Impulse Purchase

What with the date for the collection of the Triumph GT6 project fast approaching, I thought I'd buy a car trailer. However, I bought what I thought was a good bargain before doing adequate research.

It's 6.2m long (including the tow section) and 2.4m wide - roughly the same size as our motorhome. 

This is the brake system on it.

As you can see, it has a ratchet brake and a piston damper, the purpose of which is to slow what's being towed when the car's brakes are applied, using a mechanical linkage that applies the trailer/caravan brakes.

I did put a jockey wheel on it and bought some suitable car straps.

Looking at the coupling, it would seem that the damping piston goes right through the housing and hits the brake handle with a large hex nut (see in the photo below) in such a manner than it can apply the brake when slowed by the towing vehicle but, given the brake is on a ratchet, I can't figure out how it releases itself when ratcheted up and the coupling once more takes the strain. 

The logical solution would be to simply tie the ratchet section to the main lever when on the move, but that seems a tad Heath-Robinson and not the manner is which it works on caravans.

The whole braking system needs taking apart and reassembling with a liberal application of grease. The grease nipple on the coupling looks as if it hasn't seen grease in decades. I looked up the coupling and it's a Bradley D60 Spring Damped Cast Coupling and they are apparently still sold for £198, but this one merely requires a grease gun.

The advertising blurb states; "Bradley Cast coupling for trailers with standard brakes 3000kg spring damped overrun coupling with 50mm Ball Head. Not for new road going trailer build within the EEC. Can be fitted as a direct replacement spare for a similar coupling within the EEC and on new trailers in most other countries."

Whether I proceed with the renovation or not depends on the weight of the trailer, but there's no weight plate evident on it. My Ford Galaxy has a maximum braked towing weight of 1,800kg and, with the average weight of a car being 1,000kg, it can't be more than 800kg to enable me to be legal on the road with it. The average car is limited to 750kg towing weight when the trailer has no brakes.

The local quarry has a weighbridge where caravan owners take their caravans to be weighed. I will take it there and then decide whether to renovate or flip, but only once I've removed a lot of the flooring wood, which is excessively heavy, and not required at all along the centreline.

I've already exposed the centre planking, which shows the brake cables.

Again, a liberal application of grease and then a check on the brake drums and shoes.

It's not worth taking risks with towing weights, as the police love nothing better than to flag down people with excessive towing weights and prosecute, so I have discovered online, and it's likely to result in the loss of one's licence.

I'm certain that there are owners of old caravans that are not even aware that their caravans are braked and, consequently, never inspect them. I only became aware of them through checking this thing out and found them on the old caravan we have as overflow accommodation in the top car park.

The top car park is starting to look a bit full (the smaller trailer isn't in the picture - it's at 4 o'clock). The caravan is going just as soon as I can clean it up a bit with the jet spray, but I feel like replacing its spot in the car park with an old, Fergusson tractor.