Towing a trailer...

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Is it a bike trailer you are actually looking for advice on?

Missed your post earlier. Yep, just seeing if I can tow a track bike around the country.

[_Stretchie_]

Originally Posted by TazDaz

Missed your post earlier. Yep, just seeing if I can tow a track bike around the country.

Again, what car you driving? Also what bike is it you want to tow and how heavy is it?

Originally Posted by 7755matt

One of the important things to remember is to use the Maximum Gross Weight of the trailer involved. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking its the actual weight, hence a lot of horse trailers being towed by unsuitable cars

Aye, also check your vehicles max towing weight, I was talking to someone who has a gritting company and one of their drivers got a fine not sure about points but deffo a fine as he was towing a trailer too big for the vehicle.

He just assumed as he had a 4x4 he was fine, I think it was a Mitsubishi L200 (could have been a Nissan Terrano) and it turns out his vehicles max towing weight was a 2.7 tonne braked trailer whereas my Disco has a max of a 3.5 tonne braked trailer. (No idea why, maybe it's to do with chassis and/or axle design or that the Land Rover is permanent 4 wheel drive whereas the other one wasn't)

He got done towing an empty 3.5 tonne trailer, they said even though it was not loaded it was plated for 3.5 tonne and his vehicle was not allowed to pull it because for all they know he could have been loading it up and bringing it back.

Of course I was not actually there so cannot guarantee it happened but they sounded a quite narked off when talking about it so inclined to believe them that it happened.

[Richie]

you can look here at the
EDIT :- Sorry too late..
towing part of the Driving Liecence.gov web site.


I can tow loads of stuff... Reversing it is another matter
I lovs a good toe job me... :0)

so do you think if i had a 1.4 corsa i could tow a bike trailer the single bike kind ?

[_Stretchie_]

Originally Posted by barwel1992

so do you think if i had a 1.4 corsa i could tow a bike trailer the single bike kind ?

How heavy is the car? Whats the MAM of the trailer?

Originally Posted by Richie

Oh my god, you're one of them things from Battlestar Gallactica

[Messie]

Aye I agree with Stretchie. Towing anything forwards is simple.

It's reversing that's the problem. There should be a separate test for reversing a trailer round corners - or maybe not; I'd fail

[Richie]

Originally Posted by _Stretchie_

Oh my god, you're one of them things from Battlestar Gallactica

Yes I am, but don't tell anyone....

Originally Posted by Messie

Aye I agree with Stretchie. Towing anything forwards is simple.

It's reversing that's the problem. There should be a separate test for reversing a trailer round corners - or maybe not; I'd fail

I have to agree with your there Messy...

Originally Posted by _Stretchie_

Again, what car you driving? Also what bike is it you want to tow and how heavy is it?

I don't have a specific car in mind as I sold mine in March, which means I can pick and choose to ensure I am legal.

This is all just in the planning stage for next spring, mentioned to someone I'd get a car and trailer and was told I'd need to take a test. I checked the directgov web and it seemed contradictory.

Originally Posted by _Stretchie_

How heavy is the car? Whats the MAM of the trailer?

going by a new ish corsa its gross 1565kg

trailer that i have found is Gross Weight: 600 kg

[Richie]

you can get a bike trailer that one person can pick up off the ground... So any car will be fine (unless your bike is HUGE.)
if your going to tow a bike on a trailer then anything bigger than a puggy 205 will be fine.

ref puggy 205.... AR 2007... the pug of lov towing my bike over a few hills heated the brakes till I got a tad of brake fade.
But I was driving like a male chicken at the time.