whats wrong with a open trailer

Six short months ago, Virginia native Jeff Verdi loaded up his 1968 year model Pontiac Firebird on an open trailer, pulled by his 1999 model pick-up truck and headed west to the Spring Fling Million at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. As the sun fell on The Strip, Verdi left with the big check, literally, and the Million Dollar main event champion hardware, etching his name in history as the first winner of the event.,,,,, http://www.dragzine.com/news/legend-jeff-verdi-sweeps-both-million-dollar-bracket-races-in-2016/

Haven't seen a tow rig win a race yet!! LOVE the wins bu a true little guy!

That was really cool to see a true budget sportsman win

Nothing wrong with it. I however used an enclosed when I needed my car to have a garage, it was cheaper to buy an enclosed than an open and build a garage as I didn't own land.

I partnered up with another racer in 1984 with one of my motors in his 1970 Duster to run both S/St and Pro Bracket in NHRA combined Division 6 & 7. We made money with that car 9 out of the eleven times we raced it that year He drove it half the time and I drove it the other half. We took both cars to the bracket finals in Bakersfield that year and he won the Pro bracket for our half of the division, I got beat in the 1/4 finals by someone else :whiney
We where invited to the Golden Gate Nationals in Fremont, CA for a one run race un off against the northern half of our combined division winner to determine who the division Pro bracket winner would be, my friend and partner lost.
He hauled his car on the back of a 1 ton Ford Flatbed that he owned, he had a set of 14 inch wide aluminum loading ramps mounted onto the sides of the truck bed sticking up, they where around 10 feet long.
In the hotel parking lot on Saturday night some freak decided to scratch F--- Y-- in the gold leaf of his name he had on the drivers door behind the loading ramps He discovered it at the races Sunday morning, we had to borrow some race decals to hide it
We both ended up buying enclosed race trailer shortly after that, we both carried concealed weapons back then so it is probably a good thing we didn't catch the vandals doing that
I had started using a car hauling 1 1/2 ton bigger truck shortly after wrecking a 1969 hemi GTX race car on a open trailer when I hit a stray dog jack knifing the borrowed open car trailer towing it with my 1/2 ton pick up back in 1974
I've won races by driving the car to and from the track back in the day on a very limited budget and I have lost races with the current rigs
Lots of choices to make when racing

Not a thing wrong with an open trailer except very inconvenient. Unless you have a van or a truck with a shell, everything in the back is gonna get wet or stolen. Which means you unload it every time at home or at a hotel. No thanks. Bargain basement enclosed trailers are cheap, protect the car and parts

Well I get the point of the post I remember loading a 5 foot trophy into the back seat of my Savoy after going 11 rounds with a stick car at D42. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face for a week. I guess it's hard the get a view from the bottom if you never started there
Thanks for posting this story
Gus

No problem getting in and out.

Jeff Verdi is hardly at the bottom. He has won a boatload of money in just those two races. He could easily afford whatever he wants. Now as to what his reasoning is for the low buck rig, who knows..........but it's not because he is broke. You don't tow thousands of miles and cough up $2000 entry fees if you are a broke ass racer.

I've used both. Local racing, stock body car that can be in the rain without ruining a bunch of stuff, not a ton of stuff to carry along, open trailer is fine. Traveling, multi day events, expensive car with expensive parts that don't need to be wet, spares, tools, enclosed.

I have been towing with the same open trailer since 1976. The last 30 years with a 1986 Toyota pick up. Truck has over 400,000 miles (timing sets only) and gets 18-20 MPG towing.
http://s843.photobucket.com/user/phogroian/media/Mason%20Dixon%202015/DSC_0814_zpsg5nbnhh1.jpg.html

Open trailers are at my local track every week and OFTEN stop by to visit and to BORROW needed items to get through the race day. I like to go to the track well prepared with a well stocked car trailer but some guys would rather BORROW stuff to get by.

Works both ways John. I have borrowed stuff from other guys and always returned it. I also loaned stuff out and always got it back. Most of the racers at our track were pretty straight shooters. And we always seemed to have something to eat or a cold drink for anyone coming to our pits. I sure miss this stuff!!

I have a 28' tag enclosed and wish I had a 44' or bigger goose neck. My open trailer hauls my skid steer.

Sometimes I wish I had a trailer. I drive my car to the track and if I am by myself I just leave a tool box and my drink in a pit space lol.

Never had a trailer,but my work truck gets me where I want to go and doubles as the biggest picnic table on the gounds,,,,,,,,

I have been on here almost from the start of moparts. Why is it I have seen hundreds of posts busting peoples balls about having enclosed trailers? Never in all of these years one time have seen anyone say anything bad or make fun of someone having a open trailer.

I race with people who have 500,000 dollar rigs and people who have 1500.00 dollar trucks and 800.00 trailers. Its funny how we are all friends , get along , eat together and cheer for one another and not one time have we even thought about how much money each other has or discussed it.

But on the internet it seems to be the norm. I have seen people (not my friends) call another racer a A hole who just happened to have a good size rig, When I asked what made that racer a A hole I found out they have never talked to them or met them. I guess spending your hard earned money sometimes makes you a A hole.

No offence to anyone in particular just an observation and not a stab at you Therif,I have read lots of your posts and you seen cool to me. just the internet in general.

Its funny also here at the shop when someone gets a new car, truck or a better house some of the others call him or her an A hole behind there back, but never to there face.
Interesting to say the least.

I think the incredible part is that he does it with a pure Pontiac that really isn't that fast by today's standards.

I started with no money. In 1985 I built a 6X12' flat bed trailer to haul a 3 wheel ATV on and later 4 wheel ATVs.

Then got a better job and bought a suzuki 1100 katana bike and went hog wild and turned it into a full on drag bike with all the tricks, no more street use. Hauled it on my homemade open flat bed trailer. Won races with it, it went 9.20s and I sold it turn key to a racer in Toledo Ohio.

Then bought a 225" dragster chassis and spent 18 months putting it together. Had to buy a 26' enclosed to haul it, it was a low 8 second bracket dragster. Then progressed to a quick 32 dragster and then a quick 8 dragster. Also upgraded to a 40' goose trailer and got a larger pickup truck.

Then sold all my bb chevy stuff and my quick 8 dragster and bought my first psi blown BAE hemi to go in my TAD chassis I had custom built for me. Hauled it for a 1/2 season in my 40' goose and then bought a used 49' gold rush trailer and hauled it with my dually for a half a season and it almost killed my dually. Then got a freightliner to haul the gold rush.

I borrowed stuff from other racers and returned it every time and made sure I had spares by the next race. Eventually I had all the spares I needed as TAD is not like racing with the good ole boys, everyone is pretty serious about winning. Then at that point folks started coming to us to borrow parts/tools and we were very helpful at first, kind of like pay back. But then I got taken advantage of too many times and stuff started not to come back that we lent out. Almost like if you can afford a big truck and trailer then we don't have to return what we borrowed. So at one point I stopped lending anything out. We traveled for every race and was at different track/city for every race so we did not see the same racers every race sometimes too to return stuff.

After racing for 15 years I could build a complete top alcohol dragster in a week, not 18 months as I did it twice after fires at the track. One time from a blown engine that burned every thing off the rear of my car, everything and another after a punctured front mounted fuel tank that burned every body panel off my car. Both times we were back on the track in one week one time and 2 weeks another.

Then I took a break from racing and sold my 49' trailer and bought a open trailer to haul a driver car on vacations behind our frieghtliner. I much prefer and enjoy pulling the open trailer over the enclosed because we can go more places and folks can see what we have on the trailer. When I haul my muscle cars we get all kinds of thumbs up and that is pretty cool instead of being asked on the CB what was in the enclosed trailer. If I was still racing then yes I would want a enclosed trailer for sure but sure do enjoy our open trailer.

Plus it easier to store and move around in the driveway at home. Never could take my enclosed trailers home, they were too big. Now I pull the rear tires off the open trailer and move it around by hand and store it in small corner of my driveway and you could not get it there with 4 tires on it. Not a big deal to pull the tires off of it.

So I have seen it all in my time.

Still have 4 of those BAE heads and 2 complete hemi short blocks and the car in my signature picture. Just waiting for me to go back racing someday. Actually I have 2 290" TADs in my shop right now, one hanging from the ceiling.

Long ago my friend and I used to race together and he used to be able to tow both of our B-Bodies. The company tow truck was a F-350 with a ramp that went up and over the cab with a tow hitch on back for the borrowed equipment trailer we used. It was fine for us for the local races that we went to. It would be nice to have an enclosed trailer some day, but I don't lack for garage space and if I go somewhere to race and break the toy, I will bring it home to fix at my leisure. I will get my own tilt-bed open trailer next year. I am too old to wrestle with ramps.

Love this tank

My Dad started his Chrysler Dealership in the 50's he put everything he had in it and then some . We had wild game almost every day of the week to eat because it was free and fur trapping paid for xmas. We were pore to say the least but had allot of fun.

I started racing at the age of 16 with a 70 barracuda I bought wrecked with money I saved from Three odd jobs. I cost me 800.00 and most of what I had saved to finish it. I pulled it with a old yellow state truck I bought with a blown engine I fixed my self.

My dad put exactly 0 dollars into my racing as a matter of fact he still to this day hates racing to this day,I worked 70 plus hrs most of my life so i can go fast and am proud of it.

Now that I'm 44 I have a little nicer stuff but you wouldn't know it by just looking at me that I started from the bottom.

I race with a guy who has Two twin screw toters, a bad Ass top sportsman car, three dragsters and lots of spares. When we were kids he he had nothing but after 25 years of 80 hr weeks he has all that and a very nice business he built from the ground up.
You would not know his story by looking at him either

There are snobby butt holes at the track with lots of stuff and money But after racing all these years I would guess it off at less than 1%

In the 70's we drive our cars the one hour drive to the track, then we updated to tow bars. Soon after i spent 450.00 dollars for an open trailer needing work. 4 years later I bought a home built trailer and sold it for the used enclosed 24 foot trailer I now have. Its on my bucket list to buy my first NEW trailer (26 foot enclosed) this Winter. An open trailer sure was a lot simpler.

its just the 1st line makes it sound like cant be leave he is using a open trailer, i dont think i would use a enclosed because i hope some kid can see the car and think it's cool

Best of both worlds!

I think Tommy Ivo had a trailer like that.

I started out having to borrow a trailer every time I needed to haul my car somewhere. Then I had a home built deal and finally a nice store bought tilt bed with a tool box on the front. I upgraded from the tilt bed to a used 30' triple axle enclosed in the early 90s and used that until 2000 when I bought a new 46' gooseneck with living quarters that I still have. Would I like to have a 500hp twin screw toter with huge living quarters and a 40ft stacker? Of course I would but it's not in the budget right now. Would that truck and trailer make me race any better or win more? Nope, but it sure would make trips to the track more comfortable. I personally don't see these big rigs as a status symbol, but more of a convenience. Lets you take your family if you wish, can haul all you need, including a street car for you or the family to get out in, if you are a long way from home. And the MOST important part to me is you never have to leave the track, nor visit the concession stand, plus you have a bathroom and a shower. Sure, I guess you can do the same thing with an open trailer, a tent, a portable stove, a bucket to crap in and wash off under the bleachbox hose. But none of that sounds like ANY fun to me.

Wow

Some mighty stupid comments on here. Actually dogging somebody because they have an open trailer......
I would wager I make more money than probably 98% of the people on here. Call it bragging, stating a fact. Call it whatever.
I only have an open trailer. I could go buy 10 new enclosed trailers tomorrow if I wanted.
I prefer an open trailer. Any truck can pull it. It's easier for me to get in and out of places, and to store, and I frankly don't race every week, maybe 6 times a year.
I feed people all the time... Right on my open trailer. Wife and I fed probably 15-20 people last time I raced at 131.
What trailer you show up with has zero to do with what parts you might bring or food you might have. I used to have a motor home. Even that got old. I prefer a motel room and not driving a tank like that around.
Even if I brought a spare engine, tranny, rearend, etc. I frankly don't care enough to to actually swap them. Just saddle up, watch and go home and fix whatever at my leisure.
Anyhow, that's my thoughts on this.... Lol

I must be missing something. I don't see anyone dogging someone for having a open trailer in this thread. Those that prefer enclosed trailers have just stated why they prefer and what works best for THEM.

It's the end of racing season on Moparts. Can't miss the chance to turn every decent thread into a pissing contest.

upon moving to the desert southwest..... we found the enclosed trailer nearly a necessity. We came from pit areas of lush grass and trees/shade and mild temperatures. Now we pit in the equivalency of a Wal Mart parking lots in the blazing sun. Another draw back along with moving is that we used to have like 1 long hill that would slow down our 1/2 ton pickup... didn't take me long to figure out a 2500 diesel was the order of the day down here. We traveled to a lot of tracks this year, and most of them we spent the night and sometimes multiple nights in the Cargo Mate inn. Car stays outside, cots go up and enclosed becomes a camper. Piss bucket? yep, we've had those. 10 dollar truck stop shower? yep...seen those a couple times. Hauling a few days food and drink.... well, lots of drink takes up space. I even have a shell on my long box pickup. I've been looking for a "steal" on an open trailer to cruise up to vegas for quick one night races, but being my "home" track is slightly over 2hrs away, the enclosed comes in quite handy. whatever it takes.... GET TO THE TRACK!

Best 5000 dollars I ever spent. 454 powered with 23000 miles when I bought it. I upgraded it to a 10,000 pound hitch and bought a used Trailer Toad to help bear the trailer weight. The fuel injected 454 tows like a dream.

What's the mileage on that gas motor home towing a trailer?.....around 6 on a good day?

I honestly don't check it or worry about it. I love towing with both it and my Dodge diesel for local races. Sleeping and napping in a motorhome is priceless to me and I can take my cat (Hemi) along for company. I write off my racing and take the standard towing rate the the Federal Government allows

23,000 miles with fuel injection, that was a steal. Looks like its in great shape. Agree that the MPG wont be very good, but hey that price can make up for it for awhile.

Open trailer here, considered closed, but for as much as I race. My open gets used for a whole lot of other stuff. Wouldn't mind having both, could use the extra storage. Cant ever go without my open though.

Just wondering......know it can't be good. Doubt it's too good on just the motorhome by itself. I know I was looking at something similar a couple years ago to pull a small display trailer to the races I go to and have a place to stay as well as carry some inventory. Many warned me to stay away from the gas burners because of the fuel mileage

My first motorhome (c class) had a 400 Chevy in it and was 23 foot long. Towed good gas mileage so so. My second was a 27 foot class c 27 footer and was terrible both power and gas mileage (460 ford). This one is a class A FI 454 with overdrive. This ones a 25 footer and has the most power and appears to get the best movie leave as I can feather the gas peddle. I run the 4000 watt Onan gererater which feeds off the fuel tank so gas mileage figures are affected. I vacation and camp too so it pays big dividends. My Sons also found one for 5000.00 but it's a 33 footer diesel with less power

Practically new condition for $5K VS even a good deal on a similar shape diesel pusher = unless you race for a living you won't likely live long enough to burn the gas the difference would buy.

Kevin

I started with a 18' open trailer when I was by myself, moved up to a 24' enclosed, sold it and a year later bought another 24' enclosed to replace the old one. Got the woman interested in racing so I bought a 53' enclosed for both cars, sold that after I sold my car and got a 32' enclosed.
I like the enclosed cause when I am done racing I pull into the drive and go to bed. Nothing needs unloaded, most everything stays in the trailer from race to race even the mattress we sleep on stays in there. Car has a Nice storage place year around also.
I still have the open trailer and would NOT sell it for anything as it works great for short trips or to haul junk.

Love it !!! that is giving me some idea's for mine



Found my trailer as an old flat top at a friends place, was owned by a guy that owed ( for a year) my friend $800, I paid my friend and told him to tell the guy I had his trailer

24' enclosed CargoMate here. Best 6K I ever spent. Car and all the crap that goes with it has it's own space. I bought it new in 2002 for like $6,100 bucks. It's great for moving really anything. Roll it in and shut the door. Tires are a pain in the ass. Hate when they blow up. I carry two spares and used 'em both coming back from Seattle this year.

Yes it is very nice to have a MH at the races, especially having a clean bathroom and shower to use.

I bought this in 2002 and it was used with 4400 miles on it and about 4 months old. It was sold new with a 51' wideside mini semi and both were custom painted red. I only bought the toterhome from Don Pedon who sold it new to someone in west virgina. Someone else got the 51' trailer as I already had the 49' gold rush. The original owner traded it back in for a diesel pusher and a stacker trailer and Don sold me the toterhome. I saw it when it was new fresh back from the paint shop at Dons place months earlier.

I bought it used sight unseen and was delivered to me at Indy during a NHRA race there. I saw the rig when it was new, just did not look at it a second time before agreeing to buy it from Don.

It has a $10,000 optional Cat motor in it that makes 505Hp and 1550 torque with a double overdrive full auto trans. Air ride and long WB rides really nice. This why I have not sold it or traded in for something bigger, awesome truck to drive.

It will get double digit fuel mileage pulling a open trailer and got way better mileage than my 454 dually with 4:56 gears pulling my 49' trailer. I haul everything including 2 kitchen sinks, one in the trailer and one in the toterhome. Also has 125 gals fresh water and the grey and black holding tanks, 8K diesel genset that runs off the 200 gallons of diesel road fuel we carry. Inverter, 2 TVs and much more. My wife and I have been traveling in it for 10 years now strictly for vacations now. We live in it full time for up to 2 weeks at a time while on the road. She has traveled all the way to Sacramento without getting out of the truck for 3 days. Neither of us has used a public bathroom in over 10 years while traveling. I pull our open trailer all over the country up to 85mph and you don't even notice the trailer back there because the truck was built to haul lots more.

Been to all these states with it now, 37 of them always pulling a trailer.We added Arkansas 2 weeks ago when we when to Branson Mo.

I wish I can still use a towbar... Race car is full of all expensive race crap.my next race car is going to be user friendly from a stick trans to street tires...

Nothing wrong with them If I had room for it I would still have mine. i towed all over with mine including the Mopar Nats in 92. I upgraded to an enclosed back in 2000 and its the best thing I ever did. My D150 and Dart both fit in it ( not at same time) and one stays in for the winter as its another garage. An enclosed is great for traveling as everything is locked up and dry if it rains. At my local track we have reserved parking/ pit spots many guys including myself leave our cars/ trailers at the track for the season having the enclosed everything is locked up tight and I dont have to tow back and forth every week.I know a few guys that dont have space at home for their enclosed trailers, they leave them at the track year round and use their open to take the car home when they need to.

I started with a tow bar. Borrowed a friend's trailer one day, that was it, I had to have a trailer. Bought a homemade open trailer in 1979 and still have it. Pulled it with whatever pick up or Suburban thing I had at the time. I always wanted an enclosed trailer, if for nothing else, to have a place to get out of the weather at the track. Maybe one of these days........

I know a guy who used to take his restored show cars to the Mopars at the Strip, and other car events on the west coast with an enclosed trailer. He had people attempt to steal both the truck and trailer from the hotel parking lot, and on another occasion they got the trailer unhooked from the truck and pushed back a couple feet before giving up and leaving it there without finishing the task. Enclosed car trailers all look the same to Joe Public so driving off in a casual manner with one that you just stole is probably pretty easy to do. Act like it's yours and nobody suspects any different.

I remember going to the racetrack with relatives when I was little and nobody but the jet cars and alcohol funny cars had enclosed trailers. It was cool to see all the working class guy's race cars on open trailers lined up at the gate. This is back when most dedicated drag cars had unique names painted on the sides, and before you could buy a fiberglass cowl induction hood for any Mopar car.

My first tow vehicle (72 Cutlass Supreme Coupe) and my 500.00 open trailer

Then I found a nice 1976 Dodge van and pulled the 318 and built a very nice 360 with some slightly modified 340 heads, LD340, after market cam, 650 double pump carb, and some headers. I finally had a nice bed to sleep in at the track and more than enough power to get there.

Punching way above your weight Pittsburgh

Duster looks so tuff behind the Dodge van.

My race car insurance requires an enclosed trailer.

Not everyone has the space for an enclosed trailer...
Ive for a good friend that's had an open trailer for 20 years, that I never knew he had....
It's covered up under a tree at his house. No room for a big enclosed trailer...
Also not everyone is a big time racer, some tools, cans of race has and a few supplies is all that may be needed.

I do not race as much as many of you. I have an open trailer & most tracks I go to are within 75 miles. That being said, the next trailer i buy will be an enclosed. They are much more convenient for storage of cars,tools,etc. and I'm getting where i don't like spending the extra time loading and unloading the truck & trailer. However, I won't be buying a six figure motor home to tow it