Discussion
eI know we've covered this a bit in the 3rd lane thread but I don't think we've had a specific thread.
Fortunately none of these were me, but reported to me by the people responsible. Well, irresponsible I suppose. These were 5 different people, tales collected over the last 30 years.
1 Loaded trailer, like a camping one but about 8' x 6', with rubbish from the garden and garage, drove to the tip. Started unloading and it tipped up with the hitch in the air - lucking he'd loaded it very front heavy as he'd driven it 5 miles there with the hitch only resting on the ball.
2 In the 70s when only about 18, went on holiday to France with some mates in a Volvo Amazon which broke down and they came home on the train. The owner said that if anyone wanted the car they could have it if they fetched it. Borrowed dads car and a trailer and went over to fetch it. Put it on the trailer, in gear handbrake on and set off home.
After a while the car 'fell' over the front of the trailer. No one had told him that it's usual to tie the car down - the innocence of youth!
3 Taking a part rebuilt Triumph Gloria to the club's annual meeting, for some reason that may have been logical at the time, put it on the trailer backwards - the heavy bit (engine) placed where it would have the maximum pendulum effect.
Somewhere up the M1 it started snaking. A bit more...and more...and more. Ended up stopped broadside across the motorway which had no cars coming up behind them. Popped it into first and swung round onto the hard shoulder. 10 secs later a truck came past.
4 Box trailer behind Mk4 Cortina, knowing the driver he wasn't doing 50! On the motorway, looks in door mirror an realises he can see the writing on the side of the trailer so decides that slowing down can only make it snake more so decides to accelrate out of it
, gets up to 80 and it's going straight again so gently dropped back to a sensible speed with no damage.
5 Trailering recently restored Midget home from a show, tied down but without handbrake and not in gear, it rocks back and forward and somehow loosens the straps and drops off the back of the trailer, driver looks in mirror and it looks like the Midge is trying to overtake him. Only damage was a new front wing required.
There may be some exaggeration when I was told these but I've written them as related to me by the culprits so pls don't start picking them apart
Anyone else like to admit to anything!
Fortunately none of these were me, but reported to me by the people responsible. Well, irresponsible I suppose. These were 5 different people, tales collected over the last 30 years.
1 Loaded trailer, like a camping one but about 8' x 6', with rubbish from the garden and garage, drove to the tip. Started unloading and it tipped up with the hitch in the air - lucking he'd loaded it very front heavy as he'd driven it 5 miles there with the hitch only resting on the ball.
2 In the 70s when only about 18, went on holiday to France with some mates in a Volvo Amazon which broke down and they came home on the train. The owner said that if anyone wanted the car they could have it if they fetched it. Borrowed dads car and a trailer and went over to fetch it. Put it on the trailer, in gear handbrake on and set off home.
After a while the car 'fell' over the front of the trailer. No one had told him that it's usual to tie the car down - the innocence of youth!
3 Taking a part rebuilt Triumph Gloria to the club's annual meeting, for some reason that may have been logical at the time, put it on the trailer backwards - the heavy bit (engine) placed where it would have the maximum pendulum effect.
Somewhere up the M1 it started snaking. A bit more...and more...and more. Ended up stopped broadside across the motorway which had no cars coming up behind them. Popped it into first and swung round onto the hard shoulder. 10 secs later a truck came past.
4 Box trailer behind Mk4 Cortina, knowing the driver he wasn't doing 50! On the motorway, looks in door mirror an realises he can see the writing on the side of the trailer so decides that slowing down can only make it snake more so decides to accelrate out of it
, gets up to 80 and it's going straight again so gently dropped back to a sensible speed with no damage.5 Trailering recently restored Midget home from a show, tied down but without handbrake and not in gear, it rocks back and forward and somehow loosens the straps and drops off the back of the trailer, driver looks in mirror and it looks like the Midge is trying to overtake him. Only damage was a new front wing required.
There may be some exaggeration when I was told these but I've written them as related to me by the culprits so pls don't start picking them apart
Anyone else like to admit to anything!
john2443 said:
2 In the 70s when only about 18, went on holiday to France with some mates in a Volvo Amazon which broke down and they came home on the train. The owner said that if anyone wanted the car they could have it if they fetched it. Borrowed dads car and a trailer and went over to fetch it. Put it on the trailer, in gear handbrake on and set off home.
After a while the car 'fell' over the front of the trailer. No one had told him that it's usual to tie the car down - the innocence of youth!
After a while the car 'fell' over the front of the trailer. No one had told him that it's usual to tie the car down - the innocence of youth!
JulesB said:
Towing a big old Volvo XC90 with siezed brakes on trailer with an E220 Merc from Wolverhampton to Kidderminster, was probably not the best idea in hindsight, crawled the entire way at 30mph, few hills on the way which I didn't think we would make it up!
W124? They were slow enough without towing anything!My Scimitar lives on its trailer on the driveway. Out of gear, handbrake off as it's going nowhere anytime soon, but still attached to the winch cable so it won't roll away.
A couple of months ago the OH announced that the drive needed to be sprayed with Roundup, uncluding the patch under the trailer, so I dutifully hitched it to the back of the car and pulled it foward out of the way - all of 20ft, but enough for the Scim to keep going when I stopped.
Happily the damage was limited to a numberplate/jacking handle interface, but it was a little unnerving watching it get bigger and bigger in the mirror.
A couple of months ago the OH announced that the drive needed to be sprayed with Roundup, uncluding the patch under the trailer, so I dutifully hitched it to the back of the car and pulled it foward out of the way - all of 20ft, but enough for the Scim to keep going when I stopped.
Happily the damage was limited to a numberplate/jacking handle interface, but it was a little unnerving watching it get bigger and bigger in the mirror.
I've towed a Montego on a twin axle trailer (weight 400kg empty) behind another Montego. For a 1.6, the tow car shrugged it off, nice and stable to an indicated quite illegal on the motorway (allegedly) 
.
Mind you, I once towed a Maestro on the same trailer behind the Montego and got caught at a red light just before the top of a hill. Just glad the VW clutch on that car was so tough, as it took some time to get moving again
.
The police we saw weren't interested in the set up.
A friend did similar stunts to my first paragraph, but somehow he got the rear wheels of the tow car off the ground when he drove the other car on to the trailer; driving on to the ramps at 10mph is not subtle! His trailer was eventually condemned by the police for all sorts of things - the one I borrowed was a proper piece of kit at least...
.Mind you, I once towed a Maestro on the same trailer behind the Montego and got caught at a red light just before the top of a hill. Just glad the VW clutch on that car was so tough, as it took some time to get moving again
.The police we saw weren't interested in the set up.
A friend did similar stunts to my first paragraph, but somehow he got the rear wheels of the tow car off the ground when he drove the other car on to the trailer; driving on to the ramps at 10mph is not subtle! His trailer was eventually condemned by the police for all sorts of things - the one I borrowed was a proper piece of kit at least...
Army trailers have hitches front and rear so you can tow them in trains. We used to have great fun seeing how many we could tow around the airfield. Until one day someone unhitched the front trailer of about 20 connected to the LandRover. The first hitch went up, the next down, the next up and so on.
Cue a lot of swearing as we couldn't undo the hitches with pressure pressing on them and they were bloody heavy. We eventually sourced a forklift to straighten the train out and undid them one by one.
Put an end to that game for a while.
Also learnt to never, ever, under any circumstances try to reverse a trailer train.
Cue a lot of swearing as we couldn't undo the hitches with pressure pressing on them and they were bloody heavy. We eventually sourced a forklift to straighten the train out and undid them one by one.
Put an end to that game for a while.
Also learnt to never, ever, under any circumstances try to reverse a trailer train.
john2443 said:
eI know we've covered this a bit in the 3rd lane thread but I don't think we've had a specific thread.
Fortunately none of these were me, but reported to me by the people responsible. Well, irresponsible I suppose. These were 5 different people, tales collected over the last 30 years.
1 Loaded trailer, like a camping one but about 8' x 6', with rubbish from the garden and garage, drove to the tip. Started unloading and it tipped up with the hitch in the air - lucking he'd loaded it very front heavy as he'd driven it 5 miles there with the hitch only resting on the ball.
Assuming it was a normal ball hitch is must of been broken ? even 30 year old ones latch on so this wouldn't happen.Fortunately none of these were me, but reported to me by the people responsible. Well, irresponsible I suppose. These were 5 different people, tales collected over the last 30 years.
1 Loaded trailer, like a camping one but about 8' x 6', with rubbish from the garden and garage, drove to the tip. Started unloading and it tipped up with the hitch in the air - lucking he'd loaded it very front heavy as he'd driven it 5 miles there with the hitch only resting on the ball.
I can remember following a small boat being towed on a trailer, I can only presume the trailer was for a smaller boat because I could see the whole lot bouncing up and down a bit.. hmm I'l just hang back a bit, few hundred feet later the nearside trailer wheel made a bid for freedom and overtook the trailer and tow vehicle, trailer is now dragging on the floor on that side and is snaking somewhat, with the boat starting to move about on the trailer as well!
Luckily he was only doing about 30 so was able to stop pretty easily.
At race weekends I like to leave the trailer with the ramps down and hitched to the tow car, ready to receive the car at the end of the day so I can drive straight on after the final race. I also occasionally unhitch the tow car and use it for going to hotel, restaurant etc etc. On one occasion at Thruxton, I forgot to re-hitch the trailer to the car, and the rear stabilier legs were up. I tried to drive the car onto the trailer and the whoe thing see-sawed upwards, the hitch probably peaking at 4-5 feet off the ground 
luckily no damage was caused.
luckily no damage was caused.jhfozzy said:
Also learnt to never, ever, under any circumstances try to reverse a trailer train.
Not so much a 'train', but trying to reverse a towing dolly with a car mounted on it and with the centralising pin out(the pin that's fitted when moving a car onto or off the dolly, and removed once the towed car is in place safely) isn't a good idea either 
. Thankfully I could escape forwards over a grassy area after that particular moment of brain fade
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