Guys, looking for advice from the pros. Who hauls their Evo, with what exactly, what have you learned and what do you recommend?

16', 18', 20', 22' deck trailer??

Solid deck or open deck? Electric brakes? Length of loading ramps needed? Specific tie down locations on the car?

If ya got pics to help illustrate; post them up!

 

Cheapest way i've found is what my dad has. A true 20' open steel trailer which is about 18' usable length, wood planks with the center being open. I think it was like 2100 brand new from TropicTrailer.com (local to him). I don't have any pics but i'll try to get some. Trailer weighs about 1700 lbs, dual axel, and YES you do want electric brakes. I personally tow it with an 05 chevy 4.8L and I can feel the braking assist and it's saved me a few times. I had to install my own D-rings in the front and rear, plus a tool box and wench up front.

As far as the Evo goes, I pull it on front ways so the majority of the weight (being the front) is closest to the truck so she doesn't wag around at speed. Tie downs are 2 of the T-Hooks into the bottom of the chassis up front (search T Hooks in this thread, you'll see pics) NOT crossed mainly because it's a pain in the butt and I never noticed a differance. Rear I use axel straps around the rear axel, crossed, to the two other D rings. The axel straps are just long enough to close around the rear axel and rear sway without touching the sway in any way so it doesn't pivot on it (was a concern of mine at first).

Since it's one of the cheaper trailers, it comes with short 3' steel ramps that are the open slotted type. I went and got 2 2x12's and notched them for the ramps, about 9ish feet long each. I support the bottom of those with pressure treated 4x4's about 10" long in strategic positions.

This seems to be the cheapest and safest way i've found thus far. I'll be adding a tire rack down the road.

 

I like a solid trailer, with a ramped back end.

Ramps will need to be modified, I also used 8 ft long 2X12's with 4x4 blocks for support.

For straps the easiest is to go through the wheels.

 

I have a 18', dove tailed open trailer. If your car is lowered at all, you'll need some seriously long ramps, especially if it is not doved in the back.

Electric brakes are indeed a must.

 

I've hauled with many different trailers.

24' 12k tilt-deck equipment trailer, 24' enclosed innovate trailer, and the best, my 18-20ish open deck gooseneck trailer. (smooth as butter, behind my 1/2 ton gmc.) All have electric brakes.

On the first trailer, I always crossed under the front, both forward, and back, in the hole inside the cast lower A arms. Then I went under the rear to the tow hook, pulling back (never went nuts tight with the rear though).

On the others, i used the wheels as a point. I went through the wheels, around the hubs, and went forward and aft, on all 4 corners. Much easier, but you can't roll right off track and strap it up.... brakes are a little hot at that point. gotta give it 15-20 minutes.

This picture was the only time this car ever saw below 65 degrees, and it was like 28.... I went out and ran the thing a few times at night, to make sure it didn't freeze (not much anti-freeze.)

 

You can get a basic Roadmaster or United 22 foot enclosed for under 5 grand new. It sure is nice on rainy days and for carrying tools and gear...and for security.

Electric brakes are a must. My trailer is 30 feet and I pull it with a single axle Duramax 2500HD. Used to pull with an F250 and the Chevy is so far superior I don't know where to start.

 

I always had Ford trucks, but not power stroke diesels. Two racers I know have Duramax chevy,s and I am impressed with the dash instruments and motor. We all ran open trailers but you have more protection and security with a enclosed rig. My team mates MR rear wing was damaged (broken in half) once by a truck tire retread on his open trailer.

 

Nathan, i finally bought a trailer for my "race car" about 2 weeks ago. You know i dont have a camera, so youll have to wait a while for pics. I have 2 races coming up on April 25-26, so ill get my friends to take some pics of the trailer and ill email them to you.

I shopped around forever but never found a used one that suited me. Through some local racers i found this place that builds trailers. You give them the specs and they build it. And the price was too good to pass up. I bought it for 1,499, plus some options. I spent a great deal of time taking measurements so that they could place the D-rings exactly where i would need them. In the end we were still a little off. I also designed a tire rack that i had them fabricate on the deck. I can fit (7) 275 sized tires that are mounted on their wheels in the tire rack. I figured it would save weight to have it on the deck. Plus, it wouldnt be up in the air, so this way its much easier to get my wheels/tires on and off the trailer. Im really happy with how it all came out.

Here is their website. At the bottom of the page there are 3 pics. Mine looks pretty much like the top-right one, except mine has a custom made tire rack built on the deck at the very front:

http://trailernationusa.com/CarHaulers.html

Here are my rough specs:
- 16 x 8.5 (the deck is 6'10" wide, but its 8.5' fender to fender)
- open deck
- pull out fender for the driver side
- 6 ft ramps
- and the tail end of the trailer dips down (think its called dovetail).

The ramps are pretty heavy, so i found a place through a friend to get lighter weight ones. Other than that, im probably going to replace its lights with LED ones.

 

I used to have a Trailex. They are extremely light and won't rust. Not cheap though!

 

I bought my trailer for $200 and a set of used 18" drag radials! LOL, so ghetto but so true

 

I have a 18' steel with wood deck, has 3' dovetail, 15' flat surface. It's perfect for the Evo IMO
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My tow rig is a 2000 Dodge Ram 1500 Van 5.2L Hemi V8. I love the van over a truck. I can sleep in it and haul a million different things inside the van itself.

 

Same here...I had a V10. Plenty of power and it was actually a great truck and very reliable. The problem was the steering and brakes when you put the heavy tongue weight of an enclosed and car on the back. A torsion bar setup resolves that, but with a GM truck that is not needed, and the Allison tranny is incredible. Where I used to have to use brakes to slow, the tranny does all the work.

 

What about a Tilt Trailor?

I've heard good and bad about them. I found a few pics; please forgive them - I pulled them straight from a local website - these are NOT my pics! lol.

 

What about an open deck trailor?

This setup would be lighter, but not sure if there's more danger with debris kicking up under the car?

http://www.econotrailer.com/Open.html

 

I use this one, real danger of debris because it would have to be small enough and bounce just right to get between all the beams. But the thing about these is it allows you to get your car up high enough to do just about anything, no jack failure danger etc.