Repost: Trailer/Hitch Advice Requested....

Ed Hahn · January 25, 2002

[Reposting from Motorsports Forum]

Hi all,

I have a '94 Mazda RX-7 which I take to the track (e.g. Watkins Glen) every so often. The last couple of times I did so, it broke at the track (it's heavily modified, so you expect it to happen) - hence getting a truck and a trailer to tow with.

The car weighs about 2800 lbs, and I'm estimating carrying about 1000 lbs of additional equipment max (probably in the bed). I'm looking at a simple 16 or 18' single car open trailer, so I'm guessing a total tow weight from 3600-4800 lbs depending on steel/aluminum, open deck vs. closed deck, etc, along with the stuff in the bed.

The longest distance that I plan on towing is about 400 miles one way on a single day, with a typical distance about half that. I'm living on the East Coast, so I don't anticipate needing a lot of mountain capability, mostly rolling hills and perhaps needing to get over the Appalachians in Pennsylvania.

If anyone has any specific advice on what I should be looking for in a trailer, hitch, and brake controller, I'd be much obliged.

Thanks again in advance,

ed

bassdog · January 25, 2002

Ed,

You need to be looking at atleat a class III hitch/ receiver setup for that weight. You'd be better off with a classIV...

I use Valley hitches to tow my bassboat (around 2200 lbs) with no problems.

Can't help you on the brake unit, but I'm sure someone here will jump in to help.

bassdog

Shaners · January 25, 2002

Hidden Hitch makes a hitch that looks identical to the factory reciever. It is rated for 10000 lbs. I think the local Leer cap guy here in Western PA wants about $160 installed. For a brake controller I'd suggest a Tekonsha ($75). They are the only ones I'll use and have always been very reliable. You will also have to have your Av wired for electric brakes and you'll have about $150 in it. So for about $375 you'll be ready to tow... (plus the price of the drop-hitch and ball)

As far as the trailer, I don't have any answers as to type or brand. Most of the guys hauling enclosed trailers around here are pulling "Haulmark" trailers. They look pretty nice. I don't know if they make a "flatbed trailer" or not...

Jpshostr · January 25, 2002

Class IV hitch is what I'd slap on the truck, a Class III may work, but I'd go one step higher because the distances you say are fairly long. For my truck I'd put a Quic 'n Easy Receiver Hitch on the thing if I was going to put a receiver hitch on. This spring system is really nice to take the shock load away, we have one on our truck only with a straight drawbar and it sure is nice. The controller Shaners mentioned is a good one, take a look at it. As for the trailers, they should be fairly easy to find. You aren't looking at an extreme load, so a nice basic trailer should do just fine for you. Go to your local trailer yards and price a few and look them over. Each trailer has a few small things on it that are different, you may find one make is just what you want. I don't know anything about car trailers though as all my experience has been with goosenecks.

Kansas Kid · January 25, 2002

I don't know how the trailer companies around you area are, but in mine this is how they setup their car trailers. The build two different trailers, one standard duty and one heavy duty and are anywhere from 16' to 20' long. The standard duty is rated at 7000lbs and the heavy duty is rated at 12000lbs. For your situation a standard duty trailer will be plenty strong enough to handle the Mazda. One other thing, alot of places only put electric brakes on one axle. If at all possible, I would have them put brakes on both axles. Can't have enough trailer brakes as far as I am concerned....

Shaners · January 26, 2002

One other thing, alot of places only put electric brakes on one axle. If at all possible, I would have them put brakes on both axles. Can't have enough trailer brakes as far as I am concerned....

Kansas,

A lot depends on what state you live in... Here in PA, if you need to have trailer brakes because of the GVW of the trailer, then both axles have to have brakes. Otherwise you won't pass state inspection... (what's that???)

Stepside Z · January 26, 2002

I have used Hidden Hitches and had no problems with them. The quality is as good as Draw Tite but the price is much better. In PA you are required by law to have tail lights, break lights, license-plate lights, trailer breaks for 3k and over, breakaway breaks for 3k and over, safety chains, max trailer length 53', max overall length 60', max width 9'. My ref was Truck Trends 50 state towing guidelines. I hope this helps.

doverarjim · January 27, 2002

If you could find a trailer with "Surge Brakes" on it I would buy it in a heart beat. They use a hydrloic master cylinder like on your truck mounted in the hitch of the trailer and when the trailer starts to push on the tow truck the brakes apply them selves. No electric brake lock up no not working because of a bad wire. I've used them for 20 years on a 16 foot stock trailer that I have pulled for over a 100,000 miles and never had any problem with them. I've pulled from coast to coast with 5 different trucks and as long as I can rig the lights I'm ready to go don't need to worry if the other truck has brake controller in it or not.

Jpshostr · January 27, 2002

If you could find a trailer with "Surge Brakes" on it I would buy it in a heart beat. They use a hydrloic master cylinder like on your truck mounted in the hitch of the trailer and when the trailer starts to push on the tow truck the brakes apply them selves. No electric brake lock up no not working because of a bad wire. I've used them for 20 years on a 16 foot stock trailer that I have pulled for over a 100,000 miles and never had any problem with them. I've pulled from coast to coast with 5 different trucks and as long as I can rig the lights I'm ready to go don't need to worry if the other truck has brake controller in it or not.

How well do those surge brakes work while backing up though? I've never used them on a trailer pulled down the road, but when backing up wagons with them you have to get out and lock the brakes off. I wouldn't want to hassle with that on something like this.

CMNTMXR81 · January 29, 2002

Class III is plenty for his needs. If he were pulling upwards of 6,000lbs, I'd consider a Class 4. I had Class III's on both the Tahoe and Blazer (both packages from the factory) and easily pulled my Camaro, Chevelle and 66 Pontiac with it frequently. On the 2500HD, I have whatever comes from the factory.

I have a Tekonsha electric brake actuator with both gain and force adjustments. I think the exact model is a voyager. My trailer is an 18' MacLander steel frame with wood deck. it's a 16' flatbed with 2' dovetail. It is a double axle (with brakes on both axles) and I believe it weighs in the 1,200-1,500lb range.

Joel · January 29, 2002

Jpshostr, excellent point. Things may have changed with newer versions but my friend had that setup. He had to place a C clamp on the thing to back up preventing the brake from enguaging.

Even then it was a BITCH to back that thing up. We basically had to skid the thing up a hill in reverse because the C clamp wouldn't hold. Good thing the trailer was empty

Joel

Ed Hahn · January 29, 2002

Thanks everyone for the advice so far - keep it coming! Also, pardon me if I get the terminology all mixed up.

BTW, the Av comes standard with a Class IV (12,000lb) hitch platform, so I'm all set there.

What interested in finding out more about is the hitch ball (?receiver?) - I'm leaning toward a weight-distributing hitch. Do these things work with all trailers, or do they require custom mods to the trailer?

As for the brake controller - I notice that the Draw-tite electric controllers are not sensitive to mounting orientation. Do the Tekonsha controllers require a level installation? (I was planning on sticking the controller in the CD holder in the bottom of the radio stack, and it slants downward. This way I can keep it behind the door when I don't need it, but this isn't a critical item for me.)

Thanks again,

ed

Shaners · January 29, 2002

I'm towing with the stock hitch that came with my HD. No problems at all towing my 32' travel trailer (8000 plus lbs).

I use torsion bars (weight distributing) and a single sway bar. You will have to buy a special drop hitch that will allow the use of a sway bar and torsion bars. You can easily figure on at least $100 for a good adjustable drop hitch, and then some more money (I don't know how much) for the torsion bars and sway bar if you want.

The torsion bar mounts will bolt onto the tounge of the trailer, and if you use a sway bar, you'll have to drill a couple of holes on the side of the tounge to mount the bracket for the small ball that the sway bar attatches too.

I'm running 10000 lb bars on my trailer. But I have 900 plus lbs of tounge weight. If you are going to have this much tounge weight too, then you should get the bigger bars.

If you would like, I can post a picture of my set-up...

CMNTMXR81 · January 29, 2002

The Tekonsha, at least the Voyager can be mounted any which way you want. Mine is at a 45 degree angle.

doverarjim · January 29, 2002

Sorry, I lost track of this post. But I have never had to do anything special when I want to back up. I'm not sure what keeps the brakes from working in reverse but I can back up a hill or in muddy soup and not slide a wheel, as a matter of fact the only time I've ever been able to lock up a wheel on the trailer was when I was trying to keep this pertty young thing from pulling into the side of my truck and trailer, as I was trying to avoid her I had all the brakes on truck locked and sliding along with the trailer axle.