I am considering buying a chassis and body kit for a 356. But I would have to rent a truck and trailer to haul it home. Uhaul has a 5'x9' trailer and that feels like that should be enough - or do I need something bigger? What trailer size would you recommend to tow both a chassis and body?
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That's a little small. Most trailers I've seen guys use are at least 6 x 12. Especially if it's a wide body, narrow should be fine on a 6 foot wide.
6-1/2 x 2 minimum and if a VS super wide then 7 ' wide. Keep in mind that if you use a utility trailer with angle metal sides you need to consider door opening clearance or you'll have to get out with the top down. If the trailer has a one piece fold up rear loading ramp12' will not be long enough even with the car all the way forward on the trailer. BTW I have changed my perspective on X crossing the load straps after seeing the result of someone's strap breaking the remaining three loose their anchor points .
I believe the OP is just bringing a non-running project home, so driving on is not an option. The project can be easily pushed b a couple strong guys or winched on.
@Alan Merklin posted:6-1/2 x 2 minimum and if a VS super wide then 7 ' wide. Keep in mind that if you use a utility trailer with angle metal sides you need to consider door opening clearance or you'll have to get out with the top down. If the trailer has a one piece fold up rear loading ramp12' will not be long enough even with the car all the way forward on the trailer. BTW I have changed my perspective on X crossing the load straps after seeing the result of someone's strap breaking the remaining three loose their anchor points .
Help me understand why 12' would not be enough? I am talking about a body and a chassis and was planning to stack them on top of each other. It seems like 12' would be plenty if not overkill, no?
If the trailer has a hinged tailgate that gets stowed in the the upright position(90 degrees to the bed of the trailer) then the tailgate will hit the body. As Alan says, you may not be able to get the car forward enough to stow the tailgate.
It's not overkill, in fact, the bigger the better. My 7.5 x 18 inside enclosed trailer fits the Spyder perfectly. My Spyder is 12 foot 2 inches long. I can open the doors.
My Cayman which is longer and wider is a very tight squeeze in there. It's 171(14'3") inches long and 71(just under 6') wide. And the trailer is 20 feet long(it's a V nose, 18 feet straight sides and 20 in the center of the V.) I can barely strap it down and cannot open the doors.
Size matters.
@RobertCalifornia posted:Help me understand why 12' would not be enough? I am talking about a body and a chassis and was planning to stack them on top of each other. It seems like 12' would be plenty if not overkill, no?
It won't be enough for a closed box-style trailer or a trailer wherein the front of the car doesn't hang over the front of the trailer.
You may be better off renting one of UHaul's open car trailers and stack and strap the body on top of the chassis. As said above the trailer you are thinking of probably won't work. I had a similar situation when I was looking for a trailer to pick up the Magnum GT I recently bought. My business partner owns a 15' X 7' enclosed trailer with a fold down door ramp that he transports his ATV with. It appeared that it would be large enough on the inside albeit a little tight, but the door opening was the issue, it was only 5'11" wide and it wouldn't have worked. I am glad we caught this before driving 6 hours to pick up the car. I wound up borrowing an open car trailer and going on a day that good weather was being called for. The pickup and return all went smooth. Good luck with your endeavor.
If you find a "roller", you can flat tow it with a $100 VW tow bar. Just make sure in neutral, steering unlocked, brakes free, wheel bearing good and check for suspension rust. I used a 4 cyl AT Camry to tow my Speedster 1100 miles from N. VA to NW FL. No backing up though.
@Jimmy V. posted:You may be better off renting one of UHaul's open car trailers and stack and strap the body on top of the chassis. As said above the trailer you are thinking of probably won't work. I had a similar situation when I was looking for a trailer to pick up the Magnum GT I recently bought. My business partner owns a 15' X 7' enclosed trailer with a fold down door ramp that he transports his ATV with. It appeared that it would be large enough on the inside albeit a little tight, but the door opening was the issue, it was only 5'11" wide and it wouldn't have worked. I am glad we caught this before driving 6 hours to pick up the car. I wound up borrowing an open car trailer and going on a day that good weather was being called for. The pickup and return all went smooth. Good luck with your endeavor.
The more I research it, the more I think you're right, this is the way to go. I have never towed in my life, so I was trying to avoid getting anything too big. But yes, the Uhaul 15'x7' does sound about right, for better or worse.
Is this a roller or a chassis and body kit? This is of utmost importance. UHaul car trailers are open frame trailers with runners where the tires go. If you are trying to use it as a flatbed, you may be disappointed in how it sits on the trailer.
I towed a refurbished roller VW chassis (without a body) with a VW tow bar a couple hundred miles on the PA Turnpike. (I did make up a rear light bar with a 2 x 4, cheap trailer lights and duct tape ) Stopping at a rest area, a PA Trooper shows up and discussing the towed chassis, once I pointed out that I had (A) lights and (B) four good tires that was the end of the discussion.
LOL!
Remember my completely stripped first Spyder in 2010?
Flat-towed it 280 miles one-way to Alan's bodyshop guy for a repaint. Four wheels and taillights and a "Car In Tow" sign and it's all good.
