Brian Peters Posted February 20, 2008 Share Posted February 20, 2008 Hello all, i need a bit of advice, i have bought a 2006 smart car with the wider rear wheels and am now looking to purchase a smart trailer to suit, could anyone advise me of a suitable trailer from experience? Does a smart trailer require brakes because i heard that the french police are a bit hot on unbraked trailers, also if the trailer is braked how are they activated??? hope someone can help with my questions, many thanks. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catinou Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Hello Brian We have a Smart car which we took to Italy last year on a Brian James trailer (purchased on e-bay). It was great for towing and comes braked etc. The newer version has "automatic" ramps whilst ours have to be lifted on & off. We went through this procedure numerous times and it enabled us to really "tour" some great places in every country en route as well as the moutains north of Lake Garda. We will be going to Tuscany, with the Smart car, in September this year. The trailer is very well designed and well balanced and quite easy to load with the car. It was my "job" to drive on & off each time and my husband attached the straps to the wheels. It took one or two goes before I was confident as the wider wheels felt (wrongly) too wide to fit on the trailer and the trailer itself seemed very short when sitting in the driving seat. Just big enough for the car - after all it was designed for that particular car! Our complete rig was much admired and my husband said he only had to remember the length (total 37 feet) when cornering - it is very well balanced and designed. The only downside, due to the trailer length to MH length ratio, is that we found it impossible to reverse - got caught out at Folkestone after a wrong turn at 2 a.m. but soon found reversing was easier to achieve by taking the car off, unhitching the trailer and then re-assembling afterwards - 10 minute job but best avoided.... We have a remedy for this in hand though - we are having an electric remote control device fitted to the trailer this year (similar to those used on caravans) - after all we are approaching retirement age. This will enable the trailer wheels to be controlled individually - effectively turning it "on a sixpence" when having tried to reverse and ending up with a "V shaped rig". In short, Brian James trailers are excellent for the purpose!! Have fun B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Peters Posted February 21, 2008 Author Share Posted February 21, 2008 thx for response catinou, very helpful. just out of interest my motorhome is a burstner t-star 710 7.2 metres in length, how much do the ferry companys sting you for with a motorhome AND trailered car, and which crossings do you use? brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Le Thou Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 Hi Brian. There are several makers of trailers for the Smart car all of which are braked. Regs state that over 750kgs of towed weight it has to be braked, that is the total weight including trailer and contents. The biggest downside of trailers is the time to load and unload and the total combined towing weight which is noticeable when towing, not forgetting the cost to buy as they are well over £1200 to buy new. You need to check the noseweight capabilities of your towbar (should be around 60-75kgs), and another consideration is the rear view aspect. We have the Autotrail Miami which doesn.t but luckily we have the rear view camera so can keep an eye on the trailer whilst towing. Another point worth mentioning is that the previous post mentioned adding a "motormover" to the trailer, these are quite heavy and will reduce the payload capabilities of the trailer. My take on all this?? I am getting rid of the trailer and going for the braked A Frame, but not recommended abroad. Enjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Peters Posted February 26, 2008 Author Share Posted February 26, 2008 thanks for your comments le thou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sailsussex Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 Smart cars require a braked trailer due to their MAM being over 750Kg. Towing on an A Frame does not fully meet the Construction and Use Regulations and is not great for the wheel and transmission bearings! Check out Smart-Trailers at http://www.smart-trailers.co.uk where a Smart trailer starts at £999 +VAT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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