Would You Buy Your Trailer Again?

[Denis Vashuk]

I would like to upgrade from the back of a pickup truck I borrow from work to a trailer and I want to know what to look for. Its just me right now but possibly a second kart in the distant future.

Right now I’m thinking of a single axle 6×12 enclosed trailer with enough headroom that I don’t have to crouch in there (I’m 6′ tall). I have a 5000 lb vehicle tow limit and I don’t plan to upgrade.

Cabinets? Lights? Work area? Compressor?  Generator? Inside siding? Vinyl floors? I know most of this stuff can be installed in an empty trailer but I would rather buy what I need from the start.

What can you do without and what would you consider an essential?

Thanks

[Morgan Schuler]

I have a 6×12 now and it works perfect for 1 kart. If you want to haul more you’ll need a stacker stand or stand them up. Mine is a v-nose with a workbench up front and a bunch of Pit Pal products. Whatever size you buy, you’ll fill it up and want more space. If I get another trailer it’ll be an all-aluminum 7×16 set up like this:

Get everything you want installed from the start. Wire it for lights/outlets/shore power hookup and get a quiet portable Honda/Yamaha/Briggs generator. Finished interior and rubber coin floor is nice but isn’t essential. An extended tongue is great for maneuverability in tight paddocks. Skip the awning on the side and just go with EZ-Ups. If you don’t already have a compressor and air tank go with a nitrogen tank setup. Put E-track down the sides and recessed d-rings in the floor.

 

[Tim Koyen]

A 6×12 is definitely a good size for a single kart, although we used to race 2 karts out of one using a double stacker.

I like to just pain the plywood interior white and put outdoor carpeting on the floor and door.  Its cheap and looks nice.

Cabinets are nice, but can be hard on the budget, so go with what you can afford there.  I had a decent workbench I made out of 2x4s in my first trailer and it worked good for cleaning engines and holding a vise.  I stored spares in milk crates that fit on a shelf and underneath the bench.

One worthwhile item is a tire rack.  Tires and wheels can be a huge nuisance if you don’t have a good place to store them.

KartLift Kart Stands
DeepSeat Kart Seats
877-777-8020
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Don't bother PMing me, it doesn't work. Email is best: tim@kartlift.com.

[Kirt Burcroff]

I have a homesteader Challenger 6×12. It’s a good trailer, but I wish I had gotten just a bit more from the start. If I had it to do all over again I would’ve gotten 2 axles, instead of 1, and gone just a bit bigger to a 7×14 for more space. I didn’t plan on regularly driving 12 hours to races when I bought the trailer and the single axle and one tire each side always concerns me. I would also like the added stability and braking a double axle would’ve provided.

I tiled the floor with some durable tile form Home Depot, painted the interior and built a shelf along the left hand side, with a vise bolted on. I also picked out all of the PitPal stuff that I liked and recreated it out of wood to save money. I have a tire shelf big enough for 8 tires, a helmet shelf with hangers underneath for hanging suits, an axle stand and a notebook shelf. I broke down and paid the money for the real Pit Posse liquids organizer to mount on the door. I use a turbo tire changer so that bolts onto the shelf as well as my bead breaker, right next to the vise.

My 4′ wide rolling tool chest stores in the nose and actually never leaves the trailer. I have my everyday tools in three tool bags that I can easily carry to my pit table.

I’ll attempt a link below to show how it looks loaded up:

All packed up and heading to New Jersey for some night racing. #NJSprintSeries #dothedouble

Posted by Brendan Burcroff Racing on Friday, July 11, 2014

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