Hey All,
I've been looking for some time for a trailer. Now a good friend of mine that's been involved all his professional life in plant machinery is adamant I should stay away from a mono axle trailer. He claims mono axles are significantly worse in terms of stability on the road. Clearly such trailers are popular within the Seven community. To be honest a small single axle would be my preference.
Any chance any community members that tow their Seven on a regular basis could offer some experience.
if it matters I'll be towing with a Volvo V90 Cross Country.
thanks
Lots of experiences in the archives.
The other commonly quoted advantage is what happens if a tyre fails.
Jonathan
Twin axle a lot more stable and easy to manoeuvre. Puncture on 1 out of 4 wheels much safer than 1 out of 2
25 years experience towing large caravans, 15 years experience towing my Caterham - Twin axle every time for me, much more stable.
As SM25T mentions punctures, which seem quite common on trailers, are easier to control with 4 wheels.
Only negative of a twin axle is manoeuvring by hand in tight spaces, but a good high jockey wheel helps.
Cowering in a dark corner waiting for some clever dick to come along to correct or criticise my spelling and grammar
"Clearly such trailers are popular within the Seven community." (referencing single-axle trailers)
Really? I would say that a significant majority of those who regularly use a trailer for towing their Caterhams do so with a twin-axle spec. Stability, load capacity and built-in redundancy (in the event of a tyre failure) are the reasons.
For a 620R (not the lightest of Sevens) I'd consider nothing else.
James
I use a single axle trailer here that is very stable towing at 120km/h. To ensure the tyres have sufficient speed rating, typically 13" wheels are needed on 5-bolt stub axles, this adds to the weight and bulk of the trailer.
To keep within the maximum 907kg/2000lb (or half the laden tow vehicle weight) un-braked trailer weight limit here in Alberta, I had to build my own light weight all aluminium trailer which also has removable wheel units to allow the trailer to be stored on edge in my garage with the suspension, wheel and mudguard units removed. Total all-up weight with the Caterham on the trailer is just over 800kg.
The tow vehicle will have a significant effect on the stability, our Macan S tows the trailer very well with no issues in strong cross winds (likely seen 80km/h or more in a thunderstorm last year) and can still brake in a shorter distance with the un-braked trailer than some vehicles not towing a trailer such as mini vans and pickup trucks.
James
I appreciate James is using a mono axle successfully, but the overall sentiment seems aligned with the advice I've been given, the benefits of a dual axle are worth noting.
I'll be at Croft for the club track day if anyone has the time and inclination to show off their trailer. Sounds a bit boring I know, but trying to pick one from the classifieds seems a bit hit and miss and buying new gets pretty expensive fast. Any practical insight I can gain would be appreciated.
35 years of towing...twin axle every time.
if you want a trailer to last forever, Ifor Williams.
I gave myself a new PRG one for my birthday a while ago though and like it very much. Not cheap, but custom built tilting flat bed with demountablr sides, it has very use covered , not just the cars...very important that in negotiations with the board.
Can't go wrong with a Brian James, either. A popular choice, though Ifor Williams and PRG are also reputable brands.
I know from experience that a good, used BJ trailer is likely to hold its value very well; it's quite normal to sell one, after owning and using it for several years, for the original purchase price.
James
I have a Fountain C100 cracking trailer and very very stable, (Twin axle)
what ever to get take the time to get the hitch set at the correct height and the nose weight correct too,
......and decent straps on all 4 wheels
These guys do some UK made top straps:
https://slingsandstraps.co.uk/collections/soft-link-sets/
Worth also checking if your licence (B+E) permits you to tow....?
I bought a Woodford Lightweight in June last year (the 072 model) and really rate it. Twin axle, super stable towing, and the twin means it's very easy to reverse too. I got it directly from Woodford in Northampton, dealing with Jolanta, the managing director, all my questions were answered promptly and they went out of their way to accommodate me!