Trailer advice

[Twingo 1??]

Has anyone done a list of car & trailers combinations that will take a clio and be under the 3500kg.
Looks like passat estate so take it a4 and Octavia variants would be OK.
What about laguna, ceed sw ect?

 

[VenomUK]

@Daniel How do you find towing with a single axle trailer? I'm sure it's going to be fine and no different. Everywhere tells you to get a twin but a BJ similar to yours has come up that's a good price. Just looking for advice with a single axle and what you tow with?

 

[Daniel]

@Daniel How do you find towing with a single axle trailer? I'm sure it's going to be fine and no different. Everywhere tells you to get a twin but a BJ similar to yours has come up that's a good price. Just looking for advice with a single axle and what you tow with?

I did tow with my B5.5 Passat 1.9 Tdi as it kept me under the need to get a B&E. Towed perfect to be fair. Now I use my Trafic van - but I’m not legal as I haven’t got my trailer license.
again, tows perfect.
Out of preference and in a perfect world I’d rather have a twin axle - blowouts do play on my mind with the s**t tyres that are on trailers. But in terms of towing my 850kg car it’s faultless to be fair.
I can also maneuver (sp??) the trailer by hand, even with the car on it. Something that the twin axel boys can only dream about!

 

[Greeny.]

Again I’m looking for something to fit in my garage and tow with my E91 330d which apparently has a braked towing weight of 1800kg meaning I can get a trailer up to 1700kg MAM to stay legal, is this correct? Reading through this thread and I think that’s right?! @Daniel @JamesBryan

 

[JamesBryan]

Again I’m looking for something to fit in my garage and tow with my E91 330d which apparently has a braked towing weight of 1800kg meaning I can get a trailer up to 1700kg MAM to stay legal, is this correct? Reading through this thread and I think that’s right?! @Daniel @JamesBryan

Need to know the MAM of the car mate. Usually the bigger number on the weight plate.

But I'd imagine not, because 3500kg minus the 1700kg of the trailer MAM only leaves you 1800kg. The car's MAM will be more than that I'm sure.

I would do the test tbh.

 

[VenomUK]

@Daniel Thats spot on. Appreciate the advice

 

[Daniel]

Again I’m looking for something to fit in my garage and tow with my E91 330d which apparently has a braked towing weight of 1800kg meaning I can get a trailer up to 1700kg MAM to stay legal, is this correct? Reading through this thread and I think that’s right?! @Daniel @JamesBryan

That is correct.

but....

The MAM of your car, plus the MAM of your trailer can’t go over 3500kg’s in total. And the MAM of the car must be more than the trailer.

 

[Greeny.]

Honestly wondering if it’s worth getting a trailer for 3/4 Trackdays a year, it’s not costing a great deal for MOT/Tax/Insurance, the biggest inconvenience is driving the thing to and from track but that will largely be the same issue be it with it on a trailer... hmmm

 

[Simon1975]

Honestly wondering if it’s worth getting a trailer for 3/4 Trackdays a year, it’s not costing a great deal for MOT/Tax/Insurance, the biggest inconvenience is driving the thing to and from track but that will largely be the same issue be it with it on a trailer... hmmm

Have you considered trailer hire I've probably missed that back in the conversation but it's about 60 a day. 240 a year for 4 days cheaper than tax and insurance and no problems with storage

 

[Greeny.]

Have you considered trailer hire I've probably missed that back in the conversation but it's about 60 a day. 240 a year for 4 days cheaper than tax and insurance and no problems with storage

I did think about this, however I can’t find anyone that local and without doing my trailer test I think I’ll struggle with what they are offering, but I agree that would probably be the best route.

 

[JamesBryan]

Have you considered trailer hire I've probably missed that back in the conversation but it's about 60 a day. 240 a year for 4 days cheaper than tax and insurance and no problems with storage

Yeah, it's £40 ish a day round here.

 

[Simon1975]

I did think about this, however I can’t find anyone that local and without doing my trailer test I think I’ll struggle with what they are offering, but I agree that would probably be the best route.

I use to do it but have someone local. I bought a trailer last year as Im a car trader so makes life easier. Im an old fart so can drive without a test

 

[Daniel]

I did think about this, however I can’t find anyone that local and without doing my trailer test I think I’ll struggle with what they are offering, but I agree that would probably be the best route.

I’ve hired 3 trailers over the years and not one has asked to see if I have it on my license.

 

[jonzz]

Can I ask why people don’t take the B+E test?

 

[Daniel]

Can I ask why people don’t take the B+E test?

Have you heard of Corona Virus?

(in all seriousness, I will do mine as soon as they open back up)

 

[jonzz]

Have you heard of Corona Virus?

(in all seriousness, I will do mine as soon as they open back up)

Got me before the edit ! I was going to say I was reading your trailer post from 2018 the other day! My work paid for mine and I actually enjoyed it even though it was hard driving for a test after years of bad habits.

 

[Daniel]

Got me before the edit ! I was going to say I was reading your trailer post from 2018 the other day! My work paid for mine and I actually enjoyed it even though it was hard driving for a test after years of bad habits.

Yeah I’m dreading it. I drive multiple cars daily, tow with different stuff reasonably regularly and have been driving 23 years so I’m under no illusion I’m going to have my standard of driving slated!

 

[Waitey]

I failed twice just due to bad habits.

Third time I was like a nun.

 

[VenomUK]

Went and collected trailer #2 the Clio fits this one...I checked. It’s a Woodford trailer rated to 1300kg. Towed well with the Kang-poo support vehicle.

I’m going to remove the tyre rack and needs a few little cosmetics like a new light plug, handle grips and a pair of new prop legs for the back. LED lights all round, needs some new ramp ties and that’s it really.

 

[Daniel]

Went and collected trailer #2 the Clio fits this one...I checked. It’s a Woodford trailer rated to 1300kg. Towed well with the Kang-poo support vehicle.

I’m going to remove the tyre rack and needs a few little cosmetics like a new light plug, handle grips and a pair of new prop legs for the back. LED lights all round, needs some new ramp ties and that’s it really.

View attachment 1521191

Will that Kangoo tow a clio??

 

[VenomUK]

Will that Kangoo tow a clio??

No, I think it is only rated to towing 1010kg or 1050kg. I've taken the Audi off the road to do some work on it and couldn't be arsed to tax it for 1 day and the kangoo has a tow bar on it and its more than able to tow and empty trailer so just used the van rather than the Audi which is going to be my towing vehicle when towing the to and from trackdays or trips to Germany.

 

[f0xy]

Can I ask why people don’t take the B+E test?

I started towing for track days in ~2010 and thought il play the 'ill never get stopped' game.

That lasted around 9 months before I got 3 points and £180 fine for it. These days, id assume its a lot more.

The MAMs and limits mean nothing if you get the wrong traffic officer on a bad day. People don't believe it, but it happens.

A week later I did the test and passed it, it was cheaper than the fine. Since then, I've been stopped numerous times in the UK and taken to weighbridges, obviously always above board now. Other factors are obviously how far you travel with it, what your towing with, how your load is secured, the lot.

As others have mentioned, Ifor CT136HD are great. I've also done a lot with Brian James CT4, but they are much larger and heavier than the Ifor I have.

Ive probably done 20k+ miles on mine from new, maybe more, UK/Europe. Plenty of f*cked Clios and cars moved around. Faultless bar servicing it once and replacing a few bulbs

 

[GasManLS7]

What's the weight limit once you have B+E? I have a Mercedes Vito and I'm looking at a trailer for it, vito weighs 1800kg and gross vehicle weight is 2770kg. Assume trailer will have MAM around 1300kg, that's over 4 tonne. Am I alright on that with B+E?

 

[JamesBryan]

What's the weight limit once you have B+E? I have a Mercedes Vito and I'm looking at a trailer for it, vito weighs 1800kg and gross vehicle weight is 2770kg. Assume trailer will have MAM around 1300kg, that's over 4 tonne. Am I alright on that with B+E?

7500kg

 

[mikeh]

I'm amazed anyone bothers trying to tow without B+E - the faffing around with buying a special tow car, trailer, getting it downplated etc. etc. is all far more effort and more expensive than just doing the test.

I started towing for track days in ~2010 and thought il play the 'ill never get stopped' game.

That lasted around 9 months before I got 3 points and £180 fine for it. These days, id assume its a lot more.

Since then, I've been stopped numerous times in the UK and taken to weighbridges, obviously always above board now.

You must just look suspicious

I've never been pulled over, but then I'm never towing anything ratty looking, always loaded and secured properly, always avoid the third lane but I will cruise at 70-80 when it's quiet.

I'm amazed I didn't get pulled over on my last trip to Europe, that was a constant 80-100 from Spa to Reims and then Calais.

 

[f0xy]

I'm amazed anyone bothers trying to tow without B+E - the faffing around with buying a special tow car, trailer, getting it downplated etc. etc. is all far more effort and more expensive than just doing the test.






You must just look suspicious

I've never been pulled over, but then I'm never towing anything ratty looking, always loaded and secured properly, always avoid the third lane but I will cruise at 70-80 when it's quiet.

I'm amazed I didn't get pulled over on my last trip to Europe, that was a constant 80-100 from Spa to Reims and then Calais.

Funnily enough thinking back, the only times ive ever been taken to a weighbridge for a 'check' has been in Wales, says something that Hindsight, probably not been stopped since before any of those pictures were taken, so <2016.

If you've got a shoddy looking/overloaded tow car, a shoddy looking trailer (aka a caravan frame converted with a bed), or your load is hanging on by one strap, your guaranteed to be stopped at every oppertunity. If it looks right, you wont get any attention really.

Europe is a little more lax, ive been a 'little' over the speed limit before there, and on two occasions ive had a police car pull along side and just wave to slow down a little. Shouldn't count on it though!

 

[VenomUK]

What is the function of this timber here? My Brian James one didn’t have it and was open space. I’ve removed the fixings for this timber and thought it was only thin ply, turns out it’s rather thick and heavy timber.

What's the purpose for it, does it need it and should I remove it or keep it in place?

 

[Archtronics]

What is the function of this timber here? My Brian James one didn’t have it and was open space. I’ve removed the fixings for this timber and thought it was only thin ply, turns out it’s rather thick and heavy timber.

What's the purpose for it, does it need it and should I remove it or keep it in place?


View attachment 1521803

If you don’t need it you can remove it, just makes a trailer more useful for none car stuff.