amurph182

Getting an open trailer to tow my 981 cayman to and from the track, options seem to be ~16ft or ~20ft. The car would for sure fit on 16ft, but don’t have enough experience here to know what the functional difference would be in terms of towing, load, etc.

help?

certz

I had a Trailex CT-8054 (the previous generation of the 8055). Trailex arguably makes some of the best towing trailers, but they are not inexpensive especially if you start adding options. I towed my Cayman and 993 with a Cayenne Diesel and could barely tell the trailer was back there - it just glides behind the vehicle. The only downside I would say is since it has an open design floor you cannot really store anything else on the trailer unless you have storage boxes, etc.

I have a 24-ft R&R Open Trailer (model 724CHA) - they also come in 16', 18' and 20' lengths. This was my first trailer and it has been a solid reliable trailer. It is no frills and one of the cheaper trailers. It also has a solid floor and is wide enough I can throw my pop-up tent on the trailer with the car. It does not tow as nice as the Trailex, but you get what you pay for. Again, I have had zero issues with this trailer, but it does come with cheap Chinese tires which I had replaced after two years.

My opinion is go longer and wider than you think you need (incoming **** jokes). If cost is no issue, Trailex or Featherlight make top of the line trailers and when it is time to sell you are likely to get a higher percentage of your investment back - I sold mine after two years of ownership for the same price I bought it for. If you are on a budget, R and R is a solid choice, but there are others.

Lemming

20'

Frank 993 C4S

This really depends on a couple of factors: What are you towing with? If you are towing with an SUV, you might have to focus on the lightest trailer available. Also, is the trailer long enough so you move your track car fore/aft enough to manage your tongue weight? What else are you planning to carry (tire rack, fuel jugs, bike, spares, ramps) ... or you just go with a Trailex and be done with it.
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jerome951

I have an 18' open trailer w/ a closed steel deck and tire rack. If I did it over I'd go 16'. There is extra room in front that isn't really usable except for a spare tire and fuel jugs (which can be put elsewhere). The extra length impacts maneuverability and increases weight.

Slow RSA

Get the longest one possible: more room to move the car around to balance tongue weight, and more room for pit bikes, fuel jugs, pop up tents, etc. I just sold a 1996 Featherlite two years ago to upgrade to an enclosed trailer but it lasted over 20 years, I highly recommend them. If towing with an SUV and need to keep weight low, Trailex makes the lightest ones on the market, but as mentioned above, not having a full floor will limit your additional storage options.

RossP

If you just need to tow the car and nothing else (no accessories etc) then go 16. Otherwise I would go 20.

amurph182

Thanks for all the great insight. Towing the car with my cayenne S, so while I know “it can be done” with an enclosed trailer I think that would be pushing it plus my lack of experience with trailers is keeping my firmly focused on an open trailer for now. I won’t be hauling anything on the trailer besides the car and a tire rack for now.

mos996tt

I have the Trailex 8045 and glad i do vs the smaller 7451. The width makes it so much easier to just drive up onto the trailer since you have 4-6" on each side depending on your car vs. 2-3" with the smaller one. Not sure other manufacturers if their 16' is narrower than the longer ones. Pulling with Cayenne, i would recommend spending the bucks and buy a high quality aluminum trailer. no sense in lugging more weight than is necessary even tho tow max is 7700lbs.

skxf430

Longer the better so you can carry extra stuff like wheels, fuel jugs, ramps, etc. I had a Cayman on a 20' long open trailer and I wouldn't go any shorter.

ohenryinatlanta

buy a featherlite 17-18 foot

like money in the bank

Shandingo

I have a Trailex CT 8045 as well, and it does tow very well behind my X5 diesel. However, I do wish the loading ramps were not quite so heavy. Even though they are made out of extruded aluminum, they are longer than most, due to the Trailex's high deck height. I have a bad back and pulling the ramps out and stowing them away is very challenging for me. If you are not a strong young guy with a solid back, I would think about a different trailer. If I had it to do over again, I would buy a Futura trailer, so I would not have to deal with ramps at all. I may end up having to do that anyway, since my back is not getting any better.

Nickshu

You can't go wrong with a Trailex 8045 or a Featherlight 3110. Both will hold about most of their new value for a few years from new.

awrryan

In my opinion, you should get a 20' Futura. I think it's called the pro or super sport, but they make a 20' aluminum open trailer. Not having to mess with ramps is fantastic. Easy to use. There is a small learning curve with using the tie downs, but love them and the versatility of the trailer. Thank me later

ExMB

Actually I've seen one of those. The person had a 981 GT4 and still had to use ramps so he wouldn't scrape.