I'm going back and forth on the idea of flat towing or getting a trailer. If I get a trailer I will need to get a tow a larger vehicle. I truly dislike driving most trucks and SUV's as daily drivers due to my commute over twisty mountain roads. My driveway is not too trailer freindly as well. However I have plenty of room for a trailer.

So I can flat tow with my Audi A4 or sell the Audi and get a sports ute or car with more towing capacity. Biggest problem I see is that all the vehicles I would consider driving have a maximum towing capacity of 3500 lbs. I think that might be cutting it close once I get trailer fully load with the 914, tools etc. Is anyone towing a 914 and trailer with smaller SUV like a BMW x3 or a bigger station wagon?

Man this whole race car thing is a commitment!

I dragged my 914, across the county on a uhaul trailer with a Honda Pilot. That vehicle has a 3500# towing capacity , and it was just fine in mountains and such!
got about 15 MPG towing
Just my $0.02

ive towed with a small nissan exterra....

all of 170 hp LOL

I like enclosed trailers. I can put a car flat towing a 914 in my trailer.
:PERMAGRIN: Joe

I have been towing my 3500 pound boat with my 01 Nissan Pathfinder, it has a 5000 pound towing capacity. It tows very well, I've gone to the FL Keys and back from Atl, GA several times, 1600 miles round trip no sweat. I can get 18 mpg around town if I take it easy, non towing.

QUOTE (Joe Sharp @ Mar 24 2006, 01:17 PM)

I like enclosed trailers. I can put a car flat towing a 914 in my trailer. :PERMAGRIN: Joe

rofl joe!!!

My bud's truck worked real good. Found out later that a friend at work has a trailor and I could have saved the Uhual rental fees.

I've been thinking about this one a while. I'm going with the flat tow route for a number of reasons. Pretty much all of them financially motivated.

Pros for a trailer:

1) You don't need to swap wheels at the event, just roll off the trailer.
2) Plenty of room for gear, tools, tires etc. And they don't stink up your ride home...
3) Peace of mind that if you have a major off or suspension failure, you can still get the car home.

Cons:

1) Gas costs for twoing a big ol' trailer with a big ol truck go way up.
2) Storage of the trailer when you're not using it.
3) And unless your truck is also your DD, increased costs for extra insurance. And if it is your DD, higher gas costs from decreased milage.

Pros for flat towing:

1) Don't need to store a big trailer anywhere, tow bar folds up and stores in the garage with ease.
2) Pretty much any modern sedan and/or wagon with some guts can tow comfortably.
3) Cheaper. Don't need to buy a $1500 trailer and truck to haul it with.

Cons:

-pretty much opposite of the pros for the trailer-...

1) Still have to swap wheels at the event.
2) Most of your gear will still need to ride in the car with you.
3) If you have an "off" or suspension failure, you may need to bum a tow from someone....


Choices... Keeping the money outlays low, I went with flat towing. My Volvo wagon has plenty of beans to tow with, and lots of storage space in back. That, and I really don't have a place to park a trailer. Remains to be seen how long that'll work out. But that's the route I decided to go with...

-Josh2

you need this!!!

Or get yourself a tow dolly. If something does break at one of the axles you can flip the car around.

On the subject of trailering...

Where do the tie-down straps attach on the front & back of the 914?

QUOTE (Headrage @ Mar 24 2006, 01:49 PM)

Or get yourself a tow dolly. If something does break at one of the axles you can flip the car around.

I was thinking a tow dolly might be a good compromise option.

QUOTE (grantsfo @ Mar 24 2006, 02:09 PM)

QUOTE (Headrage @ Mar 24 2006, 01:49 PM) Or get yourself a tow dolly.  If something does break at one of the axles you can flip the car around. I was thinking a tow dolly might be a good compromise option.

I've only had my car on a trailer twice. The rest of the time (which have been many ) I've used a dolly.

Doesn't take up alot of space and I can move it around alot easier that a trailer.

I've had bad experiences with a tow dolly (have the dents to show for it too...). So I wasn't even considering it for this plan.

pro: You can usually tow home even if you get broken.

con: Maneuvering with one can be tricky, and if the stops fail (like mine did) you can wind up driving the dolly fender (or tire) into the side of your 914...

Either flat towing or dolly towing have one BIG downside. You -can't- reverse. Forward only....

A great tow vehicle would be the early '90's Buick Roadmaster though. No one really wants 'em that much. They're pretty ugly IMHO. But they've got the full blown Vette drivetrain. And get surprisingly good mileage. Cavernous too. Same car as the Imaplla SS, but in a wagon form... Yeah, I've thought about that one a little... Kinda cool, like a hearse almost, but not quite...

-Josh2

My 03 Dakota Quad Cab does just fine.

Flat tow.

Your Audi could pull the 914....no problem

total cost for tow bracket, tow bar and lights around $200. Empi superbeetle or drawtite tow bar.
Nothing to store

Hook up to one of these in two minutes and you are on the road.

my old tow vechicle. 1990 chevy 350 dually. Picked it up for $9500, low mileage. Never an issue....Next one(still looking) Mechcanically restored 60-70's gm truck...$5000-7500 done...But this time flat tow, or a custom short trailer to just fit a 914.. The old traile was a pain around the house..

You've seen my rig


KT

3500 for the truck. 800 + sweat equity for the trailer.
460 auto w/90k mi.....12-13 mpg towing....or not

QUOTE (J P Stein @ Mar 24 2006, 07:55 PM)

3500 for the truck. 800 + sweat equity for the trailer. 460 auto w/90k mi.....12-13 mpg towing....or not

That one might fine looking car ya got there...

Here is my car behind Brad's truck, not that it helps you any. I also have a '02 Yukon...Love It!



-Britain

Hey, it's the p!ss and sh!t parade.



LOL

j/k

I can't talk too much, I have one of them piss yeller teeners, but it sits on jackstands. At least you can drive yours.

Tom

QUOTE (Tom Perso @ Mar 24 2006, 08:21 PM)

Hey, it's the p!ss and sh!t parade. LOL j/k I can't talk too much, I have one of them piss yeller teeners, but it sits on jackstands. At least you can drive yours. Tom

Actually...his car is currently on jackstands also. However, it is getting a LSD and rebuilt suspension.

-Britain

OK, so it ain't too stylish....nor close, but cheep & gets the job done. The money goes into the pee colored thingy.
I hauled it down to Sacramento last spring & got a long distance ass kickin'......life in the slow lane

I guess a good question in all this is, how many events do you plan on going to each season. The more you go the more a tow vehicle and a nice trailer might be worth it. If you plan on going to 10 or fewer events per year then flat towing might be a better way to go.

If you flat tow you will need a second set of tires and wheels, at least for the front.
Just about any small suv will pull a small trailer just big enough for a 914.
But as you said not as much fun as a daily driver as the Audi.

This is a real dilema, especially when you have a car that will not be the most street friendly... Although I drove my 914-6 to every TT and AX for 5 years.
And I had a very aggressive suspension. 40IDAs and completely gutted sport muffler. got kind of buzzy driving to TH or BW.

you could try flat towing for a while for very little $$$ outlay. If it doesn't work the way you want it to, you can always upgrade to a trailer.
The bracket and tow bar would be an easy sale on this board

I drag enough rusty 914s home to necessitate a trailer, but the real reason that I have one is for track events. If my V8 car breaks, it is not worth messing with at the track. I am long passed tinkering between runs. I built a trailer specifically for my 914s. The link to the thread about trailers is Here.

With that said, if you only do occasional track events or want to bring your 914 along on a trip. WCC, MUSR, Red Rock, etc. I make a tow bar interface bracket that is listed in the Resourses section of the site. I find both reasonable solutions.

The tow dolley seems to be a resonable solution as a hybrid between the bar and the trailer. It is however not a versatile as a trailer and not as compact as a bar.

I feel that if you have the space and the resources, go with a trailer. If you will only use it occasionally or don't have the funds, go with a bar. If you are leaning towards a tow dolley, save up a little more cash and get the trailer.

QUOTE (Dan (Almaden Valley) @ Mar 24 2006, 08:35 PM)

I guess a good question in all this is, how many events do you plan on going to each season. The more you go the more a tow vehicle and a nice trailer might be worth it. If you plan on going to 10 or fewer events per year then flat towing might be a better way to go. If you flat tow you will need a second set of tires and wheels, at least for the front. Just about any small suv will pull a small trailer just big enough for a 914. But as you said not as much fun as a daily driver as the Audi. This is a real dilema, especially when you have a car that will not be the most street friendly... Although I drove my 914-6 to every TT and AX for 5 years. And I had a very aggressive suspension. 40IDAs and completely gutted sport muffler. got kind of buzzy driving to TH or BW. you could try flat towing for a while for very little $$$ outlay. If it doesn't work the way you want it to, you can always upgrade to a trailer. The bracket and tow bar would be an easy sale on this board

I will probably do 10 events this year. I have all the flat tow equipment from David and the Empi bar. My 914 still has stock valance so I need to figure out which style air dam will work. Picked up a trailer hitch for the Audi this week too. Guess I'll give flat tow a shot. I need to find some cheap 5 lug wheels and tires to put on the 914. I have the tow light setup too, but after reading your post on wiring the car I'm rethinking how I will do lights.

The 914 is street legal still so I could drive it to events. I will probably just drive it to Marina AX's since I'm only 40 minutes away.

I appreciate everyones feedback. I have a sense that I will eventually just buy a beater truck to tow a trailer.

Man towing anything through the Santa Cruz with a small tow vehicle is dangerous...I'd get a full size 1/2 ton with a trailer with brakes....I drove a low boy (tractor trailer) through those mountains for years. You'll save a lot of money on brakes and have a lot less ass puckering with full size p/u....just my old experienced opinion.

L

Even towing my car on the trailer behind my F-350 was freaky on Highway 17.

Even scarier on the tow dolly.


KT

QUOTE (grantsfo @ Mar 25 2006, 08:06 AM)

QUOTE (Dan (Almaden Valley) @ Mar 24 2006, 08:35 PM) I guess a good question in all this is, how many events do you plan on going to each season.  The more you go the more a tow vehicle and a nice trailer might be worth it.  If you plan on going to 10 or fewer events per year then flat towing might be a better way to go. If you flat tow you will need a second set of tires and wheels, at least for the front. Just about any small suv will pull a small trailer just big enough for a 914. But as you said not as much fun as a daily driver as the Audi. This is a real dilema, especially when you have a car that will not be the most street friendly...   Although I drove my 914-6 to  every TT and AX for 5 years. And I had a very aggressive suspension.   40IDAs and completely gutted sport muffler.  got kind of buzzy driving to TH or BW.  :wacko: you could try flat towing for a while for very little $$$ outlay.  If it doesn't work the way you want it to, you can always upgrade to a trailer. The bracket and tow bar would be an easy sale on this board I will probably do 10 events this year. I have all the flat tow equipment from David and the Empi bar. My 914 still has stock valance so I need to figure out which style air dam will work. Picked up a trailer hitch for the Audi this week too. Guess I'll give flat tow a shot. I need to find some cheap 5 lug wheels and tires to put on the 914. I have the tow light setup too, but after reading your post on wiring the car I'm rethinking how I will do lights. The 914 is street legal still so I could drive it to events. I will probably just drive it to Marina AX's since I'm only 40 minutes away. I appreciate everyones feedback. I have a sense that I will eventually just buy a beater truck to tow a trailer.

Grant,
in my pics I use an LE style front valence and there are no issues with interference.
You can use a stock style valence but will need to notch it where the torsion tube cover was before the bracket install. If you have a "real" steel front valence then I would remove it and spend the small amount for a LE style.

Yep, fiberglass LE air dams are/were $89 at HPH.

mine is attatched with dzus fasteners.

Here's the best case tow dolly scenario


KT

Towing anything behind another vehicle can be interesting

Remember you have something behind you. And adjust your driving style and speed accordingly.

I have been towing trailers of various kinds including RVs of over 15,000 pounds for over 35 years and have never had any problems. Not just what your tow vehicle is, but how it is set up have a major impact on the safety of your rig, and the comfort you feel behind the wheel.
I have driven everything from 914s to 18 wheelers and the comfort behind the wheel is always directly related to how the tow vehicle was set up and maintained.

Grant - here is my deal - drive the car to the events and have a $100 premium membership with AAA - allows up to 100 miles free tows - gets you home from most tracks - Infineon and Laguna - a little challenging from Thunderhill -works for me for 5 - 8 events a year and I did not have to use it yet - most race tires are DOT approved - so no problem to drive on public roads/freeways - and while driving on normal roads the wear and tear on your race tires is not that great to justify the pain in the ass of hauling tires around. All the tools you need fit in the trunk of the 914 - and as far as I remember your interior wouldn't suffer too much.
I hate towing !!!

For all its worth....my 2 cents....

Yeah, but I sure wouldn't want to drive over 100 miles on public roads on Hoosiers. Especially if it rains....

-Josh2

QUOTE

You've seen my rig

Wanta race my new one?

QUOTE

Wanta race my new one?

Yes!

We can run our "other" car at a PCA a/x.
Big diesels going head to head. I love it.


KT

My 2000 4Runner worked well with a lighter (and cheaper) open deck tandem. The brake controller made it really easy. I did have to get beefier rear shocks for the sag. Total weight was less than 3500. Pulled nicely up to 75 and pulled fine up hill.

It took me awhile to find a cheaper trailer than what you can get in the BA, but I got a NEW custom lowered, tandem, steel, 6 ft ramp, with single brake for about $1750. No clearance issues even with a front Trekkor style sweeper valence. Sold it 3 years later for $1600.

2000 4Runners can be gotten fairly cheaply considering what you get for it.

My $0.02

QUOTE

You've seen my rig

Here is a shot for those who haven't.

Long ramps store under the car.
Loads of room for tools, air tank, jack and spares in the job box welded to the tongue.
*ALL* my other things fit in the bed and cab of the truck.


KT