Car Trailor

[ibrar]

Need a car trailor....should be reasonable enough to fit a hatchback or even better a merc....unsure if i need a specific trailor for a specific car but im open to ideas :bannana:

 

[A210AMG]

Hello,

My brother bought one off Piston heads, Brain James. 4 wheel one. They are not cheap though and big things to store..

What are you towing it with as with a merc on it it will be very heavy, ooh and they are also very wide.

We hired one yrs ago and took it over to Germany to pick my Z3 I had ordered. The whole trailer tilted and you drove on it, brilliant.

Is it for long term you need it? as hiring could work?

Thanks

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

There were some beauties at Autosport last weekend. Around £9k could get you a covered twin-axle with winch.

I don't think you need a trailer specific to the car - they're all pretty much generic. You just need to make sure that it's big enough and is able to safely carry the weight you intend to use it for.

Of course your tow car has to be up to the job too. General rule of thumb is for the weight of the trailer (including it's load) should not exceed 85% of the kerbweight of the towcar. The lower that ratio the better - safer and easier to tow.

 

[bolide]

There were some beauties at Autosport last weekend. Around £9k could getur tow car has to be up to the job too. General rule of thumb is for the weight of the trailer (including it's load) should not exceed 85% of the kerbweight of the towcar. The lower that ratio the better - safer and easier to tow.

Tow car is very important. Also make sure that your licence allows you to tow. Years ago a car licence allowed you to tow. Nowadays it doesn't. I don't know when the change occurred so check your licence

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

 

[bigalcam]

Tow car is very important. Also make sure that your licence allows you to tow. Years ago a car licence allowed you to tow. Nowadays it doesn't. I don't know when the change occurred so check your licence

Nick Froome
www.w124.co.uk

1997 the rules changed. You need to make sure you have catagory B+E entitlement.

 

[BTB 500]

Also make sure that your licence allows you to tow. Years ago a car licence allowed you to tow. Nowadays it doesn't.

It does still allow you to tow, but much lower weight limits apply:

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=425153&postcount=23

 

[ibrar]

It needs to be towwing a hatchbar car (Vauxhall Astra) for my Autograss racing days. So the weight would be substantial. On my license I have category B and B1, would this allow me to tow?? If not, how would I come across recieving such categories??

 

[A210AMG]

Hello,

You should be able to do a towing course that woudl give you the correct parts on your licence. My wife needs to do it to drive our car with van? Silly thing is I havn't done any 'tests' with a trailer?...

B is just the car, not sure what B1 is.

Mine has

BE Car and trailer
C1E Van and trailer
D1E Mini bus and trailer

Are you towing the trailer with the Merc? I guess the Astra will be almost a rolling shell with engine? You could always take it to a weigh bridge to see but you also have to check nose wieight on your towbar.

I would think with the C it would be a close call weight wise..

 

[ibrar]

Well my guess it will be towwed with either of my Merc's, as my friend who will also be racing with me (in turns) is getting a brand spanking new S3. Yeah the astra will just be the roll cage and engine! A weight bridge??

Hmmmm where can you apply to do this towwing course?

Regards
Ibrar

 

[BTB 500]

It needs to be towwing a hatchbar car (Vauxhall Astra) for my Autograss racing days. So the weight would be substantial. On my license I have category B and B1, would this allow me to tow?? If not, how would I come across recieving such categories??

Did you read the post I provided a link to above?

If you got your licence on or after 1 January 1997 you are restricted to driving or towing with a vehicle of 3500kg maximum. You can tow a trailer of up to 750 kg (total train weight therefore 4250kg), or a trailer of up to 100% of the car's unladen weight (NB not kerbweight) provided the train weight (vehicle plus trailer) remains under 3500 kg. You can get round these restrictions by taking a "B+E" test (towing test).

 

[ibrar]

Yes I did, thanks! But my last questions are,

1. where to get a suitable trailor (second hand)
2. where to do the course?

I will have to weigh the Astra to see how much it weighs

 

[A210AMG]

Hello,

Weigh Bridges are generally nr some motorway entrances and it will litterally weigh your outfit. Your car manual will tell you what your car can tow and the nose wieght the towbar can allow. Its not a case of its a 2.5 or 3.0 etc so has the power therefore it will tow its the weight of the car also and obvioulsy saftey issues.

Second Hand Trailers try Piston heads.

Courses try using Google as I know the caravan club does them but you need one near you.


Cheers

 

[A210AMG]

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/list.asp?s=145

 

[ibrar]

thanks again buddy!

 

[BTB 500]

You can look up weigh bridges on your local council website, they are often free for non-business users.

You need the maximum permissible weight of the trailer to be less than the unladen weight of your towcar (this will be in the handbook), and the two together to add up to less than 3500 kg.

Otherwise (assuming you got your car licence after December 31 1996) you will need to take a "B+E Test" to have your licence extended. This is not the same thing as the training courses offered by the Caravan Club etc.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/CaravansTrailersCommercialVehicles/DG_4022521