Open Versus Closed Trailer?

I think you want a minimum 18'
Most that I see used are either 20 or 24.

~8.5' wide in either case. Don't get a 7' wide cargo type trailer. Impossible to get out of the car in a narrow trailer.

For me the "open vrs closed" debate comes down to what you are going to tow it with. What I mean is that if you have a PU or a SUV then an open will work better as stated by many posts already.

In my case since I have a extended Ford E250 van I "don't need no stinken enclosed trailer". I can keep all my tools & tires in the van and still sleep in it at the track. Unless you have long tows to the track fuel mileage should not be a concern. I can make it at least one way to all the track I run at on one tank, in a few cases i need only 1/2 to get there and the other 1/2 back home.

Also in my case the van is only used to move large items or tow the trailer & race car, other wise it sits. I spend more on storing it then on license and insurance per year.

The answer is clear.......buy a 28'x8.5' and a second miata race car.....

bills wrote: All, Thank you very much for your comments. Really appreciate the advice. My primary use will be towing to races, so leaning towards enclosed. Next question, how big? Miata is ~13' long. Some extra room for wheels and other gear, so I was thinking 17-20'. A 24' seems like a lot of extra weight to drag around. Bill

I use a 16x7 for my Miata. Works just fine - getting out of the car (which is caged with a hardtop) would be a problem if I was 300 lbs, but it works. Enough room to tie down easily in front as well. Smaller frontal area = better towing. I used to tow it with a 2000 Tundra.

Flyin' Miata has a 28x8.5 for towing two Miatas. Works well. It's still not super-easy to get out of the cars, as you can't open the door all that far. It's a harder thing to tow, but the right truck (Dodge 2500 diesel) takes care of that.

I do use my enclosed as a spare garage. The Mini is broken right now, so it lives in there out of the way. There's a lot to be said for showing up at the track after driving through a Colorado mountain pass in the snow - and your car is not covered in crap!

I have a 20' enclosed to tow my Miata. Since I drive fat out, I appreciate the door on the driver's side of the trailer. Makes getting in and out less of a religious experience as in "Jaysus Keerist am I gonna get out of this thing" Like the security and the storage, hate the 8mpg gas mileage of the Dearborn Valdez (Ford F250) I tow with

My decision was dictated by my 8'0" wide driveway, and having had a beater 16' steel (9' wide) open stolen from the industrial park where I was "storing it" for free.

I looked for a few months to find a 14x6' deckover used, cheap on craigslist, and replaced everything but the steel frame. I'm in for about a grand for what is essentially a new trailer, and with my 1050# Radical strapped on the V6 Tacoma barely knows it's there.

Yes, at the track I'd love a toy hauler w/ AC, nearly as much as my long-suffering wife would. But I'd be on the hook for a bigger truck and paying to store the trailer.

Plus, look at my rig in front of the guys I beat at the last round:

Before:

Hog slats FTW. Race on Sunday......