Motorcar Transporter 4 m

What the Motorcar Transporter 4 m is built from

The floor is 2.0 mm zinc galvanised sheet steel pressed into a U section, and the chassis and A-frame are 76 x 38 mm rectangular tubing. Two removable loading ramps stow under the floor rather than being left behind at the yard, and heavy duty lashing hooks are mounted in the deck. An auto reverse coupler means the brakes do not lock up when you back the trailer into a driveway.

• 4 000 mm loading floor, 1 900 mm inside width
• 2.0 mm zinc galvanised U-shaped floor
• 76 x 38 mm rectangular tube chassis and A-frame
• Twin axles with independent Rubax suspension
• Vacuum and override braking published
• Auto reverse coupler
• Two removable ramps stored under the floor
• Heavy duty lashing hooks and a 195 x 14 inch spare

Published specification

One published figure worth checking in writing

The overall length is published as 4 345 mm against a 4 000 mm floor, which leaves 345 mm beyond the deck. That is not enough to include a drawbar and coupling, so the figure appears to describe the body rather than the towing length. We are a retailer and we will not invent a number to fill the gap: if the space you park in is tight, we confirm the true nose to tail measurement with the builder in writing before you order.

Payload, GVM and what the driver is responsible for

The plate reads 2 200 kg gross against a 560 kg tare, giving 1 640 kg of published payload, and the twin axles are rated 1 100 kg each for a combined 2 200 kg that matches the plate exactly. Braking is fitted, as it must be well above 750 kg gross. Towing mass limits, braking rules and licence classes come from the National Road Traffic Act and its regulations, not from a sales claim.

Securing the vehicle to the trailer is the legal responsibility of the driver, every trip. Lashing hooks are supplied, but the straps, the load distribution and the final check are yours. Put the heavier end of the car over the axles, keep positive weight on the ball, and re-check the straps after the first few kilometres once the suspension has settled.

Four metres or five

The Motorcar Transporter 5 m is the longer unit, plated 150 kg higher at 2 350 kg with a 1 740 kg payload and axles rated 1 800 kg each. Take it for long wheelbase bakkies and light commercials. This 4 m version is the easier trailer to store, tow and reverse, and its 1 640 kg payload already sits above almost any passenger car. Both are listed in the car trailers category.

Why it costs more than a budget car trailer

The lighter car trailer in the same category is plated at 1 500 kg gross on a single braked axle with leaf springs and a painted finish, and it does a real job at a real price. This is a different specification: 2 200 kg gross, two rubber sprung axles instead of one, 195 x 14 inch wheels, a 2.0 mm galvanised floor and a published tare and payload you can take to a weighbridge. The gap in price is the gap in rating, and it decides whether the trailer is legal under the load you actually have.

Specifications