I thought that I would tell of what we went through last year in our
quest for a replacement to our Timing Trailer/Cone Hauler. We were in need
of replacing our Trailer. It is not very large (one 2000 pound axle), and it
is getting old. So, our club set out to either purchase a new trailer or
something else. We looked at every type of double axle trailer there is and
all types of configurations for the placement of windows. The cheapest that
we could come up with was a little under $7000. So, we started to look at
alternatives. We came up with a 74 Dodge Sportsman 1 ton Motorhome. The
Motorhome has only 68,000 miles on it and we picked it up for $4000. The
built in table and seats, with the windows all around has made it very easy
to set things up permanently and to have everything plugged in and left that
way from event to event. We use a computer run timing system. The table in
back houses the computer system, while the front seats house the announcer
and the manual time writer. This system has worked out very well for us. It
has left our small trailer to be used for cones and the motorhome is the tow
vehicle for the trailer.
The major problem that we where having was getting the club trailer
to the event. Not many of the members had a vehicle available to tow the
trailer. The ones that did, usually where the ones that had to tow their
vehicles to the event. So, with the Motorhome we have eliminated the need
for the tow vehicle. All that is needed is an extra person to drive it to
the event on the morning of the event. This is easily done by having a
husband and wife team or two friends that CO-drive. We have made a few
modifications to the Motorhome as in building in a few extra shelves for the
computer system, but everything else fits into the storage bins already built
into the Motorhome.
Hope this helps in opening up a few other choices in getting a new Timing
Vehicle.
Paul "to the floor" Poore
Secretary
Crown Autocross Club
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