And now for a question along a different line.

[regularman]

I have never been to a car show, but in some of the pictures that I have seen of car shows online I have seen spridgets with hitches to pull a small trailer behind. Has anyone here seen one of these or do you have one. The reason that I ask is this. My dream has been for a long time to be able to pull my small sailboat with the midget. The boat weighs about 320 pounds and the trailer about 150 pounds. Its less than 500 pounds to tow all together and very little tounge weight. The boat is (as you can imagine very aerodynamic) as well. I need to find a picture of the boat, aptly named "Miss spridget". I have worked on and made some hitches for trucks and things but I don't know what to bolt a hitch to on the midget. I would appreciate any info on this. I know that some people with LBCs pull a trailer just to have spare beakdown parts and to haul stuff to trade etc at car shows.

 

[Atrus]

I'm curious on this too, as it would be cool to put luggage/spares in for a trip. Just a really small trailer. Heck, I've seen pics of a big healey's back 1/3 made into a trailer where the boot is the storage area. I think something like that on a trashed spridget would be cool - weld in a front panel behind where the front seats would end and use the back half.

 

[regularman]

I saw one pic where a guy had cut the back off a midget and made it into a trailer. It was just the trunk, had the same color as the tow spridget and wheels tires. It was cool.

 

[jlaird]

Easy trick on a bugeye. steel plate 1/4 inch drilled for the bumper bolts under the rear pan. There are two each side.

Weld a tounge for the ball to this plate.

Pulled a sunfish for years in Hawaii, no problems.

500 pounds should not be a problem at all, just be careful with stoping distances.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

You may be able to make support plates inside the trunk that go from the rear spring mounts. This is a 1971 Midget... right?

 

[regularman]

I was thinking of using the removable hitch type so that there would be nothing sticking out when not towing. Is there any difference between a BE and the later model spridgets with where to bolt up. I would really like to see a picture. I'm not quite picturing what you are saying Jack.

 

[jlaird]

How about a plate in side the trunk and outside behind the tank through bolted?

 

[regularman]

How about a plate in side the trunk and outside behind the tank through bolted?

Ah, now I could do that. Put my hitch reciever on the underneath plate and just a falt plate inside the trunk. It would be bad to get hit and have that hitch driven through the gas tank /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

 

[derf]

I have a very good donor RB body tub. The front 1/3 of the car is trashed but the rest is good. I'll be taking the rear end and driver's floor pan out. But, the rear 1/3 would make a good trailer.

 

[racingenglishcars]

Oh I'm so glad I don't have to worry about that. Was a trailer hitch included on the original type approval. If not, not allowed in Denmark. If so, must have CE approved equipment.

 

[regularman]

Here is a picture of Miss spridget on the water. I don't have a picture of her on the trailer.

 

[jlaird]

Haha, let them prove otherwise.

 

[Billm]

Long ago I had a hitch on my MkII (non-removable type). I ran a piece of steel angle (1 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 1/8) between the bumber supports and the bumper and hooked the generic hitch (from an old Merceedes or something) from the angle and bolted the long end under the car using some 1" long spacers. Towed a Force 5 sailboat for years to Mission Bay in San Diego for years.
Bill

 

[JPSmit]

From owners manual (1500)

says towing capacity is 1,344 lb (610kg) recommended downward load on hitch is 75 lb (34) kg.

also says a 1 in 8 hill can be ascended in first gear with this weight.

go figure

 

[Trevor Jessie]

12.5 % grade requires first gear? Interesting.

 

[Morris]

Miss Spridget is a beaut, Kim!

 

[regularman]

Miss Spridget is a beaut, Kim!

Thank you. I don't get to sail her nearly enough.