Does anyone have a car trailer?

[hillbilly]

And if so, do you love it/hate it? We have a golf plus with roofbox but tbh we are really full when we go camping and thinking of getting on for our trip to France in summer. How is it driving with one?

[NonnyMuss]

We bought a small one (under £100 off eBay) and regretted not getting a bigger/better one.
Some friends have one like this which we have borrowed and it's amazing, really well made and makes towing a dream (apparently, according to dh, I couldn't comment because I'm too much of a coward to tow )

Slippery slope though, more space = more stuff. Camping is NOT cheap, is it?

[NonnyMuss]

(That link's just for the high side kit BTW, the full thing is more like £700, don't buy it thinking what a bargain)

[hillbilly]

No it's not and I'm wavering between down scaling our kit for France or expanding our space! What do you have Nonny?

[Tommy]

we've got one - quite big (can't remember what it is called sorry!) and it's brilliant. It's made such a difference. When we're at the site we use it as a storage for scooters, chairs etc - which normally we may have left in the back of the car.

[NonnyMuss]

Ours is like this, bounces like anything on its scary little dinky wheels and too small even with the high side kit but it was cheap and it rolls through our gate for storage in the back garden so we'll probably invest in a bigger roofbox rather than a better trailer at least until the camping stuff grows to fill even the biggest roofbox we can get

[2ofstedsin24weeksistakingthep]

We hire one. Its about £50 for just over a week. We took a bigger one to france last year and DH said it was much easier to tow so will be using that size from now on. The only problem is we fill it!

[zumo]

They are so handy for tip runs, annual car boot sale etc.
Wouldnt be with out one now

[MummyPigsFatTummy]

We have one we bought from Halfords. We used it on our old car which had a towbar fitted and it was great for tip runs as Zumo says. However, we never used it for camping due to the speed restriuction you suffer by towing. Having had a VW camper which struggled to go over 60mph, we appreciate now being able to get to campsites quickly. However, we are now bursting at the seams with all the gear and are debating whether to get a towbar fitted to the new car.

Do those of you who have a trailer find the reduction in the speed you can travel at a problem or does the convenience of a trailer versus a roof box win out?

[hillbilly]

I had not thought about the speed restriction. I'm going though my camping list to see what we can down scale on. Going to replace large coolbox with smaller one as we are hiring a fridge at the site. Part of the problem is that if we stuff things on the floor at the back of the car then the ait conditioning does not work so well for the back as it goes under the front seats.

[thonah]

If you are going to France the law is different and I'm fairly sure there isn't a lower speed limit for unbraked trailers - which is what a small camping trailer will be. We used to have one and it's much better than a roofbox, also it doesn't impact your fuel consumption as much as a roof box. However - a word of worning - more space=more stuff - and a longer setting up/putting away time. It was a slippery slope for us - we've got a caravan now! i love it though!

[zumo]

To be honest I don't notice much difference in journey time with the trailer.
We once had a 1972 campervan that would do 55 flat out going down hill, what we did find was we had some very good travels with it you do see more at a slower speed.
One good point about the trailer is its easy to just pack up at home they getting ready on the day is just hitch up and go.
I would recommend you get a jack, spare wheel and wheel brace just in case oh and some sort of lock, best thing is take the wheels off at the campsite and keep them in the boot.
I feel if you find a good second hand one then if its not for you, you will get your money back.
Storage may be an issue, but I know a few people who share one trailer to keep the costs down.
Some people put a wooden lid on the trailer then fasten the roof box to that.
Mine never makes any difference to the fuel

[ArthurSixpence]

I've just bought one because it was a bargain - it's medium size I suppose (5ft) and will be useful if we want to take bikes and so on. I think the fact that the car had a tow-bar when we bought it helped make my mind up :)

One thing to be aware of though is that it costs more on the ferry if you are towing, which was one of the reasons I didn't want one (because I want to go island hopping in Scotland) - but it was such a good price that I bought it anyway - as others have said it will be useful for car boot sales (we have a few bits of furniture to get rid off) and the tip, and I can always sell it for at least what I paid - the benefits of second-hand :)

[hillbilly]

Shit we have already booked our Eurotunnel crossing. I wonder how easy it is to amend it.....

[littone]

When you passed your driving test will affect what you can tow, no idea if there are also restrictions in France that you need to consider www.gov.uk/towing-with-car/driving-licence-rules-and-what-you-can-tow

[theoldtrout01876]

I have an old us military m416 1/4 ton trailer. Dh bought it as a rust bucket ( its from 1974 ish and spent last 20 years in a field ). Hes done it up. Its great. I have a chuck box on it ( Dh built that too) and this year hes put solar in it. I can charge phones,tablets etc. Its got a 12v fridge freezer and a pump that operates the water. It all runs off a solar panel. My chuck box takes up most of the space ( Ive decided to let Dh make a smaller one for next year). We can get the rest of our gear in the back,behind the chuckbox.It pulls great and is very stable,doesnt bounce or sway. Its only 4 foot by 6 foot but is GREAT. There is a picture in my profile if anyone wants to see :o

[zumo]

That's an excellent idea