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> Hi all,
>
> I'm about to start looking for 4 wheeled trailer that will be able to
> carry a vehicle up to a 110 size/weight.
>
> It'll be towed by my 300tdi Discovery.
>
> What should I be looking for when I find one?
Don't buy anything "home-made" or converted from a caravan chassis - it
won't be up to the job.
Be wary of trailers with rubber suspension (indespension, Avonride,
etc). The engineering of these suspensions is crude, and once they
start failing the wheel alignment goes to pot and they wear tyres out
very quickly. Ifor Williams used to use multi-leaf springs, and now use
parabolics. My next trailer will be an Ifor Williams.
Wheel bearings have a hard life, and often seem minimally-specified.
Taper rollers are usually wrongly adjusted, inadequately maintained, and
can fail spectacularly and rapidly. Brake parts are ludicrously
expensive, even simple bits like shoes. If a trailer has been neglected
(most have), the hitch can be badly worn, both the coupling head and the
shaft.
Car transporter trailers usually need to use proper, commercial tyres,
not a few odd 155x13s that weren't quite good enough for the Escort.
Learn about load ratings (the "94" or whatever bit in the tyre size) and
use at least a high enough rating for the load you're imposing. A
disadvantage of the "wheels-under" layout is that tyre sizes tend to be
a bit odd, and may be relatively hard to find and expensive, but if
trailer storage is a problem, they are a bit narrower than the "wheels
outboard" type, which are usually 7'6" wide.
Tiltbed trailers are easy to load, but as you're towing with a Disco,
watch out for where the tilt mechanism (or other gubbins such as the
winch) sits in relation to the Disco rear door. I imagine it's quite
frustrating to have to unhitch the trailer if you need to load anything
sizeable into the Disco. That's an advantage of Rangeys.
I find the low sides on my Bateson tiltbed give me a bit more confidence
in the security of the load, particularly when I'm carrying something
close to maximum width, but they can call for a bit more ingenuity if
you're using the trailer for more general purposes.
Make sure there are enough strap hooks for securing the load (the
Bateson is poor for this) and always secure the load's wheels or axles,
never to anything above the suspension.
> Do they have a 'VIN' plate/paperwork on them - How will I know it's
> not
> been nicked if not?
All trailers should have a maker's plate with an id and maximum weight
details, but there's no equivalent of a V5. If it's not got a plate,
it's probably nicked. Since this is supposed to be so common, it's
worth thinking about your own security precautions.
> Does anyone know of any dealers local to East Herts?
>
Nope, sorry. Try Yellow pages, and perhaps consider an ex-hire one.
Last thought - make sure you're OK with the laws on towing - max speeds,
lighting, and so on.
--
Kevin Poole
**Use current month and year to reply (e.g.
[email protected])***
Car Transport by Tiltbed Trailer - based near Derby
