American Trailers

[Petrol Head]

American Trailers

I want one

If I bought a two inch ball would their be any other downsides?

The one I'm on is OK for the yard, but those American trailers do so much for the boat.

So, it is alright to have one then?

 

[Jon Fuller]

How much dy'a wanna spend?

 

[bogib]

The Americans do have more than one size of towing balls all dependable on the trailer size (towabilities), but according to your "wonderful CE rubbish regulations" you are not allowed to use 2" ball only 50mm. Then you need to have braking facilities with mecanical breaking system, the American´s only use electric brakes or hydraulic brakes which is very good system but in both cases the come not standard with mechanical braking faciliites. :hot:

 

[Petrol Head]

How much dy'a wanna spend?

It was the legal thing that bothered me really before I parted with anything!

Can I run a two inch ball legally. Have I got to get an old shed of a 4*4 to avoid CE regs on a euro 50mm gold ball?

Are there axles generally tooooo wide?

If its beyond the law I cant have it.

Do you tow yours about jon??

 

[Petrol Head]

Whatta about an american import truck then? Does that get around anythting??

 

[Jon Fuller]

A US trailer to fit your Donzi would most likely have a 2-5/8" ball hitch.

Axles are usually 8" on the US trailers, UK regs say 7'6" max.

I'm currently trying to convince myself I can afford a lovely, new Ali 'I' beam, hydraulic disc braked US trailer that I've found, I couldn't give a hoot about the legality side for the odd occation I do tow (rare), and if you intend to tow your donzi, you too will have to forget legality, as the combined weight of it, and a suitable trailer will be well above the max of 3500kgs, so you'd need a special vehicle to stay within the law.

yes, a Yank truck is OK I think, but has to have a tachograph and vehicle assisted power brakes.

 

[bogib]

When I drove from Soton to Heathrow fortnight ago I overtook a Dodge RAM 1500 who was towing an American fifth wheel so somehow he manage to go around CE bullish laws or he may have needed to change a lot. For your info my Dodge Ram 3500 is registered as a truck with loading capacity of 3500 kg and I only needed to add one amber light on each side as the vehicle is longer than 6 metre and needed to weld a neck on the exhaust pipe so the exhaust blows down not straight aside as original. But I have heard Dodge will as from 2005 models be available CE approved and will be assembled in Austria like they are doing with Cherokee and Dodge/Chrysler Caravan/Town & Country.

 

[bogib]

Example of an American fifth wheel, this one behind a GMC or Chevrolet pickup

 

[bogib]

Nice ali trailer with hydraulic brakes

 

[bogib]

2" trailer hitch

 

[Jon Fuller]

Matt, you're right, I don't know where 2-5/8" came from! it is 2-5/16". i'm getting old, and losing the plot.

 

[Captain Chaos]

trailers

All this is very nice to know now i own a yankie trailer!

I measured the axles and its only 7ft 4" tyre to tyre so that sides o.k. Its hydraulic braked (that i assume work!!) but has had a retrofit cable handrake! ...but JF knows all this (BTW ta ever so much Jon ).

It weighs a bleedin ton and needs about 3ft cutting off the back but otherwise, i think its muck nicer than the norm brit galv stuff.

anyone know how to change the hitch ball then to a 50mm??

 

[bogib]

You can´t, however as far as I know there are three main manufacturer of Hydraulic brakes in the US, Dexter the biggest one, theirs are self adjustable and will work with 50mm balls but are marked and approved in US as 2" and have no CE approvals, second largest is Titan International and they have knob on top of the coupling house where you can adjust to the ball and again this will work with 50mm, the last one do not have any adjustment and therefore your trailer will be rather loose on your ball.
When I bought trailers from the US into Iceland I specified either Dexter or Titan and bought axles with braking facilities to enable easy fitting of mechanical brake, and due to these ball adjustment this worked well with the Icelandic authorities.
If you need further information take a picture of the hitch and put it on here and I will try to see from whome it is.

 

[Petrol Head]

Re: trailers

All this is very nice to know now i own a yankie trailer!

I measured the axles and its only 7ft 4" tyre to tyre so that sides o.k. Its hydraulic braked (that i assume work!!) but has had a retrofit cable handrake! ...but JF knows all this (BTW ta ever so much Jon ).

It weighs a bleedin ton and needs about 3ft cutting off the back but otherwise, i think its muck nicer than the norm brit galv stuff.

anyone know how to change the hitch ball then to a 50mm??

I'd say if the handbrake worked with a safety chain and you change the hitch,you must have the best of everything.

Real brakes!

A practical safety system that works by the UK preffered cable method.

A trailer that doesnt let you're boat down on looks.

 

[Jon Fuller]

Steve, why are you so 'firm' on the legality side of things? are you a copper

 

[Petrol Head]

Psychoanlysis

NO, I am the same with everything though.

I see life like this:

If you dont know the rules how can you definately win the race.

If you dont know the law, you may loose, you're liscence.

There is no option but to play to win in any event.

 

[Rogue Wave]

I wish I hadn't overlooked one of the fundamental towing regulations! Stick to your guns Steve

 

[Petrol Head]

You cant end it there just like that!

What happened.

Come on! I need more knowledge.

 

[Petrol Head]

If you don't know the rules you don't get that special pucker factor when you're busy breaking them.

The devil made me do it officer... but thats not to say I didnt enjoy doin it every minute of the way.

 

[Petrol Head]

I wish I hadn't overlooked one of the fundamental towing regulations! Stick to your guns Steve

If its any concelation, my cranchi lept off the trailer in a tail snake. Jumped into the rear of the discovery to show me the anchor and then overtook me on the inside heading east on the M27!

Hell of a mess! Thank god it was a queit time.