Best budget trailer for Westy

[John Loudon - Sponsorship Liaison]

42 minutes ago, Crash test dummy said:

In 20 years I've had two blow outs with four wheel trailers. On both occasions I was able to safely come to a stop without any drama, one of them on the M1 was a proper tyre shredder that would not have ended well if it had happened on a two wheel trailer. However the tyres on two wheel trailers are usually highly rated so the overall risk of a full blow out is probably less. 4 wheel for me though.

Yes, but unlike a car etc, a trailer doesn't have any steering. It will only drop at worst to its rim by approx. 4 inches, make a noise and you will notice and pull over. Its hard likely to lose control and head to the nearest ditch like a car could

[Crash test dummy]

1 hour ago, John said:

Yes, but unlike a car etc, a trailer doesn't have any steering. It will only drop at worst to its rim by approx. 4 inches, make a noise and you will notice and pull over. Its hard likely to lose control and head to the nearest ditch like a car could

I didn't say that it would lose control and head for the ditch John. I agree that it probably wouldn't end in a complete disaster but at full motorway speed it wasn't a nice experience for me with four wheels and not something I personally would like to chance with a two wheel trailer - my shredded little tyre destroyed the mudguard and made a right mess of the side of the trailer and that was without the rim hitting the road or the added shrapnel from a bigger tyre. However that said I know someone that has done over 200,000 miles with a two wheel trailer and never had a problem. So you pay your money and take your choice, mine is four wheels on my wagon!

[Andrew]

I've had a couple of blow outs on a single axle.. my own fault really. Son's tin top race car was pushing the limits of the tyres. I've since swapped to bigger wheels and higher rated tyres, and so far so good. (touching much wood!)

Anyway, on one of the blow outs I was at fairly high speed, and as John says, the thing just drops and makes a noise. The tyre didn't shred or anything like that, and there was no drama at all really. Of course the down side is it has to be fixed instantly, whereas a twin axle you can pootle to a handy lay by.

I've since tried a twin axle out for manoeuvring on our very tight drive.. even with the jockey wheel jacked as high as poss, it was going to shorten my life pushing it up the drive. It did have quite a heavy tyre rack and box on the front which wasn't helping..  So I'm stuck with the trusty single axle for now.

[John Loudon - Sponsorship Liaison]

I had a 4 wheel trailer for years and someone T boned it at a roundabout which bent one of the swing arms severely putting the wheel out of alignment so severely that it shredded the tyre in a few hundred yards. I simply removed the wheel and towed it on 3 wheels for the rest of the journey and also for the next 3 months whilst the insurance dealt with the claim for a replacement axle

[SootySport]

5 hours ago, BCF said:

Have you experienced this Bernie? 

Only once many years a go with a boat trailer. The trailer swerved and hit an oncoming car on a single carriageway road.  Trailer and other car written off but the Zodiac inflatable was ok.    I know tyres are much safer now but it's always in the back of my mind.

[B.RAD]

Understandable given that experience! Are boat trailers the same construct as car trailers?

Good to hear some first hand experiences, very reassuring. I'm really pleased with mine and short of getting a custom cover made for it, it's perfect.

[SootySport]

4 hours ago, BCF said:

Understandable given that experience! Are boat trailers the same construct as car trailers?

Good to hear some first hand experiences, very reassuring. I'm really pleased with mine and short of getting a custom cover made for it, it's perfect.

More or less,   indespension wheels, box section chassis in a different shape to suit the load.  The older trailers were heavier in galvanised steel and sat on crossply tyres, newer ones are lighter made of all manner of alloys or aluminium and sit on radial tyres.

[cjdad76]

Wow - that started a proper discussion!

I've decided to go new rather than 2nd hand because the reduced resale prices are not big enough to justify taking the risk of a used one.

Having looked at Woodford, Brian James, Ivor Williams and a couple of others - I think I am going to go with the BJ C4 Blue.  SHould be able to get it with a few options for around £2.4k.

In terms of bed length - was looking to go with 4.0m.  I could probably get away with a 3.7m or even a 3.2m with the Westies nose overhanging, but I guess a 4.0m would be better for potential resale value - this seems a more common size.

[Onliest Smeg David]

5 minutes ago, cjdad76 said:

In terms of bed length - was looking to go with 4.0m.  I could probably get away with a 3.7m or even a 3.2m with the Westies nose overhanging, but I guess a 4.0m would be better for potential resale value - this seems a more common size.

That's my current thought process, as I'm likely to invest in a trailer shortly. A trailer that can transport a bit larger than a Westy definitely opens up greater long term versatility.

I'm still not decided on the 2 wheel v 4 wheel route yet though.

[cjdad76]

Aside from safety fears which in my opinion aren't a big concern (having towed caravans on only 2 wheels for years) - my reasoning for 4 wheels over 2, is that with the rear legs and jockey wheel down, I am hoping to be able to load / unload without the trailer being hitched.  Perhaps this is possible with 2 or 4 wheels, but in my head this would be far more stable with 4.
Just my opinion though.

[6carjon]

Yes loading westie onto my 4 wheel minno is no problem when unhitched. Just remember to tighten the rear stays at the back of the trailer.  Ask me how I know !

[B.RAD]

Loading onto my two wheel BJ is also no problem unhitched!

[cjdad76]

Good to know, thanks BCF.  May well save myself a couple of hundred pounds and go 2 wheels then!!  Spoke with BJ and asked the question and they said the biggest advantage would be resale - that rightly or wrongly, 4 wheeled transporters are more popular / desirable and carry better resale value.  Safety / stability / loading is not so discernable between the 2 versions.
Just on waiting on pricing back from BJ on both options.