Caterham towing

Author
Discussion

keechy

Original Poster:

50 posts

176 months

Sunday 31st January 2010
quotequote all
I plan to do a few track days this year and thinking it would be better to transport my car there on a trailer (for obvious reasons). Looking further into it i've found a few options other than a big trailer. What I had in mind was a towing dolly which is a trailer that you just put the front wheels in, hook up to your tow bar and off you go. The other option is just what they call a A frame towing dolly which somehow connects to the steering on the car being towed, again hook it to your tow bar and off you go. Is there anybody that uses these or at least has a opinion on them?

jeremyc

24,293 posts

289 months

Sunday 31st January 2010
quotequote all
You need to consider what happens if you damage the Caterham such that it can't be towed back on an A frame or dolly. At least with a trailer you can carry all the pieces home ...

keechy

Original Poster:

50 posts

176 months

Sunday 31st January 2010
quotequote all
To much damage i'd leave it up against the armco and say it belonged to somebody else!

Edited by keechy on Sunday 31st January 19:39


Edited by keechy on Sunday 31st January 19:42

jeremyc

24,293 posts

289 months

Sunday 31st January 2010
quotequote all
It only needs for you to damage a hub (or even get a puncture) to make the Caterham untowable. smile

Yellow 7

177 posts

177 months

Sunday 31st January 2010
quotequote all
A front wheel dolly would have the wheels whizzing the gearbox in neutral and all the oil at the tail end - can equal damage on long mileages.
Doing it the other way around would need a reliable steering wheel lock.

A Brian James twin axle Minno is the common way to go. Tow with a Golf TDI & upwards.
Very stable, plenty of space for jerry cans (have fitting as extras), tyre racks etc.
Get a 2nd hand one and sell it on for similar money once the need has passed - storage is the only draw back.
Long ali ramps are nice but you can get by with short steel ones if you pop the trailer off the car and raise the nose (tail leg supports needed for that of course).

pw75

1,032 posts

203 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2010
quotequote all
Yellow 7 said:
A front wheel dolly would have the wheels whizzing the gearbox in neutral and all the oil at the tail end - can equal damage on long mileages.
Doing it the other way around would need a reliable steering wheel lock.

A Brian James twin axle Minno is the common way to go. Tow with a Golf TDI & upwards.
Very stable, plenty of space for jerry cans (have fitting as extras), tyre racks etc.
Get a 2nd hand one and sell it on for similar money once the need has passed - storage is the only draw back.
Long ali ramps are nice but you can get by with short steel ones if you pop the trailer off the car and raise the nose (tail leg supports needed for that of course).
Minno is the way to go imho.

Graham E

12,829 posts

191 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2010
quotequote all
Last year, we picked up a smallish Brian James trailer in winther (when noone wanted em), and moved it on late ish summer for 250 quid more - which covered replacing the tyres and getting it serviced. End result was rish free towing (compared to dolly), and the ability to put jerry cans / oils somewhere other than the boot, which is always a decent way to avoid that track day smell day to day =)
I'm sure that if you play your cards right, getting a trailer wouldn't cost the earth, especially cosidering it saves doing 400 miles each track day on soft tyres just towing.