why not sell the enclosed trailer and buy an open trailer and a cheap tow rig for about the same total price? I'm not sure what racecar you're towing, but does it really need a 24-foot enclosed? An SUV or pickup with cap could be used for all your gear that you want out of the weather, and just use the trailer for the car/tires.
Plus usually much lighter, so you could tow with pretty much any pickup/SUV - no need for an F350 or Suburban.
So it sounds like your wife and kids don't go with you on the race weekends?
Then just how much comfort do you need?
In reply to rcl4668: The f350 wouldn't be a daily, add it to your fleet!
irish44j wrote: why not sell the enclosed trailer and buy an open trailer and a cheap tow rig for about the same total price? I'm not sure what racecar you're towing, but does it really need a 24-foot enclosed? An SUV or pickup with cap could be used for all your gear that you want out of the weather, and just use the trailer for the car/tires. Plus usually much lighter, so you could tow with pretty much any pickup/SUV - no need for an F350 or Suburban.
I tried that. Sold my van and the enclosed trailer was turned into storage. I bought an open trailer and a Roadmaster. Easy to drive, comfortable and good fuel economy.
I used it for a year. I hated it.
Every time I turned around there was something I didn't have or couldn't haul. I got tired of the car being unsecured and sitting in hotel parking lots. I got tired of it getting rained on, cleaning the bug crap off of it and of the entire car being covered in dew in the mornings. I got tired of having to unload everything Sunday night after a long weekend at the track. 5% of the time the enclosed trailer is a PITA. 95% of the time I love having it.
What is your total towing weight?
If below 7k lbs AND not going through the mountains, any duhmestic pickup from about 1990 onwards will do. The cheaper the better (bonus points, rusty beat to crap bodies but good mechanicals because tow truck means super cheap). You said you road race, so 4x4 isn't needed, so 2wd is even cheaper.
I personally would recommend a 96-98 Chebby/GMC 1/2 ton extended cab 2wd. It's rated to tow the 7k pounds, I'd add an inexpensive $200 airbag kit to help with leveling/ride and call it a day. You should be able to buy that truck for under $3k anywhere in the US and it'll be dead reliable (and that era of chebby, especially 2wd is oh so comfy!)
I'm very confused that you Daily a M5 your wife dailies a Q7 and your fretting over the cost to buy a 8-12k vehicle you NEED. Your towing a 24' car hauler a fair distance its serious buisiness and deserves a serious tow vehicle. I would look for a 3/4 ton gas van. If you can't swing a proper tow vehicle maybe your DD could be downgraded to afford a more appropriate towing situation.
I recently rented a 3/4 ton Ram from Enterprise to pick up a car and an engine. They had no issue with it towing and the truck was brand new at well under $100 a day.
Otherwise buy a late 90's F350.
Or if you are nuts like me
z31maniac wrote:rcl4668 wrote: In terms of buying a truck as my daily driver, my job entails a fair amount of long distance driving and I would prefer not to have to do all that driving in a truck. Keep the suggestions coming, they are very helpful. /RichI can understand that, but maybe go take an extended test drive in modern 1/2 ton crew cab pickup. I think you might be surprised just how nice/comfortable the more optioned ones are. But they are big vehicles to be driving on a daily basis.
This. We bought our CC for vacations.
For 7 trips a year your wife can't make do with the M5? Sorry, I'm baffled. On the other hand I've been married thrice 
Wow, thanks for all of the great comments. I have the Suburban back from the transmission shop and that will do at least for the near future.
It sounds like the best option would be to find a high-miles, used but reliable truck as an occasional tow vehicle.
/Rich
It pulls my 20' enclosed like it isn't even there and my father's 35' 5th wheel camper with no problem. It was $3k. I've gone through the brakes and put tires on it. It sits 99% of the time so gas mileage is a moot point. Honestly fuel economy isn't much worse than my E150 got with the enclosed, 7 mpg vs 8 mpg. You can fix it with a hammer and a pair of vice grips and it doesn't have any options to fail other than A/C and power windows. I'm keeping an eye out for a slide in camper for it. Then it will be goodbye hotel rooms.
I think it also holds the record for most bolts going through a water pump housing. There's gotta be some kind of prize for that. 
Seriously, I don't currently own any vehicles less than 15 years old. Go buy a 1-ton already. 
Vigo wrote: I think it also holds the record for most bolts going through a water pump housing. There's gotta be some kind of prize for that.
The new HEMI has 11, I believe (with at least 3 different lengths)...
I have had my eyes peeled for a Grand Daddy 3/4 ton Suburban 4wd for a while. They go for like 1/2 what pickemups go for around here. Not sure about the trans which has been the weak point with our 1/2 ton burbs.
How about you turn this into something the whole family will enjoy?
Class A and Class C RVs can be surprisingly inexpensive once the interiors are out of vogue.
I tried that. Sold my van and the enclosed trailer was turned into storage. I bought an open trailer and a Roadmaster. Easy to drive, comfortable and good fuel economy.
I used it for a year. I hated it.
Every time I turned around there was something I didn't have or couldn't haul. I got tired of the car being unsecured and sitting in hotel parking lots. I got tired of it getting rained on, cleaning the bug crap off of it and of the entire car being covered in dew in the mornings. I got tired of having to unload everything Sunday night after a long weekend at the track. 5% of the time the enclosed trailer is a PITA. 95% of the time I love having it.
Good to know, this perspective definitely got me thinking enclosed trailer
I do the same as others here have, I buy big ugly old trucks for cheap. No that's not flat paint......it's satin, it's all the rage now. Radio only gets 3 stations, that's what CDs are for........rattles turn the radio up..........4 different styles of rims and needs tires.......at least 4 people a week are selling the stock wheels and tires off their new truck because they just have to have zooty rims. Anyway you get the picture. I'm a big advocate of buying one level down. You can just swing a vintage Formula Atlantic, buy a Formula Ford instead.........I do the same with whatever race car or bike I run.........life is a lot better when your hobby doesn't burden your wallet.
Tom
cheap old beat up 3/4 ton trucks are perfect for this... a 1 ton would be better, but they cost 3X as much to register in the state of MN, which is kind of an important detail when you let it sit most of the time.
my cousin got an '03ish Silverado HD1500 (yeah, that means half ton, but keep reading....) crew cab short box 4X4 with the 6.0/4L80E combo for $3k.. it has just over 100k miles on it and has the HD 14 bolt full floater rear end with 3.73 gears and 8 lug wheels like you'd find on a 3/4 ton.. i honestly can't figure out why it isn't a 2500, but whatever..
anyways, it's got the full leather interior and all the options and is actually a pretty sharp looking truck once you get past the fugly noses they put on those things starting in '03.
he works as a mechanic at a place that sells and watercraft of every size and snowmobiles andhas pulled some pretty big boats behind it to the lake to test them out and some big snowmobile trailers full of sleds and says it tows like there isn't anything there. he also pulls his 12 foot enclosed trailer stuffed with 4 motocross bikes and all the gear- along with his wife and 3 kids and all their gear- all over the state of MN to go to races without any issues... he loves it- and it has an actual throttle cable and not the stupid dbw setup that takes most of the joy out of actually trying to tow anything with a newer GM truck..
The "heavy half" or 1500hd that novaderrick describes has been on my short list forever. Just need to find one that is not stupid priced.
Fueled by Caffeine wrote: The "heavy half" or 1500hd that novaderrick describes has been on my short list forever. Just need to find one that is not stupid priced.
i don't get GM sometimes... that truck that my cousin has is fitted with all the 3/4 ton stuff including the wheels, but is called a half ton.. but they also used to sell a 3/4 ton 2500 that had 6 lug wheels and the light duty 14 bolt semi floater rear end. my mom's boyfriend has an 06 4X4 1500 WT with the 5.3 that has the heavy duty leafs in it but only has a 10 bolt rear end.. there are so many drivetrain/chassis combinations used by GM over the years in trucks that you could run into that it can be confusing trying to figure out what you need to fit your needs- but that modular approach to their truck line is also what makes GM trucks so popular..
I had a 91 Chev "heavy 3/4 ton". Underneath it was a 1-ton P/U.
I think that in some cases GM does this to avoid the issues noted above. In some areas a 1-ton truck MUST be registered as a commercial vehicle regardless of its use.
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