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 Topic: Trailers Some things to think about!
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13/6/2011 at 6:46pm
Location: Manchester
Outfit: 2010 Bailey Pegasus
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Continued.....
How Big?
Most people would say as big as you can! This is pretty sound advice however there are a few things to bear in mind
Storage - The trailer will spend more time in storage than it will in use. Where will you keep
it? Some modern galvanised trailers are designed to be stored 'on end' which might be a consideration. In practice I've found this of limited value though personally.
Cost The cost can escalate quite dramatically as size increases.
Weight Make sure you can manage the trailer loaded. There may be times that you will need to manoeuvre the trailer (maybe fully laden).
Usage The trailer we have is perfect for what we need. Well until we bought the Outwell kitchen unit last week which just happens to be 10cm longer than the trailer... oops... It will go in on a slight diagonal however it highlights the point I think :)
If I personally had to pick the perfect size, being completely subjective I'd go for 5ft x 3.5ft or close to it.
Wheel Size
8 is pretty much the start point for commercially built trailers with 10 and 13 also being used. There is much talk about wheel sizes being important with larger tyres being less prone to puncture etc however there is little evidence that I've seen to support it. Certainly bigger, wider tyres spread the load which in theory reduces tyre stress (see above) however commercially built trailers are designed with this in mind therefore it's unlikely to be relevant. It is possible to change 8 wheel to 10 etc subject to certain conditions which I won't go into here!
Security
None it is highly likely at some point that someone will take your trailer and sell it and it's contents on Ebay.
Wheel clamp Highly visible deterrent however bear in mind it doesn't stop two blokes picking up smaller trailers and putting in the back of a transit van.
Hitch Lock Comes in two forms. The first is a small lock that inserts into the hitch lock of many trailers. They cost about £5 and stop the hitch handle being raised. Useful for locking the trailer on the car whilst moving and stopping the casual thief taking the trailer whilst you are in the service station and locking it when unhitched to prevent it being attached to a car. They are pretty flimsy though and not hard to pick. The second is a more substantial £25-£100 unit most commonly seen on caravans. Fabulous as a deterrent however once again watch for two blokes in a transit....
Physical Attachment A substantial chain and padlock fixing the suspension of your trailer to a post, your car or fence, if available, is a good security measure.
If parking up for a while the best additional measure that I've found is to screw a large 'dog spike' deep into the ground directly under the trailer axle. When the trailer is tightly chained to the spike it is almost impossible to unscrew the spike by twisting and it's very, very difficult to pull out the spike.
Finally, remember that larger trailers are more expensive on Ebay for a reason, they appeal to a wider 'community' sell for more and have a wider range of uses. That also makes them a bigger target.
The obvious point here is that if someone wants your trailer badly enough they will take it.
Other information
Almost all trailers that we might use for camping are 7-pin. Make sure that your towing electrics are compatible or buy an adapter
You will need a number plate to tow legally, make sure you take one, with some fixings when you go to collect. If you want to buy a number plate from a shop in the UK, you will need to take your V5 document. Alternatively buy one off Ebay however Ebay sellers get around the rules by supplying plates to you on the basis that they are 'show plates'. Make sure that the postcode of the Ebay seller you buy it from is printed at the bottom of the plate else it is not a legal numberplate. Most do, it's just worth checking.
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