Towing Track Car

Author
Discussion

Z4MCSL

Original Poster:

548 posts

90 months

Friday 1st October 2021
quotequote all
Ive got a 182 track car

I would love to be able to tow it but dont have space for a trailer - is there any sort of solution for this?

You can't keep a trailer on the road right (my neighbours would probably get annoyed in any case).

Is there such things as a foldable one?

What is the smallest solution?

Any ideas welcome : )

MrC986

3,559 posts

198 months

Friday 1st October 2021
quotequote all
There are trailer hire companies across the UK & this might be a better option as you wouldn’t have to worry about storage/maintenance.

InitialDave

12,236 posts

126 months

Friday 1st October 2021
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Where do you keep the track car?

Park the trailer there with the car on it?

HustleRussell

25,205 posts

167 months

Friday 1st October 2021
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MrC986 said:
There are trailer hire companies across the UK & this might be a better option as you wouldn’t have to worry about storage/maintenance.
This is the answer really. There's no clever compact solution to towing a track car legally. Dolly type solutions are not legal for this purpose.

Elderly

3,559 posts

245 months

Friday 1st October 2021
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My trailer has a folding tow pole as opposed to an ‘A’ frame.

anonymous-user

61 months

Friday 1st October 2021
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I rent from my local Brian James dealer. They have an A4 with tyre rack on their fleet.
Costs £45+VAT per day. Gets cheaper for weekend periods, and per week. You can also block-buy days to spend over the year.
£10 no VAT for insurance per 24 hour period.
I thought about getting my own, but finding a place to store it, maintaining it, and stopping it getting nicked were of concern.

geeks

9,745 posts

146 months

Friday 1st October 2021
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Mac. said:
I rent from my local Brian James dealer. They have an A4 with tyre rack on their fleet.
Costs £45+VAT per day. Gets cheaper for weekend periods, and per week. You can also block-buy days to spend over the year.
£10 no VAT for insurance per 24 hour period.
I thought about getting my own, but finding a place to store it, maintaining it, and stopping it getting nicked were of concern.
Thats a superb deal, last time I looked to hire one for the day it was double that!

Evoluzione

10,345 posts

250 months

Friday 1st October 2021
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Move house.

sunbeam alpine

7,081 posts

195 months

Friday 1st October 2021
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I wouldn't want to keep a trailer on the road - I'd be too worried it would get stolen!

That rental option sounds pretty good. It's also handy to have a proper trailer for a track car in case you stack it badly - at least you can get it home! smile

phazed

22,000 posts

211 months

Saturday 2nd October 2021
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What about finding a place to store it, like caravans. There are a lot of places around there only charge a few quid a week. Don't know where you live but maybe have a word with a local farmer or similar.

A friend of mine used to keep his on a small industrial estate as he knew one of the companies there who had plenty of space in their yard. A good wheel clamp and a hitch lock should see it safe.

Using your trailer is always peace of mind. I have used a trailer for about the last five years even though the car has never broken down or been binned!

Wh00sher

1,660 posts

225 months

Saturday 2nd October 2021
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I suspend mine from the garage roof by 3x1t lifting blocks.
It's high enough I can walk under it without ducking.

phazed

22,000 posts

211 months

Saturday 2nd October 2021
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Wh00sher said:
I suspend mine from the garage roof by 3x1t lifting blocks.
It's high enough I can walk under it without ducking.
'kin ell! I'm sure you made it safe but I'd be looking up all the time!

Wh00sher

1,660 posts

225 months

Sunday 3rd October 2021
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phazed said:
'kin ell! I'm sure you made it safe but I'd be looking up all the time!
It's been there a decade. Once it's lifted, it's secured by chains in addition to the blocks. Complete overkill, but rather that than risk a problem

dh00065p

129 posts

171 months

Sunday 3rd October 2021
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We had an enclosed trailer which we stored with the car inside on a secure caravan park.
It is best to join the caravan club first and it worked a treat.

Fonzey

2,175 posts

134 months

Sunday 3rd October 2021
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I'll be trailering for the first time at the end of October and I've decided to rent, at least in the short term while I figure out if it's "right" for me.

I quite like driving to the track, blasting around all day and then driving home - I see it as a bit of a badge of honor. But in an Exige I've got no room to take spare wheels/tyres, and fuel is also really inconvenient at many tracks. Trailering would really help with both, plus breaking down and having a 14 hour recovery is NOT fun.

For £50/day, and considering I'll probably only trailer my long-haul trackdays (2-3 per year) it doesn't make much sense to buy one. (even though I probably will)

1781cc

592 posts

101 months

Monday 4th October 2021
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I’m in a similar situation, I recently sold my daily and am in the process of finding a pickup truck so I can tow and carry spares, slicks, tools. I’ll probably rent initially but longer term maybe invest in buying one or a race shuttle and storing it with the car on the drive (secured from stealing of course).

The way I look at it now is I’ll be saving yearly on tax, mot and insurance so those funds will pay for rental over the course of a year.

Incidentally for the 182 being a smaller car, have a look at Woodford trailers as they do lightweight, smaller footprint trailers and their prices are really good (if/when you decide to buy)

Edited by 1781cc on Monday 4th October 07:15

Tommie38

806 posts

201 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
Z4MCSL said:
Ive got a 182 track car

I would love to be able to tow it but dont have space for a trailer - is there any sort of solution for this?

You can't keep a trailer on the road right (my neighbours would probably get annoyed in any case).

Is there such things as a foldable one?

What is the smallest solution?

Any ideas welcome : )
What is your reason for wanting a trailer - maybe lower running costs or crazy modifications to the 182? Insurance can be quite low for specialist policies.

I’d keep the 182 road legal. So much easier to manage and maintain a car that is, even a stripped one with a cage and buckets.

Edited by Tommie38 on Monday 4th October 07:59

Fonzey

2,175 posts

134 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
Tommie38 said:
I’d keep the 182 road legal. So much easier to manage and maintain a car that is, even a stripped one with a cage and buckets.

Edited by Tommie38 on Monday 4th October 07:59
Agreed. If your car is road legal, can pass an MOT and is occasionally used for a B-Road blast you are significantly less likely to retire from a trackday with a stupid issue. How many times do you see trailered/dedicated track cars barely get out of the blocks due to an issue that could have been easily remedied a few days previous had the car had a decent road shakedown.

1781cc

592 posts

101 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
Don't know about the OP, but just throwing this out there. Trailering is a safety net.

I have done two afternoon sessions as Snetterton and had to drive 2 hours there, hammer the car around, 2 hours back, in a hot car with windows that don't open, rattles, no aircon, and a heavy race clutch. The Snetterton part was fun, the before and after wasn't. I am at Blyton this Sunday and that's another 2.5 hours journey each way and I am not looking forward to it. I get too much attention from Plod and sneers from other road users (or S3s trying to bait me to "have a go"). If the car doesn't break down or have a ding, then hopefully I can get home - if I do, I hope I can not be "at" the circuit when I call the AA and they don't say no.

Trailering for me isn't about crazy mods, its about having an air conditioned or heated drive up and back in a quiet car after the hardcore day of driving. Spares and fuel in tow, on hot days just load up with slicks, on mixed days bring a spare set of wets.

I see the logic in keeping a track car legal, but after 4 years of running mine on the road its tiresome and puts me off going further afield, ie, Scotland, Belgium, etc... and especially at the moment, if your track car is brimmed with fuel and you cant get any where you need to go, you have fun, run out, trailer home.

phazed

22,000 posts

211 months

Monday 4th October 2021
quotequote all
I have used my trailer for about the last five years. I also have a nice old transit motorhome.

The usual scenario is put car on trailer, trailer on motorhome and load up with everything you need the evening before. Leave about 8 pm after dinner and drive to circuit. Bed down for the night and wake up refreshed.

My car is nicely modified, road legal but getting a bit hard-core with hard suspension.

I thoroughly enjoy the relaxed drive home with a coffee in the cupholder and a couple of snacks to while away the journey. Doesn’t matter that it is slower than driving the car there and back but so much more relaxing and convenient.

Motorhome also serves as tea wagon when we go as a group, (Sometimes a beer wagon if others arrive the night before as well!).

Since using the trailer I haven’t had the hint of a breakdown even though most of it has been with TVRs!