How much does a 20-24' enclosed trailer weigh?
02-11-2005, 03:42 PM
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How much does a 20-24' enclosed trailer weigh?
And don't bother with trailex trailers, I don't have coin for that. I want to go enclosed but couldn't handle more than about 3800lbs with my current tow vehicle. Am I out of luck here?
02-11-2005, 03:48 PM
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you mean 3800lbs of just trailer?
you can check these guys out...they have some pretty inexpensive trailers:
My 18' open trailer weighs on the order of 1700lbs (with racks).<ul><li><a href="http://www.tomsrv.com/racer_trailer.htm">http://www.tomsrv.com/racer_trailer.htm</a</li></ul>
My 18' open trailer weighs on the order of 1700lbs (with racks).<ul><li><a href="http://www.tomsrv.com/racer_trailer.htm">http://www.tomsrv.com/racer_trailer.htm</a</li></ul>
02-11-2005, 07:57 PM
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Yeah, 3800lbs empty is about as heavy as I can go.
My car w/spares weighs about 3500 and the Touareg is rated to tow 7700. I figure 7300 gross weight gives me a small buffer.
02-12-2005, 08:20 AM
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hmmm...
you have multiple issues towing with that at max gross weight. I looked into this since I have basically the same vehicle as you and assume we're using an identical tow-hitch.
1. Check the tongue weight of your loaded trailer...it's easy to get close to the max tongue weight on that Westfalia hitch...my trailer is actually as close as I would want it to be.
2. Towing capacity is the MAXIMUM WEIGHT of a trailer and it's contents that the vehicle can tow under any circumstances without creating potential damage to the engine, transmission etc.
3. Towing capacity diminishes with altitude (GVW and GCW goes down 2% per 1,000 ft and HP is lost at 3%-4% per 1000ft) so if you regularly go over mountain passes (or even the Grapevine in So. Cal.), you'd be over the tow capacity in a heartbeat with a trailer at 95% of the max capacity.
4. You aren't leaving any capacity for the loading of the vehicle and trailer (it's gotta have SOMETHING other than the car right?)
A rule of thumb I've read is NEVER go closer than 85% of the max towing capacity (and 75% or less if you have to climb over hills). That would mean that the trailer + car + modifications (racks etc) plus every spare you have couldn't exceed 6545lbs towing on flat ground, and 5775lbs if you are going over hills.
Personally I don't think it would be good to tow a trailer any heavier than about 2800-2900lbs with the Touraeg with a 3500lb car in it...that having been said, some of those light construction closed trailers MIGHT be that weight. For reference, on a 2% grade at 3-4,000 feet towing my 3500lb fully loaded trailer, I'm at 4,000rpm in 4th getting 4MPG with a bit more HP than the Touraeg..
1. Check the tongue weight of your loaded trailer...it's easy to get close to the max tongue weight on that Westfalia hitch...my trailer is actually as close as I would want it to be.
2. Towing capacity is the MAXIMUM WEIGHT of a trailer and it's contents that the vehicle can tow under any circumstances without creating potential damage to the engine, transmission etc.
3. Towing capacity diminishes with altitude (GVW and GCW goes down 2% per 1,000 ft and HP is lost at 3%-4% per 1000ft) so if you regularly go over mountain passes (or even the Grapevine in So. Cal.), you'd be over the tow capacity in a heartbeat with a trailer at 95% of the max capacity.
4. You aren't leaving any capacity for the loading of the vehicle and trailer (it's gotta have SOMETHING other than the car right?)
A rule of thumb I've read is NEVER go closer than 85% of the max towing capacity (and 75% or less if you have to climb over hills). That would mean that the trailer + car + modifications (racks etc) plus every spare you have couldn't exceed 6545lbs towing on flat ground, and 5775lbs if you are going over hills.
Personally I don't think it would be good to tow a trailer any heavier than about 2800-2900lbs with the Touraeg with a 3500lb car in it...that having been said, some of those light construction closed trailers MIGHT be that weight. For reference, on a 2% grade at 3-4,000 feet towing my 3500lb fully loaded trailer, I'm at 4,000rpm in 4th getting 4MPG with a bit more HP than the Touraeg..
02-12-2005, 12:16 PM
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I don't think I'll be gettng an enclosed trailer then.
I've been thinking about this the last few days. I just don't have enough tow vehicle for the job. I'll soldier on with my open trailer, get a Ford F250 next year then start looking at trailers. I'm sure I could pull it off with the touareg but I'd be uber paranoid everytime I was on the road.
02-12-2005, 01:01 PM
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yeah, that was my conclusion...
with the Cayenne...and after getting "rained out" yesterday (open car on an open trailer in driving rain = trouble), I can see the appeal of one but IMHO you need a really suitable tow vehicle...my co-driver has a "toy box" and his Suburban was barely adequate to tow it and he had to get a bigger vehicle.
02-15-2005, 04:18 PM
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ATC (Aluminum Trailer Company) is the answer! 1,750 LBS 20Ft enclosed, but it'll cost ya $15-25K
Depending on options. $13K gets you a base trailer with an extruded floor, no walls, no isulation, no other fancy stuff.
$16K gets you walls and cabinets.
And it goes up from there. Best made trailers, period. You get what you pay for. The look new years later and you save a ton in gas/diesel towing them (doesn't matter to us with our truck. Don't know it's there under acceleration, braking or by economy. 7.5-9mpg, the only thing that matters is elevation/grades and my right foot!).
The extruded aluminum foor cuts out 300lbs, the Ext Alu rear tailgate another 100, seemless sides cut out 40lbs. Wheels cuts 20lbs.
All subtraced from their 2100lbs 20Ft enclosed and the trailer becomes 1750lbs or so.
Ours, with extruded floor and tailgate, 7 ft interior height, upper and lower cabinets, four tables, five flourecent lights and two 12 Volts, fold downs steps, cast corners, seemless sides, stainless side flashing all around , dual airline tracks front to rear, dual 50 amp service w/dual 25 ft 1 1/2 inch diameter power cables (100lbs of cable weight alone) and 38 (yes, 38) AC outlets weighs 2230 empty. With an S4 in there and all our other stuff, it's 6200lbs.
ATC's are about 20-30% lighter than Featherlite trailers, before you go crazy with extruded aluminum stuf, which even makes it lighter. All parts that can Alu are, period. Hinges, latches, steps, handles, rivets, trim, and every spar and frame piece.
Here it is in tow behind our Trendsetter 32. Looks a bit small behind such a large truck, but consider the truck is 45ft long and 13ft tall. Hard to imagine the trailer will hold an S4 with 3 feet to the cabinets, huh!
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/1113/brutus.edited.lr.dsc_9088.jpg">
The other shots the interior, which shows the extruded floor.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/1113/lr.trailer.jpg">
$16K gets you walls and cabinets.
And it goes up from there. Best made trailers, period. You get what you pay for. The look new years later and you save a ton in gas/diesel towing them (doesn't matter to us with our truck. Don't know it's there under acceleration, braking or by economy. 7.5-9mpg, the only thing that matters is elevation/grades and my right foot!).
The extruded aluminum foor cuts out 300lbs, the Ext Alu rear tailgate another 100, seemless sides cut out 40lbs. Wheels cuts 20lbs.
All subtraced from their 2100lbs 20Ft enclosed and the trailer becomes 1750lbs or so.
Ours, with extruded floor and tailgate, 7 ft interior height, upper and lower cabinets, four tables, five flourecent lights and two 12 Volts, fold downs steps, cast corners, seemless sides, stainless side flashing all around , dual airline tracks front to rear, dual 50 amp service w/dual 25 ft 1 1/2 inch diameter power cables (100lbs of cable weight alone) and 38 (yes, 38) AC outlets weighs 2230 empty. With an S4 in there and all our other stuff, it's 6200lbs.
ATC's are about 20-30% lighter than Featherlite trailers, before you go crazy with extruded aluminum stuf, which even makes it lighter. All parts that can Alu are, period. Hinges, latches, steps, handles, rivets, trim, and every spar and frame piece.
Here it is in tow behind our Trendsetter 32. Looks a bit small behind such a large truck, but consider the truck is 45ft long and 13ft tall. Hard to imagine the trailer will hold an S4 with 3 feet to the cabinets, huh!
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/1113/brutus.edited.lr.dsc_9088.jpg">
The other shots the interior, which shows the extruded floor.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/1113/lr.trailer.jpg">
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02-16-2005, 05:54 AM
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That pic looks like an advertisement for Apple.
Very nice, cool looking trailer but I don't have $15,000 for a trailer.
Sorry how that last thread went. I don't know if you read my last post but I offered up a mea culpa of sorts and offered to buy you a beer if I get to Cali this year or next.
Sorry how that last thread went. I don't know if you read my last post but I offered up a mea culpa of sorts and offered to buy you a beer if I get to Cali this year or next.