The field at Lucas Oil Stadium in December is set to host some of the latest and most innovative transport vehicles and accessories from a number of the industry’s leading product manufacturers.

Under normal circumstances, the first quarter of any given year is the time when race trailer companies are in full production on haulers of all sizes for the coming race season. That makes the timing of the annual PRI Trade Show in December just about perfect, as racers and teams can browse the trailer exhibits at Lucas Oil Stadium in preparation for ordering a new rig.

These days, of course, are anything but “normal.”

The COVID-19 pandemic that shut down racing also forced many trailer companies to close up shop and wait until their local government officials deemed it safe to return to work. That meant many custom trailer orders sat weeks before racing was set to resume.

“Indiana, where most of the trailers are built, was hard on these guys,” said Alan Cape of trailer dealer Flying A Motorsports, Cuba, Missouri. “They couldn’t go into work and got behind.”

One exception was T&E Enterprises in Herscher, Illinois, which did not close except for a two-day period to “figure out how we were going to do social distancing and protect our staff,” explained Todd Datweiler. “We fell under the transportation loophole in the state of Illinois. We’re not just motorsports related, we also do medical work, so that kept us very viable during that timeframe.”

“The COVID thing slowed us down,” noted Wayne Quackenbush of Capitol Renegade, Greenbelt, Maryland. “Fortunately for us we had enough stuff in the pipeline to carry us through. Now [in summer], it’s ramping up rather quickly, as people are looking for new builds or what’s in inventory. Across the board, whether it’s trailers, toter homes, or motorcoaches, the racing transport business is pretty good right now.”

That’s due, in large part, to racers and sanctioning bodies trying to cram as much competition into the remainder of the year as possible.

“I own a 410 winged sprint car team, and we’re chomping at the bit to go racing,” Quackenbush said. “Tracks are doubling up schedules, adding more races to make up the time. A lot of people historically wait until March or April to buy a trailer to go race in a given year. That slowed down, but now people are scrambling looking for something to buy. I just spoke with a NASCAR Late Model team in the Carolinas looking for a trailer right now.”

TRAILER TRENDS

As trailer demand picks up again, more requests are being received by manufacturers for customized units.

“If they have the time, we’d rather build one to their needs, because trailers have become so specialized,” Cape said. “In the past, we would order 24- or 28-foot trailers, put a work bench and some lights in them, and they’d work for anybody. A circle track guy would come in and he could use it, a drag race guy, a dune buggy guy, whatever. They could all use the same trailer. But now we have drag race trailers, sprint car trailers, circle track trailers, and every one of them is different, because they’re built for that particular guy’s use.”

“Our clientele is constantly trying to do something to make them nicer and more efficient,” said Datweiler. “They want a trailer that’s better than the last one they had, or better than their buddy’s. There’s a little bit of competition going on there, which comes natural with the racers. It’s not only on the track, it even rolls into their vehicles getting to and from the track.”

T&E, Datweiler explained, “is in a different category than some of the other trailer companies. Semis and multi-car trailers are our specialty, and we build 35 to 45 units a year. High-end, nice stuff.”

Yet demographic changes are causing a shift in some of T&E’s business, he noted. “In the last two years, we’ve probably done six or seven gooseneck trailers with a lounge in them. We’re seeing this with drag racers who are downsizing from the big motorhome and stacker. These are the retired couples who are still racing, but they’ve cut back to one car instead of running multiple cars. They just want to travel a little easier, not have the big rig to have to take care of every week. But they’re still spending a lot of money on a brand-new crew-cab dually and a brand-new T&E lounge trailer, because everybody’s still making them very, very nice,” Datweiler explained.

Cape, on the other hand, has seen his gooseneck trailer business fall off. “In the past, everybody thought gooseneck was the better way to go versus the bumper pull,” he said. “That probably was true at one time, because people towed mostly with a dually pickup truck. Nowadays we can’t hardly give a gooseneck trailer away. We stock a lot more bumper pulls, because people are towing more with motorhomes than they are with pickup trucks. Motorhomes have taken over the towing end of it, and have definitely changed the way people tow and travel over the last few years.”

WHAT’S NEW?

What do trailer manufacturers plan to display at this year’s PRI Show?

“On the toter home side of Capitol Renegade, the biggest news is that Peterbilt’s parent company, PACCAR, has finally approved the use of Peterbilt cabs for RV conversions,” Quackenbush said. “We have taken our signature 15-foot toter home floor plan and built it on a Peterbilt long-nose cab. It really came out nice. And now you will get the full PACCAR warranty on the cab and chassis. Previously, if Renegade built on a Peterbilt or Kenworth, for that matter, as both are PACCAR companies, the warranty was voided.”

Quackenbush said the company has had “quite a few people over the years who maybe had an affiliation with the trucking industry and wanted a Peterbilt cab. We couldn’t satisfy that need in the past, but we can now.” 

Why the demand for Peterbilt? “It’s the Ford-versus-Chevy mentality,” he said. “There are people who wouldn’t buy a Ford if their life depended on it, and vice versa. Likewise, you have people who are diehard Peterbilt people. If you mention Freightliner, Volvo, or something like that to them, the answer is, ‘Hell, no.’ Having the Peterbilt gives us one more option for people to choose from.

“On top of that, Peterbilt is known for its quality reputation and service, things that have made the Peterbilt name kind of an icon. That’s the main reason for us. Diehard Peterbilt people wouldn’t buy anything else, so we’re pleased to be able to satisfy that need.”

Featherlite, based in Cresco, Iowa, is introducing a new bumper-pull trailer, the Model 4410, that “takes a lot of the popular options we’ve been doing with trailers and makes them standard,” said Mike Galvin. “It’s a little different for us. With most of the trailers we’ve had in the past, a dealer starts basically with a shell and then customizes it. The 4410 is a little bit more finished. Lining and insulation are standard in it, a simple light package is standard, your breaker boxes, power converters, all that is standard.”

Optional equipment is available, too, “so guys can customize it to fit their exact needs,” he added. Options include a large, lift-up side door with removable fenders; ramp extensions; a cabinet package; generator; additional lighting; and Goodyear tires for the standard aluminum wheels.

Available in 20-, 24-, and 28-foot lengths, the 4410 has a seven-foot interior height, which “makes it a lot nicer and roomier for people who are working in the trailer,” Galvin said.

The target market for the 4410 consists of those “weekend guys who aren’t traveling a huge distance, the grassroots guys who are staying a little closer to home and not doing national events.” Galvin said it will also appeal to “the show car guys who want something a little more finished than what some of our models have been in the past.”

On the semi side of the business, Featherlite is “constantly doing improvements, mostly having to do with weight,” Galvin said. “Everybody wants to put more and more into their units all the time. We’re trying to keep the integrity of what a Featherlite has been for over 30 years, keeping our carrying capacity for the customer at a high level while still offering the longevity they expect of the trailer.”

When we spoke with Jim McConnell of InTech Trailers in Nappanee, Indiana, the company was in the thick of its fifth Max the Tach trailer giveaway promotion. “We’re giving away a 24-foot tag-along trailer with a wrap on it and a package of sponsored products in addition to the trailer,” he explained. This year’s sponsors included RacingJunk.com, Motul, CarChix.com, and the United States Motorsports Association, which supports grassroots racing across the US. “We’re trying to put together a package that’s not typically available for the grassroots racer,” McConnell said. The sweepstakes ended in August, but the trailer will be on display at the PRI Show.

T&E has “no big, earth-shattering products” to debut at the PRI Trade Show, Datweiler said, but he did make mention of a new build-out trend. “We’ve had some NHRA Pro Stock and Pro Mod teams that are setting up to run two teams out of one trailer. It’s done for efficiency, as there’s less cost going up and down the road. They’re running one car out of each side of the trailer. The trailer has dual awnings, with different sponsor graphics from side to side. Inside, the trailer is kind of a mirrored image of itself in the work area. Up in the lounge, in the spot for a crew chief’s desk, there are two crew chiefs up there.

“We’ve done three or four of these,” he added. “I guess that’s a trend when you only do 35 to 45 units a year.”

At last year’s PRI Show, United Trailers of Bristol, Indiana, unveiled a “bigger 52-inch light bar on the rear of the trailer that can also be tied into the reverse gear,” said Tim Dibley. “It could be used as a docking light and a loading light.” For 2020, the company plans to demonstrate the level of customization that goes into each of its trailers.

“We build everything from a little 4-by-6-foot cargo trailer all the way up to 48-foot race car trailers,” Dibley noted. “We build all different kinds of trailers for different kinds of racing. We do ramp-over models for Late Model cars, where we’ll recess the winch into the ramp-over. Build it right into the ramp-over and kind of hide it in there. We do sprint car trailers with a much taller opening so they can drive in with the wing on. We do generators, compressors, air lines, LED lights, power awnings for the Late Model guys working outside their trailer. We even do stereos—those comforts away from home. We make sure we get everybody out to the race.”

For Vintage Trailers in Elkhart, Indiana, “one thing that’s really taken off in the past couple of years, and that we’ll keep improving on, is our Pro Stock series of bathrooms,” said Todd Kujawa. “Families and spouses traveling with the racers like having their own facilities in the trailer with them, where they can shower and use the bathroom without having to use the public restrooms.”

Vintage Trailers offers two trailer lines, the Outlaw Series and Pro Stock series, Kujawa explained. “Structurally they’re identical. The Outlaw is a little more of an economy model. It’s for the racer who really doesn’t care about a screwless exterior or aluminum wheels. They’re going to build their own cabinets or put cabinets in. The Outlaw can be customized to any price point they want.” The Pro Stock “is a packaged series, with most of the equipment racers want as standard: aluminum wheels, screwless exterior, flooring, electrical, cabinet packages.”

The Pro Stock bathrooms can be installed in either line, Kujawa said. “We can do it in as small as a 20-foot trailer, up to a 53-foot trailer with a gooseneck. That kind of trailer gets a full bathroom with quite a bit of fresh water and holding tanks in it.”

All this activity in the racing transportation market speaks to the resiliency of racers in general, Quackenbush said. “Overall, people still have a pretty positive opinion of what’s going to happen here,” he added. “We’re going to come back as strong as we were.”

SOURCES

–

Arrow Components

arrowawnings.com

Capitol Renegade

capitolrenegade.com

Competition Trailers

competitiontrailers.com

CTech Manufacturing

ctechmanufacturing.com

Featherlite Trailers

fthr.com

Flying A Motorsports

flyingamotorsports.com

InTech Trailers

intechtrailers.com

Look Trailers

looktrailers.com

Mac’s Custom Tie-Downs

macscustomtiedowns.com

Martin Engineered Power Products

martingenerators.com

T&E Enterprises

tande-racetrailers.com

TrailerAlarms.com

trailer-alarms.com

United Trailers

united-trailers.com

Vintage Trailers

vintagetrailers.com

Sidebar: State-of-the-art Accessories

A well-equipped race trailer does more than just haul a car to the track. It should also make the whole race-day experience smoother and more efficient. Trailer manufacturers are doing more each year with cabinets, lighting, power, and crew amenities to make their trailers as turnkey as possible, yet it’s the trailer accessory manufacturers who are on the leading edge of innovation when it comes to must-have equipment. Here’s a quick roundup of some of the industry’s most innovative and sought-after trailer accessories hitting the market—and set for display at the 2020 PRI Trade Show in December.

MOTIONLATCH DRAWERS
CTECH MANUFACTURING

CTech Manufacturing of Weston, Wisconsin, will showcase its carts, cabinets, drawers, and storage accessories in two separate PRI booths. Asked to spotlight one particular item at the Show, Nate Birkenmeier pointed to the company’s MotionLatch Drawers. Made from lightweight 5052 aluminum, these drawers get their name from their full-length MotionLatch handles. The drawers open by pulling anywhere on that extruded handle, and they will stay securely closed even when the going gets rough. Two versions are available: one with a 250-pound capacity, the other able to hold up to 500 pounds. The MotionLatch Drawers can be configured to replace an existing bank of drawers, or mount flush inside an open compartment. The drawers are built to order at CTech’s facility, “meaning you have complete control over drawer unit dimensions, drawer heights, powder-coat finish, extruded handle color, and mounting strategy,” said Birkenmeier.

“Our drawers have been put to the test in some of the harshest environments: UTV, service truck, heavy-equipment repair, and more,” he added. “As opposed to relying on bulk storage alone, utilizing a set of lightweight MotionLatch drawers helps improve the organization and accessibility of loose items such as spare parts, tools and equipment, consumables, and other items that you might want to keep readily available.” Plus, in the event of a trailer reconfiguration (or accident repair), CTech products are installed using fastener construction, which allows for replacement of individual panels and components.

LED LIGHTS
FLYING A MOTORSPORTS

“One of the biggest things to happen in the past couple of years with race car trailers is the LED lights,” said Alan Cape of Flying A Motorsports in Cuba, Missouri. “They’ve taken over all new trailers, and it is so much better to have those lights in a trailer. They take up less space, don’t require as much energy so the generator is not wound up all night, and the lights are so bright and so clean. LED lights have made a whopping difference in the experience of working after dark in the trailer.”

DIRECT REPLACEMENT GENERATOR SETS
MARTIN ENGINEERED POWER PRODUCTS

Brian Martin of Martin Engineered Power Products in Defiance, Ohio, said his company’s focus lately has been on direct replacement generator sets. “We’ve seen a number of situations where a trailer might have been aging, and still has a lot of life left in it, but the generator set has used up its hours—in excess of 20,000 hours,” Martin said. “On many of these units, we can put a new generator set right back into the exact same space.” Martin Engineered Power Products uses Yanmar diesel engines exclusively for its generators.

The company works with the trailer owner “to determine the space that they have in the trailer and the power requirement they need,” he said. “We make sure that the new generator provides the same power output from the set and fits in the same space.”

Fit can be an issue, Martin pointed out, because “many of the new-generation sets are larger than what they were, so it can be complicated to fit a set with the same power output in the same space.”

In a world where the latest widget is often more compact than its predecessor, diesel generators tend to go the other way. “As things get newer in the generator world, their environmental footprint gets smaller, and it takes more technology and equipment to have that smaller emissions output,” he said.

Martin’s latest generators also have new features, including “new interfaces that provide a lot more information to the customer. They can see more of what’s happening with their generator set, possibly even extend maintenance intervals because they have a better feel for what’s happening with the set.”

New generators are also resulting in some new efficiencies, Martin noted. “Some of our new units that are going into brand-new trailers are adding some flexibility in how they consume that power,” he explained. “For example, one of the top NASCAR teams we’re working with can run multiple trailers off the generator set in one of them. Built into the new set is an output plug, what’s colloquially called a buddy plug, to power your buddy’s trailer. By working with the customer on a one-on-one basis, we can help make those requests into reality.”

INTEGRATED ALARM SYSTEM
TRAILER ALARMS.COM

When we spoke with Lyle Clark at Trailer Alarms.com in New Braunfels, Texas, he was working on expanding the features on the trailer alarm with GPS that he introduced at the PRI Trade Show a couple of years ago.

“At the last PRI Show we had some interest in smoke detection and fire detection within the trailer, so we’ve been working to find a smoke detector that will integrate with our system,” he explained. “There are several inputs on the GPS part of the alarm system, so if someone moves within the trailer or opens a door, that sets off the alarm and you’ll get an alert. We’re trying to do the same thing with a smoke detector, so if smoke or fire is detected within the trailer, you’ll get an alert.”

The challenge, said Clark, “is the fact that 99.5% of the time the alarm system has to be armed for those devices to work. You don’t necessarily want to be traveling down the highway with an alarm system armed, but you do want the smoke detector to work, so if something happens you can pull over and take care of the incident.”

While the new system was a “work in progress” in late spring when we interviewed Clark, he was confident he’d have it finished in time for the Show.

Clark’s “biggest words of wisdom” for race trailer owners were these: “If you have a $50,000 rig or a $250,000 rig with your tools and trailer and stuff, don’t put a $3 lock on it and expect to keep your equipment safe.” And depending on your insurance company, “you could get a discount on your insurance for having our equipment on your trailer.” —Drew Hardin