[elvislives]

I have just bought a Weeks 4 tonne tipping trailer, and need to tow it home with the family car! Does anyone know the empty weight of these trailers?

[Still playing with tractors]

Its more than likely to be near to a metric ton, which means it will not be able to be pulled by your car as i take it it has hydraulic brakes, which means it is an unbraked trailer. if you look at your car handbook it will tell your the unbraked max weight it can tow. If you had a disco or defender it might not be too bad but remember agri trailers are nearly all designed to run at slow speeds so you will be limited to the same speed as a small tractor 30-40kms.

[henchard]

I was going to say at least a 1000kg as well based on the specs of these trailers

http://www.marshall-trailers.co.uk/dropside-trailers/s4


You may be able to lighten by removing side and tailboards and taking them separately.

[stufe35]

Please be aware you will be illegally loaded doing this,  and your insurance would be invalid.

Nose weight will be too high,  no brakes.

[elvislives]

It is an unbraked trailer, and is quite old and rusty.

The car is a Kia Sedona, which is quite a good vehicle for pulling large caravans etc, but shows an unbraked towing weight of 570Kg.

I need to drive it 100 miles. I don't mind taking it slow, but would it be allowed on the Motorway?

What do you reckon? Is this an "oh my god don't do it," or a "take it really slow and it will be okay"?

[si-mate]

5 miles along country roads I would perhaps chance it early on a Sunday morning but there is no way I would take it along a motorway! For a start I doubt you would get 10 miles before plod would pull you over, but even if he went un-noticed the wheel bearing and / or tyres wouldn't take to doing 50mph for very long.

[stufe35]

Look at the nose weight your kia can take,  probably max 100kg,  consider your trailer at 1000kg,  wheels right at the back,  so getting on for 50% of that on the towing eye of the trailer.

So you are overloaded,  un braked,  brakes are required for car trailers if 750KG or more.  Hitches incompatible--ring on an agricultural trailer is not compatible with the jaw hitches you get to suit cars.

You will almost certainly find your insurance only covers ball type hitches...but then they will have walked away because you were unbraked, and overloaded already.

You must not exceed 20mph (even if all the rest was sorted) as the trailer has no suspension...in practice youll find the trailer starts bouncing uncontrollably.....I know because ive done it.

Pay a haulier-

[elvislives]

I did buy a different fitting for the towbar that allows a hitch. It has just arrived. However, now I feel slightly stupid! I thought that I was allowed to tow 750kg unbraked and thought that it would therefore be fine, as I thought that the trailer would be under this weight.

I didn't even think about the fact that the wheels are at the back of the trailer, and so the full weight would be on the towbar.

I am glad I asked the question now! You guys have all been great.

Now for a different question, but very much related!!!!

Does anyone know of a good cheap haulier that could transport the trailer 100 miles?

[stufe35]

Ironically you could probably hire a low loader trailer, and reverse the Weeks trailer onto it and be legal.  Whats the braked trailer limit for your vehicle?

But really easier with a haulier,  people advertise on ebay,  search vintage tractor transport.  But probably better phone transport companies in your area or in the area where you have bought the trailer.

Id imagine with a post code for each address and approx. dims/ weight of trailer youll be able to get fixed price quotes.   

[elvislives]

The unbraked limit is 570kg and the braked is 2000kg.

A friend has a low loading braked trailer, so I will see if the trailer can fit onto that!

[stufe35]

Sounds like the way forward

[ShaunP]

where is the trailer going to and from?