transit/trailer ??

[chep]

i have been thinking of getting a trailor but instead of the bog standered trailer i was thinking or maybe turinging a van eg a transit or escort van into a trailor ( van with the front end choped off) for sleeping in if i go to shows as i need my van for work so couldnt turn it into a camper, has this been done b4?? any1 any tips of how to do it? how hard it would be to do?and pictures of actual vans as trailors? any advise would be great (also b4 a even start thinking about all this would it be leagal to tow)

[BigNeil]

yes it has

sc_BK posted photos of them ages ago

Also others have done it as well

[Scotty86]

I seen a renault extra last week that had been turned into a trailer.
Here it is

[chep]

cheers mate needing to make 1 out of a transit as i am planing on using it to sleep in for shows where u can camp etc and being 6 foot 4 a doubt a would be able to lie down in that good pic though

[Luke]

what you need is a mk3 LWB or a mk6 jumbo (and chop it half way back) that way you get the wheels as near the center as possable - you need it like that for balance or the nose weight will be too much

and ............. do it (on a transit) it will be ace i want to do one myself but too many projects allready i'd never get it done

[chep]

what you need is a mk3 LWB or a mk6 jumbo (and chop it half way back) that way you get the wheels as near the center as possable - you need it like that for balance or the nose weight will be too much

and ............. do it (on a transit) it will be ace i want to do one myself but too many projects allready i'd never get it done

would it have to be a mk 3 mate as i think they would be hard to come buy up here in scotland they will of all rusted away n the 1ns that r left in good nick would be 2 expensive to just half in 2 have been offered a swb mk5 for free but didnt realise about the nose weight issue a mk 5 lwb mite be a little easier to come by cheap,so basically any swb transit wouldnt be a good idea then mate? as i say it just because i was offered 1 for free

[Scotty86]

a mk6 would be better, that way you could put some sport alloys on it

[chep]

a mk6 would be better, that way you could put some sport alloys on it

yeh a would love to do it to a mk 6 to have it the same as mine just wonder if a could get a cheap mk6 with front end damage to do it to also with what luke just said about the nose heavy thing a dnt even know if i could do it to a swb

[vannut]

I remember years ago a Mk1 or 11 swb minibus being pulled in by DoT (now VOSA) at Scotch Corner weighbridge. It was towing a trailer made out of another Mk1, which had been chopped behind the doors.

The minibus was being used by a scout group to go camping, with all the kit in the trailer.

Unfortunately the trailer was so heavy, that as soon as you put a scout in the minibus or a tent in the trailer it went overweight.

[Luke]

problem is the mk4/5 has no overhang unless it's a high or long cube
you can build one on a swb it's been done before ratwood had a swb trailer and if the van was free you could give it a go better than it going to scrap

[Luke]

Unfortunately the trailer was so heavy, that as soon as you put a scout in the minibus or a tent in the trailer it went overweight.

woner what one would weigh - my swb with engine and everything is 1500kg engine is 275 i think

perhaps the best way would be to cut the van at the chassis rails and fit it all on a caravan chassis you could use a couple of arch repair panels to make new arches in the middle mabe

[sc_BK]

I've got a whole load of photos on my pc of various cars/vans/pickups made into trailers (no transits though), most are badly done

As luke says you need the axle just behind the centre of the trailer, ideal nose weight is 50-100kgs

[chep]

problem is the mk4/5 has no overhang unless it's a high or long cube
you can build one on a swb it's been done before ratwood had a swb trailer and if the van was free you could give it a go better than it going to scrap

really do fancy giving it a go, what do u mean by nose heavy? would it be bad to tow as its dosnt have the overhang? i seen ratwood trailer thats what gave me the idea well that and being offered a van for free was planing on using it as a sort or trailer tent type of thing for sleeping in ,would love to be able to use it for transit mania (getting a bit ahead of myself there )

[Luke]

theres a pic of a red customised mk2 with a matching trailer somewhere mabe on here - i cant find it tho

[Luke]

what do u mean by nose heavy)

the weight pushing down on the tow ball is the nose weight - if the trailer is perfectly balcnced ie wheels in the centre there will be no nose weight