reverse-able trailers

[gridgway]

I've just found that the new to me but quite old BJ trailer won't be reversed up my drive when loaded. There is an incline so it just puts the brakes on.

Is it likely that it is too old for clever brakes that allow reversing? Or that the clever brakes are broken?

Cheers
Graham

[jwhillracer]

Give BJ the chassis number and they will tell you. It would have to be really old not to have auto-reverse.

JW

[Bewildebeest]

Didn't the old style trailers have a flip over collar thingy just behind the hitch which stopped the brakes coming on ?
Used to be a right PITA when you were doing a 3 (or more !) pointer.

[jamie]

Should be a lock-off lever or a flippy sleeve thing to stop this happening.

[Adrian.Tyldesley]

Over-adjusted brakes or more likely a weak/damaged damper in the hitch head will cause this.

[gridgway]

I think the trailer is pretty old. BJ had no record of the chassis number when I got some bits recently.

There is no mechanism to stop the drawbar from being pushed back, but I could make one.

The damper could well be very weak, although normal braking is smooth which would indicate it's doing its job.

I'll contact BJ and see what they say.

Graham

[Winston Teague]

My 20+ year old Bateson had auto reverse but you needed to give it a bit of a shove, ie. some wellie, as you reversed to get the brakes to go off. Once released it rolled freely. BUT beware, this type had a snag: The handbrake would auto reverse if the trailer was unhitched and the rear of the trailer was facing down hill. Be very careful, it was only thanks to the quick thinking Joe Public who helped swing mine round that i very narrowly avoided losing trailer and Wasp over the bank and down the gulley between the paddock and the side of the scrutineering bay at Cadwell! Ordered a Woodford when i got home and will definitely live longer as a result!
W

[gridgway]

pretty sure there's no auto reverse on mine but thanks for the warning. Worked out how to make a locking collar to flip over.

Graham