Unladen twin axle trailer, can you remove a pair of wheels?

[rustic]

I have asked the question of my trailer supplier, but not heard anything yet.:nenau

Does anyone know the possibility of removing a pair of wheels from one axle when towing an empty twin axle trailer?

The rear wheels on my twin axle boat trailer hardly contact the road when the trailer is being towed empty, thus while being towed the rear wheels will be damaged as they leave and contact the road.
I wish to tow the empty trailer with a car with a lower hitch height than the Mav I currently use when towing the boat.

Which are the best pair to remove, the front which will put a greater load on the tow bar, or the rear?
Are there any legal issues? I would still carry the wheels in the car in case.
The trailer unladen weight is 630 kg and holds a boat 7 metres long.

Note: When I remove the wheels, the brake hubs are retained so there is no risk of loosing braking.
I could cover the unused hubs in bin liners to make it clear I haven't lost the wheels, in case the police are looking for an excuse to stop me.
Any advice please..

Best regards,
Rustic

[Smegg]

hi, was the trailer originaly built for the boat, it sounds like you have ample brakes with two. but having four wheels gives more stability why not try an adjustable tow ball.

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

good question, bit like empty articles lift an axle suppose. think I would always lift leading axle, but is wear really such an issue to make it worth removing wheels, surely better to adjust hitch height so both axles wheels grip road evenly also then if have blow out can continue. thinking these tri axle articles trailers only lift one leaving two axles worth on road.

[The Patrolman]

1)If the trailer was made with 4 wheels they must be fitted otherwise Plod will do you under "construction and use" ..

2)Also check the plated weight of the trailer if this is more than the max towing weight of your car Plod will do you!!

3)Even if the empty trailer is within the cars limit Plod will do you!!

4)Even if the trailer is empty Plod will want to know why you have an empty trailer - what have you just dropped off OR what are you going to pick up?? and assuming either Plod will do you!!

To avoid bringing 2,3 & 4 to the attention of Plod don't have 2 wheels missing to start with!!

Best fit adjustable tow hitch's so that the trailer sits level as it was designed to!!

Hope this helps

[zippy656]

so really, plod will do you for just having the trailer lol

[The Patrolman]

Yip!!!

Specially if it's a boat trailer cos he will be jealous he hasn't got a boat!!

That's Plod for ya!!

[zippy656]

i used to get stoped every week when lived in london with my kitcar...

plod loved that...

[The Patrolman]

My cousin 19yrs old had a 1.3 Escort Cozzy look-a-likee, a very good one!!
Plod was also jealous, he was pulled over for driving slowly over speed bumps!!!

[zippy656]

yep.. they hate any one having a good car, fun car or just a funny one...

[(RIP) PLANK]

if it were my trailer i would leave the wheels on, if nothing else it just sounds wrong to me :confused:

[tezzer]

take 2 wheels off, carry a 12v compressor and let the 2 tyres down, they cant do a thing about it, tell them kids let them down, to leave them on would be dangerous. :naughty

[(RIP) PLANK]

that just sounds worse to me, surley if they needed to be on there the police would just say 'you should have go them reinflated' just like any other tyre on any other road going vehicle and i'm confident that if a trailer was designed to have 4 wheels then it should have them on.

I htink the truth woudl sound better than that, ie - the trailer is under no load and the two wheels and tryes are adequate to carry it's unladen weight - though even this might not stop and eager bobby from pressing charges.


what does everyoine else think

[The Patrolman]

Darwins theory of evolution and the process of natural selection!!!

If you are stupid enough to take two wheels of something that is supposed to have four for a reason then you will die!! taking the stupid gene with you... assuming that you have not already passed it on!!

Unfortunatley the HSE and Plod keep interfearing with this natural process and stupid people are breeding, because thats all they can do. In continuing acts of stupidity they are putting the rest of the normal folks at risk!!

I drive about 800miles a week and take my life in my hands every time i get in my van doing my very best to avoid all the stupids so that I can get home safe to family and friends!!

Leave the wheels on thats why they are there!!

I don't care if you die through your own stupidity but please don't put the rest of us at risk because you can't tow a trailer properly!!

Or Plod will do you!!!

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

well as for wheels skimming ground so what.

if you look at tractor units that can lift an axle
and do sometimes these wheels are spinning
where they have caught say a speed ramp.

still cant see point of going to trouble of
removing, unless you can fit a hydralic lift
big truck style, and why lose advantage of
having spare grip ready should another fail,

and why attract interest og vosa etc, just
get rig running nearer level. finally dont forget
that a coupling can be lower than it normal
position it cant be higher, ie cant use a drop
plate to raise hitch on a low slung car.

[rustic]

Thanks for the replies, the main issue is ride height, the car we could use to tow the unladen trailer, cannot have the hitch raised, as you pointed out.

Each axle is plated at 1300kg, so can adequately carry the unladen weight. (650kg).
What concerns me is the trailer gross capacity, the fact it can carry a heavy weight even though at the time it wasn't, is this really an issue.:nenau
Will plod stop every car that is capable of going over the speed limit even though at the time they weren't?
I know there are legal loop holes, but I have never put other road users or myself and the family at risk, that is why I posted this question.

I thought I would check my emails, just had this come in from my trailer manufacturer, but he stresses it is his opinion..


As long as the remaining axle/tyre combo is sufficient to take the weight of the trailer then there should be no problem.
As to which ones to remove just remember you only want around 75 - 100kgs max nose weight so that might indicate which ones you remove for towing empty.
With regard to legality - the above is just my opinion but it is only the same as trailing a large single axle unit so I would doubt there could be any issues.



I might also contact the legal department of the AA I have paid my subs for many years, and never claimed. After all they might be representing me in court !:bow

When I find a satisfactory answer I will post it.
Thanks again for all your responses.
Rustic

[Liam]

I love these kind of posts:D:D:D The Police State is alive and well and living in the UK (probably too close for comfort):doh ,with the population of Britain apparently so scared of the Police to go about their lawful business in case of getting into bother. Maybe people should just get on with it and deal with any issues arising if and when. I know one thing for sure,I don't want any hassle from the Police but I don't think asking strangers on an anonymous internet forum is the best place for factual information,especially if you think it may be of concern to the Police.If you really want the correct answer,write to the Police and they will have to reply in writing and then go by their written advice, then if stopped you can show the correspondence to the Policeman/woman who stopped you.Simples.Perhaps if people just went about their business in a normal manner they would find that the Police aren't interested in them. I have travelled to the UK with firearms on a good number of occasions but I never asked a stranger how I should go about it, I just behaved like a normal citizen going about my lawful business and never had a problem, sometimes entering the UK without even having my firearms checked by Police or Customs and on one occasion they came out on the carousel with the ordinary luggage:naughty. I genuinely believe if you have serious concerns,talk to the people who might have an issue with wheels being removed i.e. the Police. If they can't help you,I doubt anyone on here can. Still enjoy these kind of posts and hope I haven't offended anyone, just sometimes I thank God I live here in our quiet little place where the Police don't even go after the bad guys,never mind the law abiding. It is changing,though,and I'm sure we will catch up with you soon:(

[(RIP) PLANK]

Darwins theory of evolution and the process of natural selection!!!

If you are stupid enough to take two wheels of something that is supposed to have four for a reason then you will die!! taking the stupid gene with you... assuming that you have not already passed it on!!

Unfortunatley the HSE and Plod keep interfearing with this natural process and stupid people are breeding, because thats all they can do. In continuing acts of stupidity they are putting the rest of the normal folks at risk!!

I drive about 800miles a week and take my life in my hands every time i get in my van doing my very best to avoid all the stupids so that I can get home safe to family and friends!!

Leave the wheels on thats why they are there!!


I don't care if you die through your own stupidity but please don't put the rest of us at risk because you can't tow a trailer properly!!

Or Plod will do you!!!

a bit harsh but very true, and very funny :bow

[The Patrolman]

Hi Rustic,
sorry I diddn't meen to sound harsh with
'I don't care if you die through your own stupidity but please don't put the rest of us at risk because you can't tow a trailer properly!!'
I apreciate you have given the matter some thought and sought advice from the wealth available on this site...

As a further point of contact I would suggest you contact Vehicle Operating Standards Agency VOSA or the Plod.

A colleague of mine (also holds class 1 HGV licence) has had many dealings with what you can and can't tow and with what, and has been challenged by 'Plod' just to check his rig. He had a 110 defender which is rated to pull his 3.5T Trailer so he was OK!!

Apart from Plod and VOSA roadside checks you also have to deal with the traffic wombles!! who would not hesitate to close down the whole of the countries roads if they got a sniff of an unsafe vehicle or a bit of stray grit on the road!

I still think that 4 wheels are better than 2 but that's a new thread alltogether!!

[(RIP) PLANK]

lateral view!

if this is legal then sureley on a twin wheeled transit tipper i can remove the outer two wheels if it is unlden?

some how i believe i would be arrested :doh

[rustic]

I agree with you plank at least on the harsness issue.:eek:

The reason I went for a 4 wheel trailer was for safety of both my family and other road users.
A 2 wheel trailer could have done the task quite easily, BUT I thought the centre of gravity would have been higher. (Fact: it would).
Reason 1 Larger wheels to carry the weight would place the boat higher and a lighter trailer again moves the C of G higher. (fact: it would).
Reason 2 If there was a blow out there would more than likely be a major issue.

Having the heavier trailer 600kg of low ballast and smaller wheels lowers the C of G. The 4 wheels give stability in the event of a blowout as the trailer when loaded is not at full capacity.
Now I put a lot of thought into this when I ordered the trailer.
Certainly not someone with a "Stupid Gene":thumbs

I think the stupid Gene is not with the person enquiring about safety, BEFORE going ahead with the action without taking advice.
After all this is what this site is about.
I would like Patrolman to read the original text, in the contect of how this was written and reconsider his comments.

The action of removing 2 wheels from the trailer, just to make it clear, has not actually taken place, and will not take place until all avenues have been explored, and the outcomes considered.
This was the reason for this post, to tap into a vast data of knowledge.

I think the common sense gene has been well and truely demonstrated.:thumbs

So for your interest," the Stupid Gene" has not been passed on, as it was never there in the first place.
:nenau:nenau

Best regards, and thanks to all the people giving feedback.
I will give the feedback from the AA on their return of the email
Rustic

[rustic]

Patrolman, I was not aware of your last comments as I was writing during the time you were so they passed in the post as it were.
The problem of watching TV and typing..
I understand your comment and I would never put anyone at risk.
Best regards, Rustic

[(RIP) PLANK]

Rustic, well i certainly have a stupid gene and im conmfident i have passed it on :lol

i see what you men about the wheels though, i have a twin axel trailer that gets used for shifting all sorts of stuff around and when it is empty the front wheels seem to just skim the floor or even hover above it due to tow ball heights.

i have also noticed a bit of play in the bearings of these two wheels and wonder if there is any conection between this and them hovering off the groud and occasional touching when they are not moving and the ground is?

I know on 4x4's dropping plates etc are 'arguably' permisssable but on cars post 1998 they are no longer legal, so loads of people must be in the situation!

for me dropping the ball would mean it actin like a plough when off road, and keep changing heights or removing wheels would end up taking up a lot of my day and to be fair i can't be arsed.

it is as you said an interesting thread, in many ways, but i'm sure patrolman meant no offence just a bit of streaight forward banter :thumbs

[rustic]

it is as you said an interesting thread, in many ways, but i'm sure patrolman meant no offence just a bit of streaight forward banter :thumbs

Thanks for that Plank, no offence taken, I might start a new thread and remove one of the wheels on my mav and get cheaper road tax:lol
Then move to Peckam..... Luvely Jubbly:lol
Rustic

[(RIP) PLANK]

Thanks for that Plank, no offence taken, I might start a new thread and remove one of the wheels on my mav and get cheaper road tax:lol
Then move to Peckam..... Luvely Jubbly:lol
Rustic

what a brilliant plan! my plans never sem to work so i might try yours :thumbs

[briggie]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1990-RELIANT-ROBIN-LX-YELLOW-/290452733810?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item43a054ff72

[(RIP) PLANK]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1990-RELIANT-ROBIN-LX-YELLOW-/290452733810?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item43a054ff72

wow, do you think it'll pull my caravan? :nenau

[rustic]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1990-RELIANT-ROBIN-LX-YELLOW-/290452733810?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item43a054ff72

I don't normally laugh at Clarkson, but top gear got me in stitches with rolling the Robin Reliant.

My Dad had a Reliant Regal, similar to the Robin, he could drive this with only a Motorcycle licence, but only if you plated over the gear-gate that was able to select reverse.
I remember him getting out many times to push it for a 3 point turn:lol:lolo

Progress huh..

[The Patrolman]

Rustic,
No great offence ment or taken!!
But when you do 50K per year you see some sights that really make you think!!!
Driving is an art and requires 100% attention if you get it wrong just for one second you (not you personally Rustic, but this really scares me!!) you ( general driving person)could end up dead and worst still you could Kill me in the process!!!
May bees I am just getting old or have too much time in the driving seat to think about these things!!
People in £60k motors that can't afford a hands free kit for there iPhones really Boil my P155!!!

Safe Driving All

[rustic]

Rustic,
No great offence ment or taken!!
But when you do 50K per year you see some sights that really make you think!!!
Driving is an art and requires 100% attention if you get it wrong just for one second you (not you personally Rustic, but this really scares me!!) you ( general driving person)could end up dead and worst still you could Kill me in the process!!!
May bees I am just getting old or have too much time in the driving seat to think about these things!!
People in £60k motors that can't afford a hands free kit for there iPhones really Boil my P155!!!

Safe Driving All

None taken, I really get upset with people often women, starting to drive from a car park with the phone in their hand as they start off.
No excuse for that..

I have seen women using their mirror putting lipstick on, and eye shadow.
And men using an electric shaver and the mirror.



Worst ever.........


Drivers with seat belts on in the front and the kids loose in the back, sometimes lying on the back parcel shelf or in the rear of an estate car, no seat, no belt.

People loading their car at Wickes only using bunjee cords to secure the load.

If you need 2 straps to secure a load, I use 3.

Now we have the Sat nav to play with....

[The Patrolman]

I saw a bloke take great care to secure an 8x4 to his roof rack, tying the straps through the open windows... Then look around to see if any one had seen him try to open the front door to get in but couldn't.. What a moment that was!!

SO...
"If you need 2 straps to secure a load, I use 3."
Why when you need 4 wheels on a trailer would you think about using 2 not 5????????
LOL????????????????????

[(RIP) PLANK]

SO...
"If you need 2 straps to secure a load, I use 3."
Why when you need 4 wheels on a trailer would you think about using 2 not 5????????
LOL????????????????????[/QUOTE]

i think that has to be the best posting of the thread :clap

[Liam]

Worst ever.........


Drivers with seat belts on in the front and the kids loose in the back, sometimes lying on the back parcel shelf or in the rear of an estate car, no seat, no belt.




No,worst ever woman SPOON feeding child in front child seat while in overtaking lane on a dual carriageway with adult male seated comfortably in the back seat. Oh yeah,this was in Ireland:doh

[TONUP]

This thread has deviated somewhat from the original question and now appears to have turned into a discussion about driving, and whilst I agree that a short drive on any UK road will present you with a number of sights that would horrify you, I feel I have to speak up for the common man and declare that in my experience these transgressions are commited in equal measure by what might be considered as proffesional drivers.

Who here hasn't seen that poorly navigated articulated lorry perilously moving between the hard shoulder and driving lane, or the Sprinter driver, who percieves the name on his van as an instruction as he tailgates some poor micra driver in effort to get to his normal cruising speed of 90mph. Then there is the transit van full of builders where the passengers all have their tired legs resting on the dashboard. The horrors comitted by company car driving sales execs and reps is of course legendary, whom oblivious to all other dangers and road users think they are on the third floor of the office block they are desperately calling, texting or emailing with some pointless and non urgent communication.

Makes you think doesn't it? Maybe not...

Alan

[(RIP) PLANK]

TONUP

your right mate some of the worst driving i see on a day to daqy basis is from lorry drivers and company car drivers, I see one or the other doing something 'arrestable' almost daily.

today whiles towing a trailer a shirt and tie wearing rep in a saab estate overtook me them pulled back in too soon forcing me to slam on the brakes and swerve, while i was going straight ahead on an island.

the usual is HGV's heading for saisburys 2 inches off my back bumper while i am doing 55 on a single track road (on which a comercial T2 is limited to 50, and they are imited to 40.

I think they beleive harrasing me will make me speed up, NO it make makes me slow down! it may also make me follow them into the loading bay for a 'little chat' one of these days :naughty rant over

as for the thread going awry - don't they allways?

as for the trailer wheels - take the lot off ;)

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

am sure for truck drivers its a bigger fine/issue using mobile phone
without handsfree.

best thing is how often is their mate sat there doing nothing, ok
could be personal call, but if work then surely mate should handle it.

was well put that folks can afford a 60k car but the h/f for the phone,
crikey most phones come with a wired ear piece and mic on the wire
since they can do mp3 etc, certainly my smart phone does, the mrs
has a sony ericson, classed as a walkman or whatever variety and
that had a stereo ipod stlye ear pieces andmic too. couple of quid
if not.

[lacroupade]

i see what you men about the wheels though, i have a twin axel trailer that gets used for shifting all sorts of stuff around and when it is empty the front wheels seem to just skim the floor or even hover above it due to tow ball heights.

i have also noticed a bit of play in the bearings of these two wheels and wonder if there is any conection between this and them hovering off the groud and occasional touching when they are not moving and the ground is?


But Plank, as has been said already, that absolutely screams out to me that you should be getting the ride height right, not fannying about taking wheels off.

Your trailer is clearly being pulled down at the nose because the hitch is too low (unless its damaged - see below), which means that when its loaded, theres a lot more pressure on the front pair of wheels than the back, increasing the load and the likelihood of tyre damage etc..

On the assumption that the drawbar isn't bent from overloading (because unless you are driving a car with lowered suspension it ought to sit level, thats why 4x4s and vans need drop-plates) then if its feasible, you need to bolt a new drawbar underneath the existing section to raise the front of the trailer when its hitched.....

I had a twin axle 8x6x6 box trailer with the same problem, fitted with an Al-ko swan neck drawbar which turned out to have been overloaded or damaged in an earlier life....I had the bar removed and the fitting plate cut off and rewelded straight and it lifted it 3-4 inches to dead level!

You need to fix the root of the problem, not address a symptom I think...

what are you towing it with?

[(RIP) PLANK]

But Plank, as has been said already, that absolutely screams out to me that you should be getting the ride height right, not fannying about taking wheels off.

Your trailer is clearly being pulled down at the nose because the hitch is too low (unless its damaged - see below), which means that when its loaded, theres a lot more pressure on the front pair of wheels than the back, increasing the load and the likelihood of tyre damage etc..

You need to fix the root of the problem, not address a symptom I think...

what are you towing it with?

no mate the tow bar it too high hence the front wheels being just off the gound when it is unloaded, there is nowt wrong with the trailer or the tow bar other than this, if i adjusted the towbar height the other 5 trailers / caravans i tow regularly would sit too low and that is more important to me than ths one. A droping plate acts like a plough when off road and takes time to set up and remove every time (some times three or four times a day) and adjustable height sytems allways have a fair bit of play wich makes for an uncomfortable tow or even cracked crystal glass and china when towing my 'house'.

my thoughts where - on a vehicle where drop plates are now 'outlawed' how would one get around this issue?

as for my small trailer ' 8 x 4' twin axel, it has had years of such abuse and i'm not too fussed as i'm getting a new one soon. I also have another plan! i certainly can't be arsed with taking wheels off.

I only tow one trailer regulary with a 'pin' hitch and I may get rid of this and then i can fit a normal ball and this will then be lower, smiples.

oh, and i was talking of towing with my T2 thoug the issue seems pretty much the same with all 4x4's it does the same with our ranger too.

[lacroupade]

no i didn't mean use a drop plate Plank, more like another drawbar on the trailer underneath the existing one.

My Ifor William sits level as anything and only needs the jockey wheel raising an inch or two to back the T2 straight under it on the standard towball...

[(RIP) PLANK]

no i didn't mean use a drop plate Plank, more like another drawbar on the trailer underneath the existing one.

My Ifor William sits level as anything and only needs the jockey wheel raising an inch or two to back the T2 straight under it on the standard towball...

i've allready 'kind of' done that by taking the hitch off and spacing it away from the draw bar and then using longer bolts to refit, changing the pin and ball combo for a ball would easily make up for the rest - but, it's going on ebay soon and i will see how the new trailer rides first.

I allways keep pin hitch on as i once went to our local tip and somone had left a trailer there to be thrown in the scrap, the tip blokes couldn't lift it so they asked me if i wanted it. No one else could take it as they didn't have a pin hitch. I put it on ebay and sold it for £190! so i still live in hope ;)

[lacroupade]

I allways keep pin hitch on as i once went to our local tip and somone had left a trailer there to be thrown in the scrap, the tip blokes couldn't lift it so they asked me if i wanted it. No one else could take it as they didn't have a pin hitch. I put it on ebay and sold it for £190! so i still live in hope ;)

jammy sod!!:lol

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

dont knnow about lowering coupling on trailer, but certainly seen a
caravan where the coupling had been raised so didnt tow excessively
nose up on back of a truck.

have you ever seen a tar trailer, where the coupling flexs, can only describe
as s sprung diamond shape arrangement so the trailer is level regardless
of hitch height on the tug and therefore the tar doesnt spill out....

seen plenty of artic trailers where leading axles are skimming ground as
trailer is unladen, maybe with metal suspension which cant be raised like
air bag type can.

sometimes the trailer is designed for a low riding tractor unit but on a
regular unit so trailer inclined considerably.

my caravan rides slightly nose up on the troll, but atleast know has good
nose weight than sitting nose down which ok is the best theory but on
a twin axle will lead to rear axle not doing ts share of the load.

[(RIP) PLANK]

my caravan rides slightly nose up on the troll, but atleast know has good
nose weight than sitting nose down which ok is the best theory but on
a twin axle will lead to rear axle not doing ts share of the load.

surely this means if nose is up then the front axel is not doing its fair share
(as in my small trailer)?

I have never noticed them tar trailers i will have a look tomorrow as i have to visit a big flat roofing company who run lots of propane heated tar trailers, i am going there to buy propane.

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

ok maybe no more nose up than most are nose down,
hitch seems to need lot of winding up on jockey wheel
to clear ball, but good nose weight brings car and van
down to roughly level.

buying? propane.

what as in exchanging bottles or refilling your own lpg
style?

gather you can get a 'special' regulater/adapter to fill
regular calor bottles, at petrol stations that do lpg
providing you are allowed or discreet??

[(RIP) PLANK]

no just exchanging bottles i have half a dozen 19k propanes for refil and they do me a very good price.

[briggie]

no just exchanging bottles i have half a dozen 19k propanes for refil and they do me a very good price.

cost us £30 each at the caravan site

[(RIP) PLANK]

£12 :o

[briggie]

it is haven site tho :augie:lol

[(RIP) PLANK]

well yes they wouldn't like it if you took your own :lol

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

just gone up to a 19kg calor,paid £26 at a calor agent, this was an upgrade
from a 13 in turn from a 6kg though still have a 6 in front of caravan for
on-route use. not bad when a 6 exchange is £18.

[(RIP) PLANK]

just gone up to a 19kg calor,paid £26 at a calor agent, this was an upgrade
from a 13 in turn from a 6kg though still have a 6 in front of caravan for
on-route use. not bad when a 6 exchange is £18.

I allways keek 6k calor bottles as well as they are the only ones you can be sure to get refilled if your run out anywhere in the country and they are light to carry. I get avery good deal on 19k but it's a very small network for refills and someitmes they even refuse to have their own bottles back!

I htink 19k is the larges pracitcal option the price peg KG is almost the same as that for gas in 47k bottles, it is often even cheaper as 19k is the most popular size and you don't kill yourself shifting them.

There is a company not far fom me who sells calor 6k bottles fullof gas including the deposit on the cylinder for £15, i dont know how they can do it, but they do!

[rustic]

Regarding the issue of removing a pair of wheels, I have had a response from the NTTA, these are the main authority on trailer regulations in the UK

Sorry for the delay but I thought it would be helpful to get some advice from an actual trailer builder, so I am quoting his response to me:

I think there are two questions here:

1) Technical performance and safety.
2) Compliance with legislation.

Starting with the first, you as the user would need to ensure that you have a noseload within the parameters of both the tow vehicle and the trailer. You may find with the existing set up that you actually have negative nose weight and when hitching up need to actually force the hitch down onto the vehicle lifting the rear wheels and conversely when unhitching the coupling head jumps upwards. This is of course potentially very unstable and is bad news.

But boat trailers are long and maybe when empty and with jockey dropped the hitch goes to the floor and you have a nice healthy nose weight, so it is only the heights of hitch that are an issue then this is better.

You would then simply remove the front wheels and check nose load, replace them fit the rear wheels and check the nose weight and select the best. The nose down angle of the chassis will not be a problem

Wheels tyres and bearings will be well up to the job since the gross weight capability of the trailer will be well over double the unladen weight.

The rig will most likely tow nicely and will be safe.

2) You cannot remove wheels from a trailer. The brake set up is based on full load and graduates the braking as the load reduces, removing two wheels halves the braking effect so takes the set up out of specification.

A trailer being run with missing wheels will attract attention from the law.........................have you ever seen one?

The law in the UK pretty well works on the principle "Is there a law? Have you broken it?" Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 would be the relevant law.

"Is a trailer being used with missing wheels being used in accordance to the trailer manufacturer's instructions (which will include braking of course)?"

Wheels missing = "No" £60 and three points thank you very much all helps the Chancellor.

The proper solution is to adjust the tow vehicle ball height to suit.



So, the information helps to clarify the situation, but the last comment about adjusting the ball height to suit is a concern, as you cannot raise the height of the ball on the tow vehicle.
So the comments collectively given by you guys covered all the issues that were picked up by this response.


Any how, we towed the boat to Norfolk, liked it so much we left it there so towed the empty trailer home again with the Maverick, with all 4 wheels attached.
The front tow bar worked a treat especially when removing the boat from the slipway before the journey.
The Maverick towed the 2 tonne (26 foot long) load easily at 60mph.
on suitable roads.
I fitted a temperature gauge onto the gear box and after a 250 mile journey it got to 80 C but no excessive heat on the gear lever.

Only problem was when I dropped the trailer off, the ignition switch appeared to become faulty and failed to do anything on the start position, looks like the switch needs replacing,:doh I will do a search later, but if anyone knows where to get one, If I recall, main dealers were suggested.

Thanks again for the advice and comments.
Best regards,
Richard (Rustic)

[macabethiel]

i used to get stoped every week when lived in london with my kitcar...

plod loved that...

When I was on footbeat in Derby circa 1979 always pulled up a silver gullwing motor that used to fly up Ashourne Road -it was a Delorian prototype and the guy had it on long tern test.

No one was interested in giving him a ticket for speeding we just wanted to see the engine - it had a V8 in it and the car had no paint or sealant just bare stainless steel. He reconed he used Vim to polish it or a Brillo soap pad !

Its the only Delorian I have ever seen and sat in its a shame it all ended in tears.

retired plod