If the wife isn't willing to go to a lot of events, then pick up a used one. Let someone else take the big hit. Use it for a couple years, that way you know exactly what you will want in the future. Then sell it or trade it in for the one you want.

When the trailer gets to be too long they are a pain in the rear to manuver. The pivot point is just to far forward.

Sh_tskies, 45 pages about trailers. Greg, here's all you need!

http://youtu.be/j_j7Bsl_Vi8

So glad to see everyone struggles with the exact same issues I do!

Too much trailer - or too much length - more trailer less living - more living less trailer.... Ya know what that leads too?? 75' of living quarters and stacker trailer!

One of the biggest things that bothers me with all of this (not the resale by the way - you guys are thinking with YOUR wallets)... is that I like to caravan to shows or "whatever" with others.... and they end up having to get a hotel and I would end up trying to find somewhere to put 75' of crappola for the night. When I started to look at just pulling into a rest stop --- they won't take 75' long! I'd be halfway out into the road!

I had a one car trailer - with living quarters all spec'd out -- and it ended up being 44' long with all manor of compromises.... and my F-350 would barely be capable of hauling it. It got heavy in a hurry with the living quarters - gen set - blah blah blah... and everyone tells me a long trailer is a PITA... thus I started to look at bigger "truck" etc.

The other thing is everyone tells me NOT to get a motorhome with tag trailer - they tow like crap and are underpowered. I don't want to be going over Mt Shasta with my foot to the floor and the thing wheezing...I want a real truck that is MADE FOR hauling stuff.

BTW - SIEG

I've been inside the one you posted... it's 45' long - is beautiful - but when you put even a 24' trailer behind it - guess where you are in length... with the tongue it's right back up to 75'!

So I was trying to get the smaller "toter" --- with the smaller gooseneck - but with a dedicated bedroom area -- and that's where the 24' living quarters comes in. Anything less than that and you're up in the overhead bunk or pulling out the sofa sleeper. No wife along - I'm fine with the overhead bunk... but when Gwen and I looked at them together - she wanted separate bedroom. Whereas I'd throw a mattress on the floor of the trailer and call it good! :rofl:

So I'm thinking 16' toter as shown (in white pictures posted) and a 2 car 32' stacker with just a little more space for tools and storage etc... and that puts me in the 60' long area

Is there really a difference between 60 and 75 feet when it comes to rolling down the road? I would not think so, big is still big. One of the sport trucks may be better size wise, but not sure they would be any better than your ford with a stacker behind it. Does anyone build a Prevost (or similar sized motor home) with a built in stacker and no trailer? That should get you down to 50ish feet?

If I was you, I'd go to a place where people have some real experience vs. all the Monday morning quarterbacks around here.:D

Todd is right.

I'd suggest going to a NHRA national event when they come to your town. Every kind of hauler, tow rig and different types of trailers are there. Just walk around and ask opinions. And as far as towing with a Motor home, unless you get a diesel pusher I think you're wasting your $

You know that sentence can be interpreted in 2 ways. :lol:

Greg - I am totally NOT surprised at this after spending a little time with Gwen at Thunderhill.... I gotta say I saw this comin. :unibrow:

But in the end you'll get what you want and it sure will be nice to have one that is a helluva lot easier to navigate as you mentioned.

Greg, I was reading through the last few pages and figured I'ld throw some advice at you. I really don't think that the overall length is an issue with drivability. It is the long wheel base on the truck that creates problems for turning and getting around once you are off the highway. We have a Renegade with the 17' box and a 48' stacker behind it. I think that we are just under 80' bumper to bumper. We have towed smaller trailers with the truck and I didn't see too much of a difference. You will have no problems on the highway, truck stops, rest areas, and just about any car show or track event. Around town is a pain in the arse until you get some good seat time and confidence of what you can get yourself out of. The long wheel base on the truck makes maneuvering difficult and you really have to plan out your route and know what you are doing. Backing into a tight parking spot is tough because the truck takes forever to swing around or get the trailer to change direction. It is a little bit of a pain, but it is definitely worth it in my opinion to go with the toter vs a Sport Chassis or pick up.

As far as the toter home goes, you are going to want the big truck with the big motor. We have a 450 HP cat with a 12 speed auto and going up any decent grade the thing bogs down to 30-40 mph even half loaded. Hitting some of the long pulls through the mountains you can be down to 20 mph for close to an hour. Not fun! Too much truck (power, brakes, towing capacity) is way better than not enough truck. I would definitely get the extra height (insert Greg Weld short joke of choice here) in the bunk of the truck as well. Ours is standard height and if you are laying on your side, you are pinned against the roof. I would do the larger slide out as well. I think ours is a 6' or 7' slide out. I have seen newer trucks with a much larger slide out that really opens the interior and doubles the space.

The toter home is extremely nice going down the road having the fridge, bathroom, couch, tv, microwave, etc... right there. The ride quality and the air ride seats are a huge difference. We also have a F450 dually and smaller gooseneck trailer. You honestly get beat up and worn out on long drives in that. The Renegade is comfortable, you don't get worn out on the long hauls and arrive fresh and ready to go.

On the trailer, I would go big or go home. Trailers and garages are always too small and you always wish you got the larger one after you run out of room way quicker than you thought. Skip the A/C on the trailer. We have turned ours on maybe 5 times in as many years. Definitely get the generator and compressor. E-trac tie down system is a must. An onboard fuel tank for the cars is a cool idea that I want to incorporate into our trailer. If you get a ramp door with an internal lift, make sure to go on the big side with the lift. We have a 4,000 lb lift that struggles to lift 3,500lb cars. I really like the ramp door and internal lift vs the liftgate back door. We have used the lift countless times to work on cars at events. You will lose some upper deck floor space since the lift will not go all the way to the back door like a full upper deck will.

There is my 2 cents. Give me a call or shoot me an email if you have any questions.

-Phil

well, I didn't mean it the other way.
We all know he isn't going to find a sugar momma like Gwen anywhere else. If it wasn't for Gwen working and making all the money, Greg wouldn't be going to any of these events. Now that she is retired and went to an event, and met a few lat-g guys, she might be looking at getting a job again, or making herself busy when Greg asks her if she wants to come along.

Phil - That input as exceptional as it is REALLY helps his decision process. :rofl:

I officially defer further comment to Phil. :unibrow:

Phil ---

Great help! And exactly what I've been thinking about. I want to park this in my back driveway alongside my shop. In order to do that - I have to pull past my street (I live on a corner) and back it around the corner then down the street and another 70* to start the trailer up in the driveway. These are neighborhood sized streets -- with grass to the edge of the street etc... and I watched a 28' box truck make this maneuver the other day -- it barely made it and he didn't have a trailer to deal with.

I DO NOT want to store this offsite. That really makes a hassle out of it -- prepping to get ready - with all the rain etc... so it's in my driveway or I'm not doing it.

And it's not the highway driving I'm thinking about - it's the before or after an event where I want to use the thing to putz around. I'd like to be able to pull into a "view vista" site and have lunch - take a pee - or just relax etc. So it has to be more for me to just goof around in than just "show to show".


Even more importantly is that if Gwen isn't going it doesn't have to be as fancy. So I asked the dealer for his inventory status of his smaller rigs - I'll still have to have the trailer built and will make that LONGER perhaps.

Good info on the A/C - that's EXACTLY what I thought -- no need!

:cheers:

The backing into your driveway i've seen it. will be worth the price of admission the first few trys, call me i will bring a lawn chair and beer!!

Luckly the hard part of the manuver is on the driver side so you have way better visibility. I used to back our trailer off a standard 2 lane rural street with huge ditches on both sides, the truck was a 300" WB with a 45' semi trailer into a widened driveway, and then 300 feet long as long as you can get over the one front wheel being in the ditch it's all good. Your driveway is not 90 deg to the road and that makes it way easer. You will want to paint a line on the driveway on the driver side so you can "Drive" the trailer wheels on it and not have to worry about hitting the retaining wall with the rear pass side of the trailer because you will have NO idea where it is. you will not be able to see ANYTHING on that side of the truck due to the turn, so a nice white line to follow would make it a breeze. I would be more worried about getting past the Fn tree in the middle of the road!!. OH and you will have to add to the gardners monthy bill to fix the guys grass across the street lol.

^^^^^^^^^^^ Exactly right!



I was thinking about how smart I was "belling out" the driveway toward the west.... because that is the side you can actually see. I can do my truck and trailer without ever having to pull forward for a restart... but I've got my marks down and I just follow the trailer. But with the rig I ordered - I really don't think I'd get it in and out of the neighborhood. You're right about the tree at the entrance!

call Reliable moving to come to your house and pick up the 33 and see how that goes. that may answer all your questions

Hey Greg
I just sold my rig it was a 38 ft 0ptima on a freightliner columbia chassis Merc 450 hp with a 26 ft stacker. It towed great with plenty of power.
I ran it for 4 years but i have to say it was a lot of work,prep ,cleaning,waxing.Once on the road it was great. It was challenging on backroads, bridges narrow roads and weight limits.I got stopped at the Ohio tolls several times for being over weight, they scale you at tolls.Made me turn around and seek alt route.
It just took the fun out of it as me and my girlfriend [co pilot]loved to pull off and see the back country but with the trailer it was difficult.
Hope this helps
I've down sized
I do miss bringing that second car
Scott

Scott -- You hit the nail square! I L O V E the back roads and H A T E the Interstates! And the thing that got me thinking about all of this "length" etc is the trip I took from Thunderhill track over to the Napa Valley.... Hwy 20 was exactly the kind of roads I love to travel on... a "stop and smell the roses" kind of life... and as you said - there were all kinds of "don't do this and don't do that and you can't go here" issues... and I "felt" big just dragging the trailer with my dually.

The washing and waxing thing -- I do with my cell phone.... as in "yo buddy -- come over and wash and wax my rig" so that's not an issue. And I want it in MY driveway so loading food - water - cars - etc is not a hassle. And in the end - I might reach the same conclusion you did... but I'm also not at all concerned about the total lack of resale. That just isn't an issue. The ISSUE is how I want to use it.... I'm trying to build in some freedom to roam... and bigger seems to take that out of the equation.

I also do not want to be hassled all the time with the issues you point out - over length - over weight - blah blah blah. So thanks for pointing that out.

:cheers:

Yes keeping on your property is key. I had the space at home made it great getting ready for the trip. I wasn't concerned about resale i bought it because it was what i wanted. No regrets.
It really freaked out my co pilot on some of my excersions as i drove it like my duelly:lol:
After my experience keep it simple

Good luck Greg:thumbsup:

Greg, you're really messing up my long term plan!

Step 1, Introduce myself to Greg Weld
Step 2, Use words like "cute" and "eeeeeeehaaaaa"
Step 3, Become best friends with Greg Weld
Step 4, Have Greg Weld want to haul my car to events all over the place.
:thumbsup:

Really I would think that the smaller toter (living space) would be the ticket. Most the events you attend are fair weather and the only time spent in the rig would be to make some food or crash out. Shorter with a slide out sounds like the way to go.

Times a tickin, get this thing built. We've got Bonneville in September!

eeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaa!

:cheers:
Dan

Dan...... very cute!


You left off #5 -- sponsoring your car / engine / truck


Bonneville is on the bucket list!


Smaller living quarters - is exactly where I'm headed! I had the dealer (Sport Truck RV - Chandler AZ) send me his inventory thinking that maybe he had something already built that would work -- sadly the inventory is.... all white --- Cheap ass OAK cabinets --- and small motors (450hp MBZ).... The 14' toter was quoted at $175K.... I'm not spending that on small white oak ugly!


EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHAAAAAAA





As it turns out - the factory was having trouble with being overweight on the front axles of my designed rig.. so it most likely couldn't have been built the way I wanted it.


NBFFL

I was informed today that they can't build the 24' toter with the way I want it. Engineering can't seem to get the weight balanced and it's too much on the front axle.

So it's back to working with the dealer to find a happy medium. Unfortunately I'll be heading to Italy next week -- so it'll just have to wait. Oh well, I've been messing with this for 5 year now - another couple weeks ain't going to kill me.

Step 5 isn't needed....yet. The Studebaker we run is fairly stock, running in the 130 club. If my math is correct, which it should be, we should get real close this year.
Bucketlist?? Just do it, it's pretty much the birth grounds of speed, the church of horsepower, the great white dyno.

I hear you on the oak, it reminds me of Kenny G and a bottle of merlot. The white isn't so bad, easy to change.

I looked at the website and tried to spend your money on something, it's tough. With all the info given on this thread I don't see anything they have that fits the bill. Cool stuff but, ehhh.
When you say 24' toter, how is that measured? The living quarters are 24' or the overall?

I hear Italy is nice this time of year, I'll be in Wenatchee, kinda the same.
:cheers:
Dan

24' is the living quarters floor space.... and that makes the "truck" 45'


I love Wenatchee! Great town and I had a great customer over there. I'll be at the Monaco Grand Prix. Is there a go kart race going on in Wenatchee? I may change my plans!:lol:


If I thought I was going to go to races every weekend with a bunch of guys and greasy hands etc - then I wouldn't care about the interior -- but I want to use it more like a motel on wheels with some toys with me... so then I get particular.

Have you been to Monte Carlo before, GW? It is like a different world; every thing and every one is dripping & oozing money & high fashion...a different level from anything I can find in the 'States for sure. We spent the day there pretending, trying to absorb what it's like to live so ostentatiously. The cheapest apartment we found (1br, no view, 1st floor) was E6m and another E300k for a SmartCar parking spot; not for us, haha. Have you ever thought about grabbing a vacation pad there?

If you have time, I highly recommend walking the track if you haven't before. I believe it must be obligatory for exotic car owners to goose it through the tunnel because every 30seconds or so you hear another v8, v10, v12 shrieking through.

Don't forget to pack your best Velcro shoes :cheers:

Steven ---


I'll be the one there in cut off bluejeans - and a grease stained tshirt...
wearing my rolex Daytona of course!

Walking the track is great advice. I'm not sure we'll be able to do that but I'll try to. I think we'll arrive too close to when they're practicing etc so the course may already be in control mode.

Here's where we're staying - our room has a balcony on the Fairmont hairpin... and apparently you can see a good deal of the course from the roof which is set up to cater to "us" (people there for the Grand Prix).


Hotels

May 23 - 28 Monaco
Fairmont Monte Carlo
Phone - 011 377 93 50 65 00

May 28 - 31 Portofino, Italy
Hotel Splendido
Phone - 011 39 0185 267 801

May 31 - June 2 Siena, Italy
Hotel Castel Monastero
Phone - 011 39 0577 570001

June 2 - 5 Florence, Italy
Four Seasons Hotel
Phone - 011 33 055 2626 250

Thanks for the contact numbers, just in case we ndde to get ahold of you.
lol
that should be a nice trip.

you should blend right in wiht the cut off's :thumbsup:

Whattttttt........ <scratching noises in the background> Huh??..... we must have a bad connection....

To get this thread back on track ---- <pun intended> ---- I'm thinking (and I'd like to hear opinions) on maybe backtracking halfway... and going with the Sport Truck RV M2 chassis with a 450 MBZ diesel and a TWO car stacker with smaller living quarters up front. Maybe 14' of living quarter (on the flat floor) bedroom sleeping area in the overhead. I think I could do this in a 44' trailer... and the tractor part would be much smaller overall.

Will work on this more when we get back.

Have your ran the hp to wt ratio's for each package?

The Sport Truck is small enough that it would add to the flexibility of the package and you can drop the trailer and go out on the town with the truck.

Thus the TWO car stacker over the three....

If the lighter/smaller philosophy is good enough for Stielow...:unibrow:

So this is what I'm thinking -- two car stacker - M2 truck - with some living quarters in the stacker.

Although not this ugly....



http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/a...home/Image.jpg

I like it. :thumbsup:

You'll be able to limb some trees with that trailer.

The problem with a truck like that is that because it's not an RV you will have to get a license to drive that rig, Legally. Even with my F-450 I was required to have a license legally. But those M2 class trucks have never really impressed me, they lack power and seem to be horrible rattle traps. I kinda thought with all the drama you "could" have to entail you might as well go to a real truck. That's how I ended up where I'm at.

Not sure what they do about that -- as far as a CDL -- because you're right - the Truck GVWR might make it just enough that a CDL is required. I'll have to ask DMV about it. The trailer would have living space but it's not motorized.

So maybe back to the Toter - with a gooseneck two car stacker.

I don't know about that, if it is not commercial, you shouldn't have to have anything special to drive it. In theory, he could flat out buy a semi, and drive it with nothing special, as long as it is personal. This is a big discussion on other boards with people that move personal loads that have some weight to them.:)

not in my state he couldn't. Needs a commercial license for three axles over 6000 pounds.

In correct a semi truck is considered a comercial vehicle because it is over 24,000 lbs.

Here's the Washington law....

All single vehicles with a manufacturer’s weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more.

All trailers with a manufacturer’s weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more, and a combined vehicles’ gross weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more.