Lightweight covered trailer for the RX-1 ER

[Mighty]

You definately have bigger balls than most here to tow with a Saturn. In the summer towing a trailer is one thing but winter with icy slippery conditions is totally different :shock:

Not to mention the limited places you can unload because the saturn bottoms out in deep snow.

I have a stable of Saturns (3), Wife and daughter has an 02 and 01 SC-2 while my youngest has a 96 sl-1. I wouldn't dream of towing anything with these light weights. My concern would be the trailer over whelming the car.

 

[ReX]

My 2 cents. If you have to make an evasive movement to avoid hitting someone or somone hitting you and the trailer is forced off the berm is the trailer going to drag the car with it?

In the 70,000 kms of towing with it I've been through just about everything that can be dished out. No problems keeping it in control even after swerving off the road at 50 mph to avoid an out of control truck/trailer coming head on down a steep hill. In this case our camper slid sidways on the gravel shoulder for a good distance (at 50 mph), but the car didn't loose composure. Another problem was when the trailer tires delaminated and allowed the trailer to wallow around a little for a few 1000 miles - until the tread blew off. I kept checking everything and couldn't figure out why it was wallowing around as the tires looked fine on the outside, pressure perfect, etc. (it didn't pull the car around - just the trailer didn't follow true).

Winter hauling I must have towed the sleds a good 15,000 kms looking for snow. We're often towing through wild snowstorms and freezing rain. Although the trailer tends to slide around a fair bit, the car doesn't get pulled around much. I have done a number of experiments - pushing the car/trailer to the limit in snow. In a continuous curve, the trailer first breaks loose. At higher speeds it will slide out to about 45° with the car tracking fine. Beyond 45°, the trailer starts to pull the rear of the car out. A little counter steer, and throttle and there's a nice 6 wheel (really just the rear 4 sliding) drift going on...

Compared to hauling a 12,000 lbs trailer with my 7000 lbs truck it is easier to control (when loaded up the car weighs over 3000 lbs and the current camper/sled trailer weigh a hair under 2000 lbs).

Last summer we (I) had a lot of fun hauling the pop-up camper through the Rocky Mountains with the family - zipping around the switchbacks (dreaming of sledding up there one day...).

These picutures are with over 250 lbs in the trunk and the family in the car. I took it to the scales a few times and everything was legal and within GAWRs, hitch ratings, etc. It sits level on normal camping outings (this was on a 1.5 month holiday).

As far as sled trailers for the new toy, I think the Karavan trailer and two Toy Carriers is the best option, mainly because it is the lightest and should be fairly easy to drag through the air. The trailer is nicely designed too.

I really wanted to keep the weight below 2000 lbs (that's all the hitch is rated for) with both sleds full of fuel, but it doesn't look possible with a covered solution (the RX-1 must be covered though). The Karavan option will weigh about 2100 lbs max. and around 1900 lbs with the sleds on empty.

Everything else I've found is heavier.

(hmmm maybe upgrade to a custom hitch designed for ~3000 lbs with a 2" receiver - then I could haul the 18.5', 190 hp, I/O, 2600 lbs boat too - I could add a Reese mini-350 WD system too...)

 

[ReX]

Not to mention the limited places you can unload because the saturn bottoms out in deep snow.

You'd be amazed (I am) at how much snow that car/trailer will go through with those tires. 8" isn't a problem, 12" of fairly fluffy snow it will (just) make it through. The ground clearance is pretty decent, especially with the taller springs in the rear.

I don't plow the laneway to the barn "until I have to" and the trailer with the sleds on it are stored there (until the season is in full swing locally). I regularly tempt fate and use the car to haul the trailer out/in.

The tires on the car in the winter are 175/80R14 Hakkapella 1's (tall, very narrow, very stiff sidewall). Summer it wears 205/55R15's Michelin Pilots.

 

[impalapower]

I'd still take the your truck over your car. At least if you had a full sized car you'd be in a safer situation.

 

[ReX]

I'd still take the your truck over your car. At least if you had a full sized car you'd be in a safer situation.

If I was to get into an accident with another vehicle I would be better off with the truck, but that can be said about driving without a trailer too.

If the truck was closer to a regular K30 I would be more likely to use it. It hauls heavy trailers very well, but driving it long distances unloaded isn't all that much fun. It has 4.88 gears, Detroit lockers at both ends, a built small block, 35" BFG MTs on it (the older 16.5" rim version - very stiff, 4300 lbs load capacity each), sits about 9" taller than most K30's, has a large plow harness (for the 1000 lb commercial snow plow), and the suspension and axles are designed for 2000 lbs of load on the front (5500 lbs axle), and 5000 lbs on the rear (8000 lbs axle). It's loud and the ride is rough (with 4000 lbs in the bed it starts to ride decently - it was a custom ordered chassis cab/tow truck and it still has the 10 leaf pack suspension).

The truck weighs almost 7000 lbs empty and only gets 8 mpg towing the sleds (and about the same mileage towing the float with a tractor on it...).

Two other issues are I'm always concerned someone might steal the winch or tools (unless I unload everything) when I leave it parked and it takes a while to re&re the plow in order to use the truck (mileage is even worse if I leave the plow on).

The car is so much simpler - hook it up, install the McKesh mirrors and go. Comfortably ride, quiet, good handling, nice sound system, good fuel economy (25-35 mpg while towing). Also, there isn't much to steal (it's a Saturn), I can hide things in the trunk, and it has an alarm (not that that would help much in the boonies).

A few more modifications & purchase the trailer and the Saturn will be set to go...

 

[Ski-Dog]

Try this site. They make an interesting trailer that is light. http://www.eandj.on.ca

 

[ReX]

Try this site. They make an interesting trailer that is light. http://www.eandj.on.ca

Unfotunately their idea of lightweight is something like 1300 lbs (if I remember correctly - for sure they were too heavy for me - I e-mailed them a few months ago about their dual inline trailer).

 

[impalapower]

That inline trailer has a nice concept and seems about right for any car to tow with. I'd opt for a tandem axle, simply because of the length of the trailer, a tandem would bounce less going down the road.

 

[impalapower]

The truck is more than that, its a tank. You definately have some stump pulling gears in it, perfect for plowing.