Looking for a car trailer - any recommendations?

[Linds]

Mark, I think you are refering to the "Club" range.

I went to BJT last week to enquire aboubt their Cub Tiltbed when they suggested i hold on until the Autosport show.

BJT definately said the new trailer was hush hush until its autosport show launch, so i doubt it has been advertised anywhere.

[Mark Stanton]

See ya on the 10 Jan at Autosport then    

Just waiting for me ticket          

[Linds]

my autosport ticket arrived the other day - yippeeeeeee cant wait

[Turbo Tommo]

Where do I get me ticket from?

[neo]

Turbo tommo what sort of loot are you after for your trailer if you sell or haven't already sold it that is.

[Turbo Tommo]

Probobly around £1400. BJ advise me that I should be able to get around 90% new price as it's less than a year old. New Sprint Shuttle is £5870, so needing to make as big a dint in that as poss. Havn't relly made up my mind yet, but will do in the next week or so

[Jon Murray]

Thanks for all the replies.  

Turbo Tommo, many thanks for the offer, #1400's a bit rich for me right now, but thanks anyway.

I will have a good look at the different makes at the Autosport show to give me a better idea.

Mark S ... I see you are going on the 10th, that's a trade day isn't it? I was wondering if I would be able to apply for a trade day ticket now that I am a registered competitor in the Speed Series?

Jon

[Mark Stanton]

Jon

Thurs & Fri at Autosport are for motor trade personnel and MSA licence holders  

Has your licence come through yet from the MSA ??

If it has - stick your photo on it and sign it   and take it with you as proof.  You should be able to get in somehow - Cost is £20.

There's loads of SS folks going on Thurs and Friday  (and I'm still waiting for me ticket to arrive       )

Will we be meeting up in a bar somewhere at lunch which one

[Nick Algar - Competition Secretary]

Mark

I am down on Thurs, interested in meeting at lunch or for coffee.

Nick

[Mark Stanton]

Sorry Nick - I'm earning some pennies that day    

I'm booked for going Friday (if my ticket arrives   )

Catch you soon - I hope to be at 3 Sisters for the first SS round of 2003    either spectating or competing  

[BobM]

I'm now looking for a trailer too and had a look at BJ, PRG and Woodford at Autosport on Saturday. By the time you get the same spec (i.e. winch, ramps, spare wheel etc.) the BJ Clubman (new budget model launched @ show), PRG and Woodford all came in at about the same price (about 1400 incl VAT) but the Minno's over 1700. Only major difference is the BJ and PRG are welded, the Woodford is bolted together so bits are replacable.

Is it worth thinking about a single axle or not (£400 cheaper)? My Megablade is only about 450kg.

Also do you need longer ramps than the standard or can you lower the rear of the trailer enough by raising the front via the jockey wheel?

[westy]

My car has been on a couple of different twin axle’d trailers and on all of them it can be raised sufficiently with the jockey wheel to allow the rear ground clearance, and that’s with a big 'fuser on the back that makes it even lower.

I'm sure people will be along with their own experiences but I've found single axle ones aren’t as friendly to tow as twin's....

[Blatman]

Twin axle trailers tow much better than single axle trailers, IMO and E.

I bought a Minno last year, and haven't once agonised over the "extra" money I spent.

The ground clearance on my sprint car means that I have to raise the front on the jockey wheel to get the car off. It's a 90 second job, and there is no need for longer ramps. I'll bet the sump on my sprint car is lower than anything on your Blade too...............

A Minno will hold it's value *very* well, making it almost an investment, especially if you're going to keep it for a few years.........

[Fat Albert]

IMO the only benefit of a twin axle trailer is that they are safer and more convenient when you get a puncture.

The drawback is that they are MUCH more difficult to handle when not attached to a tow vehicle.

In 30 years of towing race cars and gliders (8m plus trailers) with both single and twin axles all over Europe experience has led me to check the items listed below before setting out on any journey as they all contribute to trailer instability:-

1. Miss-aligned axle - if the angle between a line drawn through the centre of the wheels [line 'a'] and another drawn between the mid point of line 'a' and the tow hitch [line 'b'] is not 90 degrees be concerned

2. Miss-aligned wheels - the wheels do not track parralel with line 'b'

3. Insufficient nose weight - I have found 10kg sufficient

4. Tyre pressures - widely different trailer tyre pressures

When buying a trailer (even a new one) you can check 1. with a piece of string and chalk.    Every bad towing trailer I have experienced had this problem.

As for anti-sway devices, all I can say is that as I watched my buddy's glider trailer overtake his car on the A1, sideways, it occurred to me that if he hadn't had one his accident would have occurred 10-15 mph slower

[Blatman]

The drawback is that they are MUCH more difficult to handle when not attached to a tow vehicle.

To manouver a 4 wheeled trailer without all that huffing and puffing, wind up the jockey wheel until the front wheels of the trailer are clear of the ground......... I do this all the time. It makes moving the Minno around a piece of p***, even with the car on it...........

Nose weight is VERY important though, but again, pretty easy to judge with the Westfield/Minno combination.......

I don't use an anti sway device, and have found that the Minno is safe at above the legal towing speeds for motorways. The only time it feels a bit indifferent is when you're riding in the ruts of all those lorries, and even then, it has never got beyond control. A slight feather of the throttle settles it down.