Towing Possibilities?

[Mmagus]

Hi all. I really appreciate your help and thoughts in the Jeep Tow Test thread. Since we have firmly established that I don’t want to be towing near the #3500 limit with it, and I am not able to buy a different tow vehicle I am hunting for alternatives. With that in mind what experiences and thoughts might you have about:

1. A Dolly style tow set up

2. Flat towing the Porsche (like the folks with motor homes do)

I am in no rush, and not making an firm decisions, just gathering info for September, when I will be attending my first TT.

Thanks,
Mark

[RETII]

Sometimes I really feel bad about peeing on someones parade but you still are missing the boat ( trailer?) here with what you have described. You're missing the most important item BRAKES in all of those options. If you were to have to really jump on the binders I suppose it would be polite to point your race car by as passes you by. Borrow or even rent a truck, you can get those unlimited mile deals if you look hard enough. A 1500 series is adaquate for your needs. Just make sure the trailer has surge type brakes so you don't have to sweat the brake controller issue.Good luck

[lrayner]

I think it was one of the Orange County guys who was using a tow dolly on his minivan for his 924 last year at Fontana. He said it worked great. As for brakes, if you actually drive close to the speed limit (55mph!! ) your stopping distances should be reasonable.

[Steve Grosekemper]

It's a 924S, it is a minivan...

Put your stuff in the car, drive the car up to the event following Paul.
There are street cars on trailers that can be switched if it can't be driven home.
We have yet to leave someone stranded at a TT.

Jeff Schmidt towed his car up and drove it back for the first year he TT because of broken cars needing rides home.
But ring it out at a few AX's before you head to a TT... Hopefully weak links will show their ugly heads closer to home.

Paul loves working on those cars... (So I hear)

[pdy]

It's a 924S, it is a minivan...

Put your stuff in the car, drive the car up to the event following Paul.

Or throw your spares and things in Sammy, leaving more room in Tuffy.

There are street cars on trailers that can be switched if it can't be driven home.
We have yet to leave someone stranded at a TT.

So true. I have hauled back others' cars on my trailer many times, including from Spring Mountain.

Paul loves working on those cars... (So I hear)

That should be past tense. Wait - I've worked on Tuffy recently!

[944Greg]

I have driven my 944spec car to Buttonwillow, Fontana and El Toro with 4 race tires, jack, tools and other things. When the interior is out of it, a 944 holds a lot of stuff.

I have also flat towed the car to Spring Mtn a couple of times and Willow, BUT no more flat towing. The tow bar was attached to some brackets I had made that bolted to the bumper shock mounts. The body that the shock mounts bolt to started ripping apart.

Tim Comeau knows several NASA racers that flat tow by hooking the tow bar to the bumper of something.

I now tow with a trailer with electric brakes. Az-Tex trailer in Fontana, $1400 new I think I paid in Nov for the open 16ft trailer. I love it. Tow vehicle is a Ford E-350 van with the 460 engine. Bad gas mileage, but plenty of room inside to carry everything. I already had the van, I just needed the hitch and brake controller added.

I had used this van when I flat towed the 944. The trailer with brakes sure make it a lot safer than just relying on the tow vehicle brakes.

Some guys rent a U-haul car trailer for track weekends. They have surge brakes. If I remember right, they are about $50/day. So a 3 day time trial weekend would be $150 for trailer with surge brakes.

[Cajundaddy]

Nick Perdikaris will tow his 944 Spec on a dolly (two wheels up) for short hauls. Someone once said it is hard on the transaxle for long hauls but I don't know this first hand.

I nearly always drive my car to TT events and I got the AAA Premium membership for $100 as a fail safe plan B so I can always get my car home. It has a 200 mile free flatbed towing distance which will get me at least to a good qualified indy shop from any track. My brother often brings his motorhome and trailer so we can tow home the needy and drive home the runner. After towing racing boats across four states and Mexico for 20 yrs I now prefer to keep things as simple as possible.

[Mmagus]

Not to worry folks. I dont feel like my parade is being rained on or otherwise irrigated I asked for thoughts and have recieved some great advice and I apreciate it. I am hoping to avoid driving across the desert to the TT in September in an un-airconditioned car, but if thats the way it goes it suppose it can't be any worse than building a home in two days in Mexico for a family last summer ... When the temp was 110+ degrees

[rshon]

It's way more fun to drive your Porsche across SE Death Valley than to drive a truck and lug a trailer. There's plenty of time to put the A/C back in...

When I'm at a TT, if I think I need that extra boost of speed coming out of a corner or down a straight, Porsche has thoughtfully placed a "Power to Pass" button on my car. It's a bit confusing, because when it's off, the light is on, and when I push it, the light goes off. The other thing I don't understand is why those funny Germans used a "snowflake" as the symbol...