Pros
All legal
No large outlay
Cons
Potentially could be bordering on going over the allowable towing limit with my car?
Tow bar is dead money
I'd be interested to hear people's thoughts on this. Although I'm only 31 I don't really want to "go back to school" and have to do my towing license, I'd like a solution that allows me to just buy something and do it.
Sixth other option is a towing dolly (that lifts the front wheels off the ground, but these are £500+ and I'd still need the a tow bar so probably not ideal).
If anyone is good with numbers, my towing car would be a VW Golf Mk7 2.0 tdi and my locost weighs 525kg.
In regards to the van width/size my car is 160cm x 320cm. The length seems to be 'OK' to get into a LWB van but the load width of the rear doors always seems to be <155cm.
I welcome your thoughts
[Edited on 25/11/13 by daveb666]
[Edited on 25/11/13 by daveb666]
nick205 - 25/11/13 at 03:47 PM
How many times a year do you need/want to move the car?
Finding a good local hire place has to be the best option overall on cost and ongoing effort. Buying and running another vehicle, especially at that
sort of money, will just be aggravation IMHO. A car on a trailer int he garage will also be a PITA long term I think.
Surely you can remove and resell the towbar when the co. car gets returned? I know people who've done this with lease cars here in the past.
Slimy38 - 25/11/13 at 04:01 PM
Why is the towbar 'dead money'? You're going to have to remove it when you hand your car back, and they're definitely popular on
ebay.
Ah, just noticed nick said the same!
mark chandler - 25/11/13 at 04:01 PM
I have only done 1 track day this year and had to recover my car from an auto solo where you have to drive to the event.
Apart from a couple if other trailer jobs, it's had minimal use.
In your calculations you need to factor in usage, driving to and from and sticking a tow bar on the locost with a lightweight trailer for spares and
tyres would be very cost effective.
My car lives on its trailer so footprint is not an issue, butch then I made it to fit inside a 4m long shed and the width of the car, wheels are
underneath so it makes a useful working platform.
Regards Mark
yellowcab - 25/11/13 at 04:05 PM
My trailer hire place only charges £65 for a weekend!
Barkalarr - 25/11/13 at 04:06 PM
What about what puma931 has done
daveb666 - 25/11/13 at 04:10 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Barkalarr
What about what puma931 has done
Really like that, a lot.
After reading some more my figures seem a bit off, the towbar money could be recovered abit but I've just read that the max towing capacity of my car is 1,175kg so I'd really really struggle to get my car and a trailer under that (unless it was a very light weight caravan one).
I'd probably be looking at maybe 6 or 7 track days a year at the most so I am tempted to agree that the trailer hire is the best way forward, but that would mean me doing a test as hired trailers obviously aren't lightweight small ones, and again after reading some more a 2-3 day trailer test is now over £650!
nick205 - 25/11/13 at 04:30 PM
What about renting a beaver tail for the weekend...no fixed costs, pay as you go and no trailer weight/licence issues to worry about.
daveb666 - 25/11/13 at 04:53 PM
I've considered that as well Nick and it may be the best option to be fair but rates for that seem to be around £160 a day so an outlay of around £320 a time.
daniel mason - 25/11/13 at 04:58 PM
used,decent condition brian james will be sub £1000 and never lose money if you look after it. it will also sell very easily. i made a good proffit on my minno and still sold it cheap!
beaver34 - 25/11/13 at 05:02 PM
i looked at this and the costs for starage of a trailer made it unfeasbale for me
i rent at £40 a day and my dad tows it
happy days
yellowcab - 25/11/13 at 05:03 PM
I'll make you a trailer Dave - I'll be an expert once mine is done
daveb666 - 25/11/13 at 05:50 PM
quote:
Originally posted by beaver34
i looked at this and the costs for starage of a trailer made it unfeasbale for me
i rent at £40 a day and my dad tows it
happy days
Thats fine as my dad can tow but the weight of a proper trailer would be too much for my car.
daniel mason - 25/11/13 at 06:29 PM
the minnos fit in a single garage so usually the car can go on the trailer in the garage!
how come you cant tow dave? the minnos are usually around 1380kg max. 375kg unladen 1005kg imposed load so unless your car has a gvw of over 2120kg
then you should be ok unless your cars really small? with a low gvw
daveb666 - 25/11/13 at 08:14 PM
HI Daniel, didn't realise the minnos are only 375kg unladen. Thats def the best option then!
daniel mason - 25/11/13 at 08:40 PM
if you look in pistonheads classifieds-big stuff-car transporters, theres a single axle brian james clubman which would be perfect for a 7! nice and light too mate and been up for weeks so i reckon a deal could be had. looks almost new!
daniel mason - 25/11/13 at 08:50 PM
the minnos can be narrow though so make sure you measure accurately. the caterham went on easy! so does my radical
[Edited on 25/11/13 by daniel mason]
Ben_Copeland - 25/11/13 at 10:01 PM
Build a trailer like Olz that way you can make it as light as possible and plate it up so it means all the necessary weight limits.
Got to be the cheapest option if your doing several trackdays a year.
daniel mason - 25/11/13 at 10:37 PM
cheaper in terms of initial outlay but theres a chance you will lose out once you try to sell it!
my thoughts are if you built a trailer for £600- £700 and sold it for £400 a year later a b/j or similar will possibly be worth the same as you pay
for it,will be better suited to the job,probably tow better and therefore if you can afford the outlay is what i would do.
if you do build your own then it would be a good budget option if funds are tight! especially if your capable with the build,and do a good job,as many
do.
edthedrummer - 25/11/13 at 11:10 PM
Bare in mind that whatever the plated gross weight of the trailer is, is the weight that will be used to calculate the total vehicle weight. Probably
teaching how to suck eggs but as a 22 year old without a towing license, I struggled to find anything which would allow me to tow.
Your only allowed up to 750kg unbraked, and the majority of the trailers available to me to borrow from friends were twin axles, with plated weights
around 2700kg. Couple this to my fiesta ST (not used for towing, but the only car I own) it would have put me straight over the 3500kg limit, as well
as weighing more than the car anyway.
In the finish I ended up with my dad towing my locost home after buying it with a hired van and a borrowed trailer. I need to get my trailer test done
because it just makes everything so much easier when it comes to the rules and regulations.
daniel mason - 26/11/13 at 07:18 AM
^^^all you need is a decent braked lightweight trailer like i said. its not difficult at all. its nothing to do with the weight of the kit unless its
heavier than the imposed loading plate! eg you cant carry a 1000kg car on a trailer raed at 800kg imposed load.this is what i had with the minno asn i
have no towing licence
volvo s60 diesel kerb 1650kg, gvw 2050kg
brian james minno unladen 375kg imposed load 1005kg for a total of 1380kg
2050kg + 1380 + 3430kg total so i still have 70kg to spare
daveb666 - 27/11/13 at 12:55 PM
Hi Daniel,
sorry I've taken so long to reply to this.
According to a towing website my Golf is capable of towing 1,175kg - assuming I go for the 'trailer-hire' option, I'd be looking at
these guys with their smallest trailer:
http://www.rothwelltrailers.co.uk/hire_cartransporter.html
Which states:
quote:
Model
14' x 6'1" Car Transporter
Type
Fixed bed with slide out ramps
Dimensions imperial
14' x 6'1"
Gross Capacity
2600kg
Carrying Capacity
2000kg
Presumably I need further information to see if my car (550kg) will push me over the 1,175kg that my car is 'allowed' to tow?
peter030371 - 27/11/13 at 01:47 PM
I make that a combined weight of 600Kg (trailer) + 550Kg (your car) = 1,150Kg which is 25Kg under the maximum weight your car will tow..... your
licence will probably not let you tow that though so you will have to find a friend with a pre97 licence 
daveb666 - 27/11/13 at 02:00 PM
quote:
Originally posted by peter030371
I make that a combined weight of 600Kg (trailer) + 550Kg (your car) = 1,150Kg which is 25Kg under the maximum weight your car will tow..... your licence will probably not let you tow that though so you will have to find a friend with a pre97 licence
My post 1997 license allows
Licences held from 1 January 1997
If you passed your driving test after 1 January 1997 and have an ordinary category B (car) licence, you can drive either:
a vehicle up to 3.5 tonnes or 3,500 kilograms (kg) Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) towing a trailer of up to 750kg MAM (with a combined weight of up to 4,250kg in total)
a trailer over 750kg MAM as long as it is no more than the unladen weight of the towing vehicle (with a combined weight of up to 3,500kg in total)
So as long as my car is 1,382kg + 1,150kg as noted above = 2,532kg so I should be well within the limits?
peter030371 - 27/11/13 at 02:42 PM
quote:
Originally posted by daveb666
So as long as my car is 1,382kg + 1,150kg as noted above = 2,532kg so I should be well within the limits?
I am not so sure on that. The 1,175Kg is what your car is physically rated to tow (I believe?) but for the new rules on licences you have to take into account the gross capacity of the trailer which in this case is 2,600Kg (not what it actually weighs with your car on....seems crackers to me but then that's laws for you!).
I am sure others on here will have a better handle on this....I passed my test in the late 80's so I just creep in the pre-97 rules
If you can find someone with a pre97 licence they can drive it no problem, but then you have insurance issues to sort out which is yet more money
Ben_Copeland - 27/11/13 at 03:37 PM
I don't think your allowed to tow a trailer plated higher than your cars towable limit.
daveb666 - 27/11/13 at 03:56 PM
This is confusing me!
Is this the bit that means I can't do what I want:
"the fully-loaded trailer weight isn’t more than the unladen vehicle weight"
[Edited on 27/11/13 by daveb666]
Ben_Copeland - 27/11/13 at 04:50 PM
Basically means you can put a big ass trailer behind a mini.
You wouldn't want to tow something heavier than you tow vehicle it would be dangerous as your brakes will useless
I've just towed a Vauxhall omega behind my 63 plate vito van on an aframe. On braking I could feel it lifting the back suspension slightly. That
van is rated for that tow weight!! If I was pulling it with a lighter car it would of been nasty
puma931 - 27/11/13 at 05:56 PM
+1 
quote:
Originally posted by Barkalarr
What about what puma931 has done
daniel mason - 27/11/13 at 06:19 PM
you cant do that unfortunately.
its the max gross of trailer you have to add to the cars gvw. which will be above your figure on a golf.
this is the strange thing;
assuming you had a car with a 2000kg gvw.
you could tow a 1450kg rated trailer(max gross) eg 450kg unladen + 1000kg imposed load fully loaded to the 3450kg
but you COULD NOT TOW a 1550kg rated one weighing 450kg unladen even if it was empty! as you be at 3550kg
its stupid!
you could comfortably have a lightweight trailer and a 7 coming in under 1000kg if needed! assuming your 7 isnt a big lardy CEC!
Ben_Copeland - 27/11/13 at 08:23 PM
Your better odd making one or deplating one
daveb666 - 28/11/13 at 08:54 AM
quote:
Originally posted by daniel mason
you cant do that unfortunately.
its the max gross of trailer you have to add to the cars gvw. which will be above your figure on a golf.
this is the strange thing;
assuming you had a car with a 2000kg gvw.
you could tow a 1450kg rated trailer(max gross) eg 450kg unladen + 1000kg imposed load fully loaded to the 3450kg
but you COULD NOT TOW a 1550kg rated one weighing 450kg unladen even if it was empty! as you be at 3550kg
its stupid!
you could comfortably have a lightweight trailer and a 7 coming in under 1000kg if needed! assuming your 7 isnt a big lardy CEC!
Sorry for being thick, still not getting it.
My golf weight is 1,385kg. The gross weight is 1,860kg.
Therefore, what is the maximum amount I can tow? I thought as long as the trailer (with my locost on) is less than 1,175kg (the cars max towing weight) and the TOTAL amount of both combined is <3,500kg then that's OK ?
no?
Ben_Copeland - 28/11/13 at 09:27 AM
From what I understand:
You can't drive a vehicle train higher than 3500kg
You can't tow a trailer rated higher than the cars limit (empty or not) and/or rated heavier than 3500kg including cars weight.
You can't tow a trailer heavier than the cars weight or limit.
You can't tow an un braked trailer heavier than 750kg.
[Edited on 28/11/13 by Ben_Copeland]
daveb666 - 28/11/13 at 10:42 PM
Right, spent age reading on all this tonight. Basically there is no direct-legal way for me to get my 550kg kit car on to a trailer and tow with my
Golf, as the plated weight of the trailer would always be 1500kg+ or whatever, thereby pushing me close to the 3,500kg but also going over the 1,175kg
of my cars weight.
Thereby, the only way I believe I can get round this rule is to A. Build a caravan trailer and make my own 'plate', buy a proper trailer and
replace the 'plate'.
Naughty, but illegal if I know that I genuinely will never exceed the trailer weight + my locost weight?
Ben_Copeland - 28/11/13 at 11:23 PM
If you build your own then nobody knows the age therefore you don't need a plate because it was built before plates were needed
Or as you say replate a trailer to a lower plate, which is fine because your downgrading it not upgrading.
907 - 29/11/13 at 05:55 AM
Hi All.
As far as the regs go they certainly don't make it easy but I think I am within the law.
I couldn't find a trailer of the size and weight (carrying capacity to suit my car) so I took an odd rout that fitted my requirements.
I wanted it to be as low as possible, and no wider than the tow car. Twin axle, and capable of carrying a tonne (ish) while staying
within the 1700kgs max towing weight of my Passat TDI estate.
So I bought a new Alco chassis with axles fitted with 10" wheels and 195 tyres. This combination is rated at 1100kgs per axle.
I made the deck myself so that the wheels were inboard and the mudguards, which are incorporated in the floor, car be driven
over by the car being loaded.
The trailer weighs 420kgs so with a load of 1000kgs (say an MX5) and with a few tools I'm still well within legal limits.
I plated the trailer accordingly.
I'm pleased with the way it tows and having inboard wheels cuts down the width. Where the car goes, the trailer will go.
Cheers,
Paul G
Trailer Wheels
[Edited on 29/11/13 by 907]
daniel mason - 29/11/13 at 07:25 AM
why cant you get a brian james clubman/minno with a rating of 1380kg? like i said
or alternatively get them to de rate the plate to 675kg imposed load 1000kg total (added to the 375kg max gross)
you can NOT tow a trailer heavier than the car (max gross figures on both) and they must not add up to over 3500kg.
the only way you can tow over 3500kgs is if your driving a 3500kg rated vehicle.then you can tow up to 750kg adding to 4250kg.
brian james de rate loading plates for people!
daveb666 - 29/11/13 at 08:20 AM
quote:
Originally posted by daniel mason
why cant you get a brian james clubman/minno with a rating of 1380kg? like i said
or alternatively get them to de rate the plate to 675kg imposed load 1000kg total (added to the 375kg max gross)
you can NOT tow a trailer heavier than the car (max gross figures on both) and they must not add up to over 3500kg.
the only way you can tow over 3500kgs is if your driving a 3500kg rated vehicle.then you can tow up to 750kg adding to 4250kg.
brian james de rate loading plates for people!
Hi Daniel,
after reading all the comments above I'd pretty much decided that hiring a trailer when needed would be the best choice; but obviously this won't work as they'll all have their original weight plates fitted (generally 1,500kg +).
I'm actually looking at the Micromax trailers, as these are the smallest BJ trailers but more than big enough for my car and as light as you can get.