Quote:
Originally Posted by DWRAT
Why do you say never ever again? U-Haul or open trailer?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rodneym
C'mon, Tony.
If an open single axle trailer is good enough for Lynn Park...  |
It had nothing to do with uHaul or axle count and everything to do with the paint damage done to the cars from towing on an open trailer behind a truck on roads full of grit and in the rain. I slathered the front of both cars - one with two layers of painters tape and got caught in a snow storm with gravel. The tape came off and the car was covered with mud. This was the Mustang we donated to the Shelby foundation. I got it to SAI for the supercharger and they "washed" it without thinking of the gravel so put scratches in the clear coat. It was real close to having a paint job done on Shelby but they got one of their guys who is a paint restoration guru to wet sand and it turned out like new.
The Cobra on the way from Colorado to Vegas for another trip I blue taped it. On the way back I used the white plastic wrap that is used on new cars - you've seen it and know what I'm talking about. That did pretty well but in the wind at the very top of the (you apply it from the top down so the seams overlap the opposite of roofing - the lower layer overlaps the top so wind won't get under it. But the lip at the very top to the paint did get a little lift and underneath collected some dust which in the wind the action of the plastic/dust was like sandpaper. Again, it was limited to the clear coat on the hood and the detailer at Adams Polishes pulled it out no problems (I actually took my other Mustang to him at the same time and he also made the black paint on it look like new).
So lesson learned: No long distance open trailer tows. A couple of hundred miles in known weather sure, but not a cross country trip.
For as often as I need to move a car (now limited to the GT) it costs a lot less to ship via a closed carrier like InterCity or Reliable than owning/storing a trailer that I'd use once or twice a year. The only downside is that scheduling carriers is problematic unless you plan way in advance.