Lotus Europa Community
Lotus Europa Forums => Garage => Topic started by: TurboFource on Thursday,July 30, 2020, 04:33:22 PM
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I was wondering if anyone has towed a Europa on a 6' x 12' utility trailer?
Just planning ..... ???
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Here is another idea!
http://lotus-europa.com/manuals/files/trailer_for_europa/trailer.html
Also always tow vehicle head first or risk a broken windscreen.
Dakazman
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It should theoretically fit but usually utility trailers are pretty flimsy for even a small car like a Europa. Can you find a racer in your area who can lend you a trailer?
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Also always tow vehicle head first or risk a broken windscreen.
Dakazman
If you put the Europa on a trailer backwards, i.e. with the engine nearest the tow car, wind gets under the engine cover and causes it to un-clip and wrap itself over the roof, smashing the engine cover and the windscreen, and probably messing up the hinge locations and the roof.
Therefore make sure the Europa is on the trailer pointing forwards.
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UHaul has one that looks like it would be up to the task....
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Also always tow vehicle head first or risk a broken windscreen.
Dakazman
If you put the Europa on a trailer backwards, i.e. with the engine nearest the tow car, wind gets under the engine cover and causes it to un-clip and wrap itself over the roof, smashing the engine cover and the windscreen, and probably messing up the hinge locations and the roof.
Therefore make sure the Europa is on the trailer pointing forwards.
easily remedied by an extra tie down strap across the back, wheel well to wheel well. I have towed them backward many times without issue. same with doors and front hood...all strapped down or even taped down. no worries.
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I've done it a few times using a 6-1/2' x 12-1/2' single axle ATV trailer.
The longest trip was from Michigan to So Cal hauling a TCS, the second longest was from Washington state back to So Cal and here were also quite a few local hauls <500 miles round trip.
Both my trailer and tires were rated for 1500#. As long as the trailer you're using is rated for the weight of the Europa, I don't see a problem using a utility trailer for short trips.
If you're hauling the Europa cross country, then more preps are required.
Joji Tokumoto
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As I'm getting ready to move heavy stuff 650 miles, i've been looking into the trailer options. The Uhaul trailer is a double axle, heavy steel trailer. Heavy being the key word.
I purchased a single axle 6x14 foot trailer, with ramp. It's payload is almost 1800 pounds. Plenty of room for a Europa. Figure I'll sell it after finishing the move.
Have carried one load, about max trailer capacity, truck was loaded also, plus 3 people. Did great. Will say it cut my gas mileage in half on a Toyota Tacoma 4 door. Think the truck is rated at 6500 pound payload, we were prolly around 4500. Don't think I'd want to be any heavier for a long trip.
With the low drag of the Europa, I figure the gas mileage should rise... lol.
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I can confirm that the U-Haul trailer will work. I rented one to bring my car home. The U-Haul trailer is about 2200 lbs and will carry over 5200 lbs, so it is total overkill. The big upside is that they let you do a one way rental.
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Thanks for the replies!
Gideon,
Were you able to put the ramp all the way up on the UHaul trailer?
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I've used a UHaul trailer to haul my Europa a total of about 7500 miles over the years and as gideon said it's total overkill, but if you need to go a long distance it's worth it. Plus, you'll have room for an extra engine or two. And yes, the ramp fully retracts.
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The UHaul trailer is heavy. What tow vehicle do you have?
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I was towing it behind a UHaul rental truck. It was a bit too much for my SAAB. I should mention that a friend towed a full size sedan from Flagstaff to Seattle on one behind a standard pickup.
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I have a 1995 F150 with V8 and frame mounted hitch. It towed my 3500lb camper no problem.
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I think what happens is that people load the Europa backwards on the trailer in order to get some weight on the hitch. The Europa is rear weight biased and depending on the trailer, this makes all the difference. It seems likely that most car trailers have their wheel placement & balance designed around front engined cars.
So, if loading it pointing backwards, be sure to tie down the engine cover. The engine cover catch can and does let go with some wind.
Years ago, I recall my Europa was parked in the company car park and I came out to go home only to discover the engine cover had lifted on this very windy day. The wind had wrapped it over the roof, breaking the windscreen.
Every day is an education . .
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When I collected my Europa in the UK I used this trailer: https://www.unsinn.de/de/anhaenger/motorradanhaenger-typ/1837-13-1800 (https://www.unsinn.de/de/anhaenger/motorradanhaenger-typ/1837-13-1800)
The internal dimensions are 3.750 × 1.800 mm which is just about right to fit the Europa. The smart thing on this trailer is that the whole platform can be lowered to the ground and you just drive on it.
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Nice Europa Nockenwelle!
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:I-agree:
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:I-agree:
X2 👌
Dakazman
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The more I see (pictures of) the S1 the better they look, particularly the front end and the single door window.
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Looking at your S1, it is easy to see how much thought went into achieving that .29 drag coefficient. Beautiful example.
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Thank's for the nice comments :)
I'm very happy I found that example as it is very difficult find a good and original S1. Either they are in a very bad state or they have been heavily modified.
The underside of the S1 is totally flat and undisturbed due to the bonded in chassis. That may be one of the reasons for the low drag coefficient.
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I love my S1 and yours is drop dead gorgeous, thanks for the pictures.
The drag coefficient was not accurate. The designers of the TC complained bitterly about this as they had to match it as part of the design brief. The only way they could do it was to add a front spoiler.
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Here is another idea!
http://lotus-europa.com/manuals/files/trailer_for_europa/trailer.html
Also always tow vehicle head first or risk a broken windscreen.
Dakazman
I have one of those trailers. I got it with a series 2 that i bought and sold. I kept it for 2603R that is just now nearing completion of the full restoration. I didn't see the plans until after I had owned the trailer for a while. I always felt it was unbalanced until reading that the trailer was designed for the car to ride backwards. Now it works fine. I suppose the open back on the earlier cars would make them want to baloon a little.
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I would never tow a Europa backwards. It's way too common for the engine lid to blow up and over, smashing the lid, roof and the windshield.
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Another reason for installing struts?
I've towed mine backwards since I've had it, to maybe 20 track days? Never an issue, but then I make sure the latch is secure every time, and I do have the struts.... My trailer is very low too, and Its a TCS, so no rear opening like on an S2 or S1, which would make a difference....
Jerry Rude
4005R
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I am in complete agreement with everyone here when I say Nockenwelle you have a gorgeous S1!! Please share more pictures of it!!! I want to paint one of mine red so badly...
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Gideon and Arizona,
Did you use the UHaul 6 x 12 utility trailer or the auto transport trailer?
Trying to figure out if it will fit on the utility trailer because the sides are kinda high on it....
Kraig
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I used the auto transport trailer, and that worked fine. One thing I would point out about that trailer is that it is designed to secure just the front wheels to the trailer. I also used ratchet straps to secure the rear wheels to the trailer, but then my car had a damaged frame and one front wheel wasn't attached to the car as well as it should be. Even without that problem I would still use something to secure the rear wheels, just to be on the safe side.
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Measured the UHaul utility trailer today......it won't work....there is only about 56-3/4"
Of opening at the back of the trailer....the ramp is not the full width of the trailer either :blowup:
Guess it will be the transport trailer but not sure they will let me use my 1995 F150 to tow it so I might have to rent a truck too :(
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The question is how far is your tow. I believe Uhaul charges per mile for their trucks. Towing across town or a couple of a hundred miles, the mileage cost should be acceptable. Towing cross country could get expensive. I would do what Andy Harwood is thinking of doing. Buy a used 6'x12' single axle ATV or utility trailer, used it to tow your Europa and sell it after woods.
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Turbo - I don't see why you can't use your F150 to tow it. Uhaul list their towing vehicle requirements here
https://www.uhaul.com/Trailers/Auto-Transport-Rental/AT/
I think most F150s meet those requirements. When you try to reserve they'll ask you about the towing vehicle and the vehicle to be carried, and then tell you whether the combination is allowed.
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Thanks, I will talk to them!
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In person UHaul would rent me a pickup truck and auto transport trailer (online it would not for some reason it wanted to rent only a larger box truck), so I made a reservation.
Two days before I am to get the truck and trailer I get a text with a different pick up time, so I stopped by to see what was up. They said they rented out their two trucks for a month to the same guy and my truck was now at a different location. I asked how they could rent it out if I had a reservation.....no real answer.
The next day I get a call from the "new" truck location, trailer still at the original location, that the guy broke the back window out of the truck and it was not available but they might have a van that was usable and they would call me back.....no call back.
I get a new text telling me my truck is now at a third location. I go by to talk to him and confirm things. We talk about the Europa (he is a car guy thankfully) and he had a trailer there so we measured to make sure the Europa wasn't too narrow for the trailer, it wasn't:).
So I asked him since he had a trailer there why I couldn't rent the trailer and truck from him, he said that would upset the other location ....I said they gave my reservation away so the heck with them!
I was very relieved when I went Friday evening and there was a trailer attached to a pick up waiting for me! The truck and trailer and towed well in the end.
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Great to hear all went well. I to have got the run around from Uhaul. I think they have a very lax inventory tracking system. I cant wait for pictures, lots of pictures.
Sandy