Towing a Trailer - Tips
Turbo Mini Forums

Right fellas, im going to trailer the Tangerine down to Porth (que the puff comments) Has anyone got any tips ect for the 300 Mile Journey??

Top Speeds? Cornering? Things to look out for? Ways to Tie the Mini Down?

Cheers

Mike

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

60 in a 70, 50 in a 60, 40 is 40 and 30 is 30

Get the nose weight to no more that 75kg, aim for 50. do that by positioning the car on the trailer. Make sure your trailer weights are correct for the tow car. VOSA will impound the lot and hit you with a hefty fine if they pull you over and inspect it and its wrong. These are simple things, why ignore them

Get some wide wratchet straps and wheel straps, tie it down on the wheels , not the chassis, that allows the car on the trailer to move on its own suspension too.

Dont follow your sat nav as it will take you down narrow roads, especialy if you have not had any trailer reversing practice.

Edited by Sprocket on 26th Apr, 2009.

100mph, corner as fast as possible, ideally avoid the kerbs, look out for the light board coming off the trailer, tie the car down with plenty of straps.

Well that is how Carl and I do it.....ahem....probably not the ideal way!

Top speed you are supposed to stick to 60mph I believe, what are you towing with as if the combo "looks" right in my experience you won't have any bother cruising along at 70-80 ish. You are not allowed in the outside lane of the motorway, although I have been known to pop out there briefly to get past a spot of artic drag racing in the inner two lanes. Cornering especially in tight streets you need to really watch your mirrors to make sure you don't kerb the trailer wheels.

Its an 1.8 Vectra 16v estate. Sprocket, how should i position the car?? I gather it needs to be more toward the front of the trailer?

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

position of the car on the trailer will be dependant on the nose weight. Too far forward and the nose weight will be sky high, too far back and the nose weight will be too low. its like a set of balnce scales.

if it looks like the front of the tow car is pointing to the sky and the front of the trailer is about to dig into the road, the nose weight is all wrong

Edited by Sprocket on 26th Apr, 2009.

If possible remove the jockey wheel after you've hitched up and stick it in the boot. I've had one work loose before and it's a paint in the arse trying to unhitch with a knacker jockey wheel / no jockey wheel.

I normally keep a print out of the towing laws in the glove box in case I run into any trouble, although I've never needed them. I work on the principle that as there has been more in laws introduced in the last 10 years than the preceding 100 years it's not reasonable to expect the authorities to be fully keyed up on all the laws.

Also mike check your license. If you pass after 99 you may not be allowed to tow a trailer.

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.

Im looking at my License now, what am i looking for?

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

Im looking at my License now, what am i looking for?

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

It's all here....

Basically, if you're not an old Git like me, you may not be able to tow a trailer without an additional test

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Drive...cles/DG_4022564

EDIT - for typo

Edited by Rod S on 26th Apr, 2009.

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

Looks like i should be ok, due to the weight of both the trailer and car being less than the towing vehicle.

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

Interesting, that differs subtitley from what it says here:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/Drive...cles/DG_4022521

Good to see these things are consistent.

Good,

I'm glad you could work it out from that Government website...... I'm just glad I'm too old for it to affect me :)

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

Cool. Who was it who had there trailer detatch from the car just outside avonpark last year?

What was the reason for this?

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

On the Vectra the train weights are all listed on a plate or lable attached to the chassis. Usualy on the B post. and from memory the Vectra doesnt have a huge gross train weight compared to some other cars, the Laguna is even less. However, iu doubt it will be too much of a problem if your Mini has been on a diet

The train weight being the tow car, trailer and the car on the trailer. The trailer weight cannot be more than the unladen/ kerb weight of the tow car, so the lighter the tow car, the lighter the trailer and its load has to be

Read the owners manual for your car, its all listed in there as to what you can tow.

If you need to weigh anything, look up public weigh bridges in the yellow pages, thats what they are for.

Edited by Sprocket on 26th Apr, 2009.

Schrödinger's cat - so which one am I ???

A major problem?

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

Just make sure you have a chain around the tow bar & trailer just in case of detachment. Better to be on the safe side.

Its quite important not to forget you have the trailer on the back - dont laugh,once you get used to it it can happen !

Worth noting that on some licences like mine (although I'm just a nipper!) you cannot tow more than 750kg without sitting a trailer licence.

Top tip learnt the hard way, make sure you load the car on the trailer with the engine towards the tow car, otherwise you could have all kinds of excitement in your life you dont need! A friend was towing a MK2 Zephyr with a Sierra 4x4 estate and for ease had loaded the Zephyr on backwards. Seeing the underside of the Sierra and trailer as it snaked across all three lanes of the M8 on two wheels is something I will never forget!

Also, its a good idea to stop after a few miles and check the straps are tight, things tend to settle out as you travel and straps can loose tension.

Safe travels!

Keith

14.914 sec 1/4 mile @ 91.38mph, NA 1293cc on 1.1/2" SU's (all steel and glass shell)