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when we made our choice there were other things that came into play as much as the wheel size. It is beyond doubt that a larger wheel has less stress and is often better able to deal with higher speed motorway driving. So do you work on the " I put a gun to my head and pulled the trigger and it dids not go off " line of argument or do you think this entire process is called leisure transport and needs to be stress free ?

The best bits are that trailers are never big enough !  The ones with the 13" wheels tend to be less so ........

A frame drawbars tend to be more comfortable towing.......

Its a basic principal of stability that a larger footprint is better than a tall narrow tower.

So , we went for a bloody big Erde 163 ( fleabay at good price ) A frame drawbar , 13 inch wheels  and built like a tank.  However it could still be bigger  !!!

Its often all down to money so you have to decide what gives you the best line through all these choices, I think the idea of living on the edge was a little hairy for us...... also we went big and could still go bigger ! 

I agree... I wanted a trailer that would last me the next 20 Years, and be low stress... stable to tow, low risk of puncture or bearing failure etc...

...so I bought a daxara 158 off Ebay which came with an ABS lid, spare wheel and Jockey Wheel ... gave £495 for around £1100-total worth of trailer/extras.  It was 18 months old, stored in garage, and only used for carrying several sets of golf clubs back and forth to the course! It's not even broken in yet!

I wish it was six inches wider like your Erde 163, as this would make it even more stable when towing, but I will see how I get on with it's proper maiden voyage down to Cornwall and back fully loaded in a month's time, and then see if I want to sell it on for a bigger one... I will certainly make my money back if I do sell it! I was originally looking at an Erde 193 6' x 3' 9", but this might be just a bit too big for me in the long-run.

Quote: Originally posted by Gareth29 on 14/6/2012

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At the end of the day things fail for a reason.

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I agree  that people do not maintain their trailers and caravans Gareth... They leave them standing on their tyres all year round, when they shouldn't. They tow them without topping the tyres up to the correct pressure... the Tyres therefore perish, become mishapen, run too hot as they are deforming too much etc... etc...  Also they never properly adjust hubs to take up any play in bearings, and dont grease the hubs.  I realise that many newer trailers have greased-for life bearings, but older trailers dont.

They then wonder why they get a blow out on the motorway, or a colapsed bearing.

 

Quote: Originally posted by Gareth29 on 14/6/2012

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If tyres and bearings are well maintained, tyre pressure is correct and speed limits are observed, load limits not exceeded then there should be no reason for any one set-up to fail over another.

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Don't completely agree with this... The more solidly engineered the solution is, the better it will withstand wear. An 8" wheeled trailer will experience substantially more wear and suffer more greatly from mechanical shocks such as driving through pot-holes than a 13" wheeled trailer will.  I realise it's an extreme example, but I could drive through a brick wall in a tank and the tank will be fine, but try the same in a citroen 2CV!

Quote: Originally posted by Gareth29 on 14/6/2012

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At the end of the day things fail for a reason.

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I agree  that people do not maintain their trailers and caravans Gareth... They leave them standing on their tyres all year round, when they shouldn't. They tow them without topping the tyres up to the correct pressure... the Tyres therefore perish, become mishapen, run too hot as they are deforming too much etc... etc...  Also they never properly adjust hubs to take up any play in bearings, and dont grease the hubs.  I realise that many newer trailers have greased-for life bearings, but older trailers dont.

They then wonder why they get a blow out on the motorway, or a colapsed bearing.

 

Quote: Originally posted by Gareth29 on 14/6/2012

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If tyres and bearings are well maintained, tyre pressure is correct and speed limits are observed, load limits not exceeded then there should be no reason for any one set-up to fail over another.

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Don't completely agree with this... The more solidly engineered the solution is, the better it will withstand wear. An 8" wheeled trailer will experience substantially more wear and suffer more greatly from mechanical shocks such as driving through pot-holes than a 13" wheeled trailer will.  I realise it's an extreme example, but I could drive through a brick wall in a tank and the tank will be fine, but try the same in a citroen 2CV!

this question seems to be asked alot, surely if 8" or 10" wheels were not safe, manufacturers would not be able to use them, as anything that is made by law has to be fit for its purpose.Stick to the weight restrictions and speed ratings and you should not have a problem. 

Quote: Originally posted by adelowe on 14/6/2012

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surely if 8" or 10" wheels were not safe, manufacturers would not be able to use them 

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Quote: Originally posted by Bernie47 on 14/6/2012

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Quote: Originally posted by adelowe on 14/6/2012

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surely if 8" or 10" wheels were not safe, manufacturers would not be able to use them 

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The regulations are based upon use on a highway, they do not take into account the rough off-road terrain experienced on a camp site.

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Quote: Originally posted by Bernie47 on 14/6/2012

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The regulations are based upon use on a highway, they do not take into account the rough off-road terrain experienced on a camp site.

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I don't think this is such an issue... the different terrains will cause different types of failures. I would bet that the highway causes the most failures due to people's lack of maintenance of their trailer/caravan:

I might drive 500 miles on the highway at 60 MPH to a campsite, and then only half a mile across fields to a pitch at about 5 MPH.  

The highway mileage stresses tyres and bearings... if the tyres are underinflated, then they will generate significant heat as they constantly deflect... If they have weak perished walls, then it's blow-out time.

If there is too much play in a bearing, or it's dry of grease, then again it will either overheat and then sieze, or the surface of the shell will become gouged, metal flakes will distribute themselves around the bearing, and again bang!

The half a mile over a rutted field is higher mechanical impact... no heat generated, but anything that's mechanically weak like a bad weld or rusty bolt, and it will likely sheer.  You might split a sidewall if a tire is underinflated, as the wheel rim cuts in to the side wall as the tyre squashes flat on an impact with a ridge.  finally, if you've got an exhausted suspension unit, then it may colapse at this point.