Those little trailers can be very economical on tyres as the wheels don't touch the grounds if you keep your speed at a steady 120mph .....
I'll get me coat :)
Lets face it, if a little Erde tips over, as theres no size or weight involved, you just nip out and upright it again, and be on your way.
While i've found some of these posts amusing to read, i have to admit i have often thought what can possibly be in these little trailers that you cannot get either into, or onto the car?
As for roof boxes, as someone rightly says, you need a step ladder to access them most of the time. They are about a juice-friendly as toting a wardrobe to the tip, with about the same stability thrown in perched up there. Far better to have a decent sized trailer to get all the camping gear in.
Having done both caravan and camping with a trailer i would like to add.
Caravans -
Seen more tipped over, and overweight, and being pulled by under powered cars & vans.
Trailers -
Seen more with a wheel off, flat tyres, at side of road, and over weight, than tipped over.
And seen a fair share of both detached over the years, every drivers nightmare.
Well it seems I'm one of those offensive drivers. I use an Erde 142 trailer for work mainly because (a) it can carry up to half a tonne, as opposed to a roof box which is typically of the order of 100kg and (b) some of the stuff I put into it is often wet and/or dirty and I wouldn't want it in the back of my car. The alternative would be to use a small Transit-sized van, which would be a lot less fuel-efficient and not have air conditioning.
I used to have one brilliant things , towed it all over europe . Was very stable and no the wheel bearings dont overheat . Is this one of those i have a better one so im going to knock sombody else because i have an infearioritty complex threads.
I am 100% envious of that motorbike-trailer combo! Incredibly cool. And so practical.
I am part of the problem, but how much better would our traffic-choked roads be if we all used 'bikes or scooters , and then added a trailer when we needed it? I would do it with good training and if I could be seperated from lorries.
I believe you.
It's psychological.
And having seen two horrific incidents where lorries overtook cyclists on corners, who were turning left. (Both proven in court to be the drivers failts).
But motorbikes presumably don't get overtaken in that way.
Hmmm. Would I rather go for a bike...or a caravan? Bike might win
Quote: Originally posted by DeborahTurner on 29/7/2017
I believe you.
It's psychological.
And having seen two horrific incidents where lorries overtook cyclists on corners, who were turning left. (Both proven in court to be the drivers failts).
But motorbikes presumably don't get overtaken in that way.
Hmmm. Would I rather go for a bike...or a caravan? Bike might win
[/QUOTE
A biker would never go up the inside of a lorry, a cyclist will because they think can and should. Rules of the road do not apply to some cyclists in their tiny brain. Yes the driver gets the blame but ultimately the cyclist is at fault.
Go for a bike you know you want to:-)
Driving back from Corwall today, on M5 just before Bristol was a commercial van towing a caravan. I was doing 70 and it passed me doing about 75-80 I guess. The risks people take.
------------- Aug 2017 St Martins Campsite, Scilly
Jul 2017 Trewan Hall, Cornwall
Jun 2017 Higher Kestle Farm, Cornwall
Mar 2017 Pitch Perfect camping Bath
Aug 2016 Brittany/Normandy:-
La Ferme Croas Men (near Morlaix)
Le Ranolien (Ploumanac'h)
Le Bois Courdrais (Cugen)
Chateau de Montfreville (Montfreville)
I have just come back from a country where no one owns a private car (too expensive) and everyone has a bike, motorbike or scooter. The motorbikes were put to the most fantastic range of tasks, everything from cement mixers to livestock on the back, or trailers and carts carrying long beams etc.
The country has the same overall population density as the UK, and in and out of 3 busy towns we encountered not one traffic jam.
I can see that a trailer compromises the fun, traffic busting and speed of a bike, but if I was a biker and could manage with a trailer I think I'd go for the occasional compromise of adding a trailer when necessary than the year round cost of a car for when load carrying was needed.
Of course much of the load carrying I saw in Viet Nam wouldn't be legal here, but not many of us take 40 ducks on our camping trips. Probably.
Darren,
It was the use of the word "crap" that made your comment sound worse than it was meant. The smilies are so small on my PC ! cannot see what they are.
I'll explain why I have a trailer on the bike.
My wife has osteoarthritis and for her to crawl in and out of a tiny tent is a no go. It just wouldn't be realistic to go touring.
The tent I carry on the trailer is 6m x 4m with a 2m headroom.
Inside the trailer is a full size orthopaedic air bed, along with our pillows from home, quilt, two chairs, table and all the other stuff needed for camping.
My bike is 1.2 meters wide, the trailer is 1m wide. Filtering is not a problem, if the bike goes through, the trailer will follow.
On UK motorways, I ride at just over 65, in France just under 90.
In the twisties, my wife will quite often remind me I am towing, it's quite easy to forget it's back there.
With 130Nm of torque the trailer makes little difference on performance.
Once on site, we camp in luxury for bikers.
Sadly, camping and long 300 mile days on the bike are too much for my wife now, which is why I'm converting a trailer to still be able to take the bike abroad with me.
For the last 10 years, we've adapted and had the best of both worlds, long may it continue.
It's amazing what you can squeeze into such a small space.
------------- I can't add years to my life but I can add life to my years
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Cars towing shopping carts
