geon Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 (edited) What precautions would you take when transporting a layout in a trailer behind a car? Edited January 1, 2020 by geon Autocorrect changed a word Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MM1991 Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 I'd make sure the layout etc are securely tied down and the centre of gravity is as low as possible. Ensure that the load is well within the max load of the trailer, have the tyres on the trailer and towing vehicle at the right pressures, check the brakes on the towing vehicle are in top-top order and finally, leaving in plenty of time for arrival! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon s Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 Two fairly simple things. Suspension and security. Trailers aren't renowned for their suspension, so things are going to get bounced about if the roads aren't that great. Anything you can do to soften the transition between the trailer floor and the layout will help. You don't say if it's a covered trailer, so security would be my second concern. Needless to say weatherproofing is also up there..... 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yardman Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 Give the layout as much cushioning as possible. Trailer suspension is pretty basic and a lot of vibration and bumps are transmitted to the load. Keep speeds as steady as possible. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCB Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 Suspension or the lack of it will be the most likely problem. Many trailers run fairly smoothly at maximum weight, Others will take five times their rated weight or more with out the suspension really sagging, so I would aim to ballast a small trailer down to somewhere just short of maximum weight to give the layout the smoothest ride possible. Keep the tyre pressures down to a realistic figure, not just stick 60 psi in because that's the maximum shown on the sidewall. Check a tyre manufacturers spec for pressure vs weight. Have you considered other alternatives, Stick the layout in the back of the car and make your mates/ wife/ kids walk? We had a similar issue with Brass Band equipment and eventually ditched the trailer idea in favour of taking two cars. My next door neighbour came home from the lake district ( circa 300 miles) one afternoon to find his four wheel trailer under his Steam Launch the "Churr" only had three wheels. The bearing seized and only the stub axle was left. An old Caravan might be a good solution... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzie Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 Make sure that anything that might move or come loose is very rigidly attached. The layout will be shaken to extreme. As guide think 'If I drop the layout on the floor what might come loose?' and that will be a good guide as to what will drop of when in the trailer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon A Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 Also make sure your layout boards are firmly crated for transport with no vulnerable areas not protected. Ensure the layout boards can be safely handled for loading, setting up and knocking down. Gordon A 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium polybear Posted January 1, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 1, 2020 Proper model railway insurance from a specialist...... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 21C123 Posted January 1, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 1, 2020 A friend of mine used a trailer to transport his large Lego creations to a show, about 400 km away. When he arrived he spent a day rebuilding them all ...... LOTS of vibration in a trailer. Roger Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ColinK Posted January 1, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 1, 2020 The layout I am currently building will have to go to exhibitions by trailer as its too big for my Transit. I’m wondering if I should get a trailer built specially for it with decent suspension? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titan Posted January 1, 2020 Share Posted January 1, 2020 Unfortunately trailer dynamics are very different from that of a car. This is due to the much longer overhang behind the axle. You may have experienced how a car wallows if you have a heavily loaded boot, well on a trailer this effect is much worse. This means that if you fit soft long travel suspension like a car to give you a smooth ride, you may find it is better on bumps, but the suspension may bottom out on undulating road surfaces. Most trailer manufacturers just seem to take the easy way out and make the suspension hard to avoid this. So you will have to be very careful what you specify in order to get good results. I do have an old trailer which must be around 500kg capacity with leaf springs, and they do seem to move a bit when I stand in the trailer. It is the best riding trailer I have owned but I would be reluctant to put anything delicate in it. One solution could be to go for a four wheel trailer with the lowest rated suspension units you can find. Because each unit is half the rate it might otherwise be, it will be softer when it hits a bump, yet on an undulating road surface the units are more or less working together, so will have greater resistance to wallowing. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted January 1, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 1, 2020 1 hour ago, ColinK said: The layout I am currently building will have to go to exhibitions by trailer as its too big for my Transit. I’m wondering if I should get a trailer built specially for it with decent suspension? I have two friends who have built trailers for their layouts (in one case a reworked caravan chassis that I sold to him). It's a good option, certainly for larger layouts. But I agree with Titan that twin-axle is probably best. Thinking of one of the layouts, about 60' long, I remember being asked by a lady at an exhibition how the layout had got to the hall. I replied that they had a purpose-built trailer. She looked rather doubtful. It took me a while to release that she had not noticed that the layout was in 6' modules. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doilum Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 Lots of sound advice. Having tried and given up on trailers years ago (when roads were better than today) I was going to offer "don't," " get a bigger transit," or "look for a four wheeler". Then I thought of Colin Chapmans last genius creation, the Lotus 88. Perhaps the answer is a twin hulled trailer which isolates delicate models from pot holes and speed bumps. It might be as simple as a soft mattress supporting a second plywood floor, or something much more exotically engineered. Something to think about. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium polybear Posted January 2, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 2, 2020 16 hours ago, ColinK said: The layout I am currently building will have to go to exhibitions by trailer as its too big for my Transit. I’m wondering if I should get a trailer built specially for it with decent suspension? 25 minutes ago, doilum said: Lots of sound advice. Having tried and given up on trailers years ago (when roads were better than today) I was going to offer "don't," " get a bigger transit," or "look for a four wheeler". Then I thought of Colin Chapmans last genius creation, the Lotus 88. Perhaps the answer is a twin hulled trailer which isolates delicate models from pot holes and speed bumps. It might be as simple as a soft mattress supporting a second plywood floor, or something much more exotically engineered. Something to think about. Agreed - rather than a special trailer (which would affect it's resale value) I think it would be better to create an anti-vibration platform for the layout. Google "A.V. Mounts" and take it from there.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Happy Hippo Posted January 2, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 2, 2020 4 minutes ago, polybear said: Agreed - rather than a special trailer (which would affect it's resale value) I think it would be better to create an anti-vibration platform for the layout. Google "A.V. Mounts" and take it from there.... A mattress on the floor of the Transit. The big plus is that it has other possibilities! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doilum Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 14 minutes ago, polybear said: Agreed - rather than a special trailer (which would affect it's resale value) I think it would be better to create an anti-vibration platform for the layout. Google "A.V. Mounts" and take it from there.... Too firm I fear. It might be possible to attach old school bed springs to the legs of a frame that supported the baseboards? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium polybear Posted January 2, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 2, 2020 Just now, doilum said: Too firm I fear. It might be possible to attach old school bed springs to the legs of a frame that supported the baseboards? A.V. Mounts come in a very wide range of ratings..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium TheQ Posted January 2, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 2, 2020 (edited) I've a 6ft By 4ft 750KG Trailer , towed by my landrover to which I've added a hard top, the layout has been rebuilt onto 3 just under 4ft by 2ft carriages ie they have casters and the layout is about 3ft4inches above floor level on them. you should be able to follow the Tiree link below to see the carriages. https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?topic=38780.135 on page 10 They have just travelled so far to a club open day which involved 4 miles down single track country lanes, followed by 10 Miles of A road (each way). the Layout itself I had no problems with, but some smaller scenic modules carried inside the carriages rotated in transport damaging the scenery, a holder needs to be made before the next venture out. Similar holders will be required for removeable items like buildings and stock (even for being in the back of my land rover). The carriages themselves are a tight fit inside the trailer side to side an fore and aft. they have the weight not to bounce off the trailer floor. I am lucky in that this trailer was built with road legal balloon tyres, actually they just look like unusually wide tyres but they have a softer construction and air pressure.. I do know that the trailer works best at full load, Also trailer manufactures recommend you tyres should be at the trailer manufacturers recommend full pressure (not tyre max) all the time. As has been mentioned above a four wheel trailer is much better, I have done many thousands of miles towing my sailing boat on one.. if you are just loading layout units into a trailer I'd use a soft rubber foam like that used for inside commercial seating (the type made of lots of other bits foam) as a shock absorber.. more Iimportantly you need to make sure the layout isn't bouncing inside the trailer as the impact onto other objects is what causes the damage. Edited January 2, 2020 by TheQ 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian Morgan Posted January 2, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 2, 2020 In Germany, all trailers and caravans have to pass the equivalent of the car MoT each year to ensure they are safe. Over here in the UK, you can just hitch up any old trailer that has been sat in a garden for 10 years and drive off with it. However, the police may stop you if it does not have working lights, reflective triangles and a registration number plate matching the towing vehicle. You will, of course, need to have a tow-bar fitted, and you may also need a more powerful 'flasher' relay to power the trailer's indicators. The club from our german twin town often bring their layouts to our exhibitions in a 4 wheel box trailer that they rent for the weekend, so it is possible to transport layouts considerable distances with a suitable trailer. Personally, I prefer to rent a van if the layout will not fit in my car. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 I'm fortunate to have helped Paul Wade exhibit Tonbridge West Yard; the furthest I recollect being Aubenas, some 600+ miles. The layout, and some of the stock, travelled in a van-type trailer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peach james Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 Quite often I ended up with either the club layout or the lego in my trailer, which is a 5x10' "landscapers" trailer. The other load for it is my big Fowler (1600 lb), so the suspension on a single axle is rather firm... I've not seen problems of things getting shaken to death. But, perhaps it is because I already expect some damage every time that a layout is taken to a show, so, have a lower expectation than others. The present setup for the Lego relies heavily on the van, in that I have made a set of boxes which fit into the van body to hold large quantities of 10" modules. (32x32 baseplates, if you are a lego guy...). That being said, the trailer often ends up with the club's collection of tables (14) + whatever else I can scrape up (3 more, at least...), stanchions (heavy @#$@#$ ones, because kids push on them...), and the oversized MOC's. (typically, bridges...). There is a reason why my "white" bridge is more a dirty white than clean white... If I had the $, I would be using what over here is called a "Toy Hauler", which consists of a caravan with a rear folding ramp, that you can stick up to typically, 10'x6'x6' of cargo into. (a Razr/similar side by side...). The issue is that I'd find it hard to justify the $30 000 of one for the amount of use I have done with the van/trailer combo I own. James Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doilum Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 The aim should be absolutely zero damage in transit. Setting up time is precious and the real problems are those you cannot see. Dry joints are found out by harsh vibration and can take the whole weekend to locate and sort. Foam rubber glued beneath a sheet of plywood or OSB might be the simplest solution. At the risk of going off topic: It always amazes me to see top quality layouts that have cost many thousands of pounds being stacked ad hoc in the back of a van without any protection. End boards are easily cut from scrap ply or surplus laminate flooring and protect rail joints from damage, and simple stacking frames not only protect the buildings and landscape but can speed up the loading process. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killybegs Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 I used an Ifor Williams twin axle box van trailer for many years taking Clinkerford to exhibitions. This usually involved trips across the Irish Sea, some of which were very rough. The layout never suffered any damage in transit. However .... Each board had a totally enclosed plywood cover. Boards were stacked with substantial timber spacers between with foam rubber cushioning. The boards at the bottoms of the stacks sat on 75mm of foam cushioning. The spacers prevented lateral and longitudinal movement. Each stack was secured with ratcheted straps. Best of luck! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doilum Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 3 minutes ago, Killybegs said: I used an Ifor Williams twin axle box van trailer for many years taking Clinkerford to exhibitions. This usually involved trips across the Irish Sea, some of which were very rough. The layout never suffered any damage in transit. However .... Each board had a totally enclosed plywood cover. Boards were stacked with substantial timber spacers between with foam rubber cushioning. The boards at the bottoms of the stacks sat on 75mm of foam cushioning. The spacers prevented lateral and longitudinal movement. Each stack was secured with ratcheted straps. Best of luck! That's the way to do it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium polybear Posted January 2, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 2, 2020 One option might be to cushion it with a blow-up air mattress (a reasonable one - not a ten quid Li-lo). Adjustable cushioning depending on air pressure, and easy to store when not in use. Just protect against sharp edges etc. And consider how to strap it down carefully - too tight and the cushioning action will be spoilt. HTH Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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