Trailers for Hauling a Healey info wanted

After 7 years of a complete "frame-up" restoration(new frame),I'm thinking I would like to haul my BJ8 to Healey events instead of driving it there (my wife's back isn't what it used to be for long Healey trips).

Trailer Tow Car: 2010 Tahoe with Trailer towing package. Is this car good enough to do the job?

I've been told that a 16/17' x 8.5 foot trailer is probably the best "size" to use. The 8' 6" width trailers are low to the ground and I won't need long ramps to get the Healey on/off the trailer per the trailer salesman. This info was provided by both new trailer salesman, trailer rental salesman and a couple of Healey people. I'm not looking for a "race car hauler trailer" so I can go with the basic enclosed trailer. I haven't found any used trailers that meet these specs yet and new ones are $$5500.00 plus equipment(straps, etc.).

Anybody have pics of their set up to post?

I welcome all comments on experience, etc., with trailering the big Healey's.

Patrick , A "race car" type with the drop down door/ramp also has a beavertail deck which is a must for a Healey's low ground clearance. A cargo type trailer has too sharp an angle to bring the car up without fouling it on the edge. You'll be able to drive the car up and in , then be able to open the driver's door to exit. Kevin

Brinkerhoff said:

Patrick , A "race car" type with the drop down door/ramp also has a beavertail deck which is a must for a Healey's low ground clearance. A cargo type trailer has too sharp an angle to bring the car up without fouling it on the edge. You'll be able to drive the car up and in , then be able to open the driver's door to exit. Kevin

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Kevin, Here's what I was looking at but only shorter(16/17/18). The platform is 18" in height. I believe Race Car trailers are similar spec'd but the interiors of those trailers are tricked out(cabinets, AC, etc.).
https://www.continentalcargotrailer.com/default.asp?page=models&unit=valueauto&choice=home
The "Value Hauler" salesman was very specific that the 8.5 wide trailer would have a low platform for me to drive the Healey up into it.
Thanks for your input!

Patrick67BJ8 said:

Kevin, Here's what I was looking at but only shorter(16/17/18). The platform is 18" in height. I believe Race Car trailers are similar spec'd but the interiors of those trailers are tricked out(cabinets, AC, etc.).
https://www.continentalcargotrailer.com/default.asp?page=models&unit=valueauto&choice=home
The "Value Hauler" salesman was very specific that the 8.5 wide trailer would have a low platform for me to drive the Healey up into it.
Thanks for your input!

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Kevin, Here's the trailer I was looking at. It's a race trailer with "no frills".
https://www.wacobill.com/Value_Haulers.html

Patrick,

Last summer I borrowed a trailer from a fellow in the club to haul my bare chassis to the blaster. It is made for Healeys (I don't know the builder), so is low and has tandem axles. I had an interesting experience with it. The space between my two garage buildings is tight, so I had to unhitch the trailer from my truck and manually turn it around. In order to turn a tandem axle trailer in a tight spot, you need to crank the trailer jack up very high so the front wheels of the trailer lift off the ground, but in so doing the tail of the trailer just about hits the ground, and indeed drags on anything but the most level pavement, making it very difficult to move. Just something to consider. It is only an issue if you will ever find yourself manually pushing the trailer around. So you might want to find the best compromise between trailer height and ramp length so the trailer is not too low to maneuver.

Patrick67BJ8 said:

Trailer Tow Car: 2010 Tahoe with Trailer towing package. Is this car good enough to do the job?

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The label on the Tahoe driver's door jamb should give you a Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR). That's the maximum allowed weight of the tow vehicle and whatever is being towed.

From Motor Trend's Truck Trend website: Trailer towing maximum (lb / kg): 2WD: 8,400 / 3810 (5.3L with HD towing pkg.); 4WD: 8,200 / 3720 (5.3L with HD towing pkg.)
Read more: https://www.trucktrend.com/features..._weights_capacities_towing.html#ixzz3RrMiuivd

This rating assumes the hitch is rated for at least 8,400 lbs. If your hitch is rated for 5,000 lbs, then that's the maximum you can tow.

The curb weight of a BJ8 is suppose to be 2,550 lbs (Moss catalog). Subtract that from 8,200 lbs leaves 5,650 lbs for everything else, including the trailer. If the hitch is rated for 5,000 lbs, subtract 2,550 from that and the trailer needs to be less than 2,450 lbs.

Patrick67BJ8 said:

Kevin, Here's the trailer I was looking at. It's a race trailer with "no frills".
https://www.wacobill.com/Value_Haulers.html

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Your hitch will need to be rated for at least 8,000 lbs with that 4,000-lb trailer.

How does a 16 foot trailer weigh 4000 pounds? That spec can't be right.

That is exactly what I use Patrick.

Brinkerhoff said:

That is exactly what I use Patrick.

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Please clarify "exactly what you use"?

John Turney said:

The label on the Tahoe driver's door jamb should give you a Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR). That's the maximum allowed weight of the tow vehicle and whatever is being towed.

From Motor Trend's Truck Trend website: Trailer towing maximum (lb / kg): 2WD: 8,400 / 3810 (5.3L with HD towing pkg.); 4WD: 8,200 / 3720 (5.3L with HD towing pkg.)
Read more: https://www.trucktrend.com/features..._weights_capacities_towing.html#ixzz3RrMiuivd

This rating assumes the hitch is rated for at least 8,400 lbs. If your hitch is rated for 5,000 lbs, then that's the maximum you can tow.

The curb weight of a BJ8 is suppose to be 2,550 lbs (Moss catalog). Subtract that from 8,200 lbs leaves 5,650 lbs for everything else, including the trailer. If the hitch is rated for 5,000 lbs, subtract 2,550 from that and the trailer needs to be less than 2,450 lbs.

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Thanks for the link of info John. I'll be checking the Tahoe specs in a day or 2. I have the factory "build sheet" when should help in determining the type of "towing" package installed. I did add a brake controller for the trailer brakes. The Tahoe already had the wiring for the controller so it was a quick/easy install.

Patrick, sorry I meant both of my car haulers are like the "budget" type from Waco Bil that you gave a link to.

Patrick67BJ8 said:

Thanks for the link of info John. I'll be checking the Tahoe specs in a day or 2. I have the factory "build sheet" when should help in determining the type of "towing" package installed. I did add a brake controller for the trailer brakes. The Tahoe already had the wiring for the controller so it was a quick/easy install.

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Excellent! You need a brake controller with any trailer over ~1,500 lbs.

The hitch should have the weight rating posted on it somewhere if it's not on the build sheet.

John Turney said:

Excellent! You need a brake controller with any trailer over ~1,500 lbs.

The hitch should have the weight rating posted on it somewhere if it's not on the build sheet.

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This is the label next to the hitch.

Patrick67BJ8 said:

This is the label next to the hitch.

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Build Sheet says:
K5L - HD Trailering Pkg installed
KNP - HD aux Trans cooling sys.
Z82 - HD trailering equip.
VR4 - Weight distrib platform hitch(whatever that is?).

Your hitch ( which has nothing to do with what your Tahoe can tow btw) is rated for 5,000 lbs. and 600lb. tongue weight. That means just a 2" drawbar and a 2 and 5/16" ball. You can add a weight distributing hitch with torsion bars and increase the hitch capacity to 10,000 lb. and will make the loaded trailer tow much better. I just checked the unloaded weight of my 20' x 8.5' United hauler ( essentially the same construction as the one you are looking at) and it is 3160 lb. so you will be overloading the hitch on your Tahoe without a weight distribution system. Your Tahoe will indicate on a tag on the glovebox door what exactly it is rated to tow. I would think around 6,000 lb. would be the max. so you should be fine.
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Brinkerhoff said:

Your hitch ( which has nothing to do with what your Tahoe can tow btw) is rated for 5,000 lbs. and 600lb. tongue weight. That means just a 2" drawbar and a 2 and 5/16" ball. You can add a weight distributing hitch with torsion bars and increase the hitch capacity to 10,000 lb. and will make the loaded trailer tow much better. I just checked the unloaded weight of my 20' x 8.5' United hauler ( essentially the same construction as the one you are looking at) and it is 3160 lb. so you will be overloading the hitch on your Tahoe without a weight distribution system. Your Tahoe will indicate on a tag on the glovebox door what exactly it is rated to tow. I would think around 6,000 lb. would be the max. so you should be fine.
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I checked the glove box and nothing there for towing and I checked the drivers book and it says with the package I have, K5L HD Cooling pkg, it is rated at 8400 lbs "maximum trailer weight". I'll stop by the place I looked at trailers and ask them about additional equipment, if needed, to safely tow a trailer and what kind/capacity, etc. Thanks for your input!

Patrick--

I trailer my Elva/Ginetta race cars a lot and while I never trailer my street 100 anywhere I sometimes store it in the trailer just to make extra room in my shop. To be sure you will want a trailer with a good beavertail and strong ramp as otherwise you will remove your exhaust system loading the Healey in.

Though you could get by with a 16' trailer you might want to consider a 20 footer simply because they are more common and would be easier to sell should you ever want to trade up or out, etc. Also you will have an easier time tying your Healey down and you'll have plenty of room for stuff on board. You'll definitely want to get equalizer/stabilizer bars and don't go cheap on the braking system--or anywhere for that matter.

By now you may be reconsidering your decision to trailer the car versus drive it--to be sure getting into trailering is not as simple a thing as it first appears and it is so much fun to drive the Healey rather than dragging it around from place to place. A trailer is just one more thing to purchase, maintain, license, insure and store.

I understand that your wife's comfort is an important consideration and as an alternative to trailering perhaps you should explore flat towing the Healey, which is a lot simpler, cheaper and easier than trailering and will not require your using an HD truck or SUV, etc.

I have a collapsible tow rig that attaches to tow eyes permanently bolted onto the 100's frame and I have used it on a few occasions when going to shows in urban areas via interstates in extremely hot months, etc. Though some people feel it is best to disconnect the driveshaft when flat towing I do not do so and if I am going a good distance I pull over and start the Healey up every 100 or so miles simply to spin over the transmission input shaft and splash-feed the gears. I have never had any gearbox problems even when I have flat-towed for several hundred miles. I should, however, mention that I have a Toyota five-speed and your mileage may vary if your car has an original OD box.

John Turney said:

Excellent! You need a brake controller with any trailer over ~1,500 lbs.

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Empty trailer weight >1500# or total trailer weight >1500#??

AN6-TX , good question. Each state has its own definition of the minimum weight that a "trailer" be before it needs its own braking system. If its 1500lb. then its the weight of the trailer empty or loaded.

Michael brought up a great point that is pertinent though a bit off subject ; a car that is towed ( a dinghy) is considered a "trailer" in every state and therefore is subject to the same law as a travel trailer or boat trailer etc. He needs to have a means to engage the brakes on the car from the tow vehicle or the Healey needs a means to actuate its own brakes to slow itself down. As well as having safety chains and a "breakaway " system and lights , just like any "trailer". If you are flat towing your car or even using a car "dolly" and you cause damage , injury or death and you are found to be over the legal limit for brakes , your insurance company will not stand behind you, for any of the damage. Check into it for yourself. I've been an RV dealer for 23 years and we deal with it a lot.