Those of you who own or at least use open or enclosed car haulers, better known as "trailers," to tow your 'Stangs or other vehicles around, know how invaluable trailers are and/or can be.
I've been towing 'Stangs here and there for a long time, and have owned a few good trailers that have served me, my friends and others quite well (as a matter of fact, my first open trailer--the one that dragged my '84 GT all the way across the country from New York to California years ago--is still going strong with another owner).
A few years ago, we stepped up our racing program and acquired a 28-foot, enclosed trailer that has been absolutely awesome. "The Box," as we call it, has plenty of room and such, but more importantly, it keeps our Mustangs safe and secure inside when we're taking one to the track or a far-away show, etc.
While security is a tremendous plus, being cumbersome as hell is actually one of the major drawbacks of towing with an enclosed trailer. I'll explain why after the jump...
While The Box has many plusses, a few of its negative aspects are that it is a challenge to maneuver in tight spaces (down narrow streets, into parking spaces, etc), and "hooking up (connecting the trailer to the truck)" is pretty labor intensive--especially in the SoCal heat--with the stabilizer bars and such that are required.
To make life a little easier, especially for quick towing efforts such as carting Project Boss 340 to and from various shops or 1-day race events that don't require me to bring the fully loaded enclosed (with its full array of tools, generator, air compressor, etc, The Box is almost like a shop on wheels), I recently made an awesome barter deal and scored a neat little 18-foot open trailer.
I remember the first time I ever towed a Mustang...my '84...to Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey. I used my Uncle Joe's Jeep Cherokee, and the complete setup (the car was loaded onto one of those tanklike U-Haul car carriers) looked ridiculous, as the weight of the car and trailer wreaked havoc on the poor Jeep's rear suspension, and the front tires barely touched the ground.
Towing the new open rig is like a serious blast from the past. No, we're not looking as bad as we did in that first-time experience, it's just nice to not have to drag so much weight as we do with the loaded Box, and maneuverability is night-and-day different.
So, now I've got the best of both worlds when it comes to vehicle transporting...an enclosed trailer and an open hauler, too. Naturally, despite having this setup and the Power Stroke F-350 to pull it with, I can't help occasionally clicking into www.racingjunk.com and looking at the "deals" on those bad-ass toterhome/stacker setups. Man, having a deal like that would be the ultimate!