a 'belly pan" between the 'rails wouldn't be tough...in fact the factory probably would do it for you. Anyway, there are other outfits that make similar units. One is in Australia or N.Z. as I recall. Google 'air bag suspension trailers' (or the like) and they all (or most) should pop up. (Just an aside: Any car transported on any 'open' trailer thru any appreciable amount of rain/snow for any real distance at all will arrive in need of a good bath - 'belly pan' or no 'belly pan'! Likewise, from an overnight security standpoint, open trailers have none. That's another thing to consider.)

I 'linked' to that trailer site solely to use it as an example of how a 'bag suspension can provide a solution to the approach angle issue and provide some idea of the cost - not because I 'endorse' that particular trailer/design/company.

 

[Neil]

Larry L;

Yes, you can add or have the factor add a belly pan but for the price you pay for that trailer it should be a standard feature. Rain will, of course, get everything wet when transporting a car on an open trailer but at least the underside won't be caked with wet dirt; the topside is easy to clean but the underside isn't. Open trailers do have far less security than an enclosed one but if your trailer hitch is not locked, thieves can steal the whole trailer together with its contents. James Dean's wrecked Porsche Spyder was stolen in that way and went missing for years. I only worry about security on my overnight stop hauling my car on my open tilt trailer up to Wendover (so far so good) but once on the salt at Bonneville you can leave a set of wrenches out overnight and they will be there the next morning. Not every venue is that trustworthy, though.
It just comes down to that old carnival expression "Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer choice".

 

[Randy V]

Here is my advice...
After you corner-weight the car, put a 2” hose clamp on the coil over shock bodies in all 4 corners so they butt up against the weight adjusting ring. This not only locks the rings in place without using those darned grub screws, but allows you to put a jack under the chassis to unload the springs, then spin the adjusting rings tight against the springs. Your GT40 will now be sitting a good 3” taller and will more easily load on/off a trailer.
As far as trailers are concerned, I would never trust my car on an open trailer in a motel parking lot or anyplace else where I would not be in constant attendance...
An enclosed trailer of at least 20’ floor space would be my plan along with a 3500+# winch to load and offload the car.
True that trailers can be stolen, but if you just choose a plan white trailer and leave all the emblamage “signifying what may be inside” OFF the trailer, the would be thieves have no clue as to what may be in there.. As a matter of fact, you could very well use emblamage to your advantage “Mitch’s Septic Cleaning Services” would certainly not contain anything most thieves would be interested in...
Finally -
Insurance... Make sure you purchase good locks and have a policy that covers your potential losses....

 

[Neil]

If an enclosed trailer is what you want, have a look at Jimglo's sports car model: https://www.jimglo.com/envy

 

[Larry L.]

...put a jack under the chassis to unload the springs, then spin the adjusting rings tight against the springs. Your GT40 will now be sitting a good 3” taller and will more easily load on/off a trailer...

Great idea! I wouldn't have thought of doing that in 100 years. One could load a '40 onto darned near any trailer by doing that. It'd just involve spending some extra 'prep' time beforehand.

...As far as trailers are concerned, I would never trust my car on an open trailer in a motel parking lot or anyplace else where I would not be in constant attendance...

Amen.

...you could very well use emblamage to your advantage “Mitch’s Septic Cleaning Services” would certainly not contain anything most thieves would be interested in...

I was about to suggest affixing international "radiation hazard" signage...and a nanosecond later I realized thaaaaat might not be too good an idea in this day and age. That might make the trailer a target for 'raw material'...

...Insurance... Make sure you purchase good locks and have a policy that covers your potential losses....

...and a 1st class security system with an ear-splitting siren.

I've gone so far as to install hidden remote control door locks in addition to 'the usual' padlock systems. 'Even figured a way to install padlocks in such a way as to render bolt cutters useless.

"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you." - Joseph Heller

 

[Mitch Krause]

thanks all for the good information.

 

[Terry Oxandale]

I recently purchased an enclosed trailer for the orange car, and think I want to apply a protective layer on top of the wood flooring, yet there seems to be equal opinion on whether this is a good idea or not (moisture from below versus sealed on top). The floor has a black thin undercoating under it anyway, so thought I'd ask some opinions on the top-coat to be included in the discussion.

 

[Neil]

Terry;

My Haulmark trailer had a grey epoxy coating on its plywood floor. This prevented any oil leaks from penetrating the wood and creating stains.

 

[Terry Oxandale]

Thanks Neil. disregarding the aesthetics, I've heard the oil, for some, is not a problem in that it protects the wood, and testimonials indicate it increases grip as well, but I'd have to see that for myself. Perhaps it raises the grain or something. I even read a post where oil was preferred over a proper sealer (used the oil as a sealer).

 

[Randy V]

Floor -
Gray enamel “deck paint” - oil based on top.
Rubberized undercoating on the bottom.
The deck paint can also have a silica traction agent added to it. Oily wooden floors are unattractive and there will be a day when you will need to lay on it to work on a car.

—Add E-Track to the floors for your tie down points. I prefer tire baskets, but on a 40 or similar car, you should consider tie down straps (padded axle straps) through the wheels or at the very least the lower control arms as close to the wheels as possible..
Do not ever trust a tie down that puts the suspension in compression (EG - from car chassis to floor) as you can take the compliance out of the suspension (now subjecting your car to every bump in the road that is not absorbed by the trailer’s suspension). On the opposite end of the compression issue, the car can bounce inside the trailer now which makes the tie downs stretch as they go loose-tight-loose-tight while the trailer bounces marrily down the road...

 

[Terry Oxandale]

Randy, will need to look for a set-up for basket type with e-tracks.

 

[Steve]

I recently bought a 24 foot aluminum trailer with one of these escape doors:

https://neotrailers.com/images_liberator.php

It has a beaver tail and I ordered a 3 foot extension onto the door/ramp to (hopefully) enable the GT40 to get in without bottoming out. Admittedly, I haven’t tried it yet

The full-length escape door where the wheel well is removed is a must. My 40 is RHD so I’ll be backing it in and the escape door will be on the drivers side.

 

[Steve]

Oh, and the l-track with Mac tie downs works great. These tie downs (no COI) are made for low clearance cars. I did the ones where the straps interdigitate with the grooves in the tire rather than the nets. Has worked great taking my spec e30 back and forth to the track (2.5 hours each way at highway speeds) and should work with any car. The l-track is less bulky and insets better than the e-track. I put e-track on the walls. Will take some picks next week when I get home.

 

[Randy V]

Why not winch it in/out Steve? It would be a bugger to back a 40 up inside a small space and keeping it centered...