I am interested in purchasing a small trailer to carry my tires and tools back and forth to the track. I would be connecting this to the back of my E36 M3 Coupe. I know several active club members use them. What brand did people purchase? Where did they purchase them from? How did they connect them? What problems should I be aware of?
Sincerely,
Greg Field
1997 Boston Green M3 Coupe
Wanted: Trailer Advice
-
BJerolimic
- Posts: 747
- Joined: Wed Sep 15, 2004 2:24 pm
- Location: Glen Ridge, NJ . . . . . . '98 318ti - '01 M5 - '08 X5
Harbor Freight is were I plan on getting my trailer for the same reason as you
need to get e a hitch setup for a regular e36 and cut into your M3 bumper though I believe. I plan on getting mine from here:
http://www.etrailer.com/vehicle-finder. ... l=3+Series
need to get e a hitch setup for a regular e36 and cut into your M3 bumper though I believe. I plan on getting mine from here:
http://www.etrailer.com/vehicle-finder. ... l=3+Series
and gone but not forgotten:
'00 323Ci Steel Grey / Black Dinan & UUC & Schnitzer mods
'89 325iX Diamond Black / Black 4dr 5spd Dinan chip, Ireland exhaust, H&R+Koni
'01 525iTa
Get a HF trailer with 12" or larger wheels, not the 8" wheels, to make wheel bearings live longer. Most small trailers take a 1-7/8" ball so don't forget to get one for your ball mount.
You will need a tail light adapter to operate the 2 element trailer lights with your car's 3 element tail light system. An isolated adapter that powers the trailer directly from the battery using the car's wiring only for logic will run you $40 or less. Installation takes an hour or less. I usually zip tie the adapter behind some trunk trim and run the trailer wire right out the trunk between the trunklid and gasket.
I bet someone can host a TrailerFest before the autocross season starts.
Typical trailer light adapter
http://www.hitchsource.com/to-wire-powe ... 29519.html
You will need a tail light adapter to operate the 2 element trailer lights with your car's 3 element tail light system. An isolated adapter that powers the trailer directly from the battery using the car's wiring only for logic will run you $40 or less. Installation takes an hour or less. I usually zip tie the adapter behind some trunk trim and run the trailer wire right out the trunk between the trunklid and gasket.
I bet someone can host a TrailerFest before the autocross season starts.
Typical trailer light adapter
http://www.hitchsource.com/to-wire-powe ... 29519.html
Greg,
A few of us have this harbor freight trailer.
http://goo.gl/kCuE
You can routinely find it on sale for under $200, and if you sign up for the mailing list they often have 20% off coupons. Be sure to get the one with 12" wheels, rather than 8". It's worked "alright" so far. One downside is they use a custom (or rare) bearing, so you need to order those + grease seals through HF, rather than a regular trailer supply store.
On mine, I am able to fit 4 225 width tires in between the outer frame rails (if you look at the picture, the wheels drop into the space between the rear cross member and the middle cross member, without falling through). Any wider, and they would need to be up higher. I have seen people put a full plywood deck and have two pipes sticking straight up and you drop the wheels over (through the center cap area).
At the end of the day, though, it's still a $200 bolt-together trailer that needs some tweaking to make it work for our purposes.
Depending on what hitch options are available for the e36, you might able to get something a little heavier. If I had to do it again, and my hitch supported it, I would get a 4x6 trailer from Tractor Supply Co. that was fully welded and with easy-to-find replacement parts. They had one with a steel mesh floor that would allow you to carry two sets of wheels, or alternatively strap down more supplies. (I don't see it on their website right now, but have seen it in the store recently for ~$350-400. Sort of like this, but without the rear gate and tilt: http://goo.gl/a7jbe). Even with my current trailer, packing up at the end of the weekend is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle about how to get everything to fit just right.
Chris
A few of us have this harbor freight trailer.
http://goo.gl/kCuE
You can routinely find it on sale for under $200, and if you sign up for the mailing list they often have 20% off coupons. Be sure to get the one with 12" wheels, rather than 8". It's worked "alright" so far. One downside is they use a custom (or rare) bearing, so you need to order those + grease seals through HF, rather than a regular trailer supply store.
On mine, I am able to fit 4 225 width tires in between the outer frame rails (if you look at the picture, the wheels drop into the space between the rear cross member and the middle cross member, without falling through). Any wider, and they would need to be up higher. I have seen people put a full plywood deck and have two pipes sticking straight up and you drop the wheels over (through the center cap area).
At the end of the day, though, it's still a $200 bolt-together trailer that needs some tweaking to make it work for our purposes.
Depending on what hitch options are available for the e36, you might able to get something a little heavier. If I had to do it again, and my hitch supported it, I would get a 4x6 trailer from Tractor Supply Co. that was fully welded and with easy-to-find replacement parts. They had one with a steel mesh floor that would allow you to carry two sets of wheels, or alternatively strap down more supplies. (I don't see it on their website right now, but have seen it in the store recently for ~$350-400. Sort of like this, but without the rear gate and tilt: http://goo.gl/a7jbe). Even with my current trailer, packing up at the end of the weekend is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle about how to get everything to fit just right.
Chris
1996 318ti - Street
1989 325is - Track
1988 M3 - Garage
2005 Expedition - Tow