Car trailer

Digipass

Advice please.
Looking to buy a car trailer. I've a petrol 1.6 ford focus and looking to do the odd run to Ikea etc.
Any tips as to what i should be looking for? Whats the average price?
Cheers

Bitten & Hisses

Something aluminium or galvanised, along the lines of this one:
http://www.iwt.co.uk/products/small-domestic/p5?tab=details

Allow a budget of up to a grand

colm_mcm

If it was me I'd look for something a bit longer than that. you wouldn't get much IKEA stuff into that.

6ft
http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/trailers/1308096

850

6ft with high sides
http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/trailers/1315984

650

101sean

Yea, can be pretty big and heavy, filled my 8x4 1 tonne trailer in one trip to Belfast Ikea

DirtyDiesels

Bitten & Hisses wrote: »

Something aluminium or galvanised, along the lines of this one:
http://www.iwt.co.uk/products/small-domestic/p5?tab=details

Allow a budget of up to a grand

1000 is a bit steep for that wheel barrow..

you'l get a decent one for half that price on donedeal!

blarneyone

colm_mcm wrote: »

If it was me I'd look for something a bit longer than that. you wouldn't get much IKEA stuff into that.

6ft
http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/trailers/1308096

850

6ft with high sides
http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/trailers/1315984

650

Just wondering, the pic of the trailer seems to have a very long towbar. ( I mean the distance from the Ball of the hitch to the wheel axle). Is this a good or bad thing?

me_right_one

It was probably made for carrying something on the drawbar, like a toolbox or a generator. Too long is no harm, too short is. A drawbar should be the length from your ballhitch to the edge of your car. Most are anyway

paddy147

You will pull the gearbox and engine out of a 1.6 focus if you tow a trailer with any sort of weight.

Buy yoursled a cheap but decent 1.8 or 1.9 TDI and then tow a trailer.
Or buy a cheap van like a berlingo or caddy.

colm_mcm

paddy147 wrote: »

You will pull the gearbox and engine out of a 1.6 focus if you tow a trailer with any sort of weight.

Buy yoursled a cheap but decent 1.8 or 1.9 TDI and then tow a trailer.
Or buy a cheap van like a berlingo or caddy.

Seems a bit excessive for someone that will do a few runs a year to IKEA. Focus 1.6 is rated to pull 1000kg anyway.

paddy147

colm_mcm wrote: »

Seems a bit excessive for someone that will do a few runs a year to IKEA. Focus 1.6 is rated to pull 1000kg anyway.

Trailers alone are heavy.For the price of a decent 2nd hand trailer,you will pick up a good 2nd hand late 90s early 00 Transit,Sprinter,berlingo,caddy van or similar.Far easier than going and buying a trailer and then having to tow with a focus and potentially pull the gearbox out of it.

Also depending on the weight you are towing,you will also posssible need a licence for towing a trailer and load.

The gardai are cracking down on this big time now.

colm_mcm

paddy147 wrote: »

Trailers alone are heavy.For the price of a decent 2nd hand trailer,you will pick up a good 2nd hand late 90s early 00 Transit,Sprinter,berlingo,caddy van or similar.Far easier than going and buying a trailer and then having to tow with a focus and potentially pull the gearbox out of it.

Also depending on the weight you are towing,you will also posssible need a licence for towing a trailer and load.

The gardai are cracking down on this big time now.

So you'd spend 1k on a sheddy van, 288 a year on tax, another 400 a year on insurance and use it a few times a year?

I wouldn't condone people abusing their cars, but to suggest a Focus is going to disintigrate just because you tow a trailer with it is ridiculous.

Neighbour has a double axle cowbox (full) every week on the back of his 97 Corolla 1.3 which he's had from new.
While that's not exactly legal, he's still on original clutch, gearbox (and probably oil!)
Point is, as long as you don't act the maggot with a trailer on the back you'll be fine.


That Ifor Williams trailer mentioned weighs 141kg unladen.

Slidey

^

Well said. I laughed at the thought of buying a late 90's transit. I hope you can weld and that your scalp is fireproof