Thread: 'Car' trailer ideas - thinking outside the box.

I really don't like the idea of a detachable drawbar... My car trailer requirements are different to most ( ability to load a car with zero ground clearance). This popped up on one of the citroen lists the other day.



A pommy trailer. Poms have pathetic little towcars 'cos petrol is so expensive and unless they live on farms there is nowhere to park it. A "big" car over there is a ford fiesta. Anyway, I asked him, how he loads a car with no ground clearance.



That trailer would be really light. note: it's narrow, you drive over the wheel arches. yet it could load *anything* just like a flat tray truck. It must have walking beam suspension (or more likely those ALKO rubber suspension axles they are so fond of over there).

It's a ripper right ? I reckon you'll need to go twin axle to get the ratings up. If you get a truck axle, your going to have to much fun trying to get the balance right so you don't have to much or too little drawbar weight

seeya
Shane L.

Originally Posted by DoubleChevron

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It must have walking beam suspension (or more likely those ALKO rubber suspension axles they are so fond of over there).

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seeya
Shane L.

Those rubber suspension axles you talk about are called Duratorque and were designed in Australia in the 1970s.

There were even Duratorque towbars for series Land Rovers.

They are made by freezing round rubber extrusion with nitrogen and inserting 4 lengths (one on each flat of the square) with the solid bar into seamless RHS. When the rubber thaws it expands into the space between the corners of the RHS and the square stock.

You will find the suspension on most horse floats in Australia because it the best way to get a low floor height and keep the CoG of the horse as low as possible.

BTW: Would that Jeep be rated to tow that Citroen? A friend had to borrow another friend's tow car (F150) because his Jeep wasn't rated high enough to tow a trailer and his '42 GPW to Corowa. The Citroen must weigh more than a GPW.

Balance and ball weight won't be an issue as it will be built to carry just 1 vehicle 99% of the time - and loading angles aren't a real drama for the 101.

Draw bar would have to be removable if I build this - I just won't be able to fit it anywhere if if doesn't have that gone and the 101 parked on it.

Originally Posted by Homestar

Balance and ball weight won't be an issue as it will be built to carry just 1 vehicle 99% of the time - and loading angles aren't a real drama for the 101.

Draw bar would have to be removable if I build this - I just won't be able to fit it anywhere if if doesn't have that gone and the 101 parked on it.

Hah! load angles for a 101 .......... you wouldn't even bother with ramps ... Those big wheels will ramp over the trailing edge of the trailer given a little low range and throttle.

I really like that trailer above. As for parking cars on the trailer. I was going to do that. It proves to be a PITA, even if you rarely use it. I have alignment ramps in the shed. Even they are a PITA to park cars on that are rarely used.

I built my trailer with a removable center section of floor so if I ever need to get under cars, I could for example, change a starter motor by winching the car onto the trailer so I can get under it.... I haven't needed to do that yet though (and plan to never need to do it .... much like I plan to never use a snatch strap, or tow rope or tools I carry with me).

I think it's lazyness. I see cars 1 vehicle deep in the shed ... and don't really drive them much, 'cos to get them out you have to move the car behind them..... And well your already in that car driving it .... so might as well use it rather than get the car infront out.

seeya
Shane L.

Hi Gav

Just thinking out loud. Why not have the "A" frame and suspension on a chassis and have a sliding deck that moves forward over the coupling to save space?

Diana

Yeah, that's a good thought. Nice 'outside the box' thinking.

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Hi Gav

Just thinking out loud. Why not have the "A" frame and suspension on a chassis and have a sliding deck that moves forward over the coupling to save space?

Diana

not practical for a configuration where the wheel arches are part of the load space and you have to drive over them to load. when you move the deck you become limited by the wheel arches.

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

not practical for a configuration where the wheel arches are part of the load space and you have to drive over them to load. when you move the deck you become limited by the wheel arches.

It would really depend upon how the deck slides wouldn't it? Just think about the mechanism used in a slide and tilt tray.

If you have a roller slide mechanism at one end and radius arms (pivoted at each end) at the other end of the trailer (or you could have 4 radius arms one in each corner). As the deck moved forward the radius arms would start to rotate and lift the deck over the wheels.

But you are correct the design would work best and easiest if the deck could remain flat and slide between the wheel mudguards (which would require a full width trailer, which is not part of the spec).