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What size trailer do you use for towing your RS?

10K views 19 replies 7 participants last post by  robotman321 
#1 ·
My better half has agreed to let me tow the RS to track events this year (woot!), so now the search for a trailer has begun.

I am curious, for those that tow their cars to the tack, what size trailer do you guys use and why?

I've found a reasonably priced 16ft trailer, but my efforts/google foo for trying to find ideal trailer length to car requirements has come up empty so i'm not ready to bite until I can confirm that a 16ft trailer will fulfill my needs.

I have sifted through topics going back to 2016 and didn't find anything like this thread, looking for any advice.

Note: I plan to haul everything i need in my tow pig, the trailer would strictly be hauling the car.

Thanks!
 
#2 ·
Mines an 18 ft tandem beaver tail ( sloped at the end ) Works perfect. I think a 16ft. will work but the biggest challenge is the ramp angle....unless it's a beaver tail
which has a smoother load angle! Sorry this is the only pic I could find and it doesn't show the trailer very well.

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Pickup truck Transport
 
#3 ·
Found a slightly better pic! :cheerful:

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Automotive tire Tire
 
#5 ·
cool, so 16ft would work but not having the beaver tail might be interesting.. I have an included 4ft ramp with a 19" high deck (from the ground), i might be able to decrease that a LITTLE depending on how high the jack goes still trying to find the maximum for that..

if push comes to shove i might be able to make something to act as an intermediary device but that sounds janky just typing it.

Edit:
Tow vehicle is a '19 Ascent, trailer is 1400lb, so ill be sitting close to the 5k max with the car (I know i know, its pushing it.)
 
#6 ·
Yes that's cutting it close...probably should have stabilizer bars on your hitch. Make sure you have good brakes. Serge brakes are crap. Go with electric.
 
#8 ·
I'm on my second 24 ft. fully enclosed car hauler. Gives me room to carry a pit-bike, tools, spare tire set, fuel, sun-shade, etc.
 
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#9 · (Edited)
I needed the shortest trailer that would work for storage considerations and after a ton of research I ended up going with an Aluma 7814R, which is 14’ long. It took some clever and expensive mounting components to fit proper safe tie-downs but it works perfectly. This model only has 5’ ramps, so I also need a set of Race Ramp extenders. If the one you are looking at is 4’ you will definitely need them. I’m using the RR-TR-8: https://raceramps.com/car-ramps/trailer-ramps-and-loading-ramps/trailer-loading-extension-ramps/

From there you need to figure out a good safe and secure tie-down approach. Do not use anything short of the best. In my search I came across a story of a well-known Porsche track instructor from Canada who thought his car was properly secured, until he got into an accident on the freeway on the way to Sebring and his prized 911 went through the front of his enclosed trailer, up onto the bed of his truck, and sheared the cab off. The best in the industry are Mac’s Custom Tie-downs. I bought three different setups, and I particularly like their Tire Block system with idler rollers. Start here: Tire Block Straps

Best of luck with it.
 
#10 ·
Ah! Your fantastic, they are indeed 4ft and i've been researching like crazy for a solution that would extend or replace the ramps to be around 8ft (which is supposed to be the length for a 19" height), thank you!
 
#11 ·
I used to tow with this little 14' tilt trailer. Nice and small. I always hated to have to drag my tires and tools into the motel room for any overnight trips.

Upgraded to a 28' Beaver tail. A lot more concentration on driving and where to park but nice and roomy and secure.

If your tow vehicle is at the limit, I would suggest getting something bigger. Just like JWA stated about getting the best tie-down setup, having the right vehicle to tow with is key to getting you and your family home safe. I had a friend who swore his F150 was fine for his small toy hauler until he ended up flipping the entire rig with his wife and two kids in the truck. His next truck was a F350 dually 4X4. Now thats a bit overkill but it opened his eyes up for sure. Be safe.


Vehicle Transport Car Motor vehicle Trailer
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Motor vehicle Transport
 
#12 · (Edited)
I think that's about what my deck height is too. If your RS is anything lower than stock height it might be tight even with those extenders. I use mine for RallyCross and run a tire that's about 1/4" taller than stock and my front lip has less than 1" clearance to the ramps on approach. If your tow vehicle has air suspension and a higher off-road type mode that can help in this regard too.

Another option is to look into longer ramps for the trailer itself. On mine the storage location goes up to the axle so the 5' is all I have. It's worth noting that the Race Ramps weigh nothing and there is room to store them underneath the back of the RS at the back side of the trailer on top of the deck.
 
#15 ·
I'm stock, so that's a positive. No air ride, will have to experiment this weekend.

Here are a couple pics of my setup. Note that the shorter you go the less room you have for the tie-downs so the more creative you have to get there, and the less room you have to adjust for trailer weight distribution. I basically got lucky that the tongue weight comes out exactly perfect with this setup.
That's really slick, the pot for the ramps looks like it fits like a glove.

I find that this type of tire strap works really well for the RS. The trick is establishing the perfect placement for the car on the trailer. ( tongue weight ) and then select the mounting spots for the D rings etc. I found that the D ring needs to be pretty close to the front and back of the tires. If you have to much angle on the straps they will hit the plastic
front cover / bumper. Altho some folks ratchet it to the edge of the trailer frame ( as in this picture )
Good to know, i came across those in addition to traditional straps, I might just pick up both.
 
#13 ·
Here are a couple pics of my setup. Note that the shorter you go the less room you have for the tie-downs so the more creative you have to get there, and the less room you have to adjust for trailer weight distribution. I basically got lucky that the tongue weight comes out exactly perfect with this setup.

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Motor vehicle Bumper
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Bumper Motor vehicle
Alloy wheel Tire Automotive tire Wheel Vehicle
Land vehicle Vehicle Car Motor vehicle Tire
 
#14 ·
I find that this type of tire strap works really well for the RS. The trick is establishing the perfect placement for the car on the trailer. ( tongue weight ) and then select the mounting spots for the D rings etc. I found that the D ring needs to be pretty close to the front and back of the tires. If you have to much angle on the straps they will hit the plastic
front cover / bumper. Altho some folks ratchet it to the edge of the trailer frame ( as in this picture )


Tire Automotive tire Wheel Vehicle Auto part
 
#17 · (Edited)
The good news is that if you buy a trailer at a fair price, you won’t lose much money on it when you sell it.
That was exactly what I experienced with my first fully enclosed trailer. Bought it for $6,200 (back in the 90's), used it for 10+ years hauling my race cars, put thousands of miles on it, used it for storage during the winters, used it to haul fire wood, used it when I moved to a new house, sold it used over 10 years later for $4,500.
Now after a few years of seller's remorse, I purchased another trailer....
 
#18 ·
Thanks to everyone that added to this topic, I got the trailer and was finally able to test the setup tonight, my only real issue now is trying to figure out weight distribution, what did you guys use to figure out how far up/back to put the car?

Pics of my test:
Land vehicle Vehicle Motor vehicle Car Automotive design

Land vehicle Vehicle Motor vehicle Car Bumper

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Race car Motor vehicle

Land vehicle Vehicle Car Motor vehicle Compact sport utility vehicle
 
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#19 ·
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#20 ·
That is fantastic, bookmarked and saved, excellent documentation, thank you!
 
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