charchri4

Just wondering how things go if anyone pulls something like a small camper or utility trailer long distance with their car. It would be 8500 miles over 4 weeks.

I would imagine gross weight and tong weight would be a big deal and probably want brakes on the trailer. Any experience or suggestions on it?

Side question anyone ever run the Alcan hwy to Alaska in a Miata?

jimmygs3

I pull a 4x5 utility trailer fairly often with my dd 1.6 loaded to maybe 700#s with no problems. As long as you have some experience pulling trailers and don't get overloaded you should be fine.

I have never been on that road but I have run plenty of gravel roads and I have found gravel everywhere. Protect any critical parts that might be gravel or dust sensitive. At a minimum I would make sure I had an excellent set of bump stops, a full size spare and a zombie survival kit.

charchri4

Thanks! Good to hear 700 lbs is no problem. I have a 5x8 shorty utility trailer that I was thinking about using but concerned it would be too heavy. It's 800 empty and I figured with gear in it I would be pushing 50% of the weight of the Miata.



On the other hand I've pulled it all over the country with 1000 lbs of band gear behind a midsize station wagon with no problem. Maybe with brakes it would be OK.

No gravel on the Alcan anymore but still a pretty rugged road. Night travel is not recommended and the speed limit from 45 to 55 mph due to the hazards of the road.

jimmygs3

Alright pavement that's big city stuff there. I looked at making a trip a few years ago, not in a miata.

It might be a little hard to get your tong weight just right with that trailer, it looks like the axel sits pretty far back. I never ran very far with more than about 200# of tong weight, more than that and I was bouncing off the bump stops too much. Ballasting the car as evenly as possible helps.

Trailer breaks would be a big plus with that much weight. Break controllers come in all kinds of flavors at a minimum get one that's short protected.

I would hook that thing up and give it a dry run without breaks and see what you think.

tbone heller

Pulling a trailer with a vehicle with such a short wheelbase will probably beat you to death, especially if the trailer is nose heavy.

charchri4

I usually try to run from 60 to 100 lbs of tong weight but that is a good point on the wheel base I had not thought of. Wouldn't take much to scoot that axle up a few inches. I'm running SM suspension so it's very stiff and valved for the track so that should help.

I should probably just weld up a trailer hitch and mess around with it this summer to prep. I'd really rather not pull a trailer but there is just no way around it unless we stay in hotels every night and that would kill the trip.

Thanks for the thoughts guys!

5.0MX5

I've actually considered this (not the Alcan, but towing a trailer for extended trips). That said, I pull a lot of trailers, both farm and horse and equipment. Not to state the obvious but One thing I've learned is tow vehicle size and weight very much determine the trailer you can comfortably and safely tow. Short wheel base vehicles usually are not the best choice, if a trailer starts to sway then fishtail, that's a wreck and it's much more likely with a light, short vehicle. . Trailer brakes if applied properly can save the day (if time allows) if a trailer starts getting squirrely. The only reason I mention the above is the cargo trailer in the picture is IMO big enough to cause safety issues.

There are trailers designed for big touring motorcycles that I think would be perfect. And then there are these;

Had to add this in edit;http://www.lightweightmiata.com/trailer/

cvx_20

Couple of thoughts: You're not shy about adding metal to your sheetmetal unibody, you might consider some sort of load-leveling anti-sway hitch arrangement. Or, don't laugh, trunk lids are cheap, a custom fifth wheel or gooseneck hitch would put the load right over the rear axle, and pretty much make sway a non-issue. I think that's right up your alley. If you did it right you could still access the trunk.

Tandem axles with Miata wheels would be another thought, not so much for the load, but the distribution. You WILL need some spares, might as well make them the same for car and trailer.

On another note, the March/April issue of Road and Track had an article about the Alaska Miata Club. Maybe you could contact someone up there about the necessities for your trip.

If you time it right, you could be there during the 2 weeks of summer.

Mike

charchri4

Damn that is the kind out side the box I love! Goose neck in a Miata going to have to ponder that for sure!

I measured the inside of the trailer last night and it is 8' 5" long, 5' 3" wide and 4' 9" tall inside it. It seems bigger in the photo than that. I was thinking maybe put a mini van axle under it a bit forward with brakes and 4x100 wheels. Never thought about doing 2 of them but I like the idea for stability. Adds weight though.

I have never hooked it up to the Miata to see what that looks like but from what you guys are saying I think my first gut thought on it is probably right that it's too big for the car. I had one nearly get away from me fish tailing once like you are talking about 5.0MX5. That was about the same size trailer on a Mustang II so probably about the same wheel base too, but I had a V8 complete drive train and all my tools, jack, lift etc to swap it so it was a MUCH heavier trailer. Still it leaves a mark in your pants you don't soon forget.

Great to hear your thoughts on this guys. Love this forum!

Old Chuck

Jim,
Keep us posted on what you do. I lived in Alaska for 20 years and drove both the Alacn and Cassiar when they were gravel and dirt. I know the Alcan has been redone for a number of years so should be fine but in any rural place the roads can get rough and take time to get fixed. As you know, on the Alcan gravel used to eat the cars up and the dirt and 100 mile distance between any services or people on the Cassiar used to be really tough. Just you and the bears. That was 30 years ago. There was however not as much traffic to content with which could be good or bad depending on your situation. The idea of contacting the Alaska Miata clubs is a great idea as the roads can cange quickly and good to know what to expect before you head out. In any event, please post what you come up with on the trailer and how it works.

charchri4

I made my first road test with the trailer today pulling it to work. It's by far the best tow vehicle I have ever driven because the suspension is so stable but I was surprised it dropped my MPG an average of 6 over the 35 mile trip. I figured it would a couple but might just have to rethink this!

cxmoney

not bad!

tbone heller

Back when I raced motorcycles (1985), I used to tow a trailer a like this one:Cycle Shuttle 11-0 | Chariot Manufacturing – Chariot Motorcycle Trailers behind my 1976 Trans Am at triple digit speeds. The fiberglass trailer was light & well-balance. Even fully loaded with 3 bikes & tools, one person could easily move it around. It dropped my MPG from 18 to 17. I think that the wedge shape front along with the very short tongue helped to keep it streamlined.

charchri4

LOL now why does that not surprise me Tbone! Triple digits in a Trans Am pulling a trailer full of racing bikes. I love it!

Thank you very much for that link. I was thinking about doing some aero to the front of the trailer and you put the face on the name I was looking for! The way the trailer is built it would be easy to do that and I think I can shave a little weight off it too.

Oddly enough I got 3 mpg better yesterday going home. Tail wind? The sweet spot seems to be 60 mph. With that I am at 1500 rpm in 6th and it sits around 18 mpg. I can live with that...