daveb666
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| posted on 25/11/13 at 03:09 PM |
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Best Method for Locost Car Transporter
When doing trackdays in the past in tintops I always used to drive the car their and back, with my lovely wife in our second car as support vehicle
(tools, fuel, tow-bar, food, drinks etc).
Obviously a Locost isn't as comfy as a tin-top and as my nearest track is 70 miles away (Blyton) I'm trying to find the most economical
way of getting my Locost from home to a trackday and back again.
My licenses is Post 1997 so I'm limited on my towability currently.
These are the options as I see them:
1 - Caravan Trailer
Buy/Build Caravan Trailer (£500 max)
Tow Bar for my car (£350 - has to be a VW one as company car)
Pros
Cheap; sub £1,000
Trailer shouldn't loose money
Cons
Car would need to be on trailer in garage
Potentially could be bordering on going over the allowable towing limit
Tow bar is dead money
2 - Proper Trailer
Buy 2nd Hand Trailer (£1000)
Tow Bar for my car (£350 - has to be a VW one as company car)
Take towing license (£400)
Pros
All legal
Trailer shouldn't loose money
Cons
Car would need to be on trailer in garage
Potentially could be bordering on going over the allowable towing limit
Tow bar is dead money
3 - Buy Beavertail Van
Buy Beavertail (£2k)
Storage fees for Van when not in use - £15 a week
Pros
All legal
Truck shouldn't loose money
Cons
Storage/Insurance/MOT Costs
4 - Buy LWB Van and Convert into Transporter
Buy Van(£2k)
Modify insides (£250)
Storage fees for Van when not in use - £15 a week
Pros
Truck shouldn't loose money
Car is covered and hidden away all the time
Cons
Storage/Insurance/MOT Costs
May struggle to find a van wide enough
5 - Rent Trailer when Needed
Trailer Hire - £120 a weekend
Tow Bar for my car (£350 - has to be a VW one as company car)
Take towing license (£400?)
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]
2007bc Photography - Commercial and Wedding Photographer based in West Yorkshire
http://www.2007bc.co.uk / http://www.huddersfieldcommercialphotographer.co.uk
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nick205
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| posted on 25/11/13 at 03:47 PM |
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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.
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Slimy38
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| posted on 25/11/13 at 04:01 PM |
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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!
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mark chandler
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| posted on 25/11/13 at 04:01 PM |
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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
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yellowcab
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| posted on 25/11/13 at 04:05 PM |
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My trailer hire place only charges £65 for a weekend!
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Barkalarr
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| posted on 25/11/13 at 04:06 PM |
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What about what puma931 has done
 
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daveb666
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| posted on 25/11/13 at 04:10 PM |
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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!
2007bc Photography - Commercial and Wedding Photographer based in West Yorkshire
http://www.2007bc.co.uk / http://www.huddersfieldcommercialphotographer.co.uk
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nick205
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| posted on 25/11/13 at 04:30 PM |
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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.
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daveb666
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| posted on 25/11/13 at 04:53 PM |
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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.
2007bc Photography - Commercial and Wedding Photographer based in West Yorkshire
http://www.2007bc.co.uk / http://www.huddersfieldcommercialphotographer.co.uk
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daniel mason
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| posted on 25/11/13 at 04:58 PM |
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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!
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beaver34
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| posted on 25/11/13 at 05:02 PM |
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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
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yellowcab
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| posted on 25/11/13 at 05:03 PM |
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I'll make you a trailer Dave - I'll be an expert once mine is done
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daveb666
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| posted on 25/11/13 at 05:50 PM |
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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.
2007bc Photography - Commercial and Wedding Photographer based in West Yorkshire
http://www.2007bc.co.uk / http://www.huddersfieldcommercialphotographer.co.uk
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daniel mason
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| posted on 25/11/13 at 06:29 PM |
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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
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daveb666
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| posted on 25/11/13 at 08:14 PM |
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HI Daniel, didn't realise the minnos are only 375kg unladen. Thats def the best option then!
2007bc Photography - Commercial and Wedding Photographer based in West Yorkshire
http://www.2007bc.co.uk / http://www.huddersfieldcommercialphotographer.co.uk
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daniel mason
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| posted on 25/11/13 at 08:40 PM |
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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!
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daniel mason
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| posted on 25/11/13 at 08:50 PM |
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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]
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Ben_Copeland
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| posted on 25/11/13 at 10:01 PM |
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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.
Ben
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daniel mason
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| posted on 25/11/13 at 10:37 PM |
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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.
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edthedrummer
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| posted on 25/11/13 at 11:10 PM |
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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.
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daniel mason
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| posted on 26/11/13 at 07:18 AM |
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^^^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
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daveb666
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| posted on 27/11/13 at 12:55 PM |
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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?
2007bc Photography - Commercial and Wedding Photographer based in West Yorkshire
http://www.2007bc.co.uk / http://www.huddersfieldcommercialphotographer.co.uk
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peter030371
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| posted on 27/11/13 at 01:47 PM |
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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 
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daveb666
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| posted on 27/11/13 at 02:00 PM |
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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?
2007bc Photography - Commercial and Wedding Photographer based in West Yorkshire
http://www.2007bc.co.uk / http://www.huddersfieldcommercialphotographer.co.uk
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peter030371
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| posted on 27/11/13 at 02:42 PM |
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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 
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