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My Day

mistergrumpy - 20/12/08 at 08:29 PM

I managed to get a trailer, car and driver all in place today to stick my car on and take to a private car park for its first proper run out. All went well, got car ready and trailer showed up on time, blocking all the street I might add So I gets the car out and positioned the trailer ramps in place then decided to take a bit of a run up, not too much mind. Into gear, accelerate, up the ramps and CLANG! I knew just then what it was. I've hit the sump We tried all sorts with bricks and flagstones but no, was only a matter a "2 or so but it wasn't going so I had to put the car away again and because we'd got lots of time left, ended up going to Yorkshire to take some Dexion racking down in the dark and mud Bugger! Was supposed to be out for a drink tonight but that got cancelled too so sat in on me jack having a beer now

chris_smith - 20/12/08 at 08:36 PM

i know this sounds silly but would it not go on backwards?

colt_mivec - 20/12/08 at 08:43 PM

The weight would be over the rear axle then causing the trailer whip

I put a friends crashed car on my trailer like that once and the trailer just wanted to mess about all the time

It was the only way we could get it on after dragging it out of a tree

mistergrumpy - 20/12/08 at 08:50 PM

Plus it's a BEC and has no reverse and we couldn't push it on backwards. Tried lifting the front end to get the sump clear of the edge of the trailer but just wouldn't go. Still at least I learnt summat, I'll be driving it to SVA (if I ever get my date through!)

zilspeed - 20/12/08 at 08:55 PM

You really do need a low low trailer to be properly suitable for a seven type car.

Friend of mine builds 4 wheelers which are mega low - they just tilt a little and don't even need ramps.

I know what you mean about the sump though - been there. With the trailer above however, you can drive a single seater straight on with the front wing in position.

YQUSTA - 20/12/08 at 09:02 PM

I was at a track day and a guy there jacked up the trailer still attached to the car so that way with the ramps he could get his car on.

It wasn't a 7 but it was still blimin low

dhutch - 20/12/08 at 09:11 PM

Yeah, i have to tilt my trailer up at the front a lot to get the car on.
- Once when i didnt get it high enough there was an almight clang. Caught on the leading edge of the gearbox (cec).

Can get interesting tho, becuase the trailers only breaked on the front wheels. That caught me out once too. (me, in car, in trailer, rolled about 4ft down the road)

Daniel

stevebubs - 20/12/08 at 09:12 PM

How adjustable are your front shocks?

Dangle_kt - 20/12/08 at 09:19 PM

pushing it on backwards shouldn't be too hard, i got mine on on my own.They must have been silly short ramps.

other thing you could have tried was leaving the trailer jacks in the up position, when you drove the car on, it would have lifted the whole front of the trailer in the air and dropped the back end to the floor.

great in hindsight, hope you get it sorted.

rusty nuts - 20/12/08 at 09:26 PM

Get yourself a Citroen XM . Best tow car I have ever used AND you can raise the suspension of the car with the trailer attached and get a straighter run onto the trailer. Our local trailer hire place had a car trailer that the front could be lifted on its own jacks to achieve the same result.

David Jenkins - 20/12/08 at 09:29 PM

quote:
Originally posted by rusty nuts
Get yourself a Citroen XM .

Mel,

You know that car would be too expensive!

(in-joke)

rusty nuts - 20/12/08 at 09:35 PM

I'll get you a saucer of milk next time I see you David.

David Jenkins - 20/12/08 at 09:44 PM

mistergrumpy - 20/12/08 at 09:55 PM

The trailer was quite high when I saw it and the ramps were a wheels width shorter than the length of the car so it ws a steep incline. Like I say, we took the whole weight of the front end and then it was 2" short so the shock length wouldn't have mattered. The other problem was that we couldn't disconnect the trailer from the pick up and bent the key in the process so we couldn't tip it like we wanted. The rear wheels were spinning and sliding on the ramps too so I think it we were to try it again we'd have to see if there was a lower trailer.
It did sh1t me up when the sump smacked though. I thought that that was it, new engine time

Jubal - 20/12/08 at 10:09 PM

quote:
Originally posted by mistergrumpy
Plus it's a BEC and has no reverse and we couldn't push it on backwards. Tried lifting the front end to get the sump clear of the edge of the trailer but just wouldn't go. Still at least I learnt summat, I'll be driving it to SVA (if I ever get my date through!)

I've been pushing my old car on and off trailers for three years. Get yer back into it man! I guess the trailer you had was a bit high or the ramps a bit short etc.

chris_smith - 20/12/08 at 10:22 PM

you know now you should have built a cec lol

mistergrumpy - 20/12/08 at 10:39 PM

Sometimes This is the trailer I used:

It has a load height of around 2.5 feet.

David Jenkins - 20/12/08 at 10:43 PM

I wouldn't have even considered trying to get a car onto that!

I hired one to get my car to the SVA - you can just about see it in this photo. The load height was just above axle height, and the ramps were long.

mark chandler - 20/12/08 at 10:44 PM

standard car ramps on the end of the trailer ramps, whe I used my range rover I pushed the suspension high button !

matt_gsxr - 20/12/08 at 11:28 PM

Surely a winch is a good investment?
cheap_winch

~Ł10 plus a bit of attaching. That way you can pull the car on nice and slowly and so make any adjustments (tweak things up and down etc).

Driving it straight on is too heroic for me.

Matt

[Edited on 20/12/08 by matt_gsxr]

Simon - 21/12/08 at 02:22 AM

I used a tilting trailer - Ł35 for the day.

Unlock bed, jump on back, whole bed tilts (on hydraulic ram), drive car on, release hydraulic ram and lock bed down. Takes ooo 2 minutes

My day? Well Friday, up at 6:45, get to work and collect something that needs delivering. Jump in car, drive to Dover, get on boat and drive to just north of Paris. Arrive about 3pm and unload then drive to Luxembourg (arrive 7:30), meet brother, got for steak, back to his, load my car, he's moved back to UK (Grand Espace with seats removed and it's full!). Go to bed.

Sat, get up earlyish, finish clearing flat, jump in car drive to Calais, get earlier than planned boat, arrive Dover and see 10 miles of traffic going to Dover on M20.

Smile smugly Get home, unload.

850 miles in two days!

ATB

Simon

[Edited on 21/12/08 by Simon]

dogwood - 21/12/08 at 09:39 AM

quote:
Originally posted by mistergrumpy
Sometimes This is the trailer I used:

It has a load height of around 2.5 feet.

I have a simlar trailer, but without the sides.
I use a high lift jack to lift the front of the trailer up.

Car goes on no prob's.
Dont forget to put trailer brake on though.
Guess how I know?

David

Peteff - 21/12/08 at 09:53 AM

quote:
Originally posted by mistergrumpy
sat in on me jack having a beer now

A chair would have been more comfortable

Would it have gone up backwards then when you get to the bit where it sticks lift the end of the ramps up, there will be less weight on them so you may do it by hand if they are long enough.

RoadkillUK - 21/12/08 at 10:10 AM

Is it not possible to load the car on an angle, taking safety into consideration.