I don't yet own a Seven so cann't simply measure one up :-)
I'm in the process of adapting my motorbike trailer into a flat bed for varying uses - one of which would be to carry a Seven idc.
It's my own design out of folded 3mm steel rather than welded and has 7 cwt suspension units. The design allows for a double axle so capacity will be 14 cwt which I assume is more than ample for a Seven.

Can anyone please tell me what min size load bed I should plan to be able to carry any model of Austin Seven ?

Thanks.

Paul Humphries.

I collected my 1928 (i.e. short wheelbase )Chummy in a Mercedes Sprinter, the one with the long body after finding that the car measures 4 ft wide by 10 ft long. Note that this is overall size across the bodywork and not just the wheel centres.
A7s made after 1932 (I think it was) are 6 inches longer.
I imagine that the later, steel bodied Ruby saloons will be the heaviest of the A7s and one of these wighs just a shade over 12 cwt.
Hope that helps a bit and best of luck with your search for an A7. I would suggest that, if at all possible, you should either buy from a reputable source e.g. Nigel Snow (no connection) or take someone from your local A7 club to view.
Regards
Brian Hutchings

I bought my trailer from Ebay and then adapted it to suit my long wheelbase RN. The loadlength is 8ft and the distance apart on the inside edges of the bed is 2ft 9 ins

.

Paul,

Like you I started with a second hand trailer, which in my case it had originaly been used to carry an invalid cariage.

It has ended up just about as small as you can make a trailer to carry a Chummy. Indeed just recently it was necessary to fix a pair of extensions in order to move a Ruby for a friend.

In answer to your original question the dimensions which you require are generally ...........

Wheelbase is either 75 or 81 inches
Front track is 40 inches
Rear track is 40 or 43 inches
Tyres are 3.50 or 4.00

To spur you on here are a couple of pics of mine.

Mike

This is a very neat trailer indeed Mike, perfect! I particularly like the eyelets for hooking the straps into

My father made one further adjustment to his trailer in so far as he had two ramps hinged to the back. This means that you can simply remove two pins, a retaining bar and the ramps pivot down, no scrabbling under the trailer to untie and remove then refit ramps. They are made from U-folded aluminium and the light board is attached to them also.

Cheers

R

When building your trailer make sure that you get the weight distribution correct, otherwise it may 'wag it's tail' something you don't want if you're going to transport an A7 which might be worth more than the towing vehicle!

Close coupled trailers are inherently more stable than single axle ones, but are more difficult to manoeuvre, especially when disconnected from the towing vehicle. A 'nose heavy' set up is preferable to tail heavyness (tail heaviness will cause weaving) but pay particular attention to noseweight (measured at the tow ball)- too much load at this point can cause the towball (or the tow-bar)to fail in service and your precious charge will part company with the towing vehicle.

You can measure the noseweight using a set of bathroom scales and a block of wood under the tow hitch - ideally it should be around 50Kg.

Gross weight of your trailer and its load should (for safe towing) not exceed 75% of the kerbside weight of the towing vehicle.

I would NOT advise using an unbraked trailer!

I would make a trailer as big as possible (given the obvious storage constraints and depending on the size of your tow vehicle) for the following reasons.....

From experience the larger the trailer the easier you will find reversing. In particular its length and the distance from the ball to the axles. A small trailer like some box trailers is very very difficult to reverse, particularly if you are inexperienced! Our large plant trailers at work reverse quite well , BUT our small unbraked single axle trailer is very difficult and jacknifes at the slightest mistake!

Secondly a bigger trailer can accomodate all manner of items, like bigger cars or with some boarding a bit of plant etc etc. Once you have a trailer you will have lots of friends appearing from nowwhere!
I would dearly love a trailer of my own , but I'm afraid space to store it is the problem in common with lots of other people!

Regards

Steve.