Camping trailer for bikes - suggestions and advice please

I don't have any specific recommendations but something I'd consider essential would be  a spare wheel/tyre (and carrying the right sized tools/jack to be able to change at the roadside). I'd also look for some sort of rear steadies/posts that you can drop down when loading/unloading with the trailer unhitched to stop it tipping. If you'll not be storing it loaded then being able to tip it on end relatively easily would reduce it's footprint, too. Also, look for a fully waterproof cover you can put over it when not in use so it's clean and dry when you do come to use it. Keep an eye on noseweight when loading - you need to be a bit below but still near the limit for the towball/car so the trailer sits correctly and behaves well on the road.

expensive time to be upgrading

we went through a similar dilemma, but with a much reduced budget.  I picked up a local erde 101 (tiny) and refurbed it, fitted new wheels.  Bought a cage thing that doubles the capacity which came with a waterproof cover.  Think all in was around £400.

thats good enough for our massive tent (khyam airtrek8) and all the furniture.  Bikes go on the roof.  Last trip was 6 days and we did have to put a bit of stuff in the cabin.  Car is a kia sportage

I'm finding it really hard to reverse with it, so the few times its been an issue I've just unhitched it and moved it by hand

Accessories wise the only thing I would say you need is a non perished spare, and the right spanners to change it and a wheel clamp.  small trailers, even when full can be moved around by a single person.  For packing / unpacking I just have it attached to the car so no need for jockey wheels etc...

Ours does make a bit of a racket on the hitch on rough roads.  I have a horrible feeling the hitch itself might be worn, I've read you are supposed to grease them to prevent wear which sounds counter intuiatve.  Anyway, if you go second hand worth checking, along with the electrics working

Locking top would be useful too.

you might get second hand erde with a hardtop and change, the hardtops seem fragile though

occasionally reasonably priced brendups come up on gumtree, but you have to be fast as the dealers buy them up, clean them and charge twice the price

Thanks! Sounds like good advice 😃

The Temared trailer I was looking at comes with a spare wheel and a stabilizing post but I haven't got a price back on that yet.

Planning on storing in the garage when not in use.

and final note, something I found out after I bought our trailer, hard tops and load bars do not appear to be available for the smallest 101 trailer and its clones.  you need to go up to the 122 or bigger.  This was mighty annoying and why I ended up with a cage.

It is possible to build a top out of marine ply and have you own fixings for roof bars.  loads bars are very expensive for what they are

Thanks.  I'd had a good look at the Erde trailers and was put off by the plastic lid and cost of the bars.

Doing a bit of maths on the volumes, I could get away with ditching the roof box provided the trailer is big enough.  I don't think the smaller or mid size Erde trailers will cut it.

that one you've linked seems good value compared to the big names.  If you get it, please post back your feedback

I kind of wished we'd gone slightly bigger, but it was off a neighbour for not much and it has done the job so far.

we have a lot of stuff for a family of 4, and it does work for us.  I'm good at packing 🙂

There has been talk of taking sups / kayaks as well as bikes.  I think if that happens we are in two car territory or hiring a van!

This looks perfect for your needs.
No idea who's selling it.😉

We love our burgtec bike trailer. It’s got a wire platform over the axle which we’ve used to strap down paddle boards. Our enormous tent would fit there quite nicely too

I’ve read you are supposed to grease them to prevent wear which sounds counter intuiatve

yes a ball should be greased, it will abrade quicker without grease. The ball moves within the hitch, not sure why this is unintuitive?

Don't make the mistake I have. I bought a used one from a retiring market trader for £60. Spent about £30 tidying it up, new light board etc. But it was quite shallow and didn't hold everything. So I made a height extension for it. Now it holds plenty, weights about 300kg when full. But, I can't reach in to the bottom of it to get everything out! So I have to either use my special stick with a hook screwed in to the end, or take the whole extension off and then put it back on once empty. I need to change one of the side panels to hinge down, but it'll never by high enough priority on the to-do list so I'll just keep camping kit fishing for now.

Do not grease your balls if what you are towing (or will tow in the future) has a stabiliser tow hitch on it. It's the equivalent of spraying WD40 on your disk pads.

unintuitive because I want the hitch to stay on the ball, and greasing makes me think it will slip off.

I dont know what a stabiliser hitch is, so I'll assume my little budget trailer doesn't have it.

I have just had a closer look at the safety chain and think that needs replacing too.  buying second hand means cheaper but you have to replace bits

does anyone know a decent place that services trailers soton way?  I reckon the hub bearings need doing soon as well

This looks interesting: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295737458157 - a few extra features that might be useful for a camping setup.

As does this, but for very different reasons:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265467029583

unintuitive because I want the hitch to stay on the ball, and greasing makes me think it will slip off.

The hitch is kept on by mechanism that hooks under the flat of the bottom of th ball. Every time you hitch up you should pull up to test it's seated correctly.

Stabilises hitches are only really something on caravans, not on small camping trailers or big plant, drops side or tipper trailers. It's the oddity of the caravan in terms of weight, volume, (usually) single axel, lighter tow vehicle and people tending to load poorly that makes them more common on caravans.

p.

unintuitive because I want the hitch to stay on the ball, and greasing makes me think it will slip off

Look under the hitch and you will see a tongue that moves with the handle above. That locks the hitch onto the ball and I always visually check it (it's easier on braked trailers as you can tilt the hitch to one side), and as above, always try to lift it off, or with a heavier trailer, raise the hitch using the jockey wheel.

My horsebox doesn't have a stabilising hitch so I keep the ball greased, even so, the towball gets polished after a couple of years of regular towing.  If I use the towbar bike rack on the van (which is rare) or tow my parents caravan (even rarer) I have to degrease the ball to avoid contaminating the friction pads on both.  However, no amount of grease will cause the hitch to detach.

<p style="padding-left: 40px;">I have a Lider Saragos with side extensions, ABS lid and roof rack. It's a beast. We have a large dog who hogs half the boot and a very large 8 berth air tent so the extra depth is handy.</p>
The best bit of trailer wisdom I can offer if you are new to towing is bigger trailers generally go forwards and backwards better. I've got two trailers that are at least a metre longer to the axle and both are easier to reverse than the one pictured, which is just the right side of "not too annoying".

The other thing I would say is find an empty car park or friend's field and practice reversing with it for a while. There's some good content on you tube.

Usually it's quicker on a campsite to unhitch and swing it into place by hand but if there aren't too many ghouls about try and have a bit of a reverse every time. Every once in a while you'll have to back it into a passing place or to turn round when you've taken a wrong turn and every little bit of practice helps.

Also may be worth checking out Trident Towing I think they are North ish and I've bought stuff mail order from them and found they had a good selection of stuff.  Don't confuse with Trident UK who do boat trailers but are basically a (very good) sailing business.

Ansemms make nice trailers but reflected in the ££££

Thanks garage dweller.   I checked out Trident Towing but they're down in Maidstone.

Good advice on the practicing, I'll be needing it! 😂

 I checked out Trident Towing but they’re down in Maidstone.

I’ll pick it up for you.  Re the previous posters comment re the Brenderup- are they a good make? We picked one up second hand a few years ago to take our sons new electric wheelchair with us on holiday. Never heard of the make before.