I promised myself a small trailer last autumn and after much humming, hawing, prevarication and general undecidedness after dead ends on e-bay I'm tempted by a nice looking one I saw at B&Q today: It's a Duuo PN504 at just under �£400 that will take 1/2 tonne. Reasonable sized wheels and has an A frame chassis. Box is detachable for storage which though not essential would certainly be a bonus. They are also based in Wales and it looks much sturdier than the cheapo little toy French ones. They have a website here but it doen't give specific details of the model I'm interested in. Anyone else looked at them, got any opinoins, other makes etc.
Difficult to say without knowing what you are going to use it for. Why I say that is that I have a 6 X 4 trailer (a lot stronger than that one) for 8 years. I could not possibly have imagined the kind of things that I have put in it at the time of buying, as I just bought it to take things down to the local tip in. Often has furniture in it for friends or family but thats quite light, have twice had a heavy motor cycle in it and some amazingly heavy loads. The place I bought it from sold both flimsy metal ones like that and welded angle iron frames with half inch ply panels - solid job! The cheap ones were only held together with 5mm screws and were only about 12 to 18 inches high body. Mine cost a bit more but made to measure at 24 inches high which I have found an ideal size for all gardening work and everything else. I can get 35 rubble sacks full of earth or hardcore in there in one go. What you do need to work out is are you going to be loading/unloading it without being connected to the car? In which case you will need a jockey wheel and a means of jacking the back to stop it from tipping up. Also you will need to chock the wheels to stop it from running away. I think this is more important than being able to fold it away, but I have the space to do that. Sometimes, you can't reverse with it in a tight space and have to disconnect, if you have a heavy load and the ground isn't level it would get difficult if you don't have the extras. The Jockey wheel is also useful inconjunction with rear jacks if you have a puncture! The model you are looking at looks somewhere inbetween a flimsy and a sturdy one and if you only have light loads then probably ok. However when you are out with a half ton or more load you won't be able to handle it as in the video and you certainly won't want to fold it up! If you need to disconnect it from the car then stability and keeping it level is everything. Problem really is you just never know what you are going to put in it, bear in mind that once you have a trailer, half the street and all your friends want you to shift something for them as well! Hope this helps, good luck!
I would go for the one in the video myself..storage is top notch and that's the way to keep the bad guys from helping themselves! �£400 seems a snip...I used to make them and no way could I design and build one for less. Ivor Williams is based in Wales..is that who makes them? It depends what you want it for at the end of the day...You only get what you pay for! [ 20. May 2006, 11:07 PM: Message edited by: Paladin ]
I have a 'few' trailers , 1x 8x4 with 2' sides with tonneau cover for tip runs etc, 1x 18x7 braked tri-axle car/plant trailer, 1x 12x6'6 braked trailer with 12" high sides, rack at the front and drop down tailgate. I have the use of various other trailers, and of course my van . As DAG said above, Jockey wheels are a must for manouvering and all my trailers have drop down stays at the rear to stop the trailers from tipping when unhitched. You need to know what you are going to use the trailer for, as you can see from my list of trailers, each has it's own purpose. Nathan.
Thanks for the input guys! I'm going to go and have a propper look at it again during the week. It was tipping down on Saturday and I only saw it on the way out as they were closing. I'll keep you posted. It would be my first trailer and big enough to cope with what I want (trips to dump, slabs etc.)without being too cumbersome. Jacks, spare wheel and jockey are available as extras from another site I found. I think if I ever need anything bigger I would hire one - at least initially anyway.
Keep looking at the small ads in the "Courier" Froggy. A friend of mine managed to buy a big one with jockey wheel and loading ramps for a good bit less than �£400. You'll get much more trailer for your money if if buy s/h.
DAG, No, mine have always come along in one way or another, 8x4 was a boot sale purchase �£45 :D , 16' tri-axle with loading ramps was �£400 and the 12' was �£200 . At the prices above, I could not let any of them pass Nathan.
Don't blame you Nathan, amazing prices, bet you wish they folded up like the one on this thread! Mine was �£450 complete with cover and jockey wheel made to order. Bought the drop down stays after. Also made a matching angle iron support member at the front to fix long pieces of wood or ladders to. After getting a puncture in the dark on main road, I always carry a spare wheel!
um frogesque, hope you have thought about using one, I have to tow horse trailer with horse and they go all sorts of ways you would not even imagine if you are not used to them! Having said that in time even a girlie can manage them with half a tonnn of horse inside!
