yorkyram1 Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 Hi Everyone, Im'e weighing up my previous thoughts regarding a tow ball bike rack for my 2 E-bikes V a small box trailer to store them plus any extra camping tackle..chairs/ lounges etc..what concerns me is what 'problems' i may come up against with a trailer when booking into say..caravan club sites?..doe's it restrict my option regarding certain pitches?..is it going to cause 'hidden' problems i never thought about?..if anyone has any advise or maybe bought one for the first time and can give any feedback it would help me decide whether to go for one or go for my other option of a tow ball bike carrier for them? Regards, Nigel. (Title edited for clarity, was 'help!!' - Keithl) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete-B Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 Hi Nigel I know where you are with your thinking because I've been through it myself. We've got a couple of lecky bikes and initially I bought a suitable bike rack but to be honest I never really liked using it on the van because it's a lot of weight on the tow bar and with the bikes on just eats up the payload. So, after a lot of thinking and planning we bought a 750 kg box trailer and have to say, probably the best money I've ever spent. I got the people who built the trailer to fit me two bike grabs inside which were very cheap so now the bikes just roll in, one each side which leaves loads of space in the middle for other stuff and gives me another 350 kg of payload. We mainly use CMC sites which you mentioned and no, you are able to use the standard pitches no problems. We've also been on CCC sites amongst others and never had a problem with the trailer. Also when you're pitched up and not using the bikes and also overnight they can be locked up and in the dry. The money I spent on the bike rack is not lost either because we use it to carry the bikes when using the car Whist we're home the trailer sits in the garage and the bikes are locked up and live in there, plus, there's loads of other room for stuff which would normally be on the floor etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 Don't forget that e-bikes are relatively heavy, and so are tow brackets and towbar mounted bike racks. It might be a good time to check how much spare capacity you have on your rear axle before you leap either way. Due to leverage, any load carried behind the rear axle imposes more load on the axle than it's own self-weight. Vans with long rear overhangs are especially vulnerable. It might help refine answers if you take the opportunity to put your van details in your Control Panel (where it asks for your Location) so that they are visible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niktam Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 I tow a scooter(on a trailer) and never had a problem on any site as the trailer is parked where the car would be next to the MH. I was brought up with tractors and trailers but reversing is an art as you cannot see the trailer until it is at an oblique angle then it is too late and requires a massive correction. Also trailers with a short distance from the axle to the towbar are more difficult to reverse anyway so you have to use the reversing camera. The big advantage of a box trailer is that no knows what is in it (or whether it is empty) unless you leave everything on display for all to see you don't have to live like a hermit though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete-B Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 As niktam say's reversing needs getting used to especially with a two wheeled trailer but if you have a reversing camera it's a lot easier. It means you're able to watch the trailer and make any correction quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 niktam - 2021-02-10 6:29 PM The big advantage of a box trailer is that no knows what is in it (or whether it is empty) unless you leave everything on display for all to see you don't have to live like a hermit though. The big problem we have around here is having trailers stolen, although they do prefer Ifor Williams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curdle Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 colin - 2021-02-11 1:58 AM The big problem we have around here is having trailers stolen, although they do prefer Ifor Williams. That fact; re preference for Ifor Williams has always been a source of amazement to me. They are exceedingly heavy (without the payload) overtly agricultural in design and the hot dip galvanising is something that even land-rover dropped years ago on it's chassis's as an environmental menace. Coupled with that, their road handling is appalling. About the only thing going for them is that they are built like the proverbial brick s***house. Over the years my company has owned three and every single one has been stolen despite draconian measures to prevent such an event. In one instance a tandem axle trailer was dragged for miles with the tandem wheels locked together with a 12mm steel cable, leaving a trail of rubber as the tyres wore down and then finally iron filings when it reached the rims. Police following this trail gave up when the trail crossed from East Sussex to Kent and thus outside their jurisdiction. The Germans manufacturers such as Barthau make beautiful light aluminium trailers with superb road handling. Problem is they get nicked faster than Williams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 The biggest waste of time must be wheel clamps, most of them last 1/4 mile of towing before they give up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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