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Author: Subject: Car Trailer
coozer

posted on 1/9/07 at 06:58 PM Reply With Quote
Car Trailer

I want to build a trailer for my MNR. It only needs to be big enough to get the MNR on.

Anyone have any plans to build one?

If I build a locost trawler does it need to be braked? I am thinking that a rear axle from a FWD car would be OK??

Can anyone give me some advice?

Failing that, is there anyone around me locally that doesn't mind sharing a trailer??

I need one to get the car down to Beverly for the SVA and across to DVLA for the registration. In the meantime I'm thinking of a track day to shake it down.

Any help would be much appreciated

Regards,
Steve





1972 V8 Jago

1980 Z750

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tegwin

posted on 1/9/07 at 07:02 PM Reply With Quote
Depending on the weight of your car you might be able to get away with a caravan chassis with a bed welded on it...

Only problem with that is the car ends up quite high as it has to be above the trailer wheels...

I bought an enormous chassis a year or so ago for £45...came with two new tyres....wooden floor was totaly rotten, but not bad!

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big_wasa

posted on 1/9/07 at 07:10 PM Reply With Quote
Ive been looking at these on ebay.

Seems you can get somthing good and usable for around £500.

If making your own, Whats the materials/hitch ect going to cost ?

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tks

posted on 1/9/07 at 07:22 PM Reply With Quote
i did exactly the same!

i bought a 850Kg (braked) trailer it had 1555mm between the wheels.

i took all of the wood of it. i then just welded 2 U's from 3mm sheet on them and thats it! only thing i have is that i need to change wheels and take of calipers to be able to drive it onto it.

in the future i will change design to run over the wheels. anyway it works relly well.

Tks

[Edited on 1/9/07 by tks]





The above comments are always meant to be from the above persons perspective.

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welderman

posted on 1/9/07 at 07:33 PM Reply With Quote
been offered a wrecked caravan, may give it a go, keep you posted if i take up the offer, it's not braked but my Animal should tow it no problem.





Thank's, Joe

I don't stalk people


http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/forum/23/viewthread.php?tid=172301

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adithorp

posted on 1/9/07 at 07:41 PM Reply With Quote
Pretty sure it has to be braked on all axles at the weight of a car trailer (and caravan for that matter).

adrian

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coozer

posted on 1/9/07 at 07:42 PM Reply With Quote
Well, my tow car is a Rover 220 D and I have a load of 2" angle lying around.

I expect the MNR to be around 600kg so do I need a braked trailer?

I'm not after anything very fancy, just big enough to keep the wheels off the deck. it also has to be small enough to stash away on its side as I don't have much room to store it for the 11 1/2 months it doesn't get used!

I just intend to get some details and weld one up!

Any advise or any legal sh1t to watch out for? Like, does 600kg need to be braked??

Cheers,
Steve





1972 V8 Jago

1980 Z750

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adithorp

posted on 1/9/07 at 07:53 PM Reply With Quote
Just found this on the National towing association site.

Trailer Maximum Weights

Type 01: unbraked trailers - max. 750kg gross trailer weight or half the towing vehicle's kerb weight - whichever is less.
Type 02: trailers on overrun brakes - max. 3500kg gross trailer weight

1982 regulations demand that all trailers, including unbraked ones, must be clearly marked with their maximum gross weight in kg. This may be checked at any time by the police at a weighbridge. Since 1st January 1997, all unbraked trailer plates must show the year of manufacture

adrian

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Avoneer

posted on 1/9/07 at 08:34 PM Reply With Quote
I wouldnt recommend an un-braked trailer for you car. I think Joel had some bad experiences.

I built mine for less than £600 and it's been fine so far.

Started with the axle (from ebay) and worked round that.

You need to make sure that the axle is wide enough to get your car on and then work around that.

Link: http://locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=71781

Pat...





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pjavon

posted on 1/9/07 at 08:36 PM Reply With Quote
I built my own trailer, but the parts, if you use new do cost a bit. I think mine cost me about £600 in total to build but i made my own so it would fit through my garage door so in the winter months i could put my car on the trailer and store both in the garage. As it happens i now leave it at work anyway, but the idea was there. It will need to be braked to be legal and to be honest it wouldn't be nice to drive if it wasn't, i know these cars are light but you will still have about a ton of weight pushing you forward so if it's not braked you could have some scary moments trying to stop from even 60mph.
Here's a pic of it, if you want anymore or any dims let me know and will help in anyway i can
Paul

TRAILER
TRAILER






Always keep a big hammer and a condom in your toolbox, if you can't fix it with the hammer

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higgsti

posted on 1/9/07 at 09:06 PM Reply With Quote
the police go off the plated weight for sva not what the car to be towed weighs
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Bob C

posted on 2/9/07 at 12:49 AM Reply With Quote
I made a trailer out of ally & steel - it's good & fits my locost and my kitten but unfortunately mine seems to be narrower than most....
I made it unbraked so can't put anything much heavier than the locost on it. The Al, bending & trailer parts set me back £500 - the steel I got free & galvanising it was £15.
It's stresed to 2G according to solidworks FEA, though it seems a lot stronger than that ;^)
I've never had any misbehavior in 400 - 500 miles of towing (pulled with a diesel pug 306)
Bob
http://freespace.virgin.net/shiela.carter/shiela_images/trailer.jpg

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JoelP

posted on 2/9/07 at 07:37 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Avoneer
I wouldnt recommend an un-braked trailer for you car. I think Joel had some bad experiences.



my bad experience was the wheel falling off! I had built it with a pair of 750kgs units, unbraked. I now see the wisdom of twin axle!

When i have some spare money i intend to convert from single 750kgs to a pair of 550kgs on 10" wheels. This will help to rectify the nose weight (far too heavy) and also give me some leeway with the weights. My car will be sub 400kgs though so not a problem unbraked.

Using an animal to tow you will manage without brakes provided you pay attention, obviously you cant account for every situation but so long as you bear in mind the extra weight you can plan accordingly. You would be borderline with a 600kgs car though, and as higgsti says the police may go by sva weight anyway. Mine will be track only though so no problem there!

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AndyH

posted on 7/9/07 at 11:49 PM Reply With Quote
Been thro all of this trailer business.
First one of ebay, lump of turd.
Second one of ebay. Brian James and all that. Good solid trailer that needed £600 spending on it 18 months later.
Third one. Did it proper. Spent £1350 inc vat on a Fountain trailer. Fab thing, just been to Spa with the RsTurbo on it.
There no easy or cheap way to tow your pride and joy. Do it proper and safe, its another world from home made trailers.
Tetton Trailers in Middlewich, Cheshire or Fountain Trailers in Lincs are the kiddies

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phelpsa

posted on 8/9/07 at 09:32 AM Reply With Quote
I would just keep an eye out for a pre-built trailer on the forums and ebay. Yes, it'll probably need some work (which you're obviously willing to put in), but all the basics are there. I bought a twin axle, braked trailer off a member on here for £250 IIRC, spent about £150 on brake shoes, wheels/tyres, mudguards, paint and welding supplies and it have easily saved that on trailer hire towing my Locost, VW Polo and Pug 205 around the country safely behind my dad's Volvos.





Adam

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paulf

posted on 8/9/07 at 08:08 PM Reply With Quote
I built one from a caravan chassis .
Theres some photos in my archive.
Paul.

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eccsmk

posted on 6/6/09 at 11:17 PM Reply With Quote
tick tick tick click click click








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