[TrakCar]

I was watching Nascar the other day and started thinking about the fancy pit boxes all the teams have. I've been tossing around the idea of getting a small trailer to haul behind my car when I drive to open track days, big car shows, and auto-x events. So now I'm considering building or adapting a small utility (4x6) trailer as a "track day trailer"

4x6 utility trailer
provisions to mount track rims
jack
Tool box
Chairs
EZ up
Cooler/ grill (I have one of those fire and Ice things they sold a couple years ago)
Air tank
etc
etc

I'm also probably looking at selling my truck since It sits 90% of the time at $4.00 per gallon, so the trailer would also see use as the "Home maintenance and Lowe's trip" trailer, and possibly to haul a 4 wheeler.

So has anyone else done something like this? Post descriptions, Pictures, and lessons learned if you have.

Thanks

[sgarnett]

A few years after I started autocross, my wife and I were on our way to dinner one night. She mentioned that she noticed the brochure for racing gas on my desk. I only had it because the owner of a speed shop handed it to me while I was getting something else, but I had been drooling a little. She said she knew I spent a lot of money on parts, but she thought shipping in special gasoline was over the top. She also said something similar about car haulers.

Hmmm, I think to myself. Parts are OK, special gas and a hauler are not. I can live with that, no need to debate it any further (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Actually, I could get away with the trailer. I don't have my 3/4 ton anymore, so an open aluminum trailer would be the best bet. I ponder it at times, but I don't really want it in the way between events. I'd probably still change tires at the event, since it goes a lot faster in a roomy parking lot than on my gravel driveway or squeezed into the garage. If I ever go to an event more than an hour or two away, I may rent a trailer just to cover the breakdown issue. Even minor stuff like brakes would be easier to fix leisurely at home instead of dog-tired in the hot sun or rain, and it cuts down on the number of spare parts to carry.

For a long time, my working trailer was a 4x6 from Tractor Supply. After using one of those black plastic Walmart tool boxes for a while, I switched to a 4' rectangular (no overhang) polished aluminum box from tractor supply. It had the most usable room of anything I looked at, and the top is insulated. Between that and the polished finish, it keeps the contents fairly cool and slightly more secure than the black plastic.

My current trailer is roughly 3.5' x 8' and enclosed. It has big doors on both sides that flip up (think gull wing) for easy loading. I built a wooden tire rack that runs lengthwise, biased toward one side, and has a few beams across the top as shelf space. The body is light luan plywood with a 2x4 frame on a steel chassis, and covered with white aluminum. I can haul a lot of crap in it (spares, cooler, old tires to sell, etc), and it gives me a place to put all my stuff to keep it dry in case of rain. That gets me out of needing to strip the car ahead of time. All I need to do is fill the air tank, put a fresh battery on the impact wrench, and I'm ready to go. Except for the tire rack, the trailer was originally built for hauling model airplanes. I found it for sale beside the road because it apparently wasn't big enough.

The enclosed white trailer maintains a stable enough temperature in moderate weather that I can leave the tires loaded outside. In mid-summer or freezing weather, I still move the tires into the garage (or the whole trailer if I'll be using it again soon).

That brings me to the big shortcoming of open tire trailers. Black tires laying in the sun get HOT fast (even more so than when somewhat shaded by a fender, and it's not good for them. Tarps help slightly but it takes several layers to make much difference. One year, I made a tire cover from aluminized bubble wrap insulation, but that was a lot of hassle. I'd give serious thought to building some kind of box for the tires. Even light plywood painted white will make a big difference.

I'd give serious consideration to at least building some kind of box for the tires.

This post has been edited by sgarnett: Jun 11 2008, 01:35 PM