Trailer hire £40

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bernie
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Trailer hire £40

Post by bernie »

Going to pick up my new (to me) FIAT124 tommorrow in [8D][8D]SUNNY [8D][8D]Chippenham.[8D][8D][8D][8D][8D][8D]
I'm hiring a trailer to bring it back, cost just £40 for the day all inclusive with straps.
I think that's very reasonable.[:)]
Dave Bamber
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Post by Dave Bamber »

I've paid about £45 for a weekend a few years ago. A twin axle job with a tilting bed.
bernie
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Post by bernie »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Dave Bamber</i>

I've paid about £45 for a weekend a few years ago. A twin axle job with a tilting bed.
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Bugger
You've ruined my day now Dave[:(][:(!]
Dave Bamber
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Post by Dave Bamber »

Sorry mate[:I] £40 is still a good deal though! The weekend rate was only good as the company didn't open on Sundays so they let me keep the trailer until Monday morning.
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fastandfurryous
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Post by fastandfurryous »

I hired a twin-axle jobbie for £30 from my local oldie-worldie garage, and have to say I wish I hadn't. I had to weld it back together before I could use it, and I discovered the hard way that the brakes didn't work at all. I'd have paid the extra for a safer, better trailer!
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Post by DoubleChevron »

I can hire them for about 1/2 that out here a day. The biggest problem is there massively overbuilt trailers. Long ramps, full length checkerplate floors, heavy duty winch, twin axles. They weigh in excess of 850kgs EMPTY [:0] This is nearly the tow rating on most small cars without it loaded.
The CX allegedly tows DS21's on these trailers quite well [:D] [}:)] Fiat 124's rusted fast here in Australia, I can only imagine what a Fiat in the UK would be like [:0] Very light in weight I guess [:o)] [:p]
If the Fiats drives, can't you just get a permit to drive it home. Much less hastle and stress than attempting to tow it (much safer too).
seeya
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fastandfurryous
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Post by fastandfurryous »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by DoubleChevron</i>

If the Fiats drives, can't you just get a permit to drive it home. Much less hastle and stress than attempting to tow it (much safer too).
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I'm guessing that you have a system of being able to do something like that in Aus. Unfortunately in the UK in order to drive any car on the road it needs to be insured, MOT'd and taxed. Anything less than this, and you risk prosecution. Thus, you either buy a car with Tax and MOT present, insure it, and drive it home, or you trailer it. Even towing on a front-lift, or a flat-tow (on an a-frame) is legally dubious, as to have it's wheels on the road, it must be taxed and MOT'd.
The only exception to this is if you are driving a car to/from a pre-booked local MOT test. In this case it must still be insured, but the need for Tax and MOT is waived.
Because of this legal situation, flatbet trailers are at a premium here. Even a rotten old crappy trailer with knackered brakes like I hired last time will be worth upwards of £400. A well engineered, lightweight, galvanized trailer with a winch might cost £2000. I guess it's fairly obvious why I am making my own one!
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Post by bxbodger »

Yes, thats the whole point of MOT tests, to keep unroadworthy cars off the road, which project cars usually are when first acquired!!
Its also a bit of a pain and quite pricey to get short term insurance as well-trailer hire is cheaper. On most policies you can drive other cars not owned by yourself but its usually on a third party or road risk basis only. What a lot of people do is drive it home on that basis as DVLA won't have changed the keepers details, but its a bit of a grey area if you crash on the way home, and could end up costing you lots......
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Post by VisaGTi16v »

I borrowed a builders trailer before to pick my Visa up from london. The trailer was so heavy it was stupid, my dads TD focus estate could barely get over 65mph and we kept thinking about aborting. However we kept on and on the way back with the 800kg Visa on the back as well, it still went the same speed? talk about weird!
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Post by vanny »

I get my trailer hire for £37 for the weekend (Saturday morning to Monday midday) from Port Sunlight Trailer hire.
Is there anyone who has a clue what the towing laws actually are? Having spent many moons on the DVLA website, spoken to lots of Police including a family friend who is a traffic cop of 14ish year, not one person says the same thing and no one is 'sure' of anything! It's such a bloody mess, one of those things the government REALLY need to get a hold of!
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Post by ActivaV6uk »

vanny i still remember talking to you after you parked 2 BX's and a trailer accross the M5, there was a definate sound of fear in your voice :D
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Post by vanny »

Shut up you! I have managed to tow without major incident since then! Even managed to pilot a transit van in gale force winds! And anyway, it was perfect parallel parking following a tactical exit off the motor way. Im still waiting for it to come up on 'Police, camera, Action!'
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Post by bernie »

Got it today, the 124 that is, sitting on the M4 at 60mph and the engine ticking over at 1750rpm. Brilliant[:)]
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fastandfurryous
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Post by fastandfurryous »

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by vanny</i>


Is there anyone who has a clue what the towing laws actually are? Having spent many moons on the DVLA website, spoken to lots of Police including a family friend who is a traffic cop of 14ish year, not one person says the same thing and no one is 'sure' of anything! It's such a bloody mess, one of those things the government REALLY need to get a hold of!
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I have a fair idea of what the traffic law acts say, and how this is interpreted in actual use. Different police officers will interpret the law differently, and I have found in the past, the best officers to talk to are the traffic police.
I once tried to read the traffic acts while working nights in a fuel station, simply for something to read... I'd already done petrolium law. Unfortunatley they are as boring as hell, and I frequently fell asleep!
The main thing that you have to be aware of when towing is that the trailer must be in a roadworthy condition, display the number plate of the towing vehicle, has the same requirements of lighting as a car (except the foglamp.. only required from 1982 cars onwards) and must not exceed the recommended towing weight for the car.
This last point is rather grey, as the only points of law are that you must have close-coupled brakes for over 750kg-3500kg, direct acting ones for over 3500kg, and conform to your license restrictions. This means that you can tow more than the reccommended maximum from the car manufacturer, but remain technically within the law. I have done this many times, and been safe, but you have to be very careful, and make sure the noseweight is appropriate to the trailer and the tow-car.
The laws on towing cars with wheels on the road are equally grey. To conform completely with the law, if any part of a road-licenced vehicle (thus excluding trailers) is in contact with the road, then that vehicle must have valid MOT and Tax. (like if it is parked on the road) However, I have seen obvious basket-case cars, and part-restorations being towed with all four wheels on the road. Is it a car? or is it a trailer? Very grey area.
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Post by Stinkwheel »

I've used a specially made towing dolly to tow 2CV's and the like. Its rigidly attached to the car using the cars towing eyes and some threaded attachments that clamp the back of the a frame to the front of the chassis(basically a solomatic unit adapted for 2CV's only) It tows very well indeed.
Does the towd vehicle become a trailer? I use a light board etc and the 2cv has a low weight as it is but is not braked.
I also towed an unbraked twin axle trailer with an acadiane on with a 1600 ford orion. It was not powerful enough and braking was something to be planned but not dangerous (although could easily have become so)
Lastly I hired a Proper Brian James trailer to transport a dyane, this i towed with my 5 Litre V8 Oldsmobile. It was like it wasnt even there, The way to go is big torquey tow car and a quality trailer every time.
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