What does the ultimate tow setup look like?

I would love a roll back with a lay flat bed, but I decided to take the budget approach, considering money spent on tow rigs is money not spent on race cars. Hence, project "Hauler for a Dollar" haha.

Bought the truck from work, it's a 2009 GMC 2500 2wd with the 6.0 gas and 6 speed auto. I extended the frame by about 5 or so feet, rear bumper is 6x6 tubing. All additional metal is 1/8" steel, while the ramps are 8x1' aluminum, weigh less than 50 lbs each, and each one can support over 2000 lbs. Deck is also aluminum.

It's not done, but it has done well with the couple times I've hauled the Exocet around. I built the dimensions to be able to haul the Supras, but I will be extending the wheel base by about 5 feet before I attempt that.

Parking's easier. Fueling up is easier. Storage is easier. Loading and unloading is quick, easy, and repeatable. Roughly the same weight as the stock truck was, so I'm hauling around a lot less weight than I was with an open trailer. Haven't used it for hauling anything other than a car yet, but it should be fine for anything else you could use a flat bed for, within reason.

Have future plans, including a 4-link and air rear suspension, perhaps front too, so I can jack up the front to make unloading less of a breakover angle. The design is fairly easy to expand upon, if I ever need a tire rack or something along those lines. I'm a hygenenic person, and while I don't *mind* camping, and could probably do it inside the back seat, or in a tent on the bed once the car's unloaded, I really prefer a hotel room so I can shower.

It's a work in progress. =)

It's great to see the wide variety of solutions put together by the incredibly creative racers here on GRM!  "Ultimate" obviously has many different interpretations, based on the needs of the individual racer.

Our brief included an enclosed trailer, to keep car, spares and tools out of sight of prying eyes and sticky fingers.  It also provides weather protection for the car, and for us when the weather is nasty at the track.  And finally, it's a mobile storage unit for the car between events.  Next up was the truck, and we went big, because part of the brief was being able to stay at the track for a full weekend of events... and that need eventually boiled down to a slide-in camper.  So, full ton dually diesel.

For the last seven years, the truck/camper/trailer combo has been fantastic for us.  For local, one-day events we just take the truck and trailer.  Full-weekend events, all three.  Other, non-racing adventures, just the truck/camper and maybe tow the Jeep behind.  On a couple of trips we took the race trailer with a street car and motorcycle.  It's a very flexible setup and has almost entirely met our needs so far.

     I started with a Chevy Avalanche, basically a Tahoe, towing a 20' Haulmark, which was "challenging" to say the least. I moved to a 2014 F250 SuperDuty 4x4 gas-motor truck hauling a 28' Vintage Outlaw, then replaced that truck with a 2016 F250 4x4 Powerstroke, then replaced the trailer with a 24' v-nose ATC aluminum trailer, then replaced the F250 with a 2017 F350 Powerstroke.

     The Powerstroke F250 was a MAJOR upgrade over the gas-powered  truck. The Dually was a MAJOR upgrade over the F250 Powerstroke because of the straight-line towing stability and dramatically improved stopping. The Dually is a long-bed, quad-cab and LWB model. You have to make an appointment to turn it around, but it tows like a beast.


    The trailer is an ATC 24' v-nose with the aluminum chassis and white metal wall interior. It has A/C, a 50" TV and Starlink. It's pretty awesome. :-)

     I'm super happy with this rig, but need to tow two cars for HSR and SVRA events in 2024, so I am shopping 48' gooseneck trailers.

Leno nailed it.

I'm getting closer. Over the next few years I will decide on a boat and add a deck to the trailer. 

pushrod36 said:

 

Leno nailed it.

That seems like it would feel really odd to have the steered wheels behind where you are sitting.