# towing trailers



## Iain G (23 Jan 2013)

Hi my name's Iain & I'm after a trailer so I can take my trike around the country. She's a big girl so a bike rack would be no good. I've no experience with towing trailers nor am I knowledgeable about so any help is appreciated. I don't want one bigger than I need as my trike is already around 8FT with the box on (front to back wheel approx 7FT)


----------



## Iain G (23 Jan 2013)

I don't want to spend a fortune if I can could I get away with using something as compact as this?


----------



## Night Train (24 Jan 2013)

You can get a small motor bike trailer to do what you want. As it is a trike you will need to either have a flat bed on the trailer or have three tracks lined up with the wheels.
You might be able to get away without ramps or a tilting trailer as you can, if you are able, lift your trike onto the trailer. If not then a means of rolling the trike up will be important.
A small manual/electric winch on the front of the trailer will make the job easier if you have any disability that makes the job awkward.

You could build a trailer, if you have some fabricating skills, or get one built for you, depending on your budget. The trailer will have to meet certain legal requirements for dimensions and lighting. It won't need brakes as it is unlikely to be over 750kg, or the kerb weight of your towing car.
I have four trailers, one is currently on the road, one needs wheel bearings, one needs a spring and the other is still in my workshop. I built three of them and the forth is only for my tractor.
I also build trailers to tow behind bikes.

If you are getting a used trailer it will need to be serviceable. Though there is no MOT test for a trailer there is still a requirement for it to be road worthy and meeting certain regulations. Many old ones on Ebay don't.

What is your tow car anyway?

You say you have no experience of towing a trailer.
I would strongly recommend getting a few lessons with a driving school and maybe get your B+E entitlement if desired. Towing a trailer isn't difficult but it does take knowledge and experience and so if you know someone who is good with trailers then they can show you what you need to know.

Do some research in to trailers. There is plenty of stuff if you search Google for DVLA driver licence entitlements and trailers, or words to that effect.


----------



## byegad (25 Jan 2013)

Carry Freedom make two different sized trailers. I have the larger one and two tow bars, the standard one mounts on a rear wheel skewer and I use that behind my QNT tadpole. The other was a special one made by Carry Freedom to mount on the central tow point of my Kettwiesel delta.


----------



## Night Train (25 Jan 2013)

byegad said:


> Carry Freedom make two different sized trailers. I have the larger one and two tow bars, the standard one mounts on a rear wheel skewer and I use that behind my QNT tadpole. The other was a special one made by Carry Freedom to mount on the central tow point of my Kettwiesel delta.


I think the OP is after a trailer to tow behind his car, with his trike on it. I could be wrong though.


----------



## byegad (25 Jan 2013)

Ah! My bad.


----------



## ufkacbln (25 Jan 2013)

byegad said:


> Ah! My bad.


 
I had written something similar abou the difficulty of hitching to this type of rear configuration.

What I would suggest initially is to see how you get on with a trailer - there rae plenty of hire places around and often you can get "lessons"

After that you will have a beter idea.

Cost wise I don't think you can reclaim VAT as there will be insufficient modification even with winch.

After that the advice above is good. The simplest I have seen was the use of a second hand boat trailer with a couple of cheap cycle roof gutters bolted on.


----------



## Night Train (25 Jan 2013)

My simplest trailer is a small Indespension axle of about 3' wide. To this I have attached a 50mmx3mm square tube that has the hitch at one end. It makes a simple 'T' shaped trailer that I can fix ramps, runners, a flat bed, or a crate to as required. It is only rated for 350kg and would be more then enough to carry a recumbent trike. It doesn't even have lights on it as I can fix a trailer board to whatever is on it.

It is sort of like this but lighter weight and unbraked.


----------



## Iain G (26 Jan 2013)

Thanks for the help guys I know my thread isn't a typical one but as everyone is so helpful on here I thought I'd give it a try cheers. I've ordered a motorcycle trailer to be built from http://www.davecooper.co.uk/bike_trailers.asp
It's being custom built as my trike is so long & it's so much more cheaper than any other of the competitors even before being customary tailored for my trike AKA 'The Beast'. I've been charged at the normal price & they're a very friendly & happy to help company. I think my Ford Focus 2.0TDI should tow well & hopefully I take to towing as easy as I did learning how to drive & steer with my feet after driving the conventional way before I paralysed my hands & arms in bike accident. Here's what the trailer will look like minus the Harley -photo courtesy of Dave Cooper bike racks


----------



## Night Train (26 Jan 2013)

Good move, at least you will know the trailer is going to be safe, legal and warrantied.

Good luck with the learning to tow part. If you need any help, I am not that far from you and have been trailer towing for decades

Is that numberplate the same number that you have on your car? It ought to be as the trailer doesn't need its own number plate.
However, you should edit it out of your post as someone could clone your plate given you also say what your car is.


----------



## Iain G (26 Jan 2013)

I can't believe I didn't think about it being cloned it hadn't crossed my mind tbh cheers mate  Thanks for the kind offer Night train any little tips are much appreciated


----------



## neil earley (27 Jan 2013)

Good luck with your new trailer, ps S.Wales has some nice new bicycle paths especially the millenuim coastal path nr Llanelli lovely tarmarked wide path ideal for yout trike.


----------



## Iain G (27 Jan 2013)

Tomorrow my tow bar is being fitted it's a detachable one so along with the Bike trailers I've posted the link to will I need anything else to tow it back home? is there any hitch locks you can recommend Night train? are these any good } http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-...UU/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1359288105&sr=8-11
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Streetwize-...JYUC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359288105&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.co.uk/SunnCamp-Tr...UJ56/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1359288105&sr=8-3
& can the first one be used in conjunction with the 2nd or 3rd one when the trailer is detached?

I'm awaiting some new gears to be added then I'll be looking for some good routes so I'll start a new thread & you could tell me all about Llanelli Neil  I've only been to Angelsey in Cymru a couple of times & I thought it was beautiful so I certainly want to see more of Wales while riding the beast would even be better.


----------



## Night Train (27 Jan 2013)

I currently use one of these on my trailer.




It isn't wonderfully safe and I would be more tempted by something that completely wraps around the hitch.

However, I also lock my trailer down, to a ground anchor on my drive, with a motorbike security chain.

If I have to park up away from home with the trailer I will also chain lock it to the car so that it can't be unhitched and removed.

When you pick up your trailer you just need to make sure it is legal, ie has mudguards and working lights when you plug the trailer in.

If your trailer has brakes then you will need to ensure the breakaway cable is connected to your car. This will apply the brakes and then snap should the trailer become detached from your car.
If your trailer is unbraked, I think it will be, then you should have a safety chain that will keep your trailer attached to your car should the hitch become detached.

When ever you hitch up you need to make sure that the hitch is properly connected. I do this by trying to lift the hitch, either with the wind up jockey wheel or by physically trying to lift the back of the car by lifting the trailer hitch.

When you first drive off you will need to take good care cornering as the trailer will cut in more then the car will and could clip the kerb, and also will need to remember the length so you are not obstructing junctions and crossings.

Braking earlier and more gently too, as there will be extra weight behind your car. Not braking suddenly on curves or bends as the trailer could go sideways, or push the unweighted back of your car sideways.

Try to avoid needing to reverse until you have had a chance to find somewhere to practice.

You might find the Haynes Trailer Manual useful.


----------



## Iain G (28 Jan 2013)

Thanks for that mate I appreciate you taking the time to help me  I apologise in advance for all the questions here- what's you opinion on wheel clamps for trailers? It was just a thought as they appear relatively cheap & don't require locking to objects. I have a 2 metre oxford 16mm chain & lock is there anywhere on the car I could chain it to with the trailer as well? When parking somewhere with the trailer should I unhitch the trailer & park it at the side of my car to avoid obstructing other drivers when in car parks or should I stick to parking on main roads?


----------



## Night Train (29 Jan 2013)

Ahhh, parking!

Do you have to park on the road at home? I am fortunate that all my trailers fit on my drive and I can have ground anchors screwed in under the trailers.
Given the smallness of your trailer I would think that if someone wanted to nick it they would turn up in a van and just lift it into the back, wheel clamp or not. I sometimes see trailers chained to lamp posts for this reason. Ideally, at home you would have somewhere to put the trailer where you could chain it to an anchor in the ground, or fixed to the house, or better still in the garage or shed.

Elsewhere I would park with the trailer hitched behind the car and chained to it. At the side of the road it will mean taking up one and a half spaces. In a carpark you would have to take up two spaces in a line if possible, or park across four or five bays if you can't drive through them. At a motorway services you should use the caravan parking, though I have also used the truck parking spaces. Don't unhitch and park side by side as that just means a lot of messing about and obstructing the road as you unhitch and then hitch up again. Also there is then nothing secure to lock your trailer to.

When you have your tow hitch fitted to the car I am guessing it is a factory style detachable hitch. You will need to check how the ball detaches. All being well you will not be able to detach the ball if the trailer is coupled up. In that case you might be able to chain the trailer to the hitch. You might also have a bit of exposed frame work that supports the detachable tow ball that you could feed a chain through. 





If not then if you have a towing eye at the back of the car then you could use that, but make sure you are not chained to that when you move off as it is often too far of to one side to allow the trailer to turn freely if it is chained up!

I chain up to the tow hitch but mine is a bolt on ball, non detachable like this.




The chain I use has a large ring at one end that I can use to loop around the A frame at the front of my trailer. The free end of the chain is then padlocked tightly around the towbar frame ahead of the tow ball.

You can also get trailer hitches that have built in locks that prevent the trailer hitch being opened whether it is hitched up or not. Caravans often have hitches like this, they are often for braked trailers and cost more then your trailer would.
However, it is worth asking the trailer manufacturer about them and getting some recommendations as to what they can fit.



One other matter that we haven't touched on. Trailer balance.
The trailer will need to have a certain amount of 'nose weight', that is the front of the trailer must be heavier then the back for stability. When you load up there must be an appreciable weight on the tow hitch. Your car handbook will tell you how much. Mine is between 50-75kg. Less then that and, at speed, the trailer will become unstable and start weaving side to side taking the back of the car with it. Very dangerous. Your trailer may not have enough weight to give that much nose weight but you should aim for as much as practical.
If you find that your trike doesn't give you enough nose weight then either the trailer axle needs to have been further back or you need to add a bit of ballast to the front of the trailer. The ballast can be the spare wheel, a tool/straps box, a bag of sand, anything that can be left there.

Don't forget to sort out some ratchet straps to secure your trike to the trailer. Also locks to prevent someone nicking your trike.

If you want to meet up at some point I can help you go through all these points to make sure you are safe and secure on your travels.


----------



## Iain G (30 Jan 2013)

I posted a reply yesterday when I liked your post but it's disappeared . That's brilliant advice & just what I needed cheers mate  I'll be storing my trailer at my mums where it's fairly secluded otherwise I'd being using Oxford ground anchors as I use them to secure my trike which are concreted into the ground & very solid. I'll store the trailer spare wheel towards the front if it isn't already along with my 2 & a half stone Oxford chain & a bag of ready mix concrete I have. I've ordered 4 ratchet straps with the company who are building the trailer although I may purchase a couple more to be extra safe at some point. Thanks for your help Night train you are a true gent


----------



## Night Train (30 Jan 2013)

Not a problem. Better to offer the advice then to have things go wrong for you. I've seen too many potentially dangerous trailers and towing drivers to not try to help when it is asked for.

Hopefully the trailer company will be able to give some good advice about balancing and securing their trailer, and your trike on it, as well.


----------

