Wintertime project. I'm looking for ideas to store all the junk I really don't need at the track anyway like fold up chairs, tent, grill, etc. I need to be able to unload/load quicker. All this junk lying around is driving me crazy and takes more time to move around when it's just lying everywhere.

I looked at the Pit Pal stuff and it's nice but not really what I want because stuff is still all along the walls. I'd really like to be able to store the chairs and tent on the ceiling somehow. Really looking for ways to get stuff off the floor from behind the cars. I end up moving stuff all around loading and unloading.

Any ideas are helpful. Tent, chairs, grill, charger, spare tires, etc. We're loaded down with 2 jrs and a door car so wall and floor space is at a premium. Cabinets over the wheel wells just aren't practical. I have overhead framework with the dragster lifts so using it might be helpful.

34ft…T&E STACKER…problem solved..

20 ft open Featherlite. 32ft enclosed full of junk I don't need sits home now. Motor home has generator and scooter fits fine in front of race car. I even got a shorter motor home. Be surprised how much you don't need and don't miss when its not there.

Iwent from a 24' to a 28' to a 38' goosenek. I still have boxes from off loading each of those trailers.

Crawl under and look how the cross supports are. Cut the floor, have a box made out of sheet metal that will drop in and make a storage well. I mounted a spare on the front of my trailer above the generator on the tongue.

I store most of the things that I use and set up regularly IN the race car. Chairs, 10x10, extension cords, battery charger, fuel cans, etc. Comes out with the car and gets emptied/set up. Then those are the last things to go back in the car for teardown.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mathes:
I store most of the things that I use and set up regularly IN the race car. Chairs, 10x10, extension cords, battery charger, fuel cans, etc. Comes out with the car and gets emptied/set up. Then those are the last things to go back in the car for teardown.

Many years ago,I did something similar to this.I found it to be a terrible idea when the gates would open at 9am,and cars were being called to the lanes at 9:15 am.
Now,everything has a place for storage in my enclosed trailer.I carry about as much junk as anyone.A spare driveshaft,trans,scooter,extra set of slicks,extra set of front runners,charger,generator, fuel,spare tire,floor jack,jack stands,chairs,oil,tools,canopy,etc.
But nothing in the car anymore.

I built this last year for that exact reason. Top is packed with stuff I constantly had to load and unload, bottom has the generator.

quote:

Originally posted by 442OLDS:
Many years ago,I did something similar to this.I found it to be a terrible idea when the gates would open at 9am,and cars were being called to the lanes at 9:15 am.
Now,everything has a place for storage in my enclosed trailer.I carry about as much junk as anyone.A spare driveshaft,trans,scooter,extra set of slicks,extra set of front runners,charger,generator, fuel,spare tire,floor jack,jack stands,chairs,oil,tools,canopy,etc.
But nothing in the car anymore.

Takes me less than 5 minutes to get everything out of the car. Never been rushed at the track.

I look at everything, compressor, generator, chairs and everything else and I try to travel small and light. On race day I do not want to spend an hour setting up canopy and trying it down with 200 Lbs to keep it from blowing away. Then unstrap a huge generator and roll it out and on and on. I want to keep it simple and easy on race day.

I have a very small, cheap compressor and have had it for about 8 years. Most would say it is junk but it is light and has worked great. Got my moneys worth out of it long ago. My Generator is a Champion 2000. Many people said that would not work. Well it works great and is extremely quiet and runs very long time on a tank. Had it for about 10 years and only problem I let it sit too long over one Winter and carb started acting up and it would not idle good. Bought new carb for around $28 and no problem since.

And you are right. Why do we have all this junk?
I also built in some things for my fuel jugs, tools and spare parts. That is one thing I have too much of. I always have spare fuel pump, starter, oil, filters, ignition box(es) and more.

Take your time and look at everything and think what can I do to make it smaller, lighter and better? In the long run you will enjoy race day more. Which really it is time I do it again to clean up and get better organized.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mathes:

quote:

Originally posted by 442OLDS:
Many years ago,I did something similar to this.I found it to be a terrible idea when the gates would open at 9am,and cars were being called to the lanes at 9:15 am.
Now,everything has a place for storage in my enclosed trailer.I carry about as much junk as anyone.A spare driveshaft,trans,scooter,extra set of slicks,extra set of front runners,charger,generator, fuel,spare tire,floor jack,jack stands,chairs,oil,tools,canopy,etc.
But nothing in the car anymore.

Takes me less than 5 minutes to get everything out of the car. Never been rushed at the track.

That is perfect for you then.
This is not a one size fits all problem.I found it easier to place a lot of things on the wall of my enclosed trailer,but with an open trailer,that would not be possible.

The deal that Big Steve did is great. It uses dead space on tongue of trailer and keeps safe, secure and out of the way. Those kind of things make it so much easier on you.

quote:

Originally posted by Curly1:
The deal that Big Steve did is great. It uses dead space on tongue of trailer and keeps safe, secure and out of the way. Those kind of things make it so much easier on you.

That looks pretty cool,but probably not possible to do with a small open trailer.
To this day,I race the same 1970 442 convertible that was raced in the 1970's.I remember when I wanted a mini bike when I was 10 to take to the races.I got one and we had no way to transport it to the races.My Dad got the idea to lower the convertible top and place it in the back seat.We did that for a few years

quote:

Originally posted by 442OLDS:

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mathes:

quote:

Originally posted by 442OLDS:
Many years ago,I did something similar to this.I found it to be a terrible idea when the gates would open at 9am,and cars were being called to the lanes at 9:15 am.
Now,everything has a place for storage in my enclosed trailer.I carry about as much junk as anyone.A spare driveshaft,trans,scooter,extra set of slicks,extra set of front runners,charger,generator, fuel,spare tire,floor jack,jack stands,chairs,oil,tools,canopy,etc.
But nothing in the car anymore.

Takes me less than 5 minutes to get everything out of the car. Never been rushed at the track.

That is perfect for you then.
This is not a one size fits all problem.I found it easier to place a lot of things on the wall of my enclosed trailer,but with an open trailer,that would not be possible.

Agree. And maybe your situation is more common than I am aware of, but I can't EVER recall a situation where gates opened 15 minutes before cars being called to the lanes. That would definitely be a game-changer on how to strategize if it is a regular occurrence.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mathes:

quote:

Originally posted by 442OLDS:

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mathes:

quote:

Originally posted by 442OLDS:
Many years ago,I did something similar to this.I found it to be a terrible idea when the gates would open at 9am,and cars were being called to the lanes at 9:15 am.
Now,everything has a place for storage in my enclosed trailer.I carry about as much junk as anyone.A spare driveshaft,trans,scooter,extra set of slicks,extra set of front runners,charger,generator, fuel,spare tire,floor jack,jack stands,chairs,oil,tools,canopy,etc.
But nothing in the car anymore.

Takes me less than 5 minutes to get everything out of the car. Never been rushed at the track.

That is perfect for you then.
This is not a one size fits all problem.I found it easier to place a lot of things on the wall of my enclosed trailer,but with an open trailer,that would not be possible.

Agree. And maybe your situation is more common than I am aware of, but I can't EVER recall a situation where gates opened 15 minutes before cars being called to the lanes. That would definitely be a game-changer on how to strategize if it is a regular occurrence.

Ironically,it was at Rt 66 Raceway.Now closed.Although,to be fair,it wasn't that big of a deal.They were one of the tracks that had actual tech,so that probably led to their downfall among other things.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 442OLDS,

I like the cabinet Big Steve installed on the trailer tongue. That is a great idea!

I had considered an aluminum truck tool box that could hold some things. The vertical cabinet is very nice!

I have 4 fold up chairs that are constantly in the way. With two jrs, and I sometimes race too, I don't have time to sit down anyway. lol. I'm thinking about building something to hang them from the ceiling. Also, I'm thinking about building something to hang the jr dolly from the ceiling as well. The tent - I could take it or leave it.

We have 2 jrs, golf cart, 4 wheeler, and my car in a 32. Loading and unloading takes too long. I've got to get it down to a reasonable amount of time. Others will help, but the current setup requires everything to be loaded in order. Adding a tongue cabinet could really help that situation.

quote:

Originally posted by WHOMPWHOMP:
34ft…T&E STACKER…problem solved..

This^^^

I agree we haul too much stuff. Jimmy Lewis came up to me at Noble one time and said “Vern, they tell me you have everything in the world in that trailer.”

I said if you need a grill for a 53 Buick I might not have that!

quote:

Originally posted by 1320racer:

quote:

Originally posted by WHOMPWHOMP:
34ft…T&E STACKER…problem solved..

This^^^

Y'all are killing me with this stacker stuff. I'm just a lowly bottom bulb racer --> low budget!

looks like either the golf cart or the 4 wheeler could go, you don't need both. Only time I wish I had my enclosed is if I get caught in the rain which has been once. I don't go to the track to work on the car so that eliminates a lot. Funny how you start out small and get bigger and bigger. Then one day you realize you have to much and don't need to impress anyone any more. I remember seeing an over head shot of a national meet with every kind of high $ big rig in the world there. Down on the end sat a lonely open trailer holding one of the winners at the event, Micheal Beard.