Toy hauler or travel trailer towing with an A2?

[Cold Warrior]

This is a bit complex for a first post, but judging by the results of the searches I did on this site I think I'll have good luck finding the answers to my questions.

First, I'm going to need a truck of some sort to deliver building and landscape stuff to the land that I own in SoCal and also haul dirt away. The anticipated loads would be well within the Deuce's capabilities. The cool factor of pulling up to the local Lowes loading area in an M35A can't be discounted.

Second, I would also like to use the truck to somehow transport my Porsche Boxster to the track. The trip from where I currently live to the 2 race tracks that I go to is between 90 to 120 freeway miles with some up and down hill driving. Again, the cool factor would make up for the lack of creature comforts. Whether the Boxster would be loaded on the bed or trailered is a point I'd like to discuss.

Third, I finally found a 1 year contract job after being unemployed for 2 months and it is located in the San Jose (NorCal) area. Instead of renting an apartment I'm looking into buying either a travel trailer or a toy hauler to live in. After the contract is up I would move the trailer to the property in SoCal and live there.

Items 2 and 3 get intertwined because it would be great if I could take both the Boxster and the trailer to the track. BTW, there is a track in NorCal that I would go to and it's about 90 miles from the job location.

So, the potential options as I see them (assuming a Deuce would work) would be to:

a) Put the Boxster on the bed (ramps, lift, something) and get a regular travel trailer with a ball hitch.

b) Put the Boxster in a toy hauler and tow the combined package. The toy haulers that have the garage length to accommodate the Boxster's length are fifth wheel types.

c) Forget about the travel trailer and tow the Boxster on a trailer.

d) Tow the trailer to the trakc and have someone drive the Boxster to the track.

Some numbers: Boxster is 2800 lb with fuel, tools are about 200 lb, travel trailer GVWR is about 12,000 lb, toy hauler GVWR is about 16,000 lb, I weigh 200 lb.

So, will a Deuce work? I couldn't find anything on this site that talked about adapting a 5th wheel setup that would work with a toy hauler. Obviously both the travel trailer and the toy hauler would have their own brake system. I read the one involved thread about ramps to load small 4x4s onto the bed, but I would have ramp ingress and egress clearance issues with the Boxster.

If I'm forced to get a more conventional truck (read $$$) to do the track thing then I would still get a Deuce for the stuff hauling and the occasional off roading in the Sierras. Plus, I think it would be worth the purchase price to valet park the beast at the Beverly Wilshire hotel for drinks and dancing.

Great site you guys have here, it's going to eat up a lot of my time wandering though it.

Thanks,

CW

 

[zb39]

Go for the toy hauler.....its nice to have a place to sit around in at the track.

 

[Flea]

I think you should double-check on the ratings for that toy hauler. While I don't doubt that it may handle a pretty good load, I wonder if nearly 3000 lbs hanging over the rear of the axles will be too much for the frame? Crawl underneath a camper and take a look at the frame and you'll see what I mean.

You might be better suited to go for a M109 shop van to use for hauling/tools/etc. and pull a regular car hauler for the track, then a separate camper for the trips. Buy a used car hauler for about $1000 and you'll EASILY make up the difference in what a good 30 ft. bumper-pull camper vs. a toy hauler big enough to haul that Porsche would cost (read: $45K+)

Around here, you can get a good new or relatively new camper, close to 30 foot (27-32 ft) for around $14-16K, with decent options. Step up in scale a little and you're still under $20k all said and done. The RV industry is struggling right now, and I've heard of people getting 30-40% off of MSRP.

Good luck!

 

[M1075]

I would stay away from trying to get the Porsche in the duece. You will be better off with a trailer. There was some recent discussion on toy haulers. Check out this post:

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/conversations/32129-question-about-m911.html#post344748

 

[StreetbikeDepot]

I agree that having a place to get in out of the sun at the track is nice. I have a 20ft Pace Shadow that I use (motorcycle roadracing) with A/C and heat, tool boxes, TV, Microwave, etc. But pulling it behind a duece would be painfully slow if you had to travel very far at all.

After an 8hr Endurance at TWS in the sweltering heat, the LAST think I want to do is drive anywhere in a duece. Roadracing puts a beating on my body, not sure that I could handle pulling the race trailer behind a truck with no power steering in the summer with no A/C after my ass is whore out from tossing a bike around a track all day.

Keep the duece at the house and enjoy it on nice sunday afternoons, and buy you pull truck for the toy hauler. Heck if you have a CDL you can pick up a nice enough OTR truck reasonable right now, I've been tempted myself lately.

 

[goldneagle]

Here is an idea, get the electronic shelter that can sit in the bed of the Deuce. That way you can remove it when you want to use the Deuce to haul materials. You can then tow the Boxster behind it in a trailer.

 

[yellobronc]

Also, Remember the duece is only rated for 10K on a ball hitch, Im not sure you would be able to towdolly a fifth wheel large enough to accomodate your car and be within the legal weight with your duece. Also Remember, the duece will require a class B commercial license in California. That may cause problems with your desire to run down to Lowes, Home Depot etc and haul. If you have commercial license already, it wont matter then...Party ON!!!!