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Between my lack of creativity and next to no handy man skills i am struggling to find a way to start getting my fairly new trailer sorted out for next season. I went to a couple races over at IMI a few months ago and without trying to be a complete creeper I was looking in peoples trailers and saw some cool and handy setups. Was wondering if some people wanted to share a picture or 2 of their trailers or give some starter tips.
Like are you hand building benches and cabinets or are there some known good ones from stores that can be installed?
Thanks for any input any one has
My Trailer is a 6×10 with side door and V-nose
Hey Ken,
Congrats on the new trailer! It’s the perfect size for a kart and to get started.
As others on this post may indicate, there’s a bunch of different ways to customize how you want to lay out your trailer. Some people buy them from stores/outfitters specifically tailored to their needs. Others build everything from scratch. And, of course, there are a lot that are in between.
Often, it’s about prioritizing what you want in your trailer. Do you want it just to be for transport? If so, maximizing wall space is important. Or, do you want to have some small shop space? Many years ago, I had a 14′ trailer with a V-nose. This comfortably fit mulitple chassis, engines, etc. We also custom cut a bench to fit into the ‘v’ section of the trailer.
There are companies that make pre-made cabinets, either intended for trailer use or not. Pit Pal Products is one of the best in the USA when it comes to trailer-specific cabinets for racers, and they come in all sorts of sizes.
Another thing to consider is E-track. E-track, whether bolted to the walls or the floor, makes your trailer layout pretty customizable, as you can move around tie down hooks etc. pretty quickly. This is great for a small trailer like this, as a wall devoted to a couple strips of E-track ( one near the bottom of the side, one 3/4 of the way to the top, bolted through to the metal frame of the trailer with self-tapping metal screws) would allow you to strap down toolboxes, a kart on a vertical kart stand, fuel jugs, etc.
I don’t have any photos on my computer of my old karting trailer, but here’s a great forum thread about this from our friends at KartPulse to get you thinking!
My advice is to utilize wall space. Things are a lot cleaner and you’ll find the space a lot more usable the more things are on the wall. Hang a tire rack, a chemicals/fluids holder, and run a couple strips of e-track down both sides. You’ll be able to secure canopies, chassis, chairs, tables, etc to the wall instead of having them bounce around on the floor.
Building some form of workbench with cabinets in the front to fill the “V” space would be good, my old trailer had a V-nose and it was always awkward trying to get things to fit up there, I would have been much happier with some cabinets.
Ya i have looked at the e-tracks and i think i will grab some of those and at least work on strapping the kart down that way. The V-nose part is killing me. That is kind of where in my head i picture a little work bench with a cabinet or two above on the wall. I just can’t envision how to get started on the bench!
I need to at some point have my engine serviced this winter, top and bottom. As well as a new seat installed. If anyone has any good references in the Denver area that would be cool!
Ken,
Glad to hear you’re considering the E-track. It’s a solid way to utilize wall space, and a lot of people go that route.
On the V-nose–There are of course many ways to do it, but how we accomplished a bench was to build several supporting braces, utilizing the trailer’s metal framework as the anchor. Then, we utilized 1″ thick particle board/plywood to construct the bench top. It worked pretty wall, all things considered. Many trailer cabinets are either made from 1/8″ aluminum or a wood product.
Regarding engine servicing: This depends somewhat on what work you need to be done. The Podium Pro Shop at Centennial is a certified Rotax dealer/service technician. I believe there is one other one in the State but I do not hear much from them in general. If you have a 2-cycle engine other than a Rotax like a TaG or a Shifter, Podium can also do some work there as well. IMI has the tooling and experience to do some engine work as well.
You can see a full listing of Colorado-based pro shops and service groups on our “Helpful Links” page.
Hi Ken,
I am with the Podium Pro Shop in Centennial and we do lots of engine work and seat installs. If you want any more information feel free to reach out to me anytime at [email protected] or 720-484-4410.
Thanks CO Karter for the V-Nose info. I will mess with it in the next few weeks and post pics as i go along.
Charlie I will be in touch thanks for your info. I have a 125 honda shifter. I bought it earlier this year and was thinking to have the lower and upper rebuilt and fluids replaced so i can have a better idea maintenance wise of when things need done. Start a log with it all fresh. The seat is way too forward for me. My knees are almost at the top of the steering wheel bent and it is very uncomfortable. I tried adjusting it a little with no luck. I’m not a big guy but the guy i bought it from used it for his son who i think was shorter than me.
Has anyone used or seen someone successfully use the Fasttrack rail system from rubbermaid? I saw it at home depot and looked very simple and convenient. They have a nice tool box that uses the rail system as well. It weighs 48lbs without tools. Anyone know how strong the frames are in a Haulmark Passport 6×10? Ive have googled everything way i can think of and cannot find a definitive answer.
Thanks
Ken
Ken,
Not sure on the Fasttrack system. I looked it up after reading your post, and it looks cool…only concern is how much weight it can handle.
Regarding how strong the trailer frames are, I would imagine that Haulmark has a rating they go by when outfitting their trailers. I would strongly urge you to reach out directly to Haulmark, as they, like most trailer manufacturers, do custom outfitting in house for clients if they request it. As a result they know how much weight the frames can handle (at least I would hope).
One thing to keep in mind with any system is that you are putting it into a moving trailer. So bumps and corners while moving generate far more forces on the track system than static use in a garage. I’ve been surprised how much stuff gets thrown around inside the trailer. Stuff I thought was well attached just gets ripped out.
Also, stuff in the front of the trailer has a much smoother ride than stuff in the back. So anything tied down in the back of the trailer better be tied down very good.
We always used E track. I used self drilling screws into the metal frame of the trailer, two screws per stud. The longer the track the better as it spreads the forces out over a larger area. Never had E track pull out but have seen plenty of the 1″ wide straps common at Home Depot break. The ratchets on them aren’t worth a darn either. If you use D rings in the floor, put a plate on the underside and use bolts. Screws into the wood will fail.
Even a small tool box can weigh 100 # when loaded. That’s too much weight for the wall. Better to set it on the floor or countertop and then strap it to the wall.
There really is no decent shortcut than to use products specifically made for holding stuff during transport. The stuff at Home Depot is for static uses and will not hold up to the wear and tear of going down the road.
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