Towing | FerrariChat

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  1. Steve Darrah

    Steve Darrah Rookie

    Nov 5, 2003
    35
    Midlothian, Virginia
    Full Name:
    Stephen C. Darrah
    Need some help/advice.I would like to tow my 550 and 360 this summer to track days, club events etc.
    I want to use one trailer for both cars but have not decided what type of trailer to use. Also, I am not sure what type of "prime mover" will be required to pull this configuration.Any thoughts/experience/recommendations? Thanks.
     
  2. Tpup

    Tpup Rookie

    Nov 2, 2003
    33
    Roswell, GA
    Full Name:
    Roy
    I strongly suggest you go with an aluminum trailer, not steel. They are much lighter and don't rust as bad. Personally, I like the www.trailex.com products. They are one of the lightest trailers out there (sub 2K lbs) and can be towed with most smaller trucks.

    Good luck.
    Roy
     
  3. whart

    whart F1 Veteran
    Honorary

    Dec 5, 2001
    6,485
    Grandview NY
    Full Name:
    Herr Prof.
    And, in the latest edition of SportsCar Marketplace, the editor commented on the sale of a big ol' Rolls at auction by stating that the buyer intended to use it as a tow vehicle. That'd be worth seeing, yes?
     
  4. fatbillybob

    fatbillybob Two Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Aug 10, 2002
    26,292
    socal
    Steve,

    Several years ago I when through this whole issue. First you have to decide if you really want to tow both cars to a single track event. Second you have to decide if you want to stay trackside overnight or if you want to just have trackside facilities until hotel at night. Third you need to decide if a) your club usually rents the paddock overnight for you to leave your trailer and B) if you can sleep in a distant hotel while you have a quarter of a million dollars+ sitting unattended. Fourth can you drive a huge trailer? Fifth where are you going to keep it?

    Personally, I'd be careful of towing say 6000lbs with a vehicle rated for 6000lbs. You will enjoy life much better with a tow vehicle (TV) that is way more than you need. I tow an open trailer and gear to the tune of about 5000-6000lbs with a 8.1L gas suburban easily pass cars going up hills like I'm towing nothing. My tow capacity is at least 2x what I tow. Now I don't have to worry about wind, snow, rain, hills, nothing...

    A trailer to tow two cars is huge. You can't really go aluminium if you by an enclosed stacker trailer. You need the weight of steel so that the top car does not come anywhere close to contributing to a high CG. High CG makes for thrilling towing.

    Towing two cars may be the limit of trailer size casuing you to not be able to get facilities in yout trailer. A trailer that tows one car and has sleeping facilities,toilet, cooking , A/C , satalite dish and generator is still large but really towable with say an F350 crewcab diesel truck. Over 20 foot consider 5th wheel that will have facilites and hold your car. IMHO if you go over 6000lbs get a diesel. Less than that I say 8.1L or v-10 triton . Save the F150 lightenings and 1500 suburbans for the jet skis. You can tow with them but they suck. They do not have the acceleration up hills and they don't have the brakes. Ferraris need extra long ramps because they are low and they weight about 3300lbs in street trim so they need a reinforced rear drop door on the trailer or you will crack the wimply typical 3/4" plywood and or rip at the hinge. Make sure the floor of the trailer is rated to hold your car. The undercarraige needs to be well supported if 3/4" plywood is use. Remember that there could be 1000lbs on a wheel then at add the G from bumps and the floor needs to be able to take that. Low cars are hard to tie down. The tie downs on the floor should be about two feet away from the car at any point. Also watch for the height of internal fenders because you can't open your doors and get out.

    Buy your tow vehicle with rear suspension auto leveling. When you get to the capacity of the autoleveling system use a weight distrabution hitch. Use one anyway with any boxy enclosed trailer and get the sway control with it. Always use electric brakes not surge so you can control sway and independant braking of trailer vs TV.
     

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