A&Q about Lotus
Q:
So...at a 4mpg difference....I wonder how many miles it takes to make up the difference between 5K and 18K.
A:
I'll second the choice of a Trailex. Have had mine for 6 years and never any problems. Weighs 800 lbs and no problem towing with an MDX. Did move the front stops forwards with the elise in comparison to the 968 d/t engine/weight placement. Still get a little sway over 75 mph. Need to measure tongue weight but I know its still a little light.
Have always crossed both ends of my straps. I think as long as one end is crossed there should'nt be any problems. Put them through the wheels.
IMPORTANT: If you buy a Trailex, buy some clear lacquer spray paint and spray every exposed bolt. Will stop them from rusting and keep the trailer looking great for years. Mine has sat outside for 6 years and looks new except for the couple places I missed with the lacquer.
Jim A.
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yes....I did not spray mine...and they rusted.
Thanks for the tip..if I ever get another.
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I towed one of the Elises home Wednesday, and for yucks I loaded it on backwards. It was a lot more stable and no wag. I might continue to do that. I hit 80 without issue!
Guess I truly didn't have it far enough forward before...
A:
Originally Posted by tvacc
I trailered extensivey using an open aluminum tailex trailer...and then one of their all aluminum enclosed units. Great Trailers.... www.trailex.com
I would be more concerned about what you are trailering it with....as UHauls are heavy. That is what I liked about the trailex....the open weighed about 800lbs...and the enclosed weighed less than 2000lbs. I could tow the open with just about anything...the enclosed...with a light car like the Elise or my Seven...well a small SUV would work as long as you had the electrical brake setup.
I am interested in a dual wheel open and this sounds like it might be the ticket. I was hoping to get something light in terms of weight. I have a 2002Pathinder which is rated at 5000lbs capacity. Currently I used it only to tow bikes and ATV's with no issues, but a car is a different beast all together. Another reason the Elise/Exige made sense for us as far as a sports car was its light weight. As someone else mentiond I am not looking forward to buyin another vehicle. The Nissan is an '02 that I bought new and it currently has only 25K miles on it so it is safe to say I ain't parting with it. A Trailex that only weighs a 1000lbs plus 2000lb car should be doable for the Nissan as long as I go with an electric brake set up. Hopefully it will serve its purpose for my towing needs.
A:
Originally Posted by mark.r
I am interested in a dual wheel open and this sounds like it might be the ticket. I was hoping to get something light in terms of weight. I have a 2002Pathinder which is rated at 5000lbs capacity. Currently I used it only to tow bikes and ATV's with no issues, but a car is a different beast all together. Another reason the Elise/Exige made sense for us as far as a sports car was its light weight. As someone else mentiond I am not looking forward to buyin another vehicle. The Nissan is an '02 that I bought new and it currently has only 25K miles on it so it is safe to say I ain't parting with it. A Trailex that only weighs a 1000lbs plus 2000lb car should be doable for the Nissan as long as I go with an electric brake set up. Hopefully it will serve its purpose for my towing needs.
I met a trailex dealer that sells them cheaper than Trailex does...email me off list if you are really interested. I will have to dig up his name.
tvacc@lotusowners.com
A:
Originally Posted by Surferjer
I towed one of the Elises home Wednesday, and for yucks I loaded it on backwards. It was a lot more stable and no wag. I might continue to do that. I hit 80 without issue!
Guess I truly didn't have it far enough forward before...
For Yuks? Real funny if the wind caught the rear deck...and I will tell you what an experienced trailer person told me...cars are not meant to be driven 80 mph backwards...you are asking for a very expensive mistake.
That wind is hitting that body in a way it was never intended or designed to do..
You can do what you like....but it would scare the hell out of me.....
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Well, not likely on the aero issue. I have a huge mechanical box in the front of my trailer. I'm not talking about a toolbox, I'm talking about something that extends to 5 feet high off the floor of the trailer, and a good foot wider than the car on each side. And the car's ass was about two feet from it. So it wasn't as bad as it sounds...My sponsoring race shop mechanic said it would not be a problem, and they tow cars everywhere.
Oh, they also chimed in on the crossing of straps. Basically they said as long as the straps are at least 45 degrees from the wheels (in other words, as long as they are longer than wider, if you get my meaning) then it's perfect safe and even preferred to cross both front and back. I think where you can run into problems is when the straps are primarily across the vehicle, because they are not likely to give you the tauntness for the front to rear issue.
A:
Originally Posted by Surferjer
Well, not likely on the aero issue. I have a huge mechanical box in the front of my trailer. I'm not talking about a toolbox, I'm talking about something that extends to 5 feet high off the floor of the trailer, and a good foot wider than the car on each side. And the car's ass was about two feet from it. So it wasn't as bad as it sounds...My sponsoring race shop mechanic said it would not be a problem, and they tow cars everywhere.
Oh, they also chimed in on the crossing of straps. Basically they said as long as the straps are at least 45 degrees from the wheels (in other words, as long as they are longer than wider, if you get my meaning) then it's perfect safe and even preferred to cross both front and back. I think where you can run into problems is when the straps are primarily across the vehicle, because they are not likely to give you the tauntness for the front to rear issue.
I stand corrected. If you have a suitable air dam...I guess it would be alright...but it would still make me nervous. I have seen too many Europas and few other cars have their hoods and other various removable peices blown off of cars being towed backwards.
I was told today that the reason you dont cross the front is just as others have said....they would have a greater tendency to loosen. I dont see how that is true...but like I said...I was told how to by a very knowledgeable guy....
I guess in the end you have to do what you feel is right for you.
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Originally Posted by Shiftlock
I've heard some people say that they wouldn't tow a trailer without first using a trailer tongue weight scale.
I use a cheap method...
I was shooting for about 500 lbs of tongue weight, so I parked the truck next to the hitch (unhitched), and measured the height of the rear bumper from the ground (this is not really needed). Then I had several people, whose weight added up to 500 lbs, stand on the rear bumper of the truck, and then measured the height from the ground (bounce up and down to settle the suspension). Then hitched the trailer. Loaded the car onto the trailer, and rolled it froward until the bumper lowered to the measured height with 500 lbs on it. At that point, I chocked the front wheels (and bolted down my metal folding wheel chocks and tied down my car (in this case, it was my Elan). Perfect towing, with no problems. The wheel chocks are always there, so the next time, I don't have to go through any of this, just park the car with the wheels on the chocks...
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I 2nd the use of chocks. They are awesome! I need to move mine forward a bit, it takes the guesswork out of where the car needs to go each time you load.
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Here's my new trailer for autox and track days this year. I had a guy down the street make it for me for far less than comparable trailers at lots. Single 6500lb axle. Dark green to match my BRG car. The basket up front was designed for a spare set of tires and wheels. Tool box up front.
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Originally Posted by slaughtr
Single 6500lb axle.
Nice trailer, but I would go for a dual axle - from experience. My trailer is also a single axle (the Elan is around 1,500 pounds, and the trailer is 900), but it was absolutely no fun when one of the tires blew traveling down the freeway.
I'd also make sure that I had a spare tire on the trailer, unless the trailer uses the same bolt pattern as the spare tire/wheel on the truck (mine didn't).
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Double axle would certainly be more stable. On the tires, make sure you are using the gazillion ply tires (mine are 7 or 5 ply IIRC) to minimize the risk of a flat.
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I totally agree on the benefits of two axle trailers. Even though a single axle could handle the weight of an Elise, tire issues (e.g., blowouts) seem to be much more common on trailers than on tow vehicles. And, the more spares you can pack, the better. Trailer tires often become problematic after a year or two, even though the tread depth may be great.
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Originally Posted by Scott Bowman
Trailer tires often become problematic after a year or two, even though the tread depth may be great.
That was the case of mine - maybe 1,000 miles on the tires, but they were 4 or 5 years old.
Finding new trailer tires on a Sunday, in a strange town, for your trailer is not an easy thing to do...
Come to think of it, those new tires are about 5 years old now. But I haven't hauled a car on it in a long time...
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Any one ever owned or rented a Sloan Kwik Load? Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.
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Originally Posted by TimMullen
Nice trailer, but I would go for a dual axle - from experience. My trailer is also a single axle (the Elan is around 1,500 pounds, and the trailer is 900), but it was absolutely no fun when one of the tires blew traveling down the freeway.
I'd also make sure that I had a spare tire on the trailer, unless the trailer uses the same bolt pattern as the spare tire/wheel on the truck (mine didn't).
Didn't even see these replies until now. Your right, I should have gone with a dual axle but was trying to keep costs down. No problems with towing yet but will carry spares. Thanks for the tip.
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Originally Posted by Hachisu
Any one ever owned or rented a Sloan Kwik Load? Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.
I have one and love it. Easy to use, very stable, and reliable. I load and unload the car myself. I got mine with etrack and use the etrack tire bonnets from etrailer.com. Since the Elise was so small, I bought a 16 foot trailer instead of the typical 18 foot. I somewhat regret not getting the 18 foot trailer since I could have easily hauled my MC's with the car and have some room to spare.
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Hello Dennis...any pictures? I'm getting ready to get a trailer.