Anyone ever towed on a 10' trailer?

About 20 years ago, A friend and I built a single axle 12 foot trailer the tilted (so didn’t really need ramps) using a new trailer drop axle, pallet rack bars (hollow steel 2x4s, basically) and the reconstituted tongue from an old boat trailer. I “test drove” it from TN to FL to pick up a 124 Coupe with only 2x6 + 2x4 runners & open in the middle. It wasn’t necessarily short so towed/backed well, but it was very light. We set it up for & with with marked locations to almost mindlessly load a 124 or X1/9 and have the balance right. That trailer saw a LOT of use over the next 10 years , including as a utility trailer after we put plywood decking in the center (with straps, lack of sides was not an issue). Finally, it being used for heavier vehicles turned the trailer into a little bit of a banana shape and collectively we had other, options & bigger tow vehicles, but for what it was this one was great. At the time it was incredibly inexpensive to build and fit a niche that sounds like yours. The shorter deck (I don’t recall the width but it was more or less dictated by the axle) was always a little awkward for tie downs.

Good luck with what you end up with.
 
Ulix said:
BTW, this is the small X1/9 trailer of coice over here.
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I like the tilting feature combined with extendable ramps to load/unload it. I assume the tiny wheels are necessary due to the fact the load tracks (for a car to sit on) are OVER the wheels, rather than inside of them. I'm sure the narrower overall width of that is beneficial for the narrower roads often found there compared to here. However, the standard (wider) axle widths here would prevent that design and therefore make tiny wheels unnecessary. Wider axles also allow the bed to be much lower.

A friend of mine once had a trailer with small wheels. Not only did the bearings require replacement (smaller wheels spin faster for any given road speed), but the tires wore out. I was following him once when one blew on the freeway. Fortunately the trailer was empty at the time, but not a fun event. Little trailer tires here also have very low weight capacity (they might be different in Europe).

Admittedly America tends to have more robust trailer designs than in Europe. Just look at the larger single axle travel trailers ("caravans") there compared to the ones found here. In many cases they are way over built here, making them unnecessarily heavy. But we also tend to have larger tow vehicles, wider roads, less expensive fuel, longer towing distances, higher speeds, larger/heavier loads, etc. I especially prefer the enclosed "box" trailers in Europe. They typically have aerodynamic fiberglass enclosures. Different cultures, different requirements. But I do like the lighter, simpler designs in general. They are very expensive, but there are some great aluminum trailers that are extremely light weight.
Also there are some very cool ones with air suspensions that allow them to lower all the way flat on the ground, avoiding the need for ramps or tilting:
maxresdefault (3).jpg
 
Fiataccompli said:
Finally, it being used for heavier vehicles turned the trailer into a little bit of a banana shape
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That is a big benefit to having side rails. They create a "ladder" design frame that is much stiffer, allowing heavier loads without stressing the trailer, while using smaller materials for the framework.
Your 12' trailer sounds like a great size for a overall compromise, as a small car hauler and occasional load hauler. But if the need should arise to carry a larger vehicle then your back to square one. Though that's not likely an issue for many of us (personally I don't like big vehicles, other than my towing rig/work truck).
 
I think it being used for a Landcruiser may have been the crushing blow. By then, I don’t think either of us cared & in truth with the will to do so it could have been repaired (or, as we opted to not do for reasons of weight for our purpose, truss structure added). Since the cost was a drop axle, a tongue jack, lumber, time & welding wire (free wheels/tires/Metal) it was all fine. Knowing the purpose is key I think. And, yeah, we Americans very much overkill the towing, trucking thing. I find it humorous that a few people reacted with surprise & unsolicited truck purchase advice when I mentioned one of the reasons for adding my ‘95 F150 to the family fleet was to have a ready Fiat hauler if needed. (“What? You need at least a blah blah blah...”...and if it were my profession, I’m sure I would....we are a culture of people who see value in AWD to take the kids to soccer practice)
 
Off topic...Chris' comment about large American vehicles reminded me. Not only is the greatest selling vehicle in America the full size pickup truck (has been for decades). But most of the American car manufacturers have recently dropped (or will soon be dropping) many of their sedan models. Due to the ongoing increase (and forecasted continued increase) in sales of SUV's and Cross-Over's. Much like the typical American diet of "super-sizing" and grossly over consuming.
 
bpimm said:
Short trailers are hard to load, My brother has a 10' tilt to haul his Datsun 1200 and if it's wet he can't get traction to get up it, I have hauled my X on it and it is tough to load, lots of blocks and ramp extensions to get the angle low enough.

I find my 13' trailer a nice fit for the X and our Miata, I even hauled our Forester home on it when it blew the top tank off the radiator. I designed this trailer to have a rather low deck height at 12", we haul a lowered Miata on it and it drives on with just a touch of the front valance and the doors open over the fenders after it's on. The tilt is hydraulically operated power up and down so you can drive on, tilt the bed down then the hand brake will hold it fine while you tie it down, and I don't have to play contortionist to get my old broken down lump in and out of the car either because of the low fender height even the Miata's door will open over the fender stock height X's are no problem at all. It will balance with the car forward or backward plus I built it with extra bolt holes in the frame rails so the axle's can move if the need arises. This one is on backwards because that's the end I could get to with the winch.
View attachment 17599

this is the tilt setup I built for it.
View attachment 17600
and tilt angle.
View attachment 17601
and don't forget to put a winch on the front of the bed, especially if it tilts, you want the winch to tilt with the bed not be mounted to the tongue.
I put a 1 1/4" trailer hitch receiver on the front of the bed and the winch can pin on if I need it.
View attachment 17602
This trailer rides on torsion axles with 4 wheel disk brakes operated by a surge tongue, the tires are 145/R12 load range E on 12" alloys good for 1520 Lbs ea, I used these to keep it close to the ground as they are only 21.3" tall and the fenders are mounted to the axle and are only 1" above the tire.

Just some things to ponder as you make your decision on what type of trailer you get.
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Nice trailer and well thought out! It's been my experience that more race cars are damaged putting on and taking off trailers than on the track. Don't ask how I know....
 
Dr.Jeff said:
If they can keep the side rails low enough to avoid being an issue (see comment below), the front rail all the way down to the deck height, a drop axle placed in the right spot (for balance), 15" wheels/tires, some long ramps, a winch in the front, a long enough tongue to avoid the overhang (of the car) from hitting the tow vehicle when making tight turns, and correctly placed tie-down rings, then you might get away with the 10' unit. But I think a little bit longer (even 11' or 12') would be a huge plus.

One additional note on the side rails. Mine are high enough that the doors cannot be opened when the car is on the trailer. I did not think that would be much problem; just climb out through a window, etc. But it has turned out to be a major obstacle. You will have to leave the top off or window down, and that creates more problems while it is being towed. It also makes it much harder to get the tie-downs on and off. When using the same trailer for other cargo, the taller rails are no benefit. It would work just as well with them shorter. You really only need something to act as a ledge along the bottom sides, and somewhere to tie off tarps/box straps/etc.

For anchoring a car onto a short trailer, I use tie-downs that loop around the wheels. Then strap the forward wheels to the rear of the trailer, and the rearward wheels to the front of the trailer. So they criss-cross front/rear. That way you have enough length to pull in each direction, securing the car from moving forward or rearward. I also use a chain or cable to secure a solid point on the car (suspension arm, etc) to the front of the trailer, just for a backup.

And a last comment on short trailers; they are harder to back up. What kind of price can you get for such a trailer?
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I have a 10' X 5.5' trailer that I've used to tow an X from coast to coast. It's big enough, but just barely. The points that the good Dr. made above are spot on.
My two main concerns are securing the car to the trailer, and front overhang.
With such a short trailer you can't tie it down with straps pulling forward in front and back in the rear. There's just no trailer there to attach them to. You can secure the car by tieing the front down to the rear, and the rear to the front, but that has to be done under the car so an open bed makes that easier to do. Still a PITA, but doable, especially on a OTO basis. Of course you can also use tire lassos, but you have to have someplace to attach them to on your trailer.
Be careful about the overhang in front. Unless the trailer tounge is long enough, you may have problems with sharp turns.
Maybe my trailer is different, but I haven't experienced any problems with loading the car front end first. Perhaps it has something to do with the weight of the vehicles I've used to tow with, they were pretty heavy. It's a completely different story when you tow with a lighter vehicle.
I prefer to use my 10' trailer for long distance towing because it's so light and easy to tow. As long as you have the right tie downs I recommend it.
 
I agree that we overcompensate here in the US. I read that one of the most popular tow vehicles in Europe is the Subaru Forester. Here in the US, the Forester is rated to tow a maximum of 1200 lbs but in Europe it can magically tow much, much more -- same car, same engine. This is due largely to America being highly litigious (people not knowing what they are doing, wrecking their cars and then suing the manufacturer.)

I have a flat bed car trailer and have towed many cars with my Ford Ranger. I've gotten comments from some people about how I can't tow that much weight with a small truck. But the Ranger is rated to tow well over 5000 lbs in the US, which means it is capable of towing much more. We are conditioned to believe that we need a 1-ton diesel dually to tow a popup camper here in the States. But I for one do not need a $70K truck to tow my sports cars.

All that said, I personally would be reluctant to tow any car on a single axle trailer. I was towing my Jeep from West Virginia to Pennsylvania when I moved here and got a blow out on one of the tires. I didn't even notice until a trucker pointed to the trailer and I pulled over. With a single axle trailer, it could have caused problems. But that's just my preference -- many people tow cars on single axles all the time.
 
Regardless of the trailer you use, just be sure to balance it properly! The X1/9 is a very well-balanced car so it shouldn't be a problem. Just make sure you end up with weight bias on the tongue. But here's a good demonstration on how an improperly balanced trailer can ruin your day.

 
Great video!!!!
Dr.Jeff said:
I like the tilting feature combined with extendable ramps to load/unload it. I assume the tiny wheels are necessary due to the fact the load tracks (for a car to sit on) are OVER the wheels, rather than inside of them. I'm sure the narrower overall width of that is beneficial for the narrower roads often found there compared to here. However, the standard (wider) axle widths here would prevent that design and therefore make tiny wheels unnecessary. Wider axles also allow the bed to be much lower.

A friend of mine once had a trailer with small wheels. Not only did the bearings require replacement (smaller wheels spin faster for any given road speed), but the tires wore out. I was following him once when one blew on the freeway. Fortunately the trailer was empty at the time, but not a fun event. Little trailer tires here also have very low weight capacity (they might be different in Europe).

Admittedly America tends to have more robust trailer designs than in Europe. Just look at the larger single axle travel trailers ("caravans") there compared to the ones found here. In many cases they are way over built here, making them unnecessarily heavy. But we also tend to have larger tow vehicles, wider roads, less expensive fuel, longer towing distances, higher speeds, larger/heavier loads, etc. I especially prefer the enclosed "box" trailers in Europe. They typically have aerodynamic fiberglass enclosures. Different cultures, different requirements. But I do like the lighter, simpler designs in general. They are very expensive, but there are some great aluminum trailers that are extremely light weight.
Also there are some very cool ones with air suspensions that allow them to lower all the way flat on the ground, avoiding the need for ramps or tilting:
View attachment 17611
Click to expand...

Wow! I've been under a rock too long or may have looked at these trailers and never realized what they could do. I had a single axle trailer and it towed fine with a very light Abarth on it. HOWEVER it did lose a wheel on I-5 north of the San Fernando valley one time. All went well and it stayed in a straight line but scared the you know what out of me. A two axle is a lot safer in that regard. If I built another I'd go with 12-13" wheels and have TWO axles. That or bite the bullet and have it shipped.
 
Towing a car on a two axle trailer is not necessarily unsafe, it just adds risk and makes the load balance more critical.
 
Huey said:
I agree that we overcompensate here in the US. I read that one of the most popular tow vehicles in Europe is the Subaru Forester. Here in the US, the Forester is rated to tow a maximum of 1200 lbs but in Europe it can magically tow much, much more -- same car, same engine. This is due largely to America being highly litigious (people not knowing what they are doing, wrecking their cars and then suing the manufacturer.)

I have a flat bed car trailer and have towed many cars with my Ford Ranger. I've gotten comments from some people about how I can't tow that much weight with a small truck. But the Ranger is rated to tow well over 5000 lbs in the US, which means it is capable of towing much more. We are conditioned to believe that we need a 1-ton diesel dually to tow a popup camper here in the States. But I for one do not need a $70K truck to tow my sports cars.

All that said, I personally would be reluctant to tow any car on a single axle trailer. I was towing my Jeep from West Virginia to Pennsylvania when I moved here and got a blow out on one of the tires. I didn't even notice until a trucker pointed to the trailer and I pulled over. With a single axle trailer, it could have caused problems. But that's just my preference -- many people tow cars on single axles all the time.
Click to expand...

You'll notice what my trailer is hooked to in the previous pics... The Forester tows very well, I have towed the Miata and X's behind the Forester and my Legacy as well as towed the legacy on the trailer behind the Forester, also towed My Dad's 16' boat with the Forester as well. I think American tow ratings are the result of lobbying by the truck makers as well as the lawyers.

I did all the testing on my trailer design with My Forrester, I even ran an Autox course with the Miata on the trailer behind the Forester,(benefits of being the event chair) i ran it the day before the event to test the stability of the car on the trailer, I added extra safety tie downs for the test and did panic brake test and ran the course, now that is a different look at lines to get the trailer through the gates, the loaded trailer handled it gracefully clear until the point of drifting with no unstable reactions. Stopping was on par with the base tow car with the 4 wheel brakes on the trailer.

Oh the time I set with the trailer on was mid pack for the event the next day although I did clip a "few" cones with the inside trailer tires, but the car didn't hit any lol.
 
Huey said:
I agree that we overcompensate here in the US.
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The other thing I really dislike about this country's "overcompensation", Why do trucks need ladders to get in the bed? Lower the damn thing to where it's usable.... I have an older pickup and I'm seriously considering lowering it to make it more usable. Even the 2wd versions you can't reach into the bed and I'm 6' tall These new trucks are ridiculous. LOL
 
The weight center of the X is where the jacking points are. So it is easy to just look at your car on the trailer and see if the jacking points are forward of the trailer axle.
 
bpimm said:
The other thing I really dislike about this country's "overcompensation", Why do trucks need ladders to get in the bed? Lower the damn thing to where it's usable.... I have an older pickup and I'm seriously considering lowering it to make it more usable. Even the 2wd versions you can't reach into the bed and I'm 6' tall These new trucks are ridiculous. LOL
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Exactly! That's why I love my Ranger, I can reach anything I put in the bed without having to carry a step ladder with me. I wish it would fit 4x8 sheets of plywood and drywall between the fenders but that's my only real complaint about it. But I don't carry material enough to make it worth spending sixty grand on a new F-150. My Ranger's 4.0 liter V6 can tow anything I need it to and it fits in the garage.
 
Huey said:
Exactly! That's why I love my Ranger, I can reach anything I put in the bed without having to carry a step ladder with me. I wish it would fit 4x8 sheets of plywood and drywall between the fenders but that's my only real complaint about it. But I don't carry material enough to make it worth spending sixty grand on a new F-150. My Ranger's 4.0 liter V6 can tow anything I need it to and it fits in the garage.
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Just build yourself a framework out of 2X4's to make a level platform at the top of the fenders, just toss it in when you need to haul full sheets, I did this for a friends S-10. Now there is a useless vehicle... I had one as a company rig years back, only rig I ever got stuck on wet pavement. I agree the Ranger is a nice size truck, I bought the one I have because it came with a snow plow, it's a Ford F350 4X4, I paid less for the truck with a plow, tool boxes and a lift gate than I could have bought a used plow for so I guess that gives me $60K for Fiats... LOL
 
So true about Europeans towing trailers with very small vehicles. A long time ago there was an episode of Top Gear where they did a comparison test of all the popular tow vehicles...all of them were small. Of course their version of a test was hilariously fun. But in the episode there was footage of lines of vacationers towing their "caravans" (travel trailers) on "holiday" (vacation); all were large trailers (single axle) behind tiny cars. Their point however was these small cars tended to be slow towing large trailers and caused long traffic backups on the narrow single lane roads there.

When I was very young and making due with what I had, I used my BMW to tow my ski boat and 14' box trailer (sand rail) all the time. Lots of comments, but it towed amazingly well, got great gas mileage doing it, and was comfortable.
 
Dr.Jeff said:
Also there are some very cool ones with air suspensions that allow them to lower all the way flat on the ground, avoiding the need for ramps or tilting:
View attachment 17611
Click to expand...

I actually spent time trying to incorporate this type of suspension on my design but one of my design goals was to be able to drive on and open the door fully to get out, I even tried to get enough travel to raise it up high enough to clear the fenders to get out then drop it back down to travel height but never came up with anything I liked enough. I finally had to just build something so I built the trailer in my previous post, it has worked out well for me so far.
 
bpimm said:
Why do trucks need ladders to get in the bed?
Click to expand...
I've come to the conclusion it is the result of trying to meet the 'needs' of American buyers. They want a truck with a decent payload capacity, but it must also ride soft and comfortable like a car. So the makers use very soft springs and set them up really high to allow lots of sag when a load is added. Notice how the truck looks like a 'low rider' when something is in the bed. On my F150 "shop truck" I lowered the suspension all the way around (it is mildly customized), and added air bags to the rear suspension. That way I can pump up the air bags when I need to load the bed.

I've found air suspension to be great for various applications; very flexible and functional. But like Brian just alluded to with his trailer design, sometimes it gets a bit involved to engineer the suspension to work with air bags. Certainly not for every vehicle.
 
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