Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Adapted boat trailer for M3W?

Bear in mind there is a lot of EU legislation which affects new build trailers. They have to be type approved now similar to tow bars, however if you start with an old trailer and modify/repair it, I guess you can get around that.

but if the car is broken down,loading forward is easy with a winch

so my trailer is wider..just need bit more care

O.K. Tim,
Here is another idea which I hope will help you. A group of M3W owners from Smogmog (the London MSCC centre)bring their 3 wheelers up to the N.Norfolk coast in the summer for a camping trip.
Although they have the original cars, maybe they would be able to give you chapter and verse on what they do.
In case you aren't a MSCC member, the contact e-mail is;- morgansinthemews@gmail.com.
Good luck, hope you get a solution.

I have been working with a boat trailer maker on a suitable design for M3Ws more or less as has been discussed previously. The advantage of this will be that the trailer will have type approval - all marker lights etc., so no legislation problems (something that could affect home-builds). The drawing below shows the concept.



Final dimensions may show minor changes, but the fully galvanized trailer would come complete with fold down ramps for the front wheels and a separate ramp, stowed underneath, for the rear wheel. It would be based on an unbraked 750 Kg trailer with a 600Kg capacity. Price would be £1800 (inc VAT) if there were sufficient interest to make a run of them.

Look forward to your comments and hopefully we might have a valuable addition to the M3W kit bag, if there is sufficient Interest. I will be at the All Morgans day at Blenheim, so could note interest and comments there. Useful for when your Morgan is on holiday with you or, God forbid, if it 'fails to proceed'.

Tim

Tim,

I sounds like you're putting a lot of effort into developing a new reverse tow trailer. It looks very nice.

But not being a guy to sit still without "offering" his 2 pence of wisdom, wisdom is being used here very figuratively I might add, I've got a thought that could make your efforts more attractive.

I've looked at motorcycle trailers for years and now with auto loading pickup box screw drive loaders, there's a new wave of self lowering trailers that allow you to ride on without ramps. It's the without ramps that got my attention.

In most cases they use independent stub axles on torsion levers, one for each side. The axle cannot connect from side to opposite side, see the video.

The Baxley trailer is quite cool in design. Here are a couple videos of them.

Baxley SB001 Trailer

Baxley SB001 Lowering Motorcycle Ride On Trailer

The two above videos show the Baxley with a side to side connecting axle with torsion leading link side suspension.

Also notice in the first video that they have preset straps that they snap to the surround tilting frame so when it's lowered it pulls the bike forward right at the end of the outside tilt frame being latched. This feature could also be used with the M3W. You could have a web harness that you drive over with the front wheels while backing onto the trailer. After driving onto the two outside M3W front tire supports, these would be special for the M3W, you would take a strap and attach it to the raised outer tilt frame. Then when lowered it would snug M3W into place. Maybe then just one quick tie down for the rear wheel up front and you're loaded.

Easy peasy...

I used "tilt lowering motorcycle ride on trailer" for my search words on YouTube. There are a ton of videos about non-ramp trailers and as long as you're going to the trouble to make a trailer from scratch, or a boat trailer company, why not make this a very cool trailer without much in the line of work required to load or unload.

Removing the ramps would be a BIG plus in design.

Sorry for always adding my thoughts here and there, hope they help you out.

Good luck with your venture with the trailer design.

Those are very clever Dan, thank you. Unfortunately, the decent sized ones seem to be the wrong side of the pond and importing to UK / Europe would be crazy. I don't think the boat trailer manufacturer I am talking to would follow the lowering route, but two hinged ramps and a stowed centre ramp are not too onerous.

Loading would be less easy than with the types you have shown - and there are plenty out there. Driving up backwards could be entertaining, but winching up with a low mounted electric winch would be straightforward: I use one for shifting my 750Kg miniature steam road locomotive into its box trailer.

I may contact a UK bike trailer manufacture to see if they are interested. Thanks again for your input.

Tim

1. I think I'd want a shield to protect the back of the Mog (now facing forward). The bullet back may be aerodynamic but it will still collect road-thrown dings....

2. In addition I'd want something to keep the air collecting behind my Fairbourne screen (travelling in reverse at 50-60 won't do it much good I'm sure!). Probably a lid hinged at the shield covering the cockpit.

3. Storability. Dolly wheels on the back so it can be stored on its end.

Also like the "kneeling" idea above. But I expect that is unlikely on a converted boat trailer!

Just picking up on this thread, I guess the wheelbase of the 3wheeler is 2014mm.

Pity it wouldn't fit into a large van. We have just spent 2 weeks in the South of France ( Dordogne) where motor cycles have a large presence, it would of been nice to ride around in a 3wheeler (misses will not do M/CS).

PS:- the Van would be towing the Caravan.

I use this trailer from Stema, Germany:

http://www.stema.de/stema_anhaenger_de_166.html

perfekt for the threewheeler, you need three ramps which will fit inside the trailer, german quality, you won't regret

Achim