Secondhand trailer advice

[Canal Navvy]

Bonus of using mirrors without having to think is when you get old and can't look over your shoulder 🙂

[Dan Maynard]

Top tip is to remember the trailer is there.

 

I know someone who's forgotten at least twice, until it jackknifed against the side of the car.  Luckily he has an old car with the towbar on so doesn't matter the trim is held on with cable ties now.

[john87]

2 hours ago, Dan Maynard said:

Top tip is to remember the trailer is there.

 

I know someone who's forgotten at least twice, until it jackknifed against the side of the car.  Luckily he has an old car with the towbar on so doesn't matter the trim is held on with cable ties now.

The Iveco in my picture, i used to take it home at weekends and use it like a car. It was an aircooled 13 litre V8, but was the nicest motor you could imagine. Coupled with a beautiful Fuller gearbox it was lovely to drive. The handling was great, you could chuck it around and slide it about like a sports car. In the wet thanks to the huge torque you could break the back loose any time you wanted, so you could go round roundabouts sideways!

 

I can confirm that come monday morning you would indeed forget the trailer was on there sometimes which would be very interesting when it suddenly loomed into one of the mirrors..

 

john..

Edited January 25, 2023 by john87

[john87]

2 hours ago, doobin said:

Thats an absoloute piece of cake to reverse compared to a single axle 'tip run' trailer behind a LWB Transit. The trailer is 5x the length of the short wheelbase lorry- everything happens nice and slow and you can always see the trailer in the mirrors. With a transit and 750kg trailer, those dimensions are reversed (pun intended!) and you can't see shit.

 

My brain can reverse absoloutely no problem, but the best wagon driver in the world will struggle with a 750kg trailer lots behind a transit when they can't see it in the mirrors until it's nearly jacknifed.

 

 

As it happens, with an artiic, a soon as you turn all you can see is the side of the trailer, so best you look first. It is surprising how little you can see..This is why you always try to do things in straight lines..

 

john..

[john87]

2 hours ago, Canal Navvy said:

Bonus of using mirrors without having to think is when you get old and can't look over your shoulder 🙂

Same here!! I could not turn round if i wanted to!!

 

john..

[william127]

13 hours ago, Dan Maynard said:

Top tip is to remember the trailer is there.

 

I know someone who's forgotten at least twice, until it jackknifed against the side of the car.  Luckily he has an old car with the towbar on so doesn't matter the trim is held on with cable ties now.

I've often done it the other way after doing a lot of towing- looking in the mirror, waiting for the trailer to come round into view as you reverse, oh hang on, I put the trailer away an hour ago😅😅😅😅🤦‍♂️

[NJA]

TAKE IT SLOW!!  It's not a race, normally goes wrong when you think you're a master at it,  rush it and it exaggerates every little turn, you're jacknifed or put the trailer into a hedge or gate post before you know it.

[aspenarb]

22 hours ago, john87 said:

The Iveco in my picture, i used to take it home at weekends and use it like a car. It was an aircooled 13 litre V8, but was the nicest motor you could imagine. Coupled with a beautiful Fuller gearbox it was lovely to drive.

 

I think its the same Deutz v8 that's in my 6x6 Iveco,goes like a bat out of hell.

 

[john87]

3 hours ago, aspenarb said:

 

I think its the same Deutz v8 that's in my 6x6 Iveco,goes like a bat out of hell.

 

Yes!! that is the one!! See what i mean though? Amazingly, even though max power is only about 1800 rpm, the thing felt really free revving and was great fun. The next iveco i had was a straight six, and even though it was more powerful it felt very "stiff" and inflexible compared to the Deutz motor..

 

LOVE your Iveco though!! That is beautiful!!

 

john..

[petercb]

I can reverse my twin axle flatbed and the twin axle livestock trailer no problem. The small single axle 7 foot one is a pig. I was always told the more axles the easier it was.

I always use the mirrors and always have done even when I could look over my shoulder!