Trailers

[Pete]

Thinking about buying a new trailer as I want a lighter one, smaller the better. Is anyone using a Lider trailer? If so do you rate it?

[mgcm1598]

Haven't heard of them before, but having had a look at them online, they seem to be using decent quality components. However, as you're looking for a lighter trailer, there may not be much saving here. Lider's single axle, 1300kg gross trailer is quoted as weighing 351kg. I have a small Brian James Clubman, twin axle (the smallest twin axle one they do, 1380kg gross, I'm sure loads of other chaps on here will have the same one) which I put it on the weighbridge last year and it was only 390 including 4 ratchet straps and its spare wheel. That said, I can't argue with Lider's prices...

[Exminiman]

will you be looking for a two or four wheel trailer ? - looking also, and found myself going round in circles on this question....

[kit of bits]

Ive towed for thousands of miles I’d always go Brian james.
They just work well..
D

[Oneball]

I’ve got one that looks identical to one of the bigger ones from here https://margabtrailer.co.uk/shop/?categ ... ansporters (the nasty winch was from somewhere else). I’m guessing Lider imports from Poland and adds a margin. Mine tows well and all the axles/fittings are German Knott.

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[tweedy998]

I've also been looking into trailers recently, as I think we're going to be getting another vehicle with towing ability soon for the business.

Brian James have struck me as quite expensive, especially new, so had been looking at the Ifor Williams car trailers, which seem to be ok with some quite handy features designed into them too, and at a lower price point than the equivalent BJ offerings.

[Mini-geek]

The current Brian James trailers are leagues above the ifor

I have an ifor it's good but very agricultural (because that's what it is) and very noisy to tow

[Polarsilver]

No question the BJ Trailer is easy to Tow also very easy to forget the BJ Trailer is on the back when loaded .. (easy to speed ) if i were to buy another Car Trailer i would check that i can move the Twin Axle Trailer around just by myself when it is Not hooked up to the Car.. to solve that problem i fitted Caravan Movers not 100% ideal but they do the job.
Also check that your Car Doors will open when on the Traliler .. i had a single axle BJ that the Trailer Mud Guards stopped the Mini door opening impossible to get in or out of the car

[burchy35]

I use a twin axle brian james, the jockey wheel will lift the front wheels off the ground which makes it easy to move around.
Cracking trailer all round.

[Exminiman]

The BJ trailers mostly have the bed between the wheels which obviously keeps the COG lower, but makes the trailer wider.

Some other trailers have the wheels inboard, so car is higher but trailer is narrower.

Long way round to ask does having the car higher (above the wheels) make any real difference…..

[trevorhp]

Long way round to ask does having the car higher (above the wheels) make any real difference…..

I believe it does, I have both types and I know which I prefer.
Look at the number of used outboard wheeled trailers with 'just fitted new mudguards' for sale.
C of G can't really be an issue unless you are using it in competition I never saw a car transporter trailer tip over in 50 years of towing, loaded or unloaded.

[MiNiKiN]

Long way round to ask does having the car higher (above the wheels) make any real difference…..

I believe it does, I have both types and I know which I prefer.
Look at the number of used outboard wheeled trailers with 'just fitted new mudguards' for sale.
C of G can't really be an issue unless you are using it in competition I never saw a car transporter trailer tip over in 50 years of towing, loaded or unloaded.

I have seen one tip over - in my rear view mirror. Namely the rather high trailer on the back of my old Merc. Bit of snowfall, going downhill on the motorway - all the sudden the trailer started hunting - more and more - despite all my countersteering efforts I occupied all 2 lanes plus the hard shoulder skidding all over the place.
Just before I managed to come to a halt, the trailer tipped over. The trailered Austin Allegro, filled with spares to the top, fell off and spread said spares all across the motorway.
Right in a curve during night time.

this happened 25 years ago - no body was injured, luckily, but I'll never forget.

I am pretty sure with a low CoG trailer, with the load between the wheels, this would have NOT tipped over.

[peasantslife]

I'd say there is far more to it than that. 7ft 6inches is the maximum permitted trailer width in the UK. If you desire a bed width greater than say 6ft, then under wheeler is a must.
Another advantage of underwheelers is that ordinarilly there wont be any door opening challenges which occur when side wheelers are hauling flat tyred cars (You need something like 9inch max bed to top of wheelbox) ideally 6" to enable most car doors to open over the wheelbox.

Loading underwheelers requires bigger stronger winches because you are lifting say 3/4 tonne + that much higher. Also ramps need to be much longer to stop break-over fouling/jamming as the under bits of the transported car scrape up. Or you go for the tilt bed types - which just demand even more maintainance.

I'm surprised if we all havent seen a caravan on its side on the motorway, Inevitably poorly set up combinations (and speed) under wheelers will get into snaking situations which mean a potential rolled trailer as opposed to, just, a jack-knife.

Number of axles, singles are just asking for trouble...Twins are my minimum, A tyre failure is generally containable, and doesnt even wreck a rim...triples have even more directional stability, though probably overkill on a transporter for exclusive mini movements..

Wheel Size - dictates the available tyres. You will always want to be running on tyres with a noteable step up on their load capability compared to a car tyre. Normally in the Commercial Vehicle range. Finding small diameter tyres with C grades is difficult and they err on the very expensive side. If you dont carry a spare you want every towns quick fit to have suitable options, without charging you the earth! Nowadays 15 and 16 inch diameters are common on vans in the up to 3.5t range. (which makes underwheelers very high deck.)

Axles, for anything over an unbraked, I wouldnt contemplate a 1/4 axle set up. ie must be a tube between sides. which sort of leaves us with Al-Ko or Avonrides. Both are to be frank archaic concepts, but akin to a mini in being rubber suspension...anything else and you will have difficulties when needing parts - though there are other marginally cheaper makers.

Mantainance. Never under estimate the amount of work it takes to keep these things legal. Along with lighting almost every outing, we serviced our trailers (3.5t rated) running at 2450kg every 1500 miles. Which amounted to weekly...Coupling dampers at £25-£50 a pop, Brakes - are they using unique to that maker shoes or is it a generic from the long distant past? Cassette wheel bearings or adjustable? Cables will be £50 each.

Its a task to keep a fleet of working trailers - working! And why you see so many caravans pulled up at the roadside (or worse) having just been hauled out for the annual...

[Polarsilver]

Peasantslife. now that is a good subject Trailer Maintenance .. i do an annual Remove Inspection of my BJ Trailers Brakes .. sometimes when Reversing my Loaded Trailer can be hit or miss that the Trailer Brakes release as they should when reversing if reverse up an incline is attempted .. any suggestions as to fix as there is no manual over-ride on the Hitch ?

[Julian Harber]

The reversing lock-up you have is Brakes out of correct adjustment - One regular thing that cause this is if the jockey wheel has been directly in line with the handbrake rod when winding up and has bent it, this cocks up the adjustment and you get the reversing problem.

Interesting how BJ trailers have got such a good following here - We narrowied it to 3 manufactures BJ being one and after visiting them all the WOODFORD Trailers was our choice, they were able to tailor the spec (something BJ wouldn't) and we have been delighted, it has towed all over UK and France - we went for the wide body which has the `pull-out' ramps so no faffing about. PRG Trailers were very good but didn't do the pul out ramps at the time

[Mini-geek]

I have a PRG and an ifor... PRG are very good especially if you want a custom build.

Anyone have any experience with ECO trailers I've been eyeing up their smaller covered trailer (seeing as they are cheaper new that a used BJ)

[peasantslife]

I dont have a manual either... there are two components to brakes engage when reversing.
If the coupling damper fails/is getting weak then the coupling will compress and engage the brakes before the trailer wheels start to reverse. It is the wheels reversing that then decouples the shoes so you get no reverse brake.

[trevorhp]

Anyone have any experience with ECO trailers I've been eyeing up their smaller covered trailer (seeing as they are cheaper new that a used BJ)

FYI
I have just returned from towing our second hand Eco trailer Velocity to Circuit de Catalunya Barcelona and back with our trusty M reg Ford transit (yes the hated EPIC 2.5 Turbo diesel with over 200,000 miles on the clock) a distance of over well over 3000 km via Caen, Bordeaux and Le Mans.
Not a squeak or rattle from the trailer, no dramas or towing issues whatsoever.
Can't recommend Simon at Ecotrailer highly enough, as an ex racer he has produced the best trailer we have ever owned, all of our other trailers will now be sold on.
I have no connection with Simon, other than being a very satisfied customer.

[snoopy64]

Saw an Imp roll out of a horsebox yesterday at a show... hmmmm.. trailer and storage all in one!

[Pete]

After some head scratching I’m looking at keeping my BJ Clubman trailer I’ve had for ten years, though the Woodford that was parked next to me at Blyton looked very tempting, IF I can find one cos they’re the perfect size.