Noob Intro

#10

[quote=“Hank24” post=58073]Thanks for the suggestions guys. I definately cant do a trailor in the garage. I have a one car garage that barely fits my Miata.
I know eveyone has different thoughts on this topic but is a street legal Spec E30 feasible? Any have any experience. The Miata I have now doesnt have AC and has a race suspension. I would guess the se30 would be the same just with a cage.

I ask be cause I dont have a comp liscense at this point and I am still messing around in HPDE until next year.[/quote]
It’s a bad idea. But sometimes necessity forces bad ideas upon us. It prevents you from bringing a decent amount of gear, if something breaks you have to walk home, and if you smack your unprotected head against a cage-bar it’s all over.

I rented a Hertz trailer for my last half-dozen DE’s because towards the end of my DE career I’d killed my DE car’s engine 7hrs away from home. That made $100 for a rental trailer seem like a bargain compared to the goatscrew I went thru getting my DE car home.

#11

Call some local trailer dealers as well. I used to rent a car hauler that was much nicer than the U-Haul type trailers and cost a lot less. It ended up costing me about the same as what just my storage fee is now! If you’ve got a truck there are definitely options out there for getting a trailer when you need it.

#12

New trailer is the way to go. Everyone thinks their ten year old trailer is worth 1800. I bought a new leonard 16x7 trailer for 2100 with a 6 month warranty on everything and 3 year warranty on the axles. I think they are made in NC if that matters.

#13

Good info here!

Speaking of trailers, what do you guys use as a tow vehicle? I have a small truck with a towing capcity of 5000 lb, but I’m guessing a trailer plus a 2700+ lb car will get close to that limit.

#14

[quote=“Hank24” post=58040]Orginally, I thought SM was the way to go but talking with some BMW guys it seems like se30 is more of a “Spec” class. This appeals to me since I just want to go out and have fun driving.[/quote]Matt -

Come find me at Garage #17 at Charlotte. I have experience in both series and love them both. I wouldn’t say one is more spec than the other. There is a wide variety of budget and talent in each. Both can be a hell of a lot of fun.

#15

[quote=“MLC” post=58088]Good info here!

Speaking of trailers, what do you guys use as a tow vehicle? I have a small truck with a towing capcity of 5000 lb, but I’m guessing a trailer plus a 2700+ lb car will get close to that limit.[/quote]
This is not something to toy with. I’ve gone thru 4 tow vehicles, each one with more capacity than the last. You can never have enough towing capacity. And unless someone is pulling their car on a dolly, I probably have the lightest load in SpecE30 because my trailer is so small.

The trailer only has to wag your ass once on a descent before you start thinking about a dually with sway control and load levelers.

You can get a decent 1/2ton pickup for beer money these days. I don’t know much about GM trucks but older Dodge’s are garbage and Fords seem pretty good. Fish Bratton’s new Dodge is very nice but it didn’t come cheap.

#16

[quote=“MLC” post=58088]Good info here!

Speaking of trailers, what do you guys use as a tow vehicle? I have a small truck with a towing capcity of 5000 lb, but I’m guessing a trailer plus a 2700+ lb car will get close to that limit.[/quote]

My Dodge 3/4 ton diesel is my third tow vehicle as well. I was doing 500 mile pulls with a Jeep Commander that was rated to tow 8200 lbs. It got 4 MPG and was scary above 60 mph. My advice is to tow will something well over need capacity. If you get a truck, you might as well go with a diesel… My Dodge gets ~11 mpg towing around 80 mph and driving it is a breeze. I was literally worn out after long tows with the jeep. Getting too and from the track should not be the hardest part of the weekend and crappy tow vehicle makes it miserable.

#17

I have a dodge 1/2 ton with a 5.2 and a 5 speed. I get 10 mpg towing. The only good thing about it other than the 5 speed is that its not gm. I would have a powerstroke or cummins if i could find one with a manual in my price range.

Fish I don’t see how you get 11 mpg with the new dodge. The new diesels are supposed to get over twenty unless your trailer is much bigger than I’m imagining.

#18

:laugh: None of the newer diesels get near twenty mpg! I think the Ford and GM might get slightly better, but I prefer the Cummins. Without trailer, I get around 15 on the HWY and 12 in town. My trailer is 20 ft and weighs around 8500 loaded, but fuel mileage is the same when the trailer is empty. I guess it’s like pulling a big sail. For what it’s worth, I drive my tow vehicle like my race car. That’s right, fast!!!

#19

yeah, i really doubt the 20mpg number. i get 15 without trailer and around 11 with my 28’er with my 7.3 dually.

#20

unless you gotta have a late model truck it’s hard to beat a ford powerstroke 7.3 truck as a tow vehicle. my diesel excursion gets between 14 and 18 mpg (depending on speed and number of wheels on the rack) towing my car on an open trailer and is rock solid doing so. i’ve seen as high as 22 mpg unladen. and the 44 gal tank means a 700 mile tow range.

#21

If diesels arent that great why did a 99 ram 2500 down the road from me just sell for 13k when my 01 1500 isnt worth three? Seriously i want to know.

#22

who said they arn’t great? try pulling 10k + miles with a gasser and see what mileage you get.

#23

My Hemi powered jeep got 4 mpg while towing. The tow range was ~130 miles or so!

#24

4 MPG!!!:ohmy:

I have an '04 F150 and get 11-12 pulling at 75MPH. My trailer is pretty light, but I have a camper top and load the back of the truck down with my stuff. Hearing the diesel #s makes me feel a little better about the 1/2 ton gas route since they’re relatively cheap to buy!

If you have an open trailer, there’s no need for the bigger truck (than a 1/2 ton). Enclosed trailers change the game… need the big boys for those.

  • All that being said, I agree with Tower that the Excursions look like a great route to go. Hard to find a good one these days, and when you do they’re still pricey!
#25

I am interested in seeing the kind of gas mileage possible when towing with the new 2011 F150 with the 3.5L Ecoboost engine. It has a tow rating of 8500 if properly equiped. I’m currently using a 2010 Tundra with the 5.7 and 6 speed automatic (10,500 tow rating). I get 18 mpg daily driving and 12 mpg towing my open trailer and SpecE30 driving like Fish going 80 mph on the Interstate. To me picking a truck at this point is all about maximizing MPG, and I don’t want to own one outside powertrain warranty, so I will probably be hitting 60,000 miles on my Tundra by the end of next race season so I will be looking to buy.

#26

Actually, it is rated up to 11,300 with the longer wheelbase and 3.73 diff. But with the gas sipper 3.15 diff you are right.
F-150 towing info

That is the truck I’ve been lusting after. Anyone want to overpay me for a 2005 X5 4.4 with 85k miles? :laugh:

#27

a friend of mine (just started spec3 in MA) recently bought a brand new ecoboost f150, he loves it. it’s a DD as well as a tow rig for his car, currently on an open trailer but i think an enclosed might be on the way. built in camera makes solo hookups a snap and the integrated brake controller is nifty. and the tow mode is more than an overdrive lockout, it controls other factors that improve towing.

gasser excursions are cheap and easy to find, diesels much less so. and many of those are the dreaded 6.0, not the earlier 7.3.

#28

[quote=“thornton” post=58106]4 MPG!!!:ohmy:

I have an '04 F150 and get 11-12 pulling at 75MPH. My trailer is pretty light, but I have a camper top and load the back of the truck down with my stuff. Hearing the diesel #s makes me feel a little better about the 1/2 ton gas route since they’re relatively cheap to buy!

If you have an open trailer, there’s no need for the bigger truck (than a 1/2 ton). Enclosed trailers change the game… need the big boys for those.

  • All that being said, I agree with Tower that the Excursions look like a great route to go. Hard to find a good one these days, and when you do they’re still pricey![/quote]

We get about 11MPG with 01 F350 towing 11K (two cars, 36’ enclosed tag)

#29

[quote=“Steve D” post=58109]Actually, it is rated up to 11,300 with the longer wheelbase and 3.73 diff. But with the gas sipper 3.15 diff you are right.
F-150 towing info

That is the truck I’ve been lusting after. Anyone want to overpay me for a 2005 X5 4.4 with 85k miles? :laugh:[/quote]

Thanks for the link. I hadn’t seen that. My build would have to be the SuperCrew (my daily driver and other car is Cayman R) 4x2 with 145 inch wheelbase which you can get 8500, 9800, or 11300 depending on rearend. I wonder which would get the best gas mileage when towing. I think I would have to get the 3.15 to maximize MPGs on the daily.