I had an Elite single axle, sold it after a year. Got lucky and sold it for $2300. It really was not a great trailer for my needs. Half a load of firewood and it would bottom out the axle and tires rubbed on the guards while driving. The weight is calculated as a standing load not traveling on NZ bumpy roads. This Model.
Picked up a used 5 year old tandem Briford with drop axels for $3k. Its a very nice trailer to tow with doesn't jerk or bounce around anything like the Elite did when empty. Its designed in NZ for NZ roads and it has 1999kg unbraked. I believe this is a legal limit?
Either way it can carry 3 scoops of topsoil without breaking a sweat.
Your experience is very interesting to read. You've identified their 8x4 heavy duty model and say it bottomed out and rubbed the guards etc. Mine is the basic 8x4 model with the cage and I've never had such issues, even with green firewood loaded up to the top of the cage. I would have expected the heavy duty one to perform better than mine, not worse!
I do agree that Briford trailers are very good. Being made here in Christchurch, I see them everywhere and they are definitely the Canterbury builders trailer of choice, but they do command a price premium, and I have always found them to be fairly loud/squeaky on the road. They are as tough as old boots though!
Yes, 1999kg GVM and below = no brakes required. 2000kg to 2499kg GVM = brakes required on at least one axle, 2500kg GVM and above have further braking requirements. There are other safety features also required on heavier trailers such as dual crossed safety chains or breakaway brakes.
I had an Elite single axle, sold it after a year. Got lucky and sold it for $2300. It really was not a great trailer for my needs. Half a load of firewood and it would bottom out the axle and tires rubbed on the guards while driving. The weight is calculated as a standing load not traveling on NZ bumpy roads. This Model.
Picked up a used 5 year old tandem Briford with drop axels for $3k. Its a very nice trailer to tow with doesn't jerk or bounce around anything like the Elite did when empty. Its designed in NZ for NZ roads and it has 1999kg unbraked. I believe this is a legal limit?
Either way it can carry 3 scoops of topsoil without breaking a sweat.
Your experience is very interesting to read. You've identified their 8x4 heavy duty model and say it bottomed out and rubbed the guards etc. Mine is the basic 8x4 model with the cage and I've never had such issues, even with green firewood loaded up to the top of the cage. I would have expected the heavy duty one to perform better than mine, not worse!
I do agree that Briford trailers are very good. Being made here in Christchurch, I see them everywhere and they are definitely the Canterbury builders trailer of choice, but they do command a price premium, and I have always found them to be fairly loud/squeaky on the road. They are as tough as old boots though!
Yes, 1999kg GVM and below = no brakes required. 2000kg to 2499kg GVM = brakes required on at least one axle, 2500kg GVM and above have further braking requirements. There are other safety features also required on heavier trailers such as dual crossed safety chains or breakaway brakes.
Its due to where the springs are mounted. On the Heavy duty its under the Axel which makes the deck is lower and the pinch point is the tyre to guard. On the Light duty its over axel so when it runs out of travel the frame sits on the axle effectually making it a solid mount and the tyre doesn't interfere with the guard.
I had an Elite single axle, sold it after a year. Got lucky and sold it for $2300. It really was not a great trailer for my needs. Half a load of firewood and it would bottom out the axle and tires rubbed on the guards while driving. The weight is calculated as a standing load not traveling on NZ bumpy roads. This Model.
Picked up a used 5 year old tandem Briford with drop axels for $3k. Its a very nice trailer to tow with doesn't jerk or bounce around anything like the Elite did when empty. Its designed in NZ for NZ roads and it has 1999kg unbraked. I believe this is a legal limit?
Either way it can carry 3 scoops of topsoil without breaking a sweat.
1999kg, aka 2 ton is legal limit for unbraked. however no light vehicle is rated for much more than 700kg unbraked, so odds are your overweight and that can have consequences. 3 scoops of soil is about 1500kg, depending on water content.
the tires rubbed on the guards because its overloaded or a really crappy design. typically its nz favorite pass time of overloading the trailer until the springs snap. funny how people comment about how nice a trailer is to tow, but never about how well it stops.
Its due to where the springs are mounted. On the Heavy duty its under the Axel which makes the deck is lower and the pinch point is the tyre to guard. On the Light duty its over axel so when it runs out of travel the frame sits on the axle effectually making it a solid mount and the tyre doesn't interfere with the guard.
no. absolutely not in any way.
"heavy duty" is simply marketing bs. no one buys a light duty trailer, so they are all heavy duty.
which side of the spring the axle is, all depends on the setup, shape of the trailer, type of use and ride height. you can have them either way, it makes no real difference. if its bottoming out or hitting guards then your massively overloaded and you have probably stuffed the springs. thats the downside of not having bump stops.
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