How long should an enclosed trailer be?

[Jacob]

Thinking about an enclosed trailer for a roadster...typically, considering just the car what is the shortest trailer one should consider?

[Houdini]

24 ft if you ever want to haul a normal car
my last one is 30 foot aluminum with ramp over wheel wells, expensive but nice, store the 20x20 racedeck tiles in the middle asile
I also built overhead in the v nose to store carpets

[michael everson]

I have a 16. The roadster fits perfect.
Mike

[frankeeski]

I have a 16. The roadster fits perfect.
Mike

Mike's right. 16' X 8.5' enclosed trailer is about the smallest you can get by with. We went with a 20' X 8.5' so we could throw all the excess "stuff" in the trailer when we go on trips.

[ej95Cobra]

I also have a 20' x 8.5'. I pull it with a 2009 Silverado with towing package. I use a load leveling hitch and have air bags on the truck. I built shelves in the front and carry additional items like frankeeski noted above (air tank, tools, and just stuff). For kicks, we put my sons's caprice classic wagon in it; tight but it did fit. I have 5200# axles which is overkill for the roadster but is an added feature for easy sale later.

[Jeff Kleiner]

14' will fit a roadster---barely. 16' will fit a roadster comfortably. Bigger if you want to haul more stuff but it comes with a price.

Jeff

[wallace18]

I had a 16' but went to an FFR 20' and love it.

[Derald Rice]

I have a 20 x 8.5 , with a workbench in the front of the trailer, and I carry a couple of fox mustangs as well as the roadster. With the cobra, no problem, with other cars, it is tight. I know that the shorter trailers will work, but you will be surprised how many uses for a trailer that will involve carrying things other than cars. There are times that I have thought about moving up to a 24. Price diff between a 16 and a 20 is not that much, and when (if) you decide to sell, a 20 is what most buyers want. Around here, a good used trailer is worth 80-90 % of a new one.

Also, be careful about some of the shorter trailers. Some are not the full 8.5 wide, and loading the car can be very tight. A dovetailed floor really helps with the approach angles.

[edwardb]

The question was the shortest trailer for a Roadster and nothing else, and Jeff is right. A 14 footer. I have the aluminum deck 14 foot Serpent Express. I don't try to fit anything else in there and the Roadster fits fine. Probably only 6 inches or so to spare front and back. But I have chocks glued to the floor in the right spot so that I can drive it in against the chocks and it's right where it needs to be. The zip open side door allows easy climb in and out. We pull it with an SUV. Now thousands of miles and while it certainly does affect gas mileage, it's not too bad. The bigger you go, the bigger the tow vehicles and the more gas you use. Like everything, always trade-offs. I've also used it for lots of other stuff. Picked up two kits. Builds back and forth to paint. Brought my lift and compressor home from the freight terminal. Have helped with moves, including our own. Took my son and his family to the airport when all of them and their luggage wouldn't fit in the car. :p Handy to have around.

Now, having said that, I already am 99% sure my Coupe won't fit. About a foot short. Still thinking about that one.

[rich grsc]

I have a 15' Serpent Express and I love it. A 14' will work well, but a little more room is nice, and if I ever feel the need to upgrade I'd go to 16'. Jeff knows my car fits nice, slips right in.:rolleyes:

[frankeeski]

Guess I missed the part where it was asked what the smallest Serpent Express trailer was .....................My bad. :eek:

[Jeff Kleiner]

... Jeff knows my car fits nice, slips right in.:rolleyes:

Yeah, you just have to use Rich's loading method---pedal down, take a hard run at it and don't lift until the car is all the way in!

Jeff

[Jacob]

Appreciate everyone’s input, I’ll match your ideas with my truck capacity and see how it looks (2019 Tacoma w/ towing pkg). Assuming fuel economy will be shot!

[wallace18]

Appreciate everyone’s input, I’ll match your ideas with my truck capacity and see how it looks (2019 Tacoma w/ towing pkg). Assuming fuel economy will be shot!

I had a 2008 V-6 Tacoma with my 16' enclosed trailer. Fuel mileage went to 10MPG. I now have a 20' enclosed that I pull with a 2017 F-150 5.0 V-8 same 10MPG towing.

[CraigS]

Based on towing a 23ft outboard walk around boat w/ my 2011 Tacoma, I would go as light as you can get away with. The Tacoma will pull nearly anything. The problem is how stable is it at speed. We moved the boat around a lot over 15 yrs 5 miles at a time and it worked great. But when we moved and had to do 50 miles of interstate from 20 miles east of DC, 1/3 away around the beltway, and then 15 miles south, it was no fun at all. 2 months ago we moved again 4 hours away. Boat had been sold but had to move the FFR. I rented a uhaul 10ft truck and their trailer because I just wasn't sure I wanted to use the tacoma to pull their trailer which was 15 or 16 ft but heavy.

[Jacob]

I had a 2008 V-6 Tacoma with my 16' enclosed trailer. Fuel mileage went to 10MPG. I now have a 20' enclosed that I pull with a 2017 F-150 5.0 V-8 same 10MPG towing.

Yes, I’m just not too sure the Tacoma can handle it? On paper it should, but can it do it safely?

[CraigS]

I would go w/ a 16 ft trailer. I borrowed a 14 ft aluminum once that had a really nice aluminum diamond plate bug shield across the front. The car fit fine but getting the front tiedowns attached was a nightmare. I can only imagine how much worse it would be in an enclosed trailer.

[Murd]

I’ve towed mine on a uhaul trailer a few times with a 2016 Tacoma, same truck as your 19 with tow package. It’s not as effortless as a big v8 full size but gets the job done. Trips as long as 200 miles with my FFR, over 300 miles with a foxbody mustang, that’s pushing up close to max tow capacity.
I pulled a 16’ enclosed trailer over 600 miles each way to pick up my kit at FFR, biggest issue was the drag, not the weight.

If you’re going to be doing a lot of long distance I’d also suggest going as light, and maybe more important, aerodynamic as possible.

[Jacob]

I’ve towed mine on a uhaul trailer a few times with a 2016 Tacoma, same truck as your 19 with tow package. It’s not as effortless as a big v8 full size but gets the job done. Trips as long as 200 miles with my FFR, over 300 miles with a foxbody mustang, that’s pushing up close to max tow capacity.
I pulled a 16’ enclosed trailer over 600 miles each way to pick up my kit at FFR, biggest issue was the drag, not the weight.

If you’re going to be doing a lot of long distance I’d also suggest going as light, and maybe more important, aerodynamic as possible.

Actually the longest tow would be 600 miles. I usually drive my 37 Ford each year to Cruisin The Coast, but now that the roadster is done, been considering taking it. From a usage standpoint I can’t see too much use beyond that, even thought of us using Uhaul. At least once. Obviously rain is my main concern, I have a weatherproof cover that I could use.

Got a few months to think it thru?

[Jeff Kleiner]

...I have a weatherproof cover that I could use.



That's great when you're parked but not while you are moving.

Jeff

[rich grsc]

That's great when you're parked but not while you are moving.

Jeff

Oh so true, never trailer with the cover on, unless you want a new paint job.

[j.miller]

And now my two cent's (actual cash value.....a nickle two 90 eight.)… Soooo Motors, shops,trailers and t.t's. Whatever you think will do the job and work for you ALWAYS ends up to small when you start to use them. You can get a roadster in a 14 but it gets old trying to squeez around trying to tie it down and then there's the loading (right out the front of the trailer). 20 years of dealing with these cars and if I were buying an enclosed trailer (almost have several times) 18" is my minimum. I want room to get in front of the car, carry a little somthin somthin in front of the car and have wiggle room in front and back. 20" would be my best choice but I also drive a Dodge 2500 diesel. 18 is very doable with a 1/2 ton rig. One of the biggies is we all look at what a vehicle is rated at towing (don't mean squat!) It's what a vehicle will stop in an emergency. Lets face it,,,, you can put a car on a trailer and put it in gear with the emergency brake on then tie it down with some cheap-o-deluxe orange straps and drive across country no problem...…..UNLESS SOME JACKWAGON CUTS YOU OFF, SLAMS ON THE BRAKES AND YOU SLAM YOUR BRAKE PEDDLE THROUGH THE FLOOR LIKE A FLINTSTONE MOBILE !....at that point your car is parked in the bed of your truck......So take what I said and do with it what you will.....A. Match your trailer to your stopping ability (loaded trailer weight, tow vehicle weight cause it's hard to stop a 4k loaded trailer with a 4k vehicle) and use 8-10K rated auto tie down straps ….think I'm done. cheers...da Bat