Towing the Portafold
Posted: Mon, 07 Apr 2014, 1:58 pm
Hello
When we first bought the Portafold, we collected it using a Land Rover. We were shocked by how heavy the nose weight was (the spare wheel was on the A Frame), and how heavy it seemed to manouvere. Later that week, we went to Dorset Steam Fair, where we saw a couple of Portafolds. The Owners told us how they had uprated their classic cars with bigger engines etc in order to pull the Portafolds.
This got me worried. I had bought the Portafold specifically to go behind my classic cars (2 Morris Minors and a Triumph Herald), and towing it with these now seemed unlikely as they are original spec.
Anyways, we put these worries aside and started restoring. We didn't attempt to tow the Portafold with one of the classics until it was finished, with the theory that if it didn't work out, we could always sell it in a better condition than we found it!
Well, we've not had any issues at all! The Morris Minors pull it as if it's not there - I can see out of the rear window, I don't need mirror extensions as it's the width of the car, and the speed and performance of the cars doesn't seem to be hampered at all! In fact, they make more fuss with backseat passengers than they do with the Portafold on the back. (Bearing in mind, this is with Spare Wheel and Gas Bottle on board too!)
So, I'm wondering why everyone we spoke to was so nervous about towing the Portafold with a classic? Thankfully seeing some classics at the Retrofestival did make me feel a bit better, but a lot of them were larger engined than the Minors.
Am I mad to be towing the Portafold with my Triumph Herald?
When we first bought the Portafold, we collected it using a Land Rover. We were shocked by how heavy the nose weight was (the spare wheel was on the A Frame), and how heavy it seemed to manouvere. Later that week, we went to Dorset Steam Fair, where we saw a couple of Portafolds. The Owners told us how they had uprated their classic cars with bigger engines etc in order to pull the Portafolds.
This got me worried. I had bought the Portafold specifically to go behind my classic cars (2 Morris Minors and a Triumph Herald), and towing it with these now seemed unlikely as they are original spec.
Anyways, we put these worries aside and started restoring. We didn't attempt to tow the Portafold with one of the classics until it was finished, with the theory that if it didn't work out, we could always sell it in a better condition than we found it!
Well, we've not had any issues at all! The Morris Minors pull it as if it's not there - I can see out of the rear window, I don't need mirror extensions as it's the width of the car, and the speed and performance of the cars doesn't seem to be hampered at all! In fact, they make more fuss with backseat passengers than they do with the Portafold on the back. (Bearing in mind, this is with Spare Wheel and Gas Bottle on board too!)
So, I'm wondering why everyone we spoke to was so nervous about towing the Portafold with a classic? Thankfully seeing some classics at the Retrofestival did make me feel a bit better, but a lot of them were larger engined than the Minors.
Am I mad to be towing the Portafold with my Triumph Herald?