When is your first event? I mean you could hold off buying a trailer until you find the right one. All else fails just rent one from U-Haul if you have not found one by the first event.

All 3.2%. I still want the debt gone of course.

The first race is the last weekend in January...I'll drive the Miata down there one last time. After that, the next "travel event" is April or May.

It's lighter, easier to turn, it's lighter, I'm only pulling a 2225lb car, it's lighter, single axle tires last longer than dual axle tires while being chepaer to replace 2 than 4, and ideally it will have a tandem axle.

Then you got plenty of time to find a trailer.

Here's a good one, lol:
http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/pts/2726342727.html

I am not understanding that last part.

I have been looking to possibly make a single axle trailer based off of a Dexter Torflex axle to eliminate the need for leaf springs and the axle mounts directly to the trailer frame. It makes it a super simple design. Plus you can use rectangular tube frame rather than C channel to save a fair amount of weight. I think you could make it for around $800 with the axle/brakes.

Something like this with better tires and axle suspension. From the looks of it, it is a simple axle with no leaf spring or torsion axle.

http://www.racingjunk.com/Open-Car-A...r-trailer.html

I don't really know what I'm talking about, I was told that a tandem would help to get the car lower and provide a suspension.

Do you want to make two? Seriously.

I may think about it if you are real sweet on me. We have that steel deck double axle trailer that weighs about 2100lbs and is pretty damn big. I may build a new one since Michael will be towing his own car now and that would be much more manageable. I'll let you know how the first one goes if I build it and what we can do.

I'd rather get what I want and give a friend some money for his time than get a janky Craigslist trailer, and maybe take advantage of a bulk buy if we're looking at building two trailers.

BTW, that VVT engine John bought from you is sitting in my garage. :)

You'll be fine towing with that van. Just make sure you take it out of over drive.

I would strongly suggest a dual axle trailer because it will keep your car from bouncing around so much. The majority of the suspension in the trailer is in the tires, so don't go buying shitty car tires or something.

But on the other hand, you are only towing a miata so...

Why can't I tow in overdrive? I've always heard of this problem, but never driven a vehicle sensitive to it.

Well you ended up with it one way or another, lol.

Because it will down shift and up shift constantly creating heat and cooking the clutches and the fluid.

Aha! The overdrive issue with Ford and Chevy is a bottle-neck with trans fluid pump flow. I suppose a trans temp gauge will help me out.

I wouldn't worry about it too much, just take it out of over drive. You're not going to be towing huge amounts. My buddy towed his jeep with big tires on a steel dual axle trailer with an expedition that had the 4.6 and it did fine.

You can leave it in OD until you come to a hill. Before you get to the hill, turn off OD. If it's a short uphill followed by a flat area then another hill, leave it in OD the whole time. Once everything is flat again, put it back in OD.
Minor grades can remain in OD. You'll get a feel for what conditions will make it downshift after driving it a bit. The key is to keep the trans in one gear or the other instead of allowing it to shift constantly.

If the van has a tow package, then it will already have a trans cooler.

Thanks. I don't know why I assumed the little heat exchanger was an oil cooler. Any thoughts on enlarging and ducting it? What about an oil cooler? I ask because I have spares from my old, failed attempts.

I'm looking forward to the progress. I find a panel van to be second only to a short bus in terms of combination of practical and low-priced towing options that are able to accomodate partying.

One of these days I may purchase a vehicle worth more than 2-weeks pay (1 paycheck). However, I seriously doubt it.