I was looking at roof boxes today and found that they cost (with bars) about £240 for my Passat, which is slightly ridiculous. Therefore i would like to get a trailer and tow bar, the tow bar can be fitted for about £180 locally, but what kind of trailer should i get? Need it for long motorway driving, carrying camping equipment, househole items etc.
any ideas greatly appreciated.
Also, is there anything i need to know about towing before taking to the road with 2m extra behind me?
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Martin,
When I went down the roof box route a few years ago I bought second hand from a roof box hire company, the box (Thule) was half price at 6 months old and in excellent condition. If you have a look through your local press etc. you may find one, they are often hired by skiers and are usually sold off every 6 - 12 months regardless of condition. The bars will then be the most expensive part, but a box does have the benefits of some streamlining and also can be locked giving more security than a trailer.
Rob S
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Fewer handling/speed problems with a roofbox though you can't ignore 100kg up there. Also cheaper on ferries etc.
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Before you buy your towbar make sure it is EU approved and not just British standard as this could lead to all sorts of problems.Also when buying your trailer make sure you do not exceed the gross weight limits of the vehicle,to find this you must contact the dealer do not use rule of thumb.This could also lead to serious implications in an insurance claim.
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I thought EU approved towbars were only required on cars registered from 1/8/98. They seem to cost considerably more than British Standard towbars.
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Keithb wrote:
>
> I thought EU approved towbars were only required on cars
> registered from 1/8/98. They seem to cost considerably more
> than British Standard towbars.
Even so they are a good idea, I recently fitted a type approved towbar to my 98 Vectra, it differed from towbars I have fitted to other cars in that it required bolts though the rear panel of the car behind the bumper, presumably to pull the back of the car in as a crumple zone in even of a rear end smash? (any comments from those in the know???) Anything that encourages a better and safer design without limiting the supply to the OEM is to be encouraged.
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AFAIK all towbars use the car manufacturer's mounting points so the method of fitting would not differ between EU or BS towbars, nor would the design of the towbar. Where the bolts go varies greatly from car to car. The EU approval became mandatory due to the EEC wanting one type of approval for the whole of the EU. I don't think there's any suggestion that EU bars are safer than BS, after all, BS approval served us well for many decades. A further possible issue is that an EU towbar might not fit, or be available for, a pre-1998 car.
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I f you took your car to say Ireland without trailer and you caused damage with your towbar or was involved in any accident the consequences are without end .Anybody taking their caravan to mainland Europe without a EU towbar are letting themseves in for a terrible time if they get stopped in a vehicle check.
First they will have to remove the towbar so endeth the holiday .The French and Germans are extremely strict on this bit of EU law.It may not happen but I am sure it is better to be prepared.
The point about the differences ,EU approved bars have to reach a far higher build quality.
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Martin
Trailers are better for the houshold chores, rubbish to the tip etc, but do have the disadvantages outlined above for longer holiday trips. You are also limited to 60 with a trailer, and can't use the outside lane, so perhaps not ideal for your 'long motorway trips'.
Roof boxes, no matter how steamlined, will hit the fuel consumption, perhaps more than a trailer, so you must consider your needs carefully.
Regards
john
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Go for a trailer that is narrower than your car, then it will follow you through any gap without the need to take a wider 'swing' at it. Also reversing a smal garden style trailer is almost pointless, I am quite proud of may ability to reverse a horse box or boat trailer into most small gaps, but with the garden trailer it is not worth the effort as it is too hard to see.
Do not neglect your trailer, especially if you are doing long motorway jaunts, as a poorly designed / maintianed trailer can play havoc. My garden trailer was bought second hand, and obviously home made, however whoever made it did an excelent job. I personnaly don't like the metail trailers in halfords and find them over priced, but if you don't know what to look out for and you intend to do long motorway trips they may be the best buy.
I would not be able to live without my garden trailer, but I am not sure that I would like to do long trips on motorway on a regular basis, what are you carrying?? I would have abother look at the roofbox solution from another source or second hand. If you do go for the trailer, get the towbar fitted and rent a trailer for the first run befire buying one for yourself.
Good luck
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Martin,
Think hard about avoiding a trailer. I only ever use them for carrying something that couldn't go anywhere else (like a horse!), and then for local/shorter runs.
You mentioned Motorway use. Trailers are not ideal for this because of the limited speed. In particular those new small trailers you see in Halfords may look neat but they have tiny tyres more suited to a wheelbarrow. Boy do they whizz round loads on a 100 mile motorway run.
Like Vern I prefer a decent "home made" trailer based on 13" wheels with a proper chassis. If you need one for the tip run £100 should get something worthwhile.
A roofbox may be better for autoroute posing.
David
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David
Couldn't agree more - you've described my trailer almost exactly. Home designed and built heavy gauge steel frame, indespension units and car hubs, wheels and tyres.
I'm always concerned about trailers with tiny wheels on the motorway, as I'm sure they are being pushed to the limit.
regards
John
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John,
Same trailer ideas, same "wooden" engine lift, same suit size...where does it end?
David
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Er, well, I suspect there is one major difference - actually, none of my cars has a tow hitch at the moment, and I haven't used the trailer in a year or two!
I must stop changing cars so often.
Regards
John
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A box trailer is invaluable and a good used one can be picked up around £100.
Having towed a boat trailer with 8" wheels and a box trailer with 13" wheels, I would go for the 13" every time, having lost count of the punctures and blow-outs with the smaller wheels.
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Forgot to mention, if a trailer is particularly well designed it can be stored on end with hitch pointing up to save space if it is an issue. Mine can't but then again thats what the garage is for, too small for the car, just right for trailer + random crap.
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The "stand on end" facility is usually just a block of wood bolted onto each side at the back to protect the lights and can often be added as an "after-sales" modification.
They also protect the lights from accidental contact with walls etc. when wheeling it around the garden.
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