Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Some British wheels again

Several of our friends have IW HB511's - excellent trailers. They launched that model 6 months after we bought a Richardson Rice Beaufort 60 - which has required constant fettling to keep it in one piece. We were put off the IW HB510 by the external frame over a composite panelling which, when they are kept outdoors de laminates in less than 10 years. The HB511, being smooth sided does not have that problem.

The Rice after sales service was shocking. The first breakages under warranty were fixed but the third was ignored. It will be replaced in the next 3-4 years - with an Ifor Williams HB511. Still digesting the financial impact of changing the tow car.

Security is paramount - we have a wheel clamp and a data tag. Some insurers are fussy about the type of wheel clamp. To give folks a feel - a trailer valued at £7k new cost 70% more to insure than a 7.5T 3 horse lorry valued at £10k (9 years ago).

Theft seems to be a greater problem since we have expanded EU membership. Down on the south coast its outboard motors on boats. They fill up a container and its across the channel before anyone has the chance to stop them. I like the shotgun idea

Back to Andy and his thread, my wife has had two Ifor Williams trailers in the last 20 years and both have worked and run well for all of their lives, however, and here is the bad news if you have just bought one, although she needs another trailer, she is not at all impressed with the latest model, HB511, because of the plastic fittings, which seem to break very easily. I would be very interested to hear of your experiences Andy, when you take delivery.

On a sadder note, a very good friend had her immaculate but earlier Ifor Williams stolen from right outside her kitchen door, at tea time when the family were having a meal, the scrotes must have pushed it down their graveled drive before hitching to a vehicle, and the family didn't hear a thing, cheeky barstewards! Never got it back.

Paul,

I just collected the trailer yesterday. The trip home was roughly 150 miles and I found taht the trailer runs quite smoothly behind the car. In Germany, maximum speed with trailers is 80 kph in general, but we can get a 100 kph permission if the suspension is fitted with dampers. So I got these and 100 kph still feels very comfortable.

The fittings like hinges on the top doors and latches are some kind of strong plastic (polyamid?) and I think that this is positive. The plastic is self lubricating and cannot get stuck by corrosion when neglected. I have of ten seen "proper" metal hinges which were hard to move, and then they put bending stress on the base where they are attached, finally damaging the base material. I would expect that these fitting work for longer than their metal conterparts, given that these trailers probably sit outdoors for 20 years or so without much maintenance.

Everything safety relevant is massive steel anyway.

Interestingly, the trailer is fitted with a satellite locating transponder as factory standard now.

Looks fine so far, very roomy, well lighted with glass windows and comfortable. I hope the horse likes it.

Andy

Great stuff. Do let us know how you get on with it Andy, maybe I can persuade my wife that the new ones are even better than the older ones she has owned?

On the Richardson Rice trailer, the top hinge on the front top door (horse front unload) breaks - or used to until they changed the design. The factory response was that this was due to poor maintenance in the form of a lack of lubrication. I disagree - fat lot of good it did me. Ours was fine with the horses we had when we bought the trailer. Then in 2010, when the trailer was 4 years old my horse died and a successor was acquired. Teddy (new horse) sits on the back ramp when travelling - creating a bending moment as most of his weight is now behind the rear axle. This bending moment is what breaks the top hinge on the front door. I have modified the hinge and, to date, have had no further problems. My modifications created something close to that now fitted by the factory.

Very much looking forward to reports on the Ifor Williams - and I hope it lasts as well as they look for you.

Security thingys

Works better on car trailers as they are lower, but could be done for any trailers really.

Get a serious padlock and chain. Something that normal boltcroppers won't touch. Then under the trailers home with the trailer out of the way, put a serious ground anchor and chain the trailer on the underside. What you are aiming to do is both make the device hidden and make it so good there is a serious possibility that the thief's tow vehicle is badly damaged.

Although insurance companies often insist on a hitch lock, a serious thief will just attach his own and grind yours off at his leisure later. If the insurance says you have to have one, fine, but be under no illusions it won't do that much.

Storing the trailer without wheels also helps, but not a lot as most trailer PCDs are the same and unladen, a four wheel trailer really only needs two wheels and a thief could just slap some spare on.

Much of this discussion replicates debate on how to secure a motorcycle. The bottom line is that mechanical security is degraded if the thief has time, and cover. There are videos on the web showing even the most expensive case hardened steel chains can be severed in minutes using bolt cutters or 24v portable grinders fitted with diamond coated cutters. Noisy, yes but if no one can hear or see...

Bolt Croppers Do It


The best form of security is to have CCVT, lighting and enough mechanical security to waste the time of the thief, making it more likely they will be discovered. Then add electronic security like a tracker.

If wheels are removed fit a locking wheel nut on to one of the exposed studs so that a replacement wheel can't easily be installed.

If the trailer isn't going to be used for some time consider removing the hitch completely from the frame, but this requires good tools as you must use new locking nuts each time it is replaced.

A couple of claymore mines would do it

Or this:

Novel Security