Another weird Euro car trailer - Diesel Forum

south_paw · 09-04-2006, 02:37 PM

How can their trailers be so different than ours? Do the laws of physics not apply across the pond ? or have they figured out something we don't know? latest pic Here's the other trailer PIC from Europe.

overfly · 09-04-2006, 03:36 PM

Perhaps they build them to last, just like their buildings? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] My Godmother lives in Wimborne, England in a house that was built in the early 1700's. Much like a diesel engine with only 100k miles, the house is barely broken in....... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

BurnedBronco · 09-04-2006, 05:07 PM

first one is setup like a hay wagon with tandems on the back, and the third one is bsaically like a small triple axle travel trailer.

jprensink · 09-04-2006, 08:41 PM

That first one looks down right dangerous at hi-way speeds. I would not put that car on it, thats forshure.

jimmy · 09-04-2006, 11:09 PM

euro trailers all have surge brakes and are almost always either aluminum or dipped galvanized if steel.
They have parking brake handle on tongue too.

The small SUV is relatively new over there, the old tow vehicle of choice for travel trailers and horse trailers was Volvo station wagons.

Many have electrical plugs that have 8 pins. They often have separate right and left running lights as well as seprate turn signals plus backup lights.

The horse trailers always amaze me to see. The warmblood horses go 1400 pounds each and they pull them with small front drive cars!!!

alfalfa44 · 09-05-2006, 12:16 AM

Which is why the first trailer has a front axle. Most all the vehicles are smaller, have front wheel drive, and can not handle much in the way of tongue weight. I used to deliver Brenderup horse trailers, which are built in Denmark, and their two horse model has an empty tongue weight of 35 lbs. You have to make some kind of consessions with smaller vehicles.

drcampbell · 09-06-2006, 04:38 PM

[ QUOTE ]
How can their trailers be so different than ours? Do the laws of physics not apply across the pond? Or have they figured out something we don't know? ...

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe they're just much-better-trained drivers who understand physics, are more attentive to maintenance, aren't in as big a hurry and don't press their limits?

The depth of ignorance on the roads here is often just plain frightening. I once heard, "You don't have to worry any about me tailgating you. I can see over the top of you and if I tromp that brake pedal to the floor, 90 pounds of compressed air will lock up all 18 wheels, stop me on a dime and leave nine cents change."

[ QUOTE ]
... The old tow vehicle of choice for travel trailers and horse trailers was Volvo station wagons. ...

[/ QUOTE ]

My mom's Volvo station wagon, a stateside model with a 2.3-liter gas engine, is factory-rated for towing 1500 kg, (3300 pounds) enough to accomodate a small Airstream travel trailer or a small two-horse trailer and remain within the published limits. You just can't be in a hurry with 114 Hp moving 7500 pounds.

Fishhook · 09-07-2006, 08:31 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Maybe they're just much-better-trained drivers who understand physics, are more attentive to maintenance, aren't in as big a hurry and don't press their limits?

[/ QUOTE ]

The mind set of the Europeans is totally different on driving and the fact that you have to really be trained to drive and not the joke they call driver training here. You can't drive anything over four cylinders, at night, on the Autobahns, or over 100KPH until you have gotten a years experience and then you get to go take a test for the next level.

I loved the four years I lived in Germany and the ease of travel on the Autobahns. When you came on a lane closure everybody cooperated to get everyone into one lane and they didn't create traffic jams in the process. Nobody tried to do the rush ahead in the closed lane and squeeze in at the last second trick, except the foreigners. You saw more one car accidents than anything, one person buy their self going over 200KPH and the road turned and they couldn't. They usually launched them selves out in to the tops of some trees in the process. The one thing I hated though was the trucks were limited to 80KPH (50MPH), but when you routinely haul a 50000kilo load the mindset is always safety first.

[ QUOTE ]
The depth of ignorance on the roads here is often just plain frightening.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dont forget arrogance.

Monte1 · 09-07-2006, 10:42 AM

My wife and I both notice the difference in attitude between car and pickup truck drivers. It's the P/U drivers that tend to be less polite on the freeway. Maybe because it's young males that usually drive them, but some of the things we have seen are scary.

OMCUSNR · 09-07-2006, 02:07 PM

Hmmm,

How long has it been since you've seen a teenage girl drive? What's a speed limit? Isn't the mirror in the car for your make-up? and like Oh, hand me my cell phone please, just hang on while I set my latte down.

Teebird · 09-07-2006, 02:54 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Hmmm,

How long has it been since you've seen a teenage girl drive? What's a speed limit? Isn't the mirror in the car for your make-up? and like Oh, hand me my cell phone please, just hang on while I set my latte down.

[/ QUOTE ]
I have to disagree. I do see a lot of people on the phone here in Southern Kalifornia. When I look around on the highway, 50% of the people are talking on the phone going 85 m.p.h. I have to say there are more men on the freeway since they work more and are on the phone just as much. We have guys at work who arrive later because of the commute who conduct their staff meeting from the front seat of their car on the phone. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif[/img]