Trailers & 'BWSOW's

[CXRAndy]

Having picked up my new trailer, my twin towbar setup was not ideal. Reading the comments that 2"(50.8mm) towball would fit 50mm tow hitch proved to be incorrect- at least on this new trailer.

I asked around if any engineering company would turn down the ball on a lathe or milling machine to 50mm, non were available to do it quickly.

So I set about with a hand file and worked my way around the tow ball. It took at least 8 passes to reduce the diameter to 49.8mm. I was careful to maintain roundness and measured with calipers to keep it round all within 0.1mm
I marked the ball with marker pen to see where I had worked the metal
Job done, nice tight fit in the tow hitch

 

[Fastpedaller]

The sort of crazy thing I'd do - you are in good company

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Having picked up my new trailer, my twin towbar setup was not ideal. Reading the comments that 2"(50.8mm) towball would fit 50mm tow hitch proved to be incorrect- at least on this new trailer.

I asked around if any engineering company would turn down the ball on a lathe or milling machine to 50mm, non were available to do it quickly.

So I set about with a hand file and worked my way around the tow ball. It took at least 8 passes to reduce the diameter to 49.8mm. I was careful to maintain roundness and measured with calipers to keep it round all within 0.1mm
I marked the ball with marker pen to see where I had worked the metal
Job done, nice tight fit in the tow hitch
View attachment 783451

2" receiver hitch?

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Wednesday 20th

I went to the ‘tip’ earlier this afternoon (household waste) at Glasshoughton, near the ASDA & ‘Xscape’

I actually saw another Noval (like mine), but that had rounded plastic mudguards instead
It looked to be the same dimensions as mine though

 

[CXRAndy]

Having bought some LED marker lights a long while back and never got around to fitting them.

I decided to fit them to my new trailer. Got some galvanised angle, trimmed, drilled, tapped threads for the lights and trailer body, took forever to drill and align all the holes correctly. Final job wiring up. I've also got some red markers which I think I might use as additional brake indicators

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Having bought some LED marker lights a long while back and never got around to fitting them.

I decided to fit them to my new trailer. Got some galvanised angle, trimmed, drilled, tapped threads for the lights and trailer body, took forever to drill and align all the holes correctly. Final job wiring up. I've also got some red markers which I think I might use as additional brake indicators

View attachment 784725

Nice!!

Are they the '2 in 1'?
Side-marker & indicators?

 

[gbb]

Just occurred to me...I'm down in Weymouth with the girls for a week...and i didn't see as many caravans on the road down here. Has the.popularity waned ?

 

[Gunk]

Just occurred to me...I'm down in Weymouth with the girls for a week...and i didn't see as many caravans on the road down here. Has the.popularity waned ?

Caravan sales have been on a decline for a while now, partly for economic reasons and partly because of the shift to camper vans and motorhomes.

Another reason there are not so many on the roads is because of the age shift, caravaners have become older (trendy millennials prefer a camper van) they tend to go away out of school holidays when it’s quieter.

 

[CXRAndy]

Nice!!

Are they the '2 in 1'?
Side-marker & indicators?

Yes they are dual LEDs, I have wired them up full time side lights. Fitted my toolbox too for straps

Will post a night time photo to see how clearly the mark the ends of the trailer

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Yes they are dual LEDs, I have wired them up full time side lights. Fitted my toolbox too for straps

Will post a night time photo to see how clearly the mark the ends of the trailer

View attachment 784924

Wire them to the dual-function, it'll look good & be safer

 

[Alex321]

Just occurred to me...I'm down in Weymouth with the girls for a week...and i didn't see as many caravans on the road down here. Has the.popularity waned ?

There are still a good number of caravans around, but I think there has been quite a large surege in ownership of camper vans & motorhomes, largely at the expense of caravans.

I just spent a long weekend away with the Sealed Knot (in our campervan), and I think there were more camper vans/motorhomes than caravans, while a few years ago it would have been the other way around (more tents than either, though that gap is shrinking slightly).

 

[DRM]

I think the caravan manufacturers have out priced themselves & sites are very expensive nowadays, not many people will go to a Certified Location/Certified Site to use the on board facilities, the want all the amenities plus the price of used cars are ridiculous, so combined with buying the caravan, and a suitable tow car you could be looking at paying £40,0000 to £50,000 for a second hand outfit, it doesn’t stack up when for a weekend away you get there at about 7 pm Friday and have to be gone by 11am Sunday it’s not such a cheap break after all

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Sunday 15th

On close inspection, & a wash (to see what was dirt, & what was staining), l realised it was slightly ’biscuit-tinned’, ie: twisted
(pick up a square tin, & twist it laterally)

I could ‘WD40’ every bolt & slacken them all off, & try to straighten it
It might, or it might not work?

That said, years ago (when l had the Discovery), l bought a new trailer from Towsure
I collected it built, as it was as cheap at that time to buy it assembled
Even ‘off the shelf’, that was ‘biscuit-tinned’, so if this is (at a guess?) 10 years old, it’s not an issue
(till wife notices, then it might be??)

View attachment 674452

Wednesday 27th
The biscuit tinning is apparent here, seen from a distance, outside sister-in-laws flat this morning

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Oh what to do?
1.Very tempted!!
They're a good length (6' 7"), but slightly narrow. at 3'6", BUT......... probably 'plus VAT'?
Rated at 750kg though

6'6" x 4' would be perfect

2.Towsure have a 6' x 4', but it's almost £1,000, & only rated at 500kg!!

3. I could risk another second-hand of the desired size, & take the chance on what's wrong with the brakes
Am I being cynical, by thinking it can't be anything simple/easy/cheap, or why wasn't it done, to increase the sale value?
Equally, what's wrong with the original light-units, that requires a lighting-board?
Looks like it might be an Indepension, with the 'bike-bars'/grab-handles?

 

[gbb]

Re caravans, we're currently at Weymouth on a Haven site in a static and it's bugged me, every time I pass a certain point, I think we've been here !!! But I can't remember the details...
Pretty sure it has to have been in the early 2000s in our old 1988 Ace Diplomat. It was already an old van when we got it but it really did the job perfectly, cost us £1500 and was perfectly functioning and comfortable despite starting to look at little aged on the exterior, we did many happy holidays in Dorset, Cornwall and Norfolk in it, I missed it once gone.
People are so hooked up in having the latest rigs, christ knows how much it costs nowadays (well I do know, its up post ) obviously that pays a part in their numbers on the road given the cost of living atm.