Car Trailer

[MK1_Oz]

i am in the market for a car trailer for the Escort (new or used). Do any of the Adelaide dwellers have any experience with the various SA manufacturers, good or bad??

[SportsSedanSteve]

New trailer: Like most things, you get what you pay for. If your buying new, be prepared to pay $3000+. Anything less has been built to a price and will be shoddy. Our Escorts aren't that heavy but trailers built with thin sheet metal, tack welded together with chinese axles and @#$% brakes just aren't worth having.

Used trailer: Watch out for Dulux reconditioned versions of the above!

Having said that have a look at Kessner trailers and get a quote but if they offer a range in specs go the extra dollars!

[MK1_Oz]

Cheers Steve. What is likely to be the issue with a cheaper trailer? Obviously poor welding will break. Are they generally structurally sound and rigid and safe?

Was hoping to spend $2000 but looking through eBay and the internob it appears $3000 is more of a starting point.

[jpayne]

Trailers are an often ignored item.
In my opinion too many are too tall making them hard to load with low cars without 2.3 Km's of ramp length. Then they tow badly due to high center of gravity. But of course you can open the doors over the guards.
Others are way to heavy or poorly designed such that the load needs to be awkwardly placed to get them to handle.
I have a custom made rubber block torsion beam suspension trailer whose bed forms the major structure in lieu of a box frame. this allows the car to sit very low to the ground and this trailer handles brilliantly with the right sized tow car you barely know its there. But I have to winch it on or climb through the window to load it, as its narrow to suit escorts, minis, sprites and formula fords. Though it has carried jaguars and old falcons, just!. Its great long distance. It uses light truck tyres on 13's to again maintain low height. Never had a tyre problem.
It is heavy at 800Kg's so Im going to replace the ramps with mesh rather than the solid 4mm thick steel and perforate the bed where the tyres only roll across.
crap photo but perhaps enough to see what im talking about


JP