womble99 wrote:
Ok guys, been hunting around the web and the sales yards and I think I have a fair idea of which way I am headed. The tilt trailers look to be a very interesting option however they come at a hefty price which if i was going to use it frequently a new one would be easily justified, given that I am going to be a infrequent user I am going to stick with a traditional design to save some coin (if there was such a thing as a decent second hand trailer it would have been an option but to be honest everything I looked at was trash).
I am looking at a variation of the trailer pictured below:
12x6 floor center 1/3 removed to reduce weight
Wheel arches lowered to a max height of 150mm aiming for 100mm above the deck
12" rims with light truck tyres
Front mounted tool box
reinforced skids on tail

I am expecting this to be low at the rear as it is but one thing that I have considered is whether to add a 100mm drop beaver tail to the rear? What are your thoughts? Should it have a sufficient approach angle (1800 ramps) or would it be best to add the beaver tail? The only other thing I was considering was trying to move the spare from the draw bar to maybe a vertical mount on the front left?
Hi Womble99,
Everyone on here will have their own opinion of what's right and wrong for a car trailer, and the rest is up to you mate.
I was lucky enough to start off racing with a excellent tilt trailer custom made for a mini, and have enjoyed the benefits of compact, lightweight and absolute ease of use. I have also in the past owned a larger tandem axle race trailer with beaver tail, spare wheel carrier, fuel carriers, toolboxes and all the gear. If you are ONLY specifically towing a mini a big trailer like in the photo you provided is overkill, too big, and too heavy, the initial purchase cost of a used quality single axle tilt trailer could be higher than a cheap nasty heavy trailer, the future benefits in costs and connivence are as follows.
Less wear and drag on the tow vehicle - better acceleration and braking (safety and fuel usage)
Cheaper registration for lighter weight carrying trailers (in NSW anyway)
No pinch point damage the underside of the mini exhausts etc, and winding jockey wheels for improved approach angle
No ramps
Smaller for storage
Easy to move around and hitch on the tow bar
As mentioned earlier much easier to manoeuvre on narrow roads
If it's a smaller trailer you are less frequently requested as a towing service.
As it is an expensive purchase I would wait for something to come up similar to what Coatsie purchased, which seems like good value, I think anything under $2000 will normally need some work.
Just my 2c mate and good luck.
Chris