# Small Trailer advice wanted Updated Feedback



## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

I fancy a small trailer for my van.

Wanted mainly for trips to allotment and skip but occasionally for trips to single base holidays. Excellent for putting wet outside screens drive away awnings in (and the special dog food that costs me £48 a 14kg sack but is even more expensive bought from a vet)

I have seen neat ones with rigid plastic tops which I liked the look of 

Anyone got any recomendations? (before I plough theough the thousands of hits I got on google)

Regards Frank


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## badger (May 9, 2005)

Some good ones on ebay sometimes Frank...one thing to watch for is "can you see it when reversing etc." pal of mine put an upright on the corner so he could see it.


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## SPACEFLOWER (Oct 22, 2006)

Halfords have a reasonable range, they sometimes have special offers on them. They come flat-packed, so you have the fun of building them as well. Bit like big boys' Meccano!


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

SPACEFLOWER said:


> Halfords have a reasonable range, they sometimes have special offers on them. They come flat-packed, so you have the fun of building them as well. Bit like big boys' Meccano!


Do they have lids Spaceflower?


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## 97993 (Mar 5, 2006)

Hi frank
Being the local friendly garage we are, were often asked to repair or service these little trailors, some of the imported one's use 1 off bearing and wheel set ups and getting replacement bearings can be time consuming, getting spare wheels can be impossible I would reccomend Indespension (expensive but proper)or at least a Halfords one, having said halfords, even they look at you like Martians when you ask for a replacement or wheel, but at least they can get them
Geo


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

Geo said:


> Hi frank
> Being the local friendly garage we are, were often asked to repair or service these little trailors, some of the imported one's use 1 off bearing and wheel set ups and getting replacement bearings can be time consuming, getting spare wheels can be impossible I would reccomend Indespension (expensive but proper)or at least a Halfords one, having said halfords, even they look at you like Martians when you ask for a replacement or wheel, but at least they can get them
> Geo


Thanks Geo forearmed is forwarned

Frank


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## UncleNorm (May 1, 2005)

*Small Trailer advice wanted*

Hi Sallytrafic!
Towsure.com has a decent website and mail-order options. I have used them several times for trailer parts and have never been disappointed.
Whatever you decide, please remember to order a SPARE wheel and some sort of carrier for it. The longer one goes without something nasty happening, the more likely it is to happen! I have just fitted a spare wheel to my 4 x 3 trailer!
Have fun.
UncleNorm


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

Halfords can supply the rigid, lockable lids, they cost almost as much as the trailer tho'.


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Hi Frank, saw one of these at one of the shows a few years ago, a silver one would look dead snazzy on the back of your van. I can't remember the price, probably expensive...










http://radical-automotive.com/products_trailers.html

pete


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## WingPete (Jan 29, 2006)

*How Big ? ot Little*

Watsonian/Squire in Glos. do a range of trailers suitable for pulling behind a motorcycle or trike, as do "Freewheel" who are in Norfolk. For something a bit bigger, I went for a "Brian James Minno Shuttle", carries a very small car or very larg motorcycle.


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## takeaflight (May 9, 2005)

Just a point, our local council tip dont allow braked trailers, you have to go to one at Leamington Spa, where you are charged.

May be worth checking.


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## exmusso (Jun 18, 2006)

*Small Trailer*

Hi Frank,

A possible idea is to look out for a second hand camping trailer. They are usually professionally built and typically have lids.

I have one which I bought seconhand in 1983 and still going strong. Originally fitted with hydraulic brakes, single Indespension units on 520x10 mini wheels and hubs and a strong chassis, its been brilliant.

I put on another set of indespension units and wheels (tag axle)and altered the tail door, replaced the exterior ply floor and sides and varnished it recently. Looks so good I decided to hang on to it again.

Cheers,
Alan


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## 97993 (Mar 5, 2006)

Sounds a bit like my old sweeping brush, had it 25 years and it's only had 8new heads and 6 handles
Geo[/quote]


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## exmusso (Jun 18, 2006)

*Trailer*



Geo said:


> Sounds a bit like my old sweeping brush, had it 25 years and it's only had 8new heads and 6 handles
> Geo


[/quote]

 

See your point Geo but some parts are still original. Hitch, Jockey Wheel, drawbar, chassis, metal frame on sides and front, some tie down hooks, one bulb but I'm not sure on that one...

It was getting cosmetically challenged so had to do something.

Cheers,
Alan


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

Thanks for all your help so far has anyone bought a trailer they wouldn't recommend!

Regards Frank


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

Hi Frank,

If you don't feel that you would need to exceed a maximum weight of 750kgs, it needn't be braked.

However, if you are chucking the likes of rubble or soil in it, to go to the tip, you will maybe need to think about a braked trailer.

Jock.


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Jock

I hope my rubble chucking days are over! So I thought up to about 500kg would be ok for my occasional needs. I have got loads of train weight available though.

Regards Frank


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## tincan (Jul 31, 2006)

Frank, you should try reversing before you buy. I had a 5X3 box trailer made somewhere near Selby when I worked on that side of the water and while it looks great still after 13 years it is a bu**er to reverse. The distance from hitch to axle is too short and it darts about like Jason Robinson when going backwards. Means I have to be careful about loading more than I can now lift in case I need to unhitch to turn. BTW I never had any trouble reversing caravan in my tugging days so I'm sure the fault lies in the trailer

Noel


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## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

*Trailers*

Have made a couple of 6' x 4' camping trailers in the past using indespension units Steel Square section tube, Marine ply, angle iron, mini wheels from the breakers yard. Sold the last one for £100 on Ebay.

Good winter project perhaps, welding practice etc.

Problem I found is storage, they are a pest when not in use.

Regards
Steve


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## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

*Trailers*

Hi Frank,

Think its all to do with drawbar length. Just reacts very fast with short trailers.

Steve


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

I have an Erde from Halfords bought 10 years ago. Its done camping, tip trips and furniture removals. Comes fully galvanised so minimum maintenance, and stores upright on the back to take up less space.


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

Yes I don't expect to be doing much unaided reversing mainly because I won't be able to see the trailer but I'll bear in mind the hitch to axle distance as advised.

One further problem is that compared with a Fiat I have a poor turning circle making corrections more difficult. 

The wheel at each corner layout does give me good stability though.

Regards (and thanks ) Frank


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

Now that I've had my trailer a few months and having just returned from a 5 week tour of Ireland and Scotland I thought I would tell you how I got on.

Its a very small one with a short towing arm and as I have no rear view windows and can't see the trailer until its about to jackknife reversing is problematical ..... as we expected because we were warned on this thread that it would be. However its small so easy to manhandle. We have an 'emergency' procedure Doreen slips into the driving seat and takes over reversing/or turning the van while I unlook move the trailer and hook it up again. Had to resort to this a couple of times. Outside a supermarket when we got hemmed in and at the end of a long cul de sac in Donegal. Oh and once when I *knew* the way  Mostly at campsites we didn't even try reversing. Several times I managed to do a three point turn by deliberately getting the trailer out of line so I could see it and then correcting it enough.

What value was it? The van stayed uncluttered eg waste tank and silverscreens stored in the trailer. We were able to take things that might come in handy. We were able to take two sacks (28Kg) of prescription dog food. Thinks like dirty/wet dog towels could be temporily stored there until we could get them dried/cleaned.

The things that we took and didn't use.

A small full height self supporting annex (Sunncamp) and a 2m*2.5m groundsheet. We never stayed put long enough to bother with it.
8" LCD TV, TV aerial and mast. Always too much to do to watch TV.

The things we took that we don't normally and did use:
A small campingaz bbq grill, cooked on it 20-30 times.
Extra dog duvets and towels. With all those beaches our dogs were soaked on a daily basis! 
Extra booze.

So anyway it worked much as planned, we wouldn't take it on a much shorter holiday, or a long dog-free trip. It did restrict access to shops etc and perhaps we were a little less adventurous when the trailer was on the back. Hit the blog button below for more info on the trip.


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## johnandcharlie (May 2, 2007)

I've been travelling for 2 months with this one








I've had the trailer for years, but started building the box top before I moved out of my house and then spent 2 weeks in Cornwall finishing it. Next time I think I'll buy one :lol:. I often stay on one site for just a couple of days before moving on, but it hasn't been much of a problem. I leave the trailer on site when exploring. Maybe I'll change my opinion when I get to the hilly bits of Scotland, but that will be down to the weedy little 1.9TD engine in my van.

I think it's great that I can keep the inside of the van clutter free all the time, so I can stop anywhere and put the kettle on without tripping over anything. When I arrive on many sites I can just park, swivel the front seats and put the kettle on, although I have to disconnect it on CC Club sites as the pitches tend to be smaller than on CLs.

As it's my home I obviously have more stuff with me than I would if I was on hoilday. It does limit where I can go when moving between sites. I've managed a couple of Aldi car parks, but usually just stop in laybys. I've only met one car coming the other way on a single track road, and she reversed when she saw the trailer heading for a ditch when I tried reversing :lol:. Reversing is tricky, but I haven't had to do much of it so far. I can't see it in the side mirrors, but can with the rear view mirror and the reversing camera.

What do I keep in it? Bike, water containers, driveaway awning, some of my tools, washing machine, chairs, clothes airer, spare wheel, wheel clamp, solar screen. And that's just in the rear compartment. I've also got an insulated compartment at the front with household stuff like winter clothes, bread machine and various other bits and pieces.









My other option would be to buy a bigger van with a garage, but I think I prefer having a van that's short enough to fit in car parks, otherwise I'd want to tow a car instead :lol:.


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## teensvan (May 9, 2005)

Hi Frank.

Towsure have trailers with extending sides.

steve & ann. ------ teensvan.


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