| Author | Message | ||
     White79bu |
What do you guys use to get your bike to races or track days? I currently use my "Home Depot" truck. It's a mid 90's S-10 with a 4 banger 5 speed. I tow my TSC 4x8 trailer. It's a nice truck but it's not the best for track days in the rain. I have to haul all my riding gear in the cab and it gets tight with two adults. I am looking into buying some type of van. Being a chevy guy I found a few nice astro's but they have a million miles on them. I have also found a few mid 90's full size vans that aren't priced to bad. That would be perfect. Later in the 09 season I am looking to buy a generator and tire warmers so I will need the space. Plus I would like to take a spring trip to Barber for a track day and need something that will haul the family. So what kind of set up do you guys use? | ||
| Sd26 |
I'm a victim of a bigger program...LOL! I down sized my tow vehicle to a diesel Ford Excursion to pull my 24ft trailer. A long length van is great. Generally, they aren't expensive as they are bought and sold based on need vs desire. I used three Ford vans from 1989 through 2002 before getting a used shuttle bus (E350 Super Duty diesel) for the big trailers. Astro's rock though. I know people that pulled 14ft tandem axle trailers with them. I'm not a Chevy guy, but I find them to be on my short list for great vehicles. The 4.3 seems to be tough. Might smoke at times, but it doesn't seem to affect performance too much. I think there can be some fuel pump problems. Trim levels can be really nice too. An enclosed trailer always is a good and bad thing. It's great that you can have it loaded and ready to go. You can also arrive home late after your trip and not worry about your stuff being exposed to the elements or the neighbors. And you can hook it up to another vehicle if you upgrad, down grade. If you sell, a trailer doesn't loose much value. Buy used, and you might sell it for what you paid for it after five years of use. You could even set up a little living area in a trailer, depending upon how spartan one's other half is willing to live with. Hopefully, that gives you some ideas. | ||
| Schmitty |
Here's my race rig!     I did the trailer and tent thing for a half a season, but with the wife and three kids along it could get pretty miserable for everybody during crap weather. I was gonna buy a new bike last year, but decided to invest in the family comfort first. It was the best investment I could have made. It made the track weekends a lot more enjoyable for all of us!  Schmitty | ||
| Gearhead |
Schmitty's rig rocks!! I'm using an '06 1/2 ton Crew Cab Chevy short box with a 6' x 12' V-nose trailer which can carry three bikes and gear. Just like Sd26 said, when I get home I can leave it until the next day. Plus I like the idea of the fuel smell not in the same vehicle with me. One last thought, I travel with another racer, a buell guy of course, but we split all truck fuel, lodging and food which made it affordable for both of us. Next season there will be three of us racing Buells so again it will help all of us to share expenses. I'm in the CCS Great Plains region so we do some serious traveling!! If you know someone in your area you can split costs with or share their trailer? Just a thought... | ||
| Paint_shaker |
Poor boy racing here... $1000 for a mid 90's Ford E-250.  | ||
| Slaughter |
Think BIG picture expenses. I have a little old SR5 Toyota. Can't get my stuff out of the weather but I live in the desert so rain isn't a big concern. I have rented a cargo van from Enterprise for those times I needed to haul a couple motorcycles and gear and needed to lock them up. I can't see spending money that ordinarily would go to tires or track time on a truck and trailer that I use at most 2 days a month. My racing habit itself bleeds me of too much money to afford payments on a truck and trailer (unless I lived in the trailer - still an option being considered). I am thinking of a nicer small trailer that I can pull behind my Dodge Stratus. I have used it to pull 2 bikes on a Uhaul trailer from where I live up to North of Sacramento (Thunderhill) and back. About 800 miles round trip. I really love some of the smaller toy hauler type trailers but I spend so freaking much on fees, tires and repairs that I just can't justify it (my racing expenses are cash only - that also limits my choices as well) | ||
| Sethbuchbinder |
Gear in the bed, bike on the tote. off we go. No extra tolls, no parking issues. happy times.  Sometimes I carpool with Xbcrazy using his trailer which has bunk beds fridge and microwave up front. If i had my pick, id go with a setup just like Shmittys. Those things are set up great for 1-3 bikes gear and racers. Seth | ||
| Duggram |
For me there's only one way to go:  | ||
| Dhalen32 |
White79: I tow a two bike enclosed trailer behind a Honda Odyssey Minivan. It will tow 3500 pounds with the "towing package". When not towing it works pretty well for family road trips and with the seats out you can move pretty large stuff inside. Dave | ||
| Skinstains |
Take a look at the "Predator Roadmaster" toy hauler. | ||
| Rhun |
anybody have any first hand experience comparing a vee nose to a regular trailer front? Do you get better mileage with one? Does one pull better? Does the V just become dead space? I'm thinking about a 12 foot trailer either a V a rounded or a regular but don't know how to compare them. | ||
| Sd26 |
I sold and serviced trailers for a few years. I don't know of anyone that logged any good information where they could show that they actually got better mileage with their V-nose trailer. Claims, but too many things change. A V-nose will reduce the air gap separation between the vehicle and trailer, and, aerodynamically, that should be better. In a cross wind, it certainly was reported to me that they swayed more as they actually had more surface area and there was less of an air gap for wind to escape through. A V-nose does carry more weight on the ball of the trailer, so, while it might have more space, you have to be careful what you put in that space as you have extra trailer weight there already which can get one up to and over that 10% of the overall weight being at the hitch/ball area pretty quick. | ||
| Gearhead |
I tow a V-nose 6'x12' trailer but since I never owned a flat front I can't speak to mileage. I bought it used (one year old) so I didn't have to pay the premium for the extra space, but I do appreciate the "V" for storage of the trailer's spare, spare bike wheels and tools. I'm careful with the weight of items up there so not to overload the tongue. The v-nose also allow me to haul three bikes at once with all our gear so I'm a big fan I guess. | ||
| Rocketsprink |
white79, don't take this the wrong way, but don't price yourself out of the game by spending a ton of $$$$ right away. A van or small trailer are your best bet if just getting into it. You can always upgrade. But spend too much too fast, and there's usually no place left to go but down. Food for thought. | ||
| Rocketsprink |
I started with an open trailer. Moved up to an enclosed trailer, then to a toy hauler. A small toy hauler. Big enough for the stuff and for the family. All the comforts of a bigger rig, but lighter and less expensive. That's what worked for me anyway. | ||
| White79bu |
Money is the key issue. I don't mind having an open trailer at all. It comes in handy when the bike has to go back to the dealer I can have it loaded in no time. I am mainly looking at a tow vehicle. I won't be racing realisticly for a few years. But I plan on doing at least 6 track days a year. So I thought I could buy a nice used van for a good price and then the wife and son could come along when they can. Having the extra room and power would also be a big plus. My little S10 works well to a point because I only live 45 minutes from Mid-Ohio. I would just like to make a long weekend out of Barber(maybe this spring) and would like to bring the family. Some day I would love to have a toy hauler and be able to travel to other states for track days and races, but I need to hit the loto first. | ||
| Duggram |
Andy, three years ago cancer was found in a node in my neck and the primary site could not be found. My doc told me to start doing those things I've always wanted to do. I wanted to become a snowbird from my home in Alaska. So I bought my '06 Raptor with no money down and my payments are just over $300. The dually payments are another story. It's actually sort of serendipitous that I started road racing at this age. I actually got the toyhauler for my street bike and 4wheeler (used to love to hunt). Then I saw the 1125R when it was announced. I also got a work contract (i'm a traveler) near Arroyo Seco Raceway in New Mexico. What can I say it just happened. My point is that I didn't get my Raptor for race hauling. I got it to live in while I traveled for work. But then I met this great lady in New Mexico that I'm going to marry and who also became my sponsor (I started racing last month, track days in October). If I were just racing I'd have one of those v-nose trailers and canopy on a single rear wheel pickup. There's always tents too. Big toyhaulers are expensive to buy and keep up. Mine is actually a tax right off or I'd sell it. |
