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[Ed Straker]

Morning,

As the title says I am going to recover an 88” hardtop with a 2.25 petrol 109” with a standard braked car trailer.

Am I mad?  Is my towing vehicle strong enough?

Cheers

Jamie

[Wittsend]

Not mad ...

The rig will cope 

[nathanglasgow]

Should be okay. Car and trailer probably be under 2000kg. It will be slow work and any big hills in the way will have you down to 10mph 2nd gear. Do make sure the cooling system is in tip top shape all gearbox/axle oils are on the mark. Take some pics of the trip and post them up, we like pics

[Ed Straker]

thanks for the advice.

It will be this weekend or early new year.

Did i mention it will be a 660km trip.

J

[Wittsend]

Is this going to be in the flat desert or in the mountains 

[Ed Straker]

Some big hills.

Mostly gentle.

https://goo.gl/maps/QKbZNdbZuKrfWMrg6


J

[w3526602]

Hi Ed,

I've trailered a 109" full hard-top, from the Swansea Valley to somewhere North of Blackpool, behind an S2 petrol engined S1, using a "proper" heavy car transporter trailer. 460 miles if you include the return journey. I refueled three times, and reached home with an empty tank.

The journey involved some impressive Welsh mountain views, snow and ice.

The little S1 never faltered.

The same rig also collected a "proper" Bedford Dormobile, on the same trailer, but that was only from mid-Wales.

From the sublime to the ridiculous ... the same rig collected a Hillman Imp from Dover, and took it back to Swansea. I don't know how far that was. It took all day. I had not anticipated having to force myself into Lane 2, of the M25, (I think) at 50mph, every time I came to a junction ... Lane 1 was dedicated to traffic leaving the motorway.

602

[w3526602]

Hi,

It may be worth thinking about, subject to the length and weight of your trailer ....

I always loaded LWB trucks, engine to the front, and SWB engine to the rear. In both cases, the load was mounted as as close to the "Sampson post" as possible. It always worked for me.

As well as "balance", I was trying to take "polar inertia" into account .... the mass of the engine as near the middle as possible.

602

[22900013A]

Are you asking if it's legal, or if it's possible?

It's legal so long as the trailer weight is below two tons.

As to sensible...only you can judge that, if it were me for that distance I'd use a Defender/Discovery or similar, or hire a transport firm, as it sounds like absolute misery to me.

[22900013A]

Are you asking if it's legal, or if it's possible?

It's legal so long as the trailer weight is below two tons. **EDIT I see you are not in the UK so not sure on your rules there**

As to sensible...only you can judge that, if it were me for that distance I'd use a Defender/Discovery or similar, or hire a transport firm, as it sounds like absolute misery to me.

[w3526602]

It's legal so long as the trailer weight is below two tons.

Hi,

TWO TONS?  Oops! I've pulled a lot more the that  behind my 2286cc  S1. My boat trailer was plated at 750kg ULW. and 3500kg MGW

Whats the weight of a Norman Conquest canal cruiser, fitted with an 1100cc Ford X-flow engine, and Zenith in-board out-drive. (Ballast tanks were full).

Note that if you only have a B licence,  (I think) you are restricted to 3500kg MGW. If you exceed the MGW limit of your licence, I suggest that you will be exceeding your entitlement, and therefore be uninsured. I may be wrong, but I'd rather not argue about it in court.

I've just found this website .... https://www.driveandtow.co.uk/index.php/be_licence/?k=:6::

The site owner explains as best he can ... but finishes by saying if his advice is as clear as mud ... contact him.

602

[22900013A]

To be more specific its legal upto two tons without coupled brakes.

[w3526602]

without coupled brakes.

Hi,

Define "coupled brakes" in this particular context,

I doubt that that it is not beyond the wit of man to devise hydraulically operated, LINKED, brakes..

Can anybody produce the THE photo of a Dixon Bate articulated trailer "avec  tractor", and tell me what brakes were used.

602

[22900013A]

It means brakes on the trailer operated by the driver, from the towing vehicle, *not* brakes that work independently. Either when pressing the brake pedal or via a separate control. I know SEB used air braked trailers which ran off the vehicle engine.
Systems were available on our vehicles in the 60s onwards, Feeney & Johnson made them, Dixon bate may have had a similar system for their articulated rigs.

[Bradfordseries2]

Don’t forget the weight you are legally allowed to tow on your license is NOT the same as the weight your vehicle is plated to tow. And the plated weight of the trailer is another can of worms! And as mentioned, the difference between if something is legal, or is it possible, are two completely different things. If not legal you run the risk of losing your license and possibly your vehicle, which I’m sure a lot of people would rather not see their Land Rover going to the crusher.

I don’t think trailers can have hydraulic brakes at all.

All the legal advise regarding towing weights is out there on the Gov website, by all means find loopholes and ways round, but the info is there. The police seem to be targeting small car transporters at the moment, a lot of the single rear wheel beavertail type vans aren’t plated to carry even a small car once the body has been fitted. One recently that I saw was one of those, with a 80” Land Rover on, towing a trailer with another 80” on it. The van was happy enough towing it, but way outside the MAM of the van. I don’t know the outcome but I imagine there will be at least a hefty fine to pay for driving without The correct license, vehicle overloading, there will be the insurance issue from driving with the incorrect license and no doubt a lot more.

As for the OP, you are not in the UK so the law over there may well be completely different. The vehicle will easily cope with the tow of it is in good condition and looked after.  Would I do it? Probably!