Car Trailer

[vesh]

I have found a few trailers but having a few problems trying to find one that can legally tow my R33 GTR . . .

Aggregate Trailer Mass is 2000KG

Axle Load Capacity is 2000KG (Dual Axle Trailer)

Tare Weight of Trailer is 620KG

That means that the trailer can only tow 1380KG legally right?

An R33 GTR weighs more than 1380KG so I need a trailer with a higher aggregate trailer mass, am I right in thinking this??

[Duncan]

I'm not sure about the rules in Vic, but in NSW a trailer with over 2 tonnes needs a breakaway braking system. Can't say I've ever seen a GTR on a trailer with such a system.

[jbgti]

Trailer for my evo is 420kgs custom made by a guy in Geelong. Pm me if you want his details. Tows really well too!

[boxheadmr]

Same a what Duncan is saying, over 2tonne towing you need the breakaway system and it also costs a fair bit more to register which is why a lot of trailers are registered as 2000kg total but can actually carry a lot more. If you are planning on towing a total mass of greater then 2000kg i would suggest getting a trailer to your needs as if you have an accident and are carrying over the legal weight you are meant to carry it could void your insurance on the tow car.

(just don't tell anyone if you are towing with a falcon...)

[MBS206]

If you're attempting to hire a car trailer, you will often find they weigh alot more than what a car trailer for "the normal person" weighs, as the hire companies often put in alot thicker steel, as well as steel in places a normal person wouldn't require it. This is to avoid them breaking all the time when people who hire them once every five years get one and drive them up gutters everywhere, side swipe objects etc etc.

Custom built you can get around the 350 to 400KG mark. That would give you 1600KG if you only register to 2T.

But remember, you than need to work out where your tools and fuel are going...

The full kit for a break away system will set you back only a couple of hundred dollars and is well worth it for a higher capacity trailer so that you can add locked tool boxes to it, as well as tyre rack, and than large fuel container. Some people also find it handy to have a 100L water tank on board, as well as other cool stuff like nitrogen tanks...

Suddenly with an extra 1500KG to legally play with, you can do alot more, and be legal...

Only issue, it's no longer just a matter of any old car with an electric brake system can tow it, purely because they put a stupid light on the dash that tells you if the system is charging or not. Without that light, the RTA will throw the book at you. And yes, they go looking for it!

[260DET]

It sort of makes more sense to me to carry stuff in the tow vehicle than put it on a trailer and then have to upgrade the trailer and, maybe, the tow car as well to carry/tow it all. Actually the more weight in the tow car, within reason, compared with the trailer the better it will tow.

[jiffo]

Blokes missed out on a top condition luxury race car transporter.

KW with an 8V92TA plus a 13 speed RR. (100kph at 1700 in direct)

Truck has sold, check out the massive sleeper.

Fully kitted out pan is off to auction.

Chopper would be an optional extra.

[vesh]

If you're attempting to hire a car trailer, you will often find they weigh alot more than what a car trailer for "the normal person" weighs, as the hire companies often put in alot thicker steel, as well as steel in places a normal person wouldn't require it. This is to avoid them breaking all the time when people who hire them once every five years get one and drive them up gutters everywhere, side swipe objects etc etc.

Custom built you can get around the 350 to 400KG mark. That would give you 1600KG if you only register to 2T.

But remember, you than need to work out where your tools and fuel are going...

The full kit for a break away system will set you back only a couple of hundred dollars and is well worth it for a higher capacity trailer so that you can add locked tool boxes to it, as well as tyre rack, and than large fuel container. Some people also find it handy to have a 100L water tank on board, as well as other cool stuff like nitrogen tanks...

Suddenly with an extra 1500KG to legally play with, you can do alot more, and be legal...

Only issue, it's no longer just a matter of any old car with an electric brake system can tow it, purely because they put a stupid light on the dash that tells you if the system is charging or not. Without that light, the RTA will throw the book at you. And yes, they go looking for it!

What is the break away system? Does it have anything to do with the electric brakes?

If the trailer currently has 2000KG legal capacity with front axle hydraulic drums can I had the breakaway system to the trailer for a higher legal towing capacity.

[warps]

Probably not. The rest of the trailer needs to be built to handle the heavier load (suspension, structure etc.)

Break away system must apply brakes in case the trailer becomes detatched from the tow vehicle, and must hold the brakes on for a period (30 min I think).

Also need brakes on all four wheels. I think it can only be done with electric brakes, but don't quote me on that.

Mate bought a heavy duty trailer from the same guy I bought my car trailer from. His was heavier structure, upgraded suspension and 4 wheel brakes witht he break away system. IIRC, his cost about $1k more than mine. This was to tow a VY Commodore drag ute (in full street trimm, so a heavy lump of a car)

You can actually load the trailer a bit more than the legal capacity, because the load on the tow ball is subtracted from the total weight. Check the standards and check the definitions of ATM (aggregate trailer mass), GCM (cross combined mass) etc. If you read the defnitions carefully you'll understand what you can and can't do. I haven't read the standard for a while so can't remember the exact terminology, and how it applies. From memory, the total weight limit for the trailer is calculated slightly differently to the total towing capacity of the tow vehicle.

Make sure you fully understand this before making a decision.

At a khana cross on the weekend I had at least 30% of the competitors commenting on my trailer, all wanting to know where I got it. It's just a basic car trailer but extremely well built, and I always get people asking me about it. Best rally investment I ever made (Made by Chris Wedding - Car Trailers by Chris - in Brisbane)

[vesh]

I just got off the phone to Vic Roads and they say that they are unable to say if it will be legal or not . . . .

They referred me to Vehicle Standards Information 24 . . .

I am now throwing my hands in the air not knowing what to purchase, I do not want to purchase a trailer with electric brakes and spend the extra money if I dont have to

[warps]

Check this out

http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/vehicle_regulation/bulletin/vsb1/vsb_01_b.aspx#15

It's a national code, so should cover what you need. Look at the section on brakes. It doesn't stipulate whether they need to be electric or not, but I don't know whether there is another style of brake what will comply with the requirements.

[vesh]

Awesome, thanks for that, I will have a read

[R31Nismoid]

VSI 24 has nothing to do with Trailer towing. It's about the couplings only and is just over a page long.

Have a read of them here:

http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/SafetyAndRules/SaferVehicles/VehicleDesignStandardsAndAccessories/VehicleStandardsInformaiton.htm

[boxheadmr]

can i suggest that you do go electric brakes rather then the cable brakes on hire trailers, even if you brake the one axle rather then the two required for over 2000kg (only one axle required to be braked under 2000kg) the brakes are a lot better to control and a wise very small investment over the cable braked system.

[MBS206]

Break away brakes as mentioned earlier, have a 12V battery, that when a switch is triggered (Via a cable connected to the towing vehicle) it locks the trailer brakes on as hard as it can.

I have only EVER seen them as an electric setup, I do not believe that there is an electro-hydraulic version.

If you upgrade the brake system to break aways, you still need to have the axles, rims and tyres rated to the higher limit.

This is done by checking manufacturer specs on the tyres and rims, and than the axles are weight loaded depending on their size.

You then also need to do upgrades to things like chain linkages etc.

Electric brakes, while more expensive, are leaps and bounds ahead of the normal cruddy mechanical brake system.

[boxheadmr]

yeah you can get breakaway systems for hydraulic brakes, seem to see it more on boat trailers though.