Trailer V Rack

I have recently purchased a scooter weighing 100kg with the intention of taking it on my twice yearly 6 week long trips to Spain. The initial plan was to put it on a rack attached to the towbar of my Topaz 2.5 Tdi. This arrangement takes the vehicle within 40kg of the maximum allowable weight when full of fuel, water etc. A big downside is that I would have to lift the scooter off to access the gas bottles and toilet cassette.
The alternative is a small lightweight trailer. I have concerns about how this will affect the driveability of the van, namely fuel consumption, I currently average 38 mpg, also the ferry costs would be more.We don't use toll roads so that's not an issue. A plus point of the trailer would be that I could put our outdoor table,chairs, sunbeds etc on it, avoiding storing them in the toilet compartment which is a pain. We usually stop on aires on the way South & then normally spend around a week on each site in Spain. I have never towed before so I am a bit worried about parking and climbing mountain passes.
I just can't make a decision on which way to go. Any feedback on similar experiences would be welcome.

Hi


I have been looking into the same and decided on getting a side loading trailer there are a few about but I think the CMF engineering one is the better


engineered one also Armitage make one  not cheap but they will retain their price if you decide to sell, looked at the second hand market very few about


so will probably bite the bullet in the new year.

Pat

We towed two different cars behind our previous motorhome, on A-Frames....(Seat Seicento, and VW Lupo)

There were advantages... (like being able to leave the van all set up and go shopping, exploring etc)...and disadvantages...(the weight of the frame when setting it up ...we aren't getting any younger!)...

I suppose the biggest disadvantage was that if we had a problem we couldn't reverse and had to uncouple the two and drive them away separately and then re-couple.  We once brushed against some undergrowth at the base of a tree whan leaving a campsite at Agen, and disturbed a nest of either bees or wasps... we didn't hang around to find out, as they were a bit cross! 

As far as fuel consumption, we were surprised to find that our fuel consumption improved considerably when towing...probably due to the fact that we kept to the 60mph towing speed 

Take a look at the EasyLifter website, you might find something suitable. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I am considering the new Hydra -Trail for next year. It is supposedly easy to tow, due to the wheels being castors so follow the vehicle even during reverse.

There is a youtube video [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] but this shows a set-up with only one trailer wheel rather than two.

A similar product is in the video [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]  which shows how the unit behaves behind the towing vehicle.

These type of trailers don't offer you the facility of carrying other equipment though, but look to be ideal for scooters/bikes.


Hubert

I have towed a trailer no problem, when reversing turn wheel opposite to the way you want to go, unless going straight back of course, takes a bit of practice at first.

Dont worry about towing it will become second nature and you will forget you have a trailer behind you.

I agree about the ease of towing something small...we found it helpful to have the reversing camera on all the time to keep an eye on it.  Unfortunately, towing with an A-frame means the car's brakes come on if you try to reverse, so it might be OK with a trailer.

Thanks for all the advice. I have decided to try a rack, as it a self build the cost is very low. If it doesn't work out I will go down the trailer route next year.

We met a couple this summer who had walking problems, so they fitted a rack at the stern and put their scooter on it.  They had a removable ramp which attached sideways so they could roll the scooter up, then stowed the ramp underneath.  They were not young, but managed the stowing quite easily, it appeared.  Good luck!