A&Q about Lotus
Q:
So Im going up north to see my family and I want to trailer the elise. I obviously want a flat bed trailer but where and how is the best way to tie it down. Im thinkimng of renting a u-haul pull behind but not sure if the elise is too low slung to get it on and off. Anyone here have any knowledge/ suggestions?
Thanx
Chris
A:
Make sure the fender will fold/hinge down on the trailer so you can open the door of car and get out. Otherwise, you're going to crawl out the window and leave the window down. That sucks for a long trip. I have a wider enclosed trailer that I can barely get out of a car when in it. Take your time, triple check tie-downs/safty stuff. I'd use the frame if possible, or the suspension (A-arms.)
Sometimes, you have to de-hitch and crank up the front of trailer, rear gets lowered. Work with natural terrain, bumps, hills, and/or wood or bricks to help you load up.
A:
I'd NOT use the actual frame or A-arms to tie the car down (although the rear subframe is a possibility).
Personally, I've used wheel straps (i.e. straps through the wheel spokes) for both the Elise and my previous track car. Another alternative is wheel bonnets (net-style webbing over the wheels).
Make sure you put the car in neutral before driving off, as well.
ed
A:
This thread should answer a lot of your questions. I have since taken the advice given on this thread and purchased some very strong straps. All has gone very well.
A:
I use wheel straps. No problem so far. I cross them in the rear, but not in the front.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the Elise is rear-heavy, unlike most cars. So make sure that you have enough tongue weight. Ideally you want the trailer axles farther back than for most other cars.
If you want to be able to load the car without jumping through hoops, you need relatively long ramps.
turbo2nr: Because of the high door sills, the lower edge of the Elise doors is actually fairly high. I have no problem opening the doors. The fenders don't get in the way.
A:
I'd use the frame if possible, or the suspension (A-arms.)
Absolutely DO NOT use the suspension to tie the car down! This is a huge no-no and could destroy your suspension. Tie down the wheels, and cross the tie-downs front and rear to prevent the car from sliding side to side as well as front to rear. Especially in the cold weather, the trailer will be slick. I have found out personally that the back of the car will slide if not cross-tied. When in doubt, use more tie-downs. I use 6 because I cannot cross the rears, so I also have side-by-side ones.
My trailer has fenders and it definitely is a tight squeeze getting out of the car, but I can do it without climbimg out the window.
A:
Originally Posted by Surferjer
Tie down the wheels, and cross the tie-downs front and rear to prevent the car from sliding side to side as well as front to rear. Especially in the cold weather, the trailer will be slick. I have found out personally that the back of the car will slide if not cross-tied.
I have towed extensivly...and was taught how by a guy that knows his stuff. Cross the rears only. The fronts should be straight. Cross only one or the other. Use either straps through the wheels......or strap bonnets over the wheels. Do not use the frame...or the suspension. Also....dont over tighten. Put the car in Neutal.....and put on the parking brake. Brake not really necessary. You dont want to leave it in gear....as you can put stress on the tranny with the rocking. Make sure you dont let the straps rub on the body...and dont use a car cover....it will burinsh the paint (wind).
A:
I hear you, but why not cross the fronts? Agree with all other points. I don't want the front shifting side to side any more than I want the rear shifting...maybe there's a mechanical danger to crossing the fronts??? I admit I'm new to towing, too. But I do want to reiterate-do not attach to the suspension! The manual even addresses this.
A:
U-Hauls will work, with the use of boards and a surface like a curb, where the trailer and car can be on two different levels, for loading purposes. Another thing to mention is that U-Haul will not allow you to use a trailer if you say it's for the Elise...say it's for a different car if you decide to go with them.
A:
Chris, here's another big one: if you start driving and the trailer starts wagging, you will need to either move the car up further on the trailer or potentially back the car onto the trailer to get more weight on the tongue. It can be quite a lot of experimentation to get it right. Do not drive with excessive trailer wag, it is extremely dangerous. On the other hand, if the front of your tow vehicle feels like it's floating, you may have the car too far forward. One of the bennies of having a consistent tow package is you can fine tune things like this...
A:
I've heard some people say that they wouldn't tow a trailer without first using a trailer tongue weight scale. This looks like an interesting product, and there's a link on that site to what looks like a very good towing guide:
This sway control hitch also looks like an interesting safety device:
A:
When trailering my Elise from Colorado to Alaska, I had a strap at each corner (make sure they are tight and padded to prevent rubbing the rim), to keep the car from moving. Then straps side to side through the front rims and through the rear.
I used a gooseneck flat bed which weighed twice as much as the Elise, so CG and trailer wag were not an issue. By the time I got home, I had as many miles towing the Elise as I had put on her.
A:
Originally Posted by Surferjer
Absolutely DO NOT use the suspension to tie the car down! This is a huge no-no and could destroy your suspension. Tie down the wheels, and cross the tie-downs front and rear to prevent the car from sliding side to side as well as front to rear. Especially in the cold weather, the trailer will be slick. I have found out personally that the back of the car will slide if not cross-tied. When in doubt, use more tie-downs. I use 6 because I cannot cross the rears, so I also have side-by-side ones.
My trailer has fenders and it definitely is a tight squeeze getting out of the car, but I can do it without climbimg out the window.
I am towing big american iron buick in an enclosed trailer. The rear axle is awsome, and I use my frame in the front. I use anything i can find including my A-arms in my Subaru. Never seen wheel nets in an enclosed trailer. The Aarms have all the weight of the car on them when you brake, what's the difference if it's on a trailer. Same forces at the same place. Works for me.
In an enclosed trailer, you can't just crawl under the car like an open center trailer. Sometimes you gotta use what you can get to.
A:
You are supposed to tie to the axle in bigger, heavier cars. The difference here is the fragility of the Elise suspension. Maybe it's fine, but they put it in the manual for a reason, I'm sure.
A:
Elise A-arms have been bent using them to tie down. Wheel straps are readily available so why not use them?
Tongue weight should be about 12% of the weight of the trailer loaded.
A:
I'm having a trailer built specifically for my Elise. 14 feet long, 6.5 feet wide, flat bed with a tire rack up front. From everybody's experiences, any suggestions if you had one built from scratch?
A:
I don't know why you dont cross the fronts...but I will ask my friend. I am sure he will know.
As to trailer wag and all that...the Elise is so light...and the uhaul is so heavy....you could put that car anywhere on the trailer and be all right.
but the way to do it is to drive the car on the trailer...and just as you hit the "weight" centerline...the trailer will "balance"...then go about 1 more inch foward. That usually worked for me. You can feel it.
I trailered extensivey using an open aluminum tailex trailer...and then one of their all aluminum enclosed units. Great Trailers.... www.trailex.com
I would be more concerned about what you are trailering it with....as UHauls are heavy. That is what I liked about the trailex....the open weighed about 800lbs...and the enclosed weighed less than 2000lbs. I could tow the open with just about anything...the enclosed...with a light car like the Elise or my Seven...well a small SUV would work as long as you had the electrical brake setup.
Keep in mind that if you get into an accident and you told them you had a Miata on board...and it is not a Miata....I believe they have a "out" clause in their insurance rider. Not sure...but I think they do.
If your tow car cannot be made relatively level after putting the trailer on...then your lights will shine in the trees...the tow car will drive like crap...especially if it is front wheel drive.
If you have any other questions...glad to help.
Saw the last post. If I were building one...it would be 2 axles...both with electric brakes. Aluminum if you can afford it. Keep it light and have the rear come down a bit to help with the loading..or better still....make the whole bed tilt down. I would just buy one from Trailex.....in fact I did....2 of them.
Cant get much better than a Trailex.
A:
As to trailer wag and all that...the Elise is so light...and the uhaul is so heavy....you could put that car anywhere on the trailer and be all right.
Having a heavy trailer does not exempt you from trailer wag. My trailer goes about 2500 pounds,and with the Elise on it, not in the right spot, I can get scary wag. I'm still tweaking the front chocks to get it exactly right.
Just be careful, do a short test drive at speed, and make sure you're okay before you get started.
A:
Originally Posted by Surferjer
Having a heavy trailer does not exempt you from trailer wag. My trailer goes about 2500 pounds,and with the Elise on it, not in the right spot, I can get scary wag. I'm still tweaking the front chocks to get it exactly right.
Just be careful, do a short test drive at speed, and make sure you're okay before you get started.
What is your tow car? Trailer wag comes into play when the weight of the trailer starts to "tail wag the dog" sort of thing. If you dont balance the trailer weight then you lift up on the rear suspension of the tow car..
2500 lbs is not heavy...you should have that Elise right up at the front...about 4 inches past the "weight centerline"...unless you are towing with a small SUV...or a small car.
What I meant about the heavy trailer...is that the trailer is so heavy that the relative position of the Elise will make very little difference...unless you hang if off the back....which is of course ridiculous. Of course...you must have a substantial tow vehicle to tow a Uhaul anyways...
If you are getting trailer wag with a Uhaul...and as long as the Elise is somewhat centered...the problem is not the placement of the Elise...it is your tow car...it is too small...
A:
Tony, I still don't think my car is far enough forward, but with tools and tires loaded I get no wag. I'm towing with a Grand Cherokee with a V8 and towing package. Adequate, but not ideal.
I was just pointing out that you can certainly get wag with a heavy trailer. You can also tune it out.