Thread: Starting to build car trailer

Originally Posted by DoubleChevron

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).

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.

Shane, do you not like tippers or beaver tails?

Originally Posted by Slunnie

Shane, do you not like tippers or beaver tails?

I have tried both in the past. The tipper had ramps that were too short, and the angle didn't tip enough ... So they beached part way on. It was also the scariest trailer I have ever towed (if moved aroud and felt like it was flexing in the drawbar behind the car). Every single beaver tail I have ever tried beaches the car before it's even 1/3rd on They are no good at all for lowered cars.

edit: I just realised how ridiculous I sound, so I just hit google for an image of a citroen ds sitting down on the ground



this isn't my car, but shows how low they sit when they don't run. that wheelbase is 124", so they beach really easily.

seeya,
Shane L.

Originally Posted by DoubleChevron

I have tried both in the past. The tipper had ramps that were too short, and the angle didn't tip enough ... So they beached part way on. It was also the scariest trailer I have ever towed (if moved aroud and felt like it was flexing in the drawbar behind the car). Every single beaver tail I have ever tried beaches the car before it's even 1/3rd on They are no good at all for lowered cars.

edit: I just realised how ridiculous I sound, so I just hit google for an image of a citroen ds sitting down on the ground



this isn't my car, but shows how low they sit when they don't run. that wheelbase is 124", so they beach really easily.

seeya,
Shane L.

A cool, that's really interesting feedback! We just finished a beaver tail for cars and a tipper for side by sides not long ago. I thought they made loading easier but you've got some really good points there.

Originally Posted by Slunnie

A cool, that's really interesting feedback! We just finished a beaver tail for cars and a tipper for side by sides not long ago. I thought they made loading easier but you've got some really good points there.

If your tilter tilts to creates a gentle rise with no "ridges" ........ It will load anything so long as the nose clears. I've watched a tilt/slide truck load one of the cars above that was sitting on flat tires.... Litterally 2mm ground clearance.... and it went right on..... Incredible. It's all in the "constant climb", if there is no "bumps" in the climb, your fine. I have used rental trailers in the past by uncoupling them front the towcar, and allowing the nose of the trailer to go sky high (so you have the gentle climb with no "bumps" ). It's a PITA climbing up high to the hand winch though

seeya,
Shane L.

Nope no air bag suspension mainly due to cost, trying to keep weight down, under slung spare wheel using a Toyota spare wheel holder, alloy wheels, will have a removable winch set up and for low cars have a jockey wheel that can lift up front of trailer quite high also removable rear trailer stands, looking at alloy mudguards and a pooch deck all to keep weight down as I work 6 days it is a slow process but hoping to have it on suspension soon.


Wiring in chassis rails, flush mounted lights etc and still thinking on something for brake balance between front and rear axle due to weight transfer under braking just with previous experience towing dual axle trailers and caravan and probably being fussy but what the hell it might be a challenge keep brain thinking.

If you run an electric over hydraulic brake setup
I wonder if you could use a lever arm proportioning valve
Between front and rear axles?
Pump sends fluid and valve proportions caliper pressure according to
Ride height (= load)

Steve

The difference between axles would hardly be worth worrying about......given if you is pedros 10% rule that 350kg on the tow therefore the front axle would be less than 350kg heavier than the rear.

Maybe adding the trailer stability control system....my father in law reckons it works a treat on his 3T van.

There are a lot of 3.5T caravans running around without brake proportioning

Have done a bit more to the project.