Didn't realize there were sets up to adjust brakes force the each axle.Quote:
Originally Posted by stevo
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Didn't realize there were sets up to adjust brakes force the each axle.Quote:
Originally Posted by stevo
I do not think there is have not looked into it but have done large transport trailers where you had to balance the braking force on different axles due to leading and trailing suspension arms.
these were old trailers and the modern ones now have ABS systems much more efficient
I suppose you could run two brake controllers......but I think you light be overthinking it for a car trailer.
I agree, don't get to fancy with a trailer.
If its empty, just dim the brakes, loaded it will be ok.
If you've got electric brakes I assume you're also looking to register for over 2000kg, so we would normally run load sharing suspension also which helps prevent that issue.
If anyone is interested, many years ago I bought, from the USA, plans to build a car trailer. I never did build it but I could copy them for anyone interested. There are two versions, single and dual axles.
I'd have to check but I think they were from JC Whitney.
To legally carry a Holden or Falcon you will also need a Breakaway brake system, the Authorised Inspector will determine what legal load you can put on the trailer by what you have suspension and brake wise on the trailer.Quote:
Originally Posted by stevo
He will send the details away to the RMS and about a week later they will issue a compliance plate with a chassis number, along with Tare weight (weight of trailer unloaded) and the GVM which is weight of trailer fully, legally loaded.
The majority of car trailers are 2T GVM and are illegal to carry even a Holden or Ford Falcon as most trailers weigh around 500 to 700 kgs. so max load would be 1300 to 1500kgs, Regards Frank.
To be legal ... you can never put most 4wd's on any car trailer.... come to that, you can't put **any** car short of a Citroen 2cv or Fiat 500 on most car trailers.
The rental trailers ... 2 tons capacity, the empty trailer is alway a minimum of 1.2tons (winch, ramps, full chequerplate bed and rails). This leaves you 800kg usable capacity.
Once you hit 2tons, you need 4 wheel electric brakes and a break away system. Pretty sure this can give you upto 6tons ( I'd need to check ). Most 4wds can only tow 3.5tons. So a 1.2ton trailer .... still will only give you 2.3tons (less than almost all 4wds) tow capacity.
My old car trailer is a massively strong angle iron frame. I purchased it with a huge coolroom sitting on it. I sold the coolroom and kept the bare frame. The floor I made of walkway mesh ... even when wet, you never slip ( I found squares of it for sale at the local scrap metal yard. Still NOT cheap though). I wanted long ramps (to clear very low cars) that were wides ( my cars have a different wheelbase front to back ) and light. Well I got the wide and long bit right. The ramps are 40kg each from memory. Not at all easy to move around :(
This is how it loads a car with about 1cm of ground clearance.
loading a dead citroen - YouTube
That is very fancy suspension for a car trailer you are using. It'll be interesting to here how it works out. Does it give you a very low trailer bed ? If I was building a car trailer, I'd probably use a cheap version of the ALKO rubber cone axle ( to try and get the bed height as low as physically possible, while also having some suspension).
My brother just bought an old F250 to get around the towing capacity issues. From memory they are 6ton on the towbar and 12ton ( ?? ) 5th wheeler capacity. It's a ridiculous huge lump of a thing though. I'm sure the 460big block V8 won't have many issues pulling whatever he strings to the back though.
seeya,
Shane L.
Got a friend up in Albury who's building one at the moment, although it may be finished now. He's going with hydraulic suspension, although he may have gone with air (?) due to low cars they will be towing. It will basically sit on the ground for loading. I'll see if I can get some pics when he's done.
I have considered hydraulc trailers many times (I have heaps of citroens here ... so could easily use the hydraulic assemblies from them). My issues is if you drop the trailer down to the ground, you would need to uncouple it from the car. Otherwise you will have phenominal ball weight applied to the tow vehicle if you dropped the trailer down to load it ( the entire trailers weight would be balancing on the back edge of the trailer ... and the tow coupling).Quote:
Originally Posted by Chops
To get around the issue, I built an "illegal" trailer. There is more bed behind the axle than infront... This makes for a very dangerous trailer if anyone "centers" the load over the bed. You must balance the load over the axle, not the bed. What happens is when a car rolls up the ramps, the lever effect of this picks up the back of the towcar, giving you a shallow, flat climb onto the trailer (much like a tilt and slide tow truck). So I can even load dead Citroen DS's (that have 1/4" ground clearance and a 124" wheelbase... that wheelbase is longer than a big old chev impala). Loading hotrods and lowered cars would be easy.
seeya,
Shane L.
I think the last few opinions missed some of Stevo's plans in his posts
He mentioned "Suspension is Simplicity brand, rating is 3500 KG"
Im guessing he will be plating the trailer at 3500kg GTM obviously with the appropriate braking for such a load rating.
Under VSB1 up to 3.5T GTM is still classified a light trailer and is easy to certify.
Im not sure where a tare weight of 1.2T came from.
Have a think about it - suspension and running gear comes to ~200kg.
So to get 1.2T tare you would need to use 118m of 100x50x4mmRHS in steel...
Im thinking Stevo's Tare will be ~750kg which will give him a load capacity of 2,750kg.
Stevo, are you planning on using the airbag simplicity setup to allow lowering of the deck?
Steve
