The MGA With An Attitude
Trailer to CARRY YOUR MG, #1 - TH-401
A nice trailer when you need to carry your MG
This tilt-bed trailer appears to be custom built specifically to carry an MG with minimal trailer weight, although it is all steel for lower cost, not aluminum. Photos and initial notes are supplied by the trailer owner, Richard Collett in Australia, who happens to be webmaster for MGCC of Victoria (Australia). I will give you the photos and owners notes first, and my personal notes farther down the page. If you click on the images in sequence, they will appear in a separate browser window. From there you can play it back like a slide show using the browser Back and Forward buttons (while you review the notes below).
Photos above left and center show configuration before and after relocating the jockey wheel, winch and spare tire. Photos above right and three below show the configuration with the car being loaded. Notice that the entire trailer bed and chassis tilts. The only part that does not tilt is the triangulated hitch bar that holds the spare tire carrier and tongue jack. This requires the trailer to be hitched onto the tow vehicle while you are loading or unloading the car (most common).
Photos above and below show the car in transport position with tie-downs. The trailer center mounted license plate bracket will fold down flat during loading or unloading. The MGA doors open about 280-mm (11-inches) above deck level (with standard tires), so the doors can open above the trailer fenders (just), as long as you didn't eat too much for breakfast). It clears easily when the car is empty, only just when a 95kg (210-LB) driver is sitting in it.
The trailer ID plate says: "Sunrise International, 14 Hammond Rd Dandenong (03) 9794-0415", but they are suppliers of components, axles, jockey wheels, tow hitches, etc, and don't make the trailers. The trailer manufacturer is still unknown.
Overall width? 2060mm (6' 9.1") across the fenders
Width of carrying tray 1530mm (5' 0.2")
Length of carrying tray 3550mm (11' 7.8")
Length of carrying tray forward of pivot point 1550mm (5' 1")
Length of carrying tray behind pivot point 2000mm (6' 6.7")
Overall length of trailer 5000mm (16' 5") including hitch
Empty weight of trailer (tare) 380-Kg (836-Lb)
I have put red circles around the tie-down points I use. A tow hook or ring on the car near the diff would make it easier. Note: I have removed the number plate from where it was, after hitting it twice! The tray (load bed) is just a little too short behind the axle. i.e. as you drive on, the front wheels cross the trailer axle before the back wheels touch the tray, so it will start to flip up and bang the bottom of the car if you are moving slowly. My last mod will be to extend it about a foot somehow.
This trailer has electric brakes, with a cable operated override facility (similar to a hand brake). The tow vehicle needs an electric brake controller, (which is not very expensive).
It strikes me that the carry try is minimal width for the MGA (or other small sports car), even though this car has slightly wider tires then standard. The tray plates are wider inboard than necessary, could carry a much smaller car, narrower wheel track than even MG Midget. If the whole trailer was about 2 inches wider it could carry a larger car, like an MG ZA/ZB Magnette for instance.
It could use a pair of wedge shape extension plates about a foot long for the rear. These could lay on the ground in the tilt position, should hook onto the rear bar of the trailer or could be attached with hinges. This would alleviate the "bump up" when driving onto the rear edge of the tray, make for a little more clearance under the car front valance panel and rear valence, and let the car rear tires hold the tray down when the front tires pass forward of the pivot point.
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