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appropriate trailer size?

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fireinc

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Probably a silly question (My Sprite's currently at a Mechanic friends property or I'd measure it) but what is a good size trailer to use when trailering a spridget? I would like to go as small as practical as I otherwise pricipally plan/need to aquire a trailer for my riding lawn mower and gardning supplies, multch, etc, but I'm chatting and talking $$'s w/a guy who fabricates trailers on the side and he's inquiring about my desired size as a starting point. Ideally I'd like to have it big enough to (just) safely hold the sprite and still tow easily/lightly as my truck is only a little 4-banger too. Tia, Edward.
 
In my area, car trailers are supposed to have trailer brakes....state law.
Generally, you won't see a single axle trailer with brakes, so the smallest normal-sized trailer for cars commercially avaiable is about 16 feet and 5500 lbs capacity.
Your local rules may be different.
At any rate, a decent place to buy trailers is EconoTrailer (in PA). They are at:
https://www.econotrailer.com/index.html

Note: a friend just bought a 6-month old, all-aluminum 16' car trailer last week for just over $2000 (these all-aluminum one are about $5500 new).
 
Edward, the deck on my little open trailer measures 6'5" between the wheels, and is 11'3" overall length. It will handle any LBC I own, and is light enough to be wheeled around by one person.
Jeff
 
I used a U-Haul car carrier when I bought my Bugeye. It just barely fit with it's narrow width, onto the tracks. It worked though.
 
Thanks for the input guys, would anyone readily know (or direct me to) the dimensions of a spridget? width vs length, or even front bumper to back third of the rear wheel arch? Thnx again! E.
 
Ed, taken from the Bentley manual:
Overall length--- 11' 5 5/8"
Width--- 4' 5"
Wheelbase--- 6' 8"
Track, front--- 3' 9 3/4"
Track, rear--- 3' 8 3/4"

As you can see, it fits perfectly on the trailer I referenced above.
Jeff
 
Mucho con Gusto!

Thanks Jeff! Hadn't doubted your recomendation, but my brain desired the numbers to wrap itself around/ponder.

Whats the "Track"?, is that the distance apart that the tires are?

Heh! 4'5" sounds SMALL when you think about it... Wife grumbles about my (eventual, - fingers crossed) driving something so small, but I always jokingly threaten getting a motor cycle and she sighs and relents...

Best!

Edward
 
Re: Mucho con Gusto!

I build trailers for my sprites out of 1" square tubing and three sheets of 1/8" diamond plate. I use 700# springs. Gotta fight the guys at the trailer supply, they always want to sell 4500# spring for everything. I use two axles because I like the way it pulls. You can even put those little wheels and a dropped axle for a trailer that is so low you can easily push you car on. Bed is 6'X 12' Turn the plate sideways and cut the ends. Use the ends for ramps
 
Jollyroger

Great sounding setup! Where'bouts in TX you hail from? S.A. here. Your sprites are bugs? mine is a '68 spridget.

Re: Trailer, you make these yourself? Can you tell/swag me what a fair price for all this would approx run if I had my local welder do what you've described w/the double axles and all?
 
Re: Mucho con Gusto!

Edward: Yes, track is the distance from the center of one tire tread across to the centerline of the other.
It doesn't take much of a trailer to safely haul one of these things around. My little one is only a single axle, but I pretty much restrict that to very local use. I've got a much bigger enclosed trailer if I have to go any significant distance.
Jeff
 
Re: Jollyroger

I am in East Bernard Texas. Material cost about 7 or 8 hundred bucks or so. I use a four on four bolt pattern so sprite rims will fit. Always have a spare. Have to drill out the stud holes to fit the trailer. I dove tail the 4 ft.section at rear and use the 1" tubing for the side rails too. Come to the CVAR vintage races @ Texas World Speedway College Station. Nov. 4th throu the 6th and see a trailer. A couple a guys bought um from me. Light an pulls behind a small sedan or mini van great. I races a bugeye and a square body
 
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