Trailer size suggestions & other questions

[mwalsh]

Hi,

I recently got a VD RF97 Formula Continental. I have a 2022 Explorer ST that I was planning on using for towing. I stopped by a trailer dealer today to start looking. My limiting factor is towing capacity, my Explorer is rated at 5600 max with 500 lb tongue weight (might be a litter higher, I need to double check that).

I was looking at a 20' enclosed trailer with a 7700 GVWR. The dealer told me that technically it would be illegal to tow that with my Explorer because the GVWR of the trailer was higher than the capacity of my tow vehicle, even if it wasn't fully loaded. I've done some digging online and can't find any evidence to support that. Everything talks about the loaded weight of the trailer, not the capacity of the trailer.

I'd like to go bigger, say 24', but the weight of the empty trailer is of course more and is becoming more of a concern.

Anyone towed with an Explorer that can lend any advice?

Also, what size trailers are you guys getting away with on the small end. The car itself is 14' so a 20' trailer doesn't leave much room.

The 20' trailer weighs around 3300 lbs. So the car & trailer will be around 4200 to 4300 lbs. That leaves around 1300 lbs for additional gear if it's fully loaded, and of course I realize it's better to be a bit under capacity. I don't plan on taking extra engines or gear boxes to the track, if anything that big goes wrong I'll just call it a weekend. I'm figuring on 3 set of wheels & tires (probably putting transport wheels on the car), plus jacks, stands, tools, and some spares. Not sure what all this will weigh in at, but seems like I could (??) make it a little under 5600 lbs total.

There's also a 24' that weighs about 3800 lbs empty. That would be more comfortable size-wise, but the empty trailer weight leaves less room for stuff (from a weight perspective).

Anyone (or everyone w/o a dually) been through this before? Any advice will be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Garey Guzman]

Bear with me and I'll share my experience and growing pains! Short version - get as small a trailer as you can with an Explorer. You can tow with it but it's not likely to be enjoyable.

My first trailer was an open trailer, which worked out fine with my little Ford Ranger. Putting stuff in the truck bed and trailer flats helped me learn about weight distribution, which minimized drama. Then I was able to afford a new tow vehicle and ordered an F350 CC long bed SRW. That meant I could tow an enclosed trailer (or a small residence) so I got a 24' from a fellow racer who was upgrading. Towing with my F350 was a dream, barely realized I had a trailer. Didn't even have a weight distribution hitch (I didn't know any better).
Then I got a new job and they had full size trucks and SUVs that we could borrow. Why not use those vehicles since I could put wear on them and leave work with a full tank of gas! Well, they didn't like towing as much. Their shorter wheelbase taught me about trailer sway and even with the 5mph boost I got from adding a weight distribution hitch, I was towing at 60 with the IRS SUVs and a max of 65-70 with the solid axle pickup. Not fun but I saved money on fuel. For reference, I ran 75-85 when I towed from SoCal to TN with my F350, trailer full, truck bed full. I could drive, eat a burger while on the cell phone and passing big rigs and still be relaxed. Don't try that at home, that was before the hands-free laws...

Three feet in front and behind your car will leave a LOT of room for stuff, especially since you sounds like you'll be traveling light. I've taken 2 FFs flat in my current 26' trailer including spare parts, 5-6 fuel jugs, several sets of wheels for each car, any tool I could need and virtually 1 spare of almost everything! I have a bad habit of overpacking. I'd like to graduate to a 20' trailer someday because it would be more efficient and easier to park. One way to improve is to attach cabinets/shelves. Here's a picture of my tires racks, which run 3 deep for big events! The supporting galvanized pipe goes further back to support a plywood shelf behind the tires for more totes and supplies.

[mwalsh]

Bear with me and I'll share my experience and growing pains! Short version - get as small a trailer as you can with an Explorer. You can tow with it but it's not likely to be enjoyable.

My first trailer was an open trailer, which worked out fine with my little Ford Ranger. Putting stuff in the truck bed and trailer flats helped me learn about weight distribution, which minimized drama. Then I was able to afford a new tow vehicle and ordered an F350 CC long bed SRW. That meant I could tow an enclosed trailer (or a small residence) so I got a 24' from a fellow racer who was upgrading. Towing with my F350 was a dream, barely realized I had a trailer. Didn't even have a weight distribution hitch (I didn't know any better).
Then I got a new job and they had full size trucks and SUVs that we could borrow. Why not use those vehicles since I could put wear on them and leave work with a full tank of gas! Well, they didn't like towing as much. Their shorter wheelbase taught me about trailer sway and even with the 5mph boost I got from adding a weight distribution hitch, I was towing at 60 with the IRS SUVs and a max of 65-70 with the solid axle pickup. Not fun but I saved money on fuel. For reference, I ran 75-85 when I towed from SoCal to TN with my F350, trailer full, truck bed full. I could drive, eat a burger while on the cell phone and passing big rigs and still be relaxed. Don't try that at home, that was before the hands-free laws...

Three feet in front and behind your car will leave a LOT of room for stuff, especially since you sounds like you'll be traveling light. I've taken 2 FFs flat in my current 26' trailer including spare parts, 5-6 fuel jugs, several sets of wheels for each car, any tool I could need and virtually 1 spare of almost everything! I have a bad habit of overpacking. I'd like to graduate to a 20' trailer someday because it would be more efficient and easier to park. One way to improve is to attach cabinets/shelves. Here's a picture of my tires racks, which run 3 deep for big events! The supporting galvanized pipe goes further back to support a plywood shelf behind the tires for more totes and supplies.

Wow, I was really expecting "get as big a trailer as possible, you'll need the space". I do like the idea of a 20' for easier parking. I really like the tire racks, I never considered running them the width of the trailer, and adding a shelf in front is a great idea. 20' feels a lot more comfortable with that approach. I do plan on adding cabinets/shelves at the nose, and roll a small tool chest in behind those. The extra shelving in front of the tire racks should be plenty of room for some totes for a bunch of stuff. Great advice!

[Garey Guzman]

Bigger would be my advice if you were planning to upgrade your tow vehicle. If you're sticking with an SUV, control will play a big part in how comfortable it is to tow and how far you're willing to go for a race.

My rear shelf is actually open to the back.
(Don't ask what I did. I have a problem but I'm not seeking professional help yet)

[Spengo]

A nice weight distribution hitch should help with towing near capacity, that way you don't have to worry about doing a permanent wheelie down the freeway. If your newer explorer has independent rear suspension you could be stanced and hellaflush too. I now have a new mid-size truck to tow my big enclosed trailer that's about 4600lbs loaded and I have a long tow with high crosswinds coming up soon to really test it out. I expect that being 20 years newer it will actually do better than the old beater '01 expedition I used to tow with despite that vehicle having a half ton truck frame, particularly with the fancy hitch.

[EACIII]

A aluminum trailer will save you a lot of weight. Think my 20' ATC is around 2300 lbs

Ed

[pooch776]

I used a number of Ford Explorers to tow my 16x7 enclosed trailer but that was when the Explorers still had a truck frame (after 2016 the Explorer switched to unibody). My trailer had a GVWR of 7000 lbs. (two 3500 lb axles) and the Explorer had a towing capacity of 7300 lbs. My trailer empty was 2700 lbs and loaded it was under 5000lbs. My older explorer was barely adequate for my trailer. Emergence braking was scary at times.

IMO you would be crazy to tow a 20x8 trailer (even an aluminum one) with an 2022 Explorer. The newer Explorer is not a truck, it is a big car. A 5300 lb towing capacity is nothing and totally inadequate for that size trailer. If you want a 20-24' trailer please do yourself a favor and purchase a Ford F150 (15000 lb towing capacity) to pull it.

Good luck, Joe

[lowside67]

The weight is certainly an important criteria, but almost more important for smaller tow vehicles is the relationship between length of trailer and wheelbase of tow rig.

I towed last year with a Jeep Grand Cherokee Hemi and have now replaced it with a Durango Hemi. The Jeep's rating was 7200lbs and the Durango is 8700lbs as I have equipped it. Of importance, the Durango has about a 6" longer wheelbase which adds stability. But both of these have shorter wheelbases than a Ford Ranger, let along a full size truck.

Attachment 107805

The Jeep towed my current trailer like a dream - it is a 7' x 18' and 3600lbs fully loaded, scale verified. But I am going a bit longer this year and wanted a bit more headroom.

Long story short - reading from the travel trailer guys, etc, I think it is much better to pull a 20' than a 24' with an SUV tow rig. Not to say you will spontaneously combust if you go 24, but I suspect there will be a lot less "trailer wagging the truck" in wind, etc.

But don't take this to say it doesn't tow great, it really does, especially with air rear suspension. I just think not going overkill on the trailer length is a good idea.

-Mark

[jrh3]

Not much fun towing when the tail is wagging the dog.

[cory mcleod]

Wow, I was really expecting "get as big a trailer as possible, you'll need the space".

You are correct, it is unanimous that we could all use a bigger trailer, but that was not your question. While your unibody Explorer is a great vehicle, it's a glorified station wagon and not designed for serious towing. Whether illegal or not, it is not safe to significantly exceed the tow rating or GCVR of the tow vehicle. You should get a different tow vehicle if you want a 20' or larger trailer.

Cory

[lowside67]

I was looking at a 20' enclosed trailer with a 7700 GVWR. The dealer told me that technically it would be illegal to tow that with my Explorer because the GVWR of the trailer was higher than the capacity of my tow vehicle, even if it wasn't fully loaded. I've done some digging online and can't find any evidence to support that. Everything talks about the loaded weight of the trailer, not the capacity of the trailer.

Notwithstanding my previous comments, this is definitely wrong.

Actual weight of your trailer and tow vehicle combined must be under GCRW and actual weight of tow rig and tongue weight must be under truck GVRW.

-Mark

[S Lathrop]

I have a lot of miles towing trailers. I have built a couple trailers as well. My tow vehicles have ranged from a 2 door Volvo sedan to a F350 Ford crew cab truck.

If you want a large trailer, go with a fifth wheel.

The best trailer I ever pulled was a 2 horse trailer where the horses stood one behind the other in the trailer. The trailer was called a shot gun trailer and had one axle at the rear and a front axle that was steerable. The front axle was a beam axle and the trailer mounted on the center of the beam, like a fifth wheel. The brake system was what is called a surge brake system that would actuate when the trailer pushed against the tow vehicle. This trailer was stable at 100 mph even when the horses were moving around. And yes I was stupid enough to travel that fast, back then.

Decades ago, A J Watson (Indy car fame) designed a Watson dolly. This was a setup that you attached to the trailer hitch and it worked like a fifth wheel. It had 2 small tires directly under where the ball for the trailer mounted. That took the tung load of the trailer off the rear of the tow vehicle. The issue here was the stress on the rather small diameter tires. I never had a tire failure but that was an issue with the Watson dolly. Short of going with a fifth wheel trailer, I would look at doing something like the Watson dolly.

[Rick Kirchner]

I think you'd be crazy to tow an enclosed with that rig. Besides the weight, there's the drag, yo udon't have pulling gears, and it will struggle with every change in grade. Even with an open trailer you'll have to be judicious in what you carry as far as tools and spares - what little room you. will have after luggage, cooler, EZ up, etc.

That said I haul an 18' box with my 94 in it. I have a small roll-away on one side of the front, and a rack that holds two sets of tires on the other side. In the middle is a small workbench with vise and two sets of open storage shelves underneath. There's also low storage under the tires. overhead cabinets hold all my "spares". on the streetside wall I have a VERY heavy rack with a dozen tackle box containers full of hardware, my start cart, and a small gas weld kit and at the back a EZ-up and a rolled up rug. Above the wheel wells there's an attachment to hold my crane and rear clip lifter if I'm going on a cross-country gig like Indy.

Curbside has all my fuel jugs, a wall mounted spare ire, a rack for my rolling stand that goes with the crane, spare wings, and alignment bars.

Your 97 is 6" longer, so it would still fit.

I extended the tongue on the trailer, added a truck box across the tongue that holds all the lumber I use for chassis stands, etc, my pit scooter, and a tire machine.

So it can be done easily in an 18 footer - but that whole rig weighs right at 7200 lbs (trailer limit). Losing the crane, stand, lifter, weld kit, EZ up and half of the hardware would trim off about 550 lbs, Aluminum trailer would probably trim another thousand or more, but you're still looking at 5K.

If you're really flush look at one of those Brock Aerovaults, which is the lightest enclosed trailer you. can get - and its still 2300 lbs...

Buy or rent a truck and make your Exploder last longer.

[CGOffroad]

Modern day engines and drive trains are powerful enough to move some pretty impressive weight. But, fuel economy demands have auto makers continually making vehicles lighter. That is all great....but not a good recipe for stability while barreling down a freeway towing, or trying to stop the sled you have behind you !!

In 2021, I towed a 20' dual axle, V-nose trailer to the RunOff's with an F350 crew cab, 8' bed dually truck. Stability was never an issue and I did that whole trip rolling down the road eating burritos, chips and driving with one foot on the steering wheel (not really, but you get the point). My housing arrangement caused me the need for a smaller footprint truck, so I ordered an F350 Super Cab, 6.5' bed, single rear wheel truck. Yes, special order because I wanted the short cab extension and the short bed. I pulled that exact same trailer, loaded the same way to an event that was within 3 hours of the house and it was a COMPLETELY different towing experience. I was going to put air bags on the rear anyway, so I quickly ordered those and installed them. Didn't change much. Next question is 'did you put load stabilizer on the tongue?" Answer: NO. I have towed gooseneck for years and the reason I had the tag trailer was for pulling behind an RV. Got rid of the RV, but still had the trailer. I wanted to go back to a gooseneck, so the way the tag trailer felt behind the SRW F350 was enough so that trailer is now gone. I did not like the way that trailer was thrown around by 18 wheelers behind an F350. So, I can't imagine myself towing a trailer that size behind any less capable of a tow vehicle.

I will second the comments to get as small of trailer as you can possibly manage with to pull behind the Explorer

[BeerBudgetRacing]

My first trailer was a 16' flatbed I towed with a 2006 Tundra (last year of the smaller truck).
It was certainly no problem but just dealing with loading and unloading all the 'stuff' became tedious.
And interestingly it rained the day I picked up my first car. Seemed I could make it rain by loading up the car.

I decided it was time for an enclosed trailer. Shopped a few months and wanted a 24ft. But a local dealer was changing ownership. They really only sold horse trailers and utility trailers. They had 1 brand new 20ft Pace on their lot and made me an offer I couldn't refuse. It was a 10k gvw model (so empty is heavier).

After 5 years I am actually glad I did not go 24ft. I recently did a 'cleanout' because I used the trailer to move my daughter.
It's amazing what you 'throw in the trailer' and don't really need. Basically, if you wouldn't 'fix that at the track' it came out.
20% reduction in 'stuff'!

During the ebb and flow of 'stuff' I occasionally thought a 24ft would have been better but I would just be towing around more stuff. If I bought a new trailer today I might even go 18ft.

Weight distribution is really important. You tend to throw everything up front. I'm still heavier on the tongue than I want to be.

Ideas:
Early on I wanted to build cabinets. But they are heavy, pricey and inflexible - so I didn't.
Put the car as far back as you can. I bought fixed length axles straps and installed 2 anchor points to locate the car. No thinking. Push it in, hook up the front straps and pull it back with the rear tie downs. Always in the same place.
Put everything you can rear of the axles. Scale rig, tents, tent weights, ramps, jacks, fuel jugs are all behind the axles and tied to the walls.
I also built a rack for boxes over the axles. Put all the heavy stuff in there (rotors and hardware). Probably 300lbs no longer on the tongue.
I put the tire racks down the side. 'Slimmed' 2 folding racks for the 13in wheels. I didn't want them up front because I wanted to build a shelf up front.
Up front I have a rolling tool box (recently moved a bunch if tools to the boxes over the axles.)
A few boxes with cleaning supplies, oil, etc. Air compressor and tank. Trailer SPARE (I don't want to unload to change a tire).

I recently built a nose rack that puts the nose up over the car. Gained like 3ft of space in front and eliminated the fear of damaging the wing!

Tow vehicle -
I used a weight distributing hitch with the Tundra. Helped a lot. But the Tundra is getting old. It had a problem last year as I was getting ready to go to a race - so I rented a truck from Enterprise. I've been renting ever since.

The Tundra struggled to get 8mpg towing and it was a lot of 'work' to drive. The rental RAM 2500 gets 12mpg.
Trips with my truck drive the insurance up. Trips with the rental do not.
When I moved my daughter (2000mi trip), the trailer was LOADED more than usual, and I was not easy on it (hey its a rental).
75-80mph - even up hills - averaged 10.5mpg and didn't have to clean the bugs off !

If I buy a new truck it'll likely be the Ram 2500. I rented an F250 and those things wander on the road because Ford dials out all the caster to 'fix' the death wobble problem.

[billtebbutt]

This sort of question gets asked every year or so. And I am glad people are asking, as no doubt some of the very good advice here over the years on this subject has prevented accidents/injuries/property damage.

I started racing in 1986. I have towed with an old Olds 88, a 1976 Pontiac Catalina, a 1974 Dodge van, an S10, 93 F150, 93 F350 diesel crew cab dually (geez, what a dog that was!), a 96 Ram 3500 single cab Cummins dually 2wd (which, unladen, would shake your fillings out BEFORE you even got to the level crossing - I once flew a not-very-level crossing in the country at well over 100mph, bruised my head against the roof on the landing. Good times!), a 2005 RAM 2500 Cummins crew cab short box with a 6 speed manual, and my current ride (2019 F250 crew cab 6.5' box gas).

Over this long period of time, I have towed race trailers that were converted boat trailers (bad idea), homemade flatbeds (still in use in the hood), an old 21 ft United enclosed trailer that I swear weighed 5000 lbs empty, and since 1998 my 30 foot Haulmark (with an 8 foot breakfast nook, bed, fridge, forced air heater system, etc).

I've made plenty of towing mistakes. The most egregious ones were where the truck wasn't capable enough for the load. And I am not talking about fuel economy! I'm talking about braking capacity, a sensible under-stressed drivetrain to minimize unexpected repairs and provide for a more pleasant experience, and simple payload capacity - this last point includes tow vehicle tires, something some folks don't ever really think about.

Not to rant, but if there was one suggestion I could make in general on the subject of this thread it would be simply this: buy materially more tow vehicle than you (currently) need. The fact that a tow vehicle can move the load is irrelevant. Just because it can doesn't mean it should............. You spend more time towing to and from most tracks than you do behind the wheel of the racecar.....

cheers,
bt

[CSasfai]

I have to agree. I started out towing a 7' X16' enclosed V-nose trailer with a full size Range Rover. The trailer was adequate for a formula car and I still had room for an extra set of wheels, small rolling toolbox, and other support 'stuff'. It was probably 4,200 to 4,500 pounds loaded. The Range Rover pulled it just fine, but I felt like I was asking quite a bit of it, especially on uphill sections of the highway. I ran across a mint Ram 2500 turbo diesel near me and it was a huge difference. I didn't even know I was dragging nearly 5,000 pounds behind me and the fuel economy was about the same. Then I found that I was always trying to take multiple cars to the track, so I decided to just go all-in and got the biggest thing I could find. Now, I can haul four cars, will never run out of room, have an air conditioned lounge, and even a sleeper cab if there are no hotels at the track.
IMG_1663.jpeg

[BeerBudgetRacing]

so I decided to just go all-in and got the biggest thing I could find.

You did! Nice rig.

[billtebbutt]

I have to agree. I started out towing a 7' X16' enclosed V-nose trailer with a full size Range Rover. The trailer was adequate for a formula car and I still had room for an extra set of wheels, small rolling toolbox, and other support 'stuff'. It was probably 4,200 to 4,500 pounds loaded. The Range Rover pulled it just fine, but I felt like I was asking quite a bit of it, especially on uphill sections of the highway. I ran across a mint Ram 2500 turbo diesel near me and it was a huge difference. I didn't even know I was dragging nearly 5,000 pounds behind me and the fuel economy was about the same. Then I found that I was always trying to take multiple cars to the track, so I decided to just go all-in and got the biggest thing I could find. Now, I can haul four cars, will never run out of room, have an air conditioned lounge, and even a sleeper cab if there are no hotels at the track.
IMG_1663.jpeg

Wow!!!!!!
bt

[Offcamber1]

get a light weight single axle open aluminum trailer, heliarc a tire rack onto it, tow with your daily driver Exploder, and spend the rest on Cuban cigars and expensive Champagne to consume while loading after the last race of the day.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

YMMV

[Josh R.]

Yeah, sorry to pile on, but I don't think towing a 20' enclosed trailer with an Explorer is going to be a feasible long-term solution. In my experience there's a BIG difference between towing same weight open trailer vs. closed, even with a slant v-nose. I towed my Formula Mazda in a 12x7 (14' interior to the nose) single-axle enclosed slant v-nose all over with my Frontier (6100 tow capacity). At the heaviest I estimate I had 4200 lbs. It worked fine, but not great. I can't imagine trying to tow a 20' trailer and over 4000 lbs. before you've even added camping gear, tools, spares, racecar fuel, people. Also, rule of thumb I always follow is to leave at least 1000 lbs cushion. So with the Explorer I wouldn't really go above 4600 lbs. That only leaves 3-400 lbs of stuff. I've also towed small production cars on an open trailer with the same truck and it is a WORLD of difference easier. The FM was about 14' too, but I took the nose off (I built a rack to secure it to the wall) it fit perfectly with just a few inches to spare. I wouldn't change a thing about that set up and I was pretty proud of it haha.

So mayyyyybe a 14x7 slant v-nose? Even better if it's aluminum.

[Purple Frog]

So many of us have gone through this process.
We started with small vehicles pulling the equivalent of landscape/utility trailers.
(I started out towing a small trailer with a small FWD mini van)
Then we moved up to enclosed trailers. That usually resulted in purchasing more towing power.

I ended up with a 20' v nose. 3100# empty. 5360# fully loaded with car, spares, tools, Yamaha Zuma pit bike.
I towed it to the Runoffs with a mid 90s Expedition with a gas 5.4.
Towed it much more with a Ford E350 with a gas 5.4. or with our gas motorhome.

I know of one very successful regional FC racer that tows with a smallish SUV, but he uses a custom built open trailer. He doesn't bring scale pads or large tents. Travels light. Does all his prep work at home. When he gets to the track he just rolls off and races. But, he wins a lot of regional races.

I built this open trailer to haul the Outlaw Bug for about $1,600 with trailer brakes, etc. Tows like a dream.

[Purple Frog]

The set-up that worked the best for me:

[Purple Frog]

Like I said, I started with a small utility trailer. Even crazy enough to haul it across the country to the June Sprints. Good times. Had not yet become the Purple Frog. Even before Apexspeed. Did a lot of cool stuff because we didn't know any better. Picture from 1999.

Notice the trailer has a plastic pickup tool box on the front. It has a tire rack welded over the front of the car. And, a lot of stuff was put in plastic bins that were placed on each side of the car. Hey, it worked.

[Mark_Silverberg]

There are two components to comfort when towing- whether the vehicle has sufficient torque to pull the trailer over the expected roads and the aero dynamic stability to make driving comfortable.

While the Explorer may have the power to tow a lightly loaded 8x24 foot trailer - that trailer will have quite a bit of side area and also the explorer will have a much smaller frontal area that the trailer you are towing. It will be difficult to see around the trailer and the tow vehicle will be very sensitive to side winds and passing vehicle turbulence on the trailer. For a mid size SUV I will not suggest exceeding a 7x16 enclosed which is a fine size for one formula car.

I end up with a new tow vehicle every year courtesy of my employer. Best vehicle I ever towed with for stability was a NV2500 High roof cargo van. The Titan HD Diesel was good but not as comfortable as the cargo van - and a pain unless it was loaded or towing.

My rule of thumb is

SUV OK up to 7x16

Half ton pick up OK up to 8x20

Anything above 20 feet long use a HD pickup or van.

Remember you are towing back when you are most tired and prone to errors - you want to have a good margin on the capability of your tow vehicle.

[DanW]

Hi,

I recently got a VD RF97 Formula Continental. I have a 2022 Explorer ST that I was planning on using for towing. I stopped by a trailer dealer today to start looking. My limiting factor is towing capacity, my Explorer is rated at 5600 max with 500 lb tongue weight (might be a litter higher, I need to double check that).

I was looking at a 20' enclosed trailer with a 7700 GVWR. The dealer told me that technically it would be illegal to tow that with my Explorer because the GVWR of the trailer was higher than the capacity of my tow vehicle, even if it wasn't fully loaded. I've done some digging online and can't find any evidence to support that. Everything talks about the loaded weight of the trailer, not the capacity of the trailer.

I'd like to go bigger, say 24', but the weight of the empty trailer is of course more and is becoming more of a concern.

Anyone towed with an Explorer that can lend any advice?

Also, what size trailers are you guys getting away with on the small end. The car itself is 14' so a 20' trailer doesn't leave much room.

The 20' trailer weighs around 3300 lbs. So the car & trailer will be around 4200 to 4300 lbs. That leaves around 1300 lbs for additional gear if it's fully loaded, and of course I realize it's better to be a bit under capacity. I don't plan on taking extra engines or gear boxes to the track, if anything that big goes wrong I'll just call it a weekend. I'm figuring on 3 set of wheels & tires (probably putting transport wheels on the car), plus jacks, stands, tools, and some spares. Not sure what all this will weigh in at, but seems like I could (??) make it a little under 5600 lbs total.

There's also a 24' that weighs about 3800 lbs empty. That would be more comfortable size-wise, but the empty trailer weight leaves less room for stuff (from a weight perspective).

Anyone (or everyone w/o a dually) been through this before? Any advice will be appreciated.

Thanks.

Things tend to weigh more than you think. My trailer and spares need to go on a diet.

I tow a 7x18' Featherlite v-nose two axle trailer with a 2003 Tundra (tow weight limit of 7700lbs). Empty weight is 1800lbs with a spare tire and bracket. Add insulation, paneling, lighting, workbench with aluminum cabinets and an empty Craftsman rollaway and it is 2250 lbs. Add tools in the rollaway, a house battery, 800w generator, supplies and spares with a 920lb Crossle 25F and it's 4300lbs on the truck scale with 500lbs on the tongue. I use an equalizer hitch to level the truck and trailer.

So, suggest you look at the lightest weight enclosed trailer that's as short as you can stand.