I FINALLY GOT MY CAR TRAILER. Sold my old utility trailer.

I bought it in the DFW area...well sorta.. I got it from Grandview Trailer sales. Exit 17 off of Highway IH-35W then U turn at exit 17. they are right off the hwy on the NORTH bound side. small little place.

Grandview trailer sales: Grandview, TX
817-866-2856

$1199 for 18 foot trailer.
$1149 for 16 foot trailer.

SPECS:
18ft length, 83 inches wide. 1800 lbs.
(2) 3500 lb axles. 5x5 bolt pattern wheel.
brand spanking new!

I bought the 18 ft. comes with 5 foot ramps. But I already have 6.5 foot ramps that i made myself that are near identical to the ramps this trailer comes with. the storage in the rear is built the entire width of the trailer so my 6.5 foot ramps will fit.

I know this trailer sits lower so i don't know if i need to use the longer ramps or not but ill check and post on here......since my car is lowered on coil-overs.

UPDATE:
Added a spare tire holder and bought a cheapy GM steel rim from my local non-english speaking tire shop...lol..


- Jason

 

okay, the original E-track idea for securing the car was a waste of time.. the Z sits to low and the Etrack stuff is too big...

Next I'm going to see about using my die grinder and cutting the Driverside wheel well off and modifying it with some welded studs and making it removable so that when i arrive at races i can open and close the door and get in and out of the car easier...

UPDATE on removable wheel well mod on my trailer:

A buddy and I got some steel L-angle from the local salvage yard and got a cresent wrench to it and used all our might to bend the angle to match the contour of the trailer's wheel well.

Then I went and welded the angle to the wheel well so that when i remove and reinstall it just sits on the angle.

TIRE SECURE:
I also added two L-angles up front with a 1 inch hole to run a 3/4 inch galvanized pipe down the center of my wheels and tires. I can carry 8 wheels up front.

I also Added two 1-1/4 inch Floor flanges to the rear of the trailer floor and had some short pipe cut and threaded at home depot - .60 cents per pipe threaded.

I can now hold 4 more wheels/tires in the back of the trailer.
Since these pic's I have rust-treated and primed/painted the angles black.

I plan on drilling a hole through one end of the pipe and through the upstanding L-angle so i can lock the wheels using a trailer hitch lock for those out of town events. - UPDATE ---> SEE POST #10 FOR PICTURES OF THIS!

oh, my friend is demonstrating how not to bang on metal and to be careful not to hit your thumb!!!

- J

 

congrats....i have been looking for a trailer for awhille. those things hold their value like gold! but let me know how that trailer works out not being a dove tail but using the longer ramps.

 

Does it have breaks? If so, great price?

 

The biggest problem I have when I trailer my Z with the shop trailer is that my door hits the wheel well on the trailer when I am trying to get out making it a ***** to get in or out of the car when loading or unloading the car; Such a PITA.

 

That roll back trailer is cool as hell.

 

i do it dukes of hazzard style

 

Same style. I had the fender cut off and bolts welded to it to make it removable. With that mod the door will clear the front tire of the trailer. I am an old fat guy so I need lots of clearance. I also got Rhino ramps to back up on. THis further lowers the back end. I still need 4ft lont 2X6's to step up to clear the front bumper.

 

BRAKES:
The trailer does NOT have brakes...... but i think i plan to add brakes to at least one axle one day. i only go to events like once every 3 months....i dont get to make them all..... so i just exercise a lot of caution. I have quite a bit of towing experience.

DOVE TAIL:
Yes, i wanted dove tail but by my calculations im gonna be okay with not hitting the ground.

Just like "C Ray Z" said. you can back up the truck on some Rhino ramps (or similar) and get the angle needed. But ive found that leaving the trailer hitched an cranking up on the tongue a bit.... works great too...

ill make sure to report back here what i do...

UPDATE:
I'm lowered on coil-over's and there is no need for a dovetail. The Z gets up and on the trailer with out any issues.

I'm glad now i didn't get dove tail because if you look close at the pic on post #2 you can see i used the last 25 inches or so to mount more tire storage behind the Z while in tow...THis eliminated having so much tongue weight by putting them aft of the trailer axles...


WHEEL WELL:
Im thinking im gonna lay down some 2x8x14 ft length boards to drive the car up onto even higher so that i can clear the door......but thats another day! i like "Duke's of Hazzarding" it!!! just like "N1CK"

UPDATE:
SEE POST NUMBER 2 - ON HOW I DID A REMOVABLE WHEEL WELL MOD - WELDING AND ALL. ALSO SEE THE LAST PICTURE ON THIS POSTING FOR TYPICAL DOOR HANDLE I INSTALLED TO AID IN REMOVING THE DRIVERS SIDE WHEEL WELL.

UPDATE:
SEE PIC'S below on this thread FOR HITCH PIN LOCK USED FOR LOCKING MY WHEELS IN PLACE - For those out of town event's and runs to lunch at events. Also added a wheel i bought from harbor freight....


- j

 

FTMFW!!

 

Won't work for my big a$$.

 

sweet

 

LMAO!

jason, i wouldn't worry too much about the floor being wood. you can treat wood, and wood isn't that expensive. just make sure you keep an eye on it, and you'll be good to go!

even though you only go to a few events a year, it only takes one "oh ****" moment to ruin a day. i would make getting that trailer brake a first priority. treat it like you are towing around a bunch of gold...you wouldn't want to lose that, either.

i wanted a trailer, but 1) i don't have money and 2) i wouldn't know where to put it. my HOA would have a **** fit!

 

Yes, i forgot to mention, i purposely choose wood because i know a lot of people that remove the middle boards in order to load the car on the trailer and do oil changes, minor maintainence with a shop crawler...

ya, my HOA at my old house would have had a fit, but i put it in the back yard and told my neighbors about it and they said they were cool with it...

99 percent of the HOA is the neighbors complaining....F - that...

i once got a call about a complaint........i walked right over to the nosey neighbor who i knew called it in.....told him if i ever got a call from the HOA again i would come over every time.......
never again.

- J

 

yeah my hoa would croak...luckily my neighbor is a auto-x'r and the other neighbor is a redneck...they don't care. i feel guilty leaving early in the morning with my exhaust being so loud. i think they have learned to sleep through it now

 

that would make it very handy...it's a great idea!

we don't have back yards here in california it's hard enough fitting a "lawn" back there!

 

i need to get out of this damned state....but there's so many tracks!

 

Jason,

That's pretty good deal on your trailer but just make sure you add electric brakes to it. You never know when you may need it. I'm glad you're finally stepping up & getting serious about tracking your Z. At least you have access to a few road courses up in the DFW area while we're stuck to autocrossing in South Texas until the new road course in San Marcos opens up soon.

Although I still have my tire trailer, I finally splurge also & recently bought me a car hauler. I found a used 18' trailer in good condition at a great price. Here is a picture of the trailer that I bought (not actual picture but same trailer):



I was concerned with getting my lowered Z in/out of the trailer so the angle/length of the dovetail was critical. My trailer has a 32" dovetail and since the floor is diamond plated, the dovetail is smooth. I'm having a friend of mine build me a tire rack in front & if possible, an aluminum rock shield cover also.

I'll use my tire trailer for local events & tow the car trailer to out of town events (HPDEs) in Austin, Houston & DFW.

 

Heck ya ed! sounds good...

i actually bought the trailer more for drift events since most of those are a farther drive...so far the local autoX events i will be using my small harbor frieght trailer like you...

thats a great looking trailer buddy...you gotta let me know when your coming up here for an event and you can have a free place to stay...


UPDATE:

will be adding this tool box to the front for transporting my cordless impact, extra impact batteries, lug nuts, wrenches, etc....tools that i would more than likely leave in the tool box versus pack and unpack every time i go to a race. i plan on leaving my autoX numbers in there too, things like that...

Oh and i found the tool box for 35 bucks on local craigslist add! yup only 35bucks.....thats like 10% off the original price of this thing.....i had been looking for one, but i never thought i would get one for this cheap...

craigslist deals FTW...
- J

 

Jason AKA DK . . .



I'll take you up on that -- next time I go up to MSR Cresson for HPDE!