Hi Redone and welcome, www.brianjames.co.uk do some nice trailers, some can be enclosed. Don't bother with a smart car, a small hatchback will do, similar price or cheaper and you can have five doors for when you need them.

We tow a Citroen Saxo sometimes on a trailer (really don't like A frames but that's a whole other story). Saxo about 880kg, trailer about 90kg. At least if we change the car we have a lot of choice of what will go on the trailer and not be stuck with one particular model.

Any specific questions, ask away.

 

Also have a look at http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modules.php?name=Surveys&pollID=18 a survey from a while back.

 

Hi Maverick,
I too have been thinking along these lines, and did consider a smart car, but decided that didn't give any choice in the future.
What do you do when you arrive on a site, when towing your car? Do you reverse on first, then unhitch your trailer, then drive out again, and reverse alongside the trailer?
This means the trailer is then the wrong way round, and will need turning before you can drive the car off it. Is it possible to turn the whole thing round by hand?
I would be very interested to hear how you deal with this......

 

towing

Hi maverick

Thanxs for the reply, i have had a look at the briand james site, and was quite impressed,
Now that you have thrown the cat among the pigeons i will have to rethink my strategy as i like the idea of 5 doors and i forgot my wife is an avid shopper and would not like it if there was no place for her put all the shopping
I have a list of questions as long as my arm, but i will ask you them slowly, and infrequently so i dont scare you off
we are so new to this that we dont even take delivery of the MH untill the first of november, and then i suppose all hell will break loose...Still we are looking forward to it.....we have been and still are, bikers, and i like the idea of arriving at the destination DRY and warm tho
So i guess it is time for a change .........for the best i hope

Red0ne

 

Hi Maverick,
I too have been thinking along these lines, and did consider a smart car, but decided that didn't give any choice in the future.
What do you do when you arrive on a site, when towing your car? Do you reverse on first, then unhitch your trailer, then drive out again, and reverse alongside the trailer?
This means the trailer is then the wrong way round, and will need turning before you can drive the car off it. Is it possible to turn the whole thing round by hand?
I would be very interested to hear how you deal with this......

Hi, Really depends on pitch. Mostly reverse trailer in, unhitch, turn trailer by hand if a hardstanding, reposition 'van alongside. If it's all a bit tight then I unhitch just before pitch, position 'van, unload car, position trailer, park car.

Never had any real problems on site and usually all settled with tea brewing within 10 minutes of getting on site. The exciting part is when we get home! We live in like a courtyard of four houses, we are at the back and it has a narrow 'S' bend at the entrance. The neighbours are great, but given my profession (and pride) it can be a bit of a challenge. Often drive in, unhitch and unload car, put trailer in garage, turn 'van around and reposition, then put car in other garage.

If the weather is not too good then the car can stay on the trailer and just go into the garage, (and I mean just, remembering to lower ariel), if we are leaving very early in the morning then the trailer will be ready in the garage and I will pull it out to hitch up in the morning.

We have a winch on the front of the trailer which can be used to load the car or pull the trailer up to the 'van.

It really is all quite straight forward, take your time initially, practice makes perfect and all that.

By the way, make sure your towbar fitter knows you will be pulling a tonne or so! If they think it's just for a little baggage trailer or a motorbike trailer it can get intresting. I know a guy who used to pull a jet ski along behind his car and one day decided to tow a heavy duty trailer with a mini digger on it. It all fell to bits within a couple of miles. It was a long, long time ago and all a bit extreme but check all the same.

 

Thanks Maverick,
I just hope I'm strong enough, (With a small amount of help from SWMBO), to turn the trailer with a car on it by hand!!

 

Cor I just had to rise to this one What a load of hassle you have Maverick. You have stated you are not keen on an 'A Frame' but wow are they convenient! No brute strength required, no problems of where to store or park a trailer or worry about its theft. Just unhitch, fold up and place in the boot and park the car where ever. No struggling to hitch up either.

If you don't want to take a car on the continent then they are most definitely the best option. Others will go further and say they have no problems with them on the continent either but I have never tried it or found a car absolutely necessary there.

peedee

 

Pee Dee wrote

"Cor I just had to rise to this one Smile What a load of hassle you have Maverick. You have stated you are not keen on an 'A Frame' but wow are they convenient! No brute strength required, no problems of where to store or park a trailer or worry about its theft. Just unhitch, fold up and place in the boot and park the car where ever. No struggling to hitch up either."

Morning Pete

You just forgot to mention one small drawback with the "A Frame" no reversing with them?

If they are so convenient why don't we see other EU nationals using them?

Safe travelling

Don

 

Pee Dee wrote

Morning Pete

You just forgot to mention one small drawback with the "A Frame" no reversing with them?

If they are so convenient why don't we see other EU nationals using them?

Safe travelling

Don

Hi Don thought you were away? Reversing is no problem with two drivers in the cab (most usual). unhitch, one drives the car the other the motorhome, easy peasy. Most continentals would give their eye teeth to own one but as you know it is only legal in Holland. Other countries are said to tolerate it because it is yet unclear that it is totally illegal in the UK
and what is legal in ones own state is legal for a vistor in another state.
Hopefully this will be clarified one way or the other one day.

peedee

 

Pee Dee wrote

"Hi Don thought you were away"

I was until we received an unexpected phone call which resulted in a mad dash home. Luckely we were only at Concarneaus.

Don