By And the only solution is more Cowbell… uh, I mean, Towlos!
Let’s talk about “the trailer problem” as it relates to motorsports, specifically track days, autocross, and drifting at the grassroots level. So I have a project car. I want to take it to an event, maybe a drift day, a semi-regional autocross, or a track day. The car seems to run fine around my neighborhood, it might even have a tag and insurance still, but I don’t want to drive my 1987 Porsche 944 with 204,749 miles (plus a freshly rebuilt engine and transaxle by yours truly…) 50 miles to my local track.
No way I’m driving that to and from a track event. I also happen to live in an apartment building, I pay for the garage space for my 944, and I daily drive a 2006 Lexus GX470 (with Toyo Open Country tires and some cool 16 inch steel wheels). That leaves me with no extra space to store a trailer.
I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, followed by a Master’s Degree in Industrial Automation. My day job designing automation systems for an automotive supplier pays the bills just fine and then some, but I cannot for the life of me find a house in my area that makes sense for my lifestyle. I am a single guy in my late twenties and have plenty of time and money to pursue my hobbies, but I’m space limited! I’m just not ready to commit to home ownership right now and I’d rather spend my free time and money wrenching and driving my 944, not maintaining a yard.
I’ve done about a half dozen local autocrosses in my 944, and it’s been mostly reliable. But now I want to drive out of state to a track day with some buddies and I’m not comfortable driving the 944 there and back. Not to mention it has a half cage and I’m not a fan of driving the car without a helmet for that reason.
I’ve Got a Trailer Problem
Ok, so how do I get my 944 to a local track event? Borrow a friend’s trailer? My GX can easily tow an open car hauler with my lightweight sports car on it. Turns out, none of my friends have a trailer… I can rent a U-Haul! Well, on second thought, my new carbon fiber splitter on the 944 may not roll onto one of their generic car haulers that easily, they do not even provide clearance measurements so I have to rent the trailer to find out if the car fits! I’ve been waiting to install the Professional Awesome quick splitter disconnects, but just have not had the time after being in not one, but two weddings in the past month.
This situation is a story I have heard many times. It’s a story that is more common than you might think. Many times, space is the reason someone doesn’t own a trailer to tow their car to events. Many cities have businesses that you can pay to store a trailer, but many do not. That’s certainly not a resource most have access to. Sometimes the constraint is the $2500-7500 needed to buy an open car hauler. Many times a trailer in that price range may not even work for your super low track car either. You can probably see the picture I am painting.
Access to a trailer is a huge deal for those of us in the motorsports hobby. Many of us drive as far as an hour out of the way to the storage lot where our trailer lives before EVERY HPDE event! You may have no other option if living in New York, Boston, Chicago, or LA.
Even the most basic open car hauler can be very expensive. Check out these listings to see pricing an availability for some basic car hauler trailers.
The Trailer Solution: Trailer Sharing!
The situation presented above is real. It happens all over the US and probably the world, and it’s keeping enthusiasts in their 20’s and 30’s from being able to participate regularly in the hobby. There’s always a constraint; time and money are the main ones, but space to store a trailer is another huge barrier. Storing a trailer is unlike storing a car. A car provides life, it lets you get places, it brings you joy, it’s a solution. Trailers are a means to an end, not the end.
Paying to store a trailer can be costly and inconvenient. For those of us who are married and have families, our wives and husbands loooove us parking the trailer in the driveway or heaven forbid, on the street where the neighbors and HOA can see it… But what if that same trailer was earning our family $200-500/month?
Towlos: Solving the Trailer Problem
Towlos helps offer a solution. For every enthusiast just getting into the game, constrained by a resource, there’s another enthusiast who’s been at it much longer and is constrained by different resources. I’ve been driving on race tracks for 12 years now. I have access to a shop with lifts and a storage lot for a trailer. I’ve solved the space issue. I sure would love to make some money on my open car hauler and 28 ft enclosed car hauler. Currently they just sit in the lot taking up space and I pay a monthly storage fee .
Towlos is an intuitive online marketplace for listing and renting trailers of all types. The founder, Matt Jones identified the problem I’ve outlined here and it motivated him to start the company. He was living in downtown Chicago at the time and couldn’t justify purchasing and storing a trailer. He could not find a trailer that would work for him and a buddy to haul their C7 Corvettes up to Road America. As a result, Towlos was born. Learn more about Matt’s story in this podcast interview!
Rent Your Trailer on Towlos or Rent a Trailer
So what’s the call to action here? If you’re a dedicated motorsports enthusiast and you own a trailer, consider listing it for rent on Towlos.com. You can choose when it’s available, and you can interact directly with guests before they book your trailer. They are required to submit information on their background and trailering experience, as well as on their planned tow vehicle. You can ask questions to ensure you feel comfortable with them renting your trailer.
If you need to rent a trailer, go to towlos.com and browse the available trailers. Once you find the one that works for you, create an account and book it! Because Towlos is a platform for owners to rent their trailers, you might be able to find a low profile car hauler for your super low EG Civic hatch, or Porsche GT4.
Towlos is built by motorsports enthusiasts. Our goal is to lower the barrier of entry to enthusiasts who want to get to the track more often but do not have easy access to a trailer. I believe that lowering the barrier to motorsports will help us pass along this passion we all love to the next generation. Help me in this mission by listing your trailer on Towlos, promoting your listing on social media, and telling your friends about this new trailer sharing platform! We are on a mission to become the emerging standard for trailer rental.
Roll over to towlos.com today.
