bigdog Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Going to be ordering a trailer from a trailer manufacturer on Vancouver Island, BC. http://expresscustom.com/nav_group_5.php?gazpart=view&gazimage=4926 It was designed by a Mr David Peck who is the Canadian importer of Caterhams. It is made of marine grade aluminum & weighs only about 500-600 lbs. It should tow very nicely with the twin axles & best of all is the price. $3,590 CAD which is only $2,900 USD. The wife & I will just make a holiday of it & travel there to tow it home ourselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scannon Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Be sure you visit David's home and sales shops while there. We stopped there on the GBB and he gathered up the local 7s and threw a BBQ for us. Ask for a ride in his supercharged Megabusa Caterham. You won't forget that ride. I still think about it from time to time 2 years later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdog Posted June 9, 2015 Author Share Posted June 9, 2015 (edited) Be sure you visit David's home and sales shops while there. We stopped there on the GBB and he gathered up the local 7s and threw a BBQ for us. Ask for a ride in his supercharged Megabusa Caterham. You won't forget that ride. I still think about it from time to time 2 years later. I have had quite a few phone conversations with David in the last couple of months about his trailers and my seven. Found out through David that my 1983 sprint has a newer (mid 90's) Arch motors chassis. I originally asked him about those express trailers (saw his web site on the side of that 7 in the picture) That is when he told me that he had designed them. He actually had one of those trailers for sale. But alas, I couldn't buy it as it does not have the safety sticker Or a vin number to get past the border & Express is loath to give him or me a certificate of compliance. Even though I'm a bit miffed that Express wouldn't help out, I do understand that they are in business to make trailers & not assist in owners selling their old express trailers. But as that trailer is so nice & a killer deal. I'm going to order one as I'd be paying double that price in the US. Even the steel Brunton trailer is nearly $1,000 more with a single solid axle & seems bit long (a 14' deck for a car with a 7.3' wheel base seems a bit much) He is very charming and a pleasure to talk to and full of knowledge. I do plan to stop by and say hi if he is up to it. He has been quite unwell lately & is battling Pancreatic cancer. He seems to have a great attitude about it all. Edited June 9, 2015 by bigdog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scannon Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 Sorry to hear about David's medical problems. Say hello and wish him well for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtminehart Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 (edited) I have the Brunton trailer for my Stalker and it works pretty well. The thing I love is the tilt deck feature. When I was using U-Hauls or borrowing regular trailers, I had trouble clearing the peak where the ramps meet the deck. Since my car is so low with the 13" race wheels/tires, the oil pan would hit the cross bar on the back of the deck if I just tried to drive it straight on. It was a pain-I had to use a precarious collection of 2x8's on the ramps and decks to get it to clear. Or just use the big 17" street wheels and get more ground clearance and change to the race tires at the event- but that's just more work! . With the tilt deck, you just drive right on (as long as you don't have a super low front splitter). I don't think you would want to go any shorter than 14' for a tilt deck because the angle then increases more. They built mine as a custom trailer with a full enclosed top and it is still under 1000 lbs. Edited June 9, 2015 by jtminehart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdog Posted June 9, 2015 Author Share Posted June 9, 2015 I have the Brunton trailer for my Stalker and it works pretty well. The thing I love is the tilt deck feature. When I was using U-Hauls or borrowing regular trailers, I had trouble clearing the peak where the ramps meet the deck. Since my car is so low with the 13" race wheels/tires, the oil pan would hit the cross bar on the back of the deck if I just tried to drive it straight on. It was a pain-I had to use a precarious collection of 2x8's on the ramps and decks to get it to clear. Or just use the big 17" street wheels and get more ground clearance and change to the race tires at the event- but that's just more work! . With the tilt deck, you just drive right on (as long as you don't have a super low front splitter). I don't think you would want to go any shorter than 14' for a tilt deck because the angle then increases more. They built mine as a custom trailer with a full enclosed top and it is still under 1000 lbs. Mr. Peck in Canada has no issues loading onto that trailer, The trailer has 10" wheels and 6Ft. ramps. That 7 looks pretty low slung as well I agree that the Brunton trailer is nice and very user friendly. But I want the ability to house my trailer in the garage without blocking my ability to get around it. The big trailer (relative to the 7) in my eyes sort of defeats the very idea of small that is the 7. Then there is the price of the Brunton. $3,500 for the no frills steel (rust prone) single axle, no suspension trailer? Brunton sure is proud of that thing. Way, Way over priced for what one gets. For $3,500 that brunton trailer should be made of aluminum & have dual axles with suspension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rx7locost Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 (edited) For less than 1/3 those costs, you can build your own to your own specs. If you have a welder and some time. I converted an old pop-up trailer to a dedicated Seven hauler. New tires/wheels and new hubs w/electric brakes. Total cost including trailer, title and registration was less than $1000 after $78 in reclaimed aluminum and other metals. If you can build a Seven you can build a trailer to your requirements. P.S. the pics were taken before the fenders were put made. Edited June 10, 2015 by rx7locost Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtminehart Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 Didn't realize it had 10" wheels. That should help a lot with the angle getting on the trailer. At the $2900, that aluminum trailer does seem like a great value. When I was trailer shopping for "car haulers" I couldn't even find a POS rusted out trailer for less then $1200. All the smaller Aluminum trailers I was looking at were like $5000-6000, but I was specifically looking for tilt bed after all the trouble I had with regular sized car haulers. As a side note, I think the Brunton design does include suspension, now- mine does- I think they need to update their website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdog Posted June 10, 2015 Author Share Posted June 10, 2015 Didn't realize it had 10" wheels. That should help a lot with the angle getting on the trailer. At the $2900, that aluminum trailer does seem like a great value. When I was trailer shopping for "car haulers" I couldn't even find a POS rusted out trailer for less then $1200. All the smaller Aluminum trailers I was looking at were like $5000-6000, but I was specifically looking for tilt bed after all the trouble I had with regular sized car haulers. As a side note, I think the Brunton design does include suspension, now- mine does- I think they need to update their website. That's interesting about the (possible) Brunton suspension update. (Anorak on) Note to those that have business web sites. If you can't be bothered to update them, Then you shouldn't even have a web site. An out of date or erroneous web page simply shows that you have a severe lack of initiative & reflects very poorly on your business. (Anorak off) Hard to beat the $2,900 cost of admission for the Express trailer. Another big factor is that along with the great price, It's an easy drive from Walla Walla to Vancouver Island to effect delivery & it's really a nice place to visit as well. So we would simply make a holiday of it & hopefully get to visit with the ever charming & entertaining Mr. Peck and chat about 7's as well as some of his racing exploits. Win, Win as far as I'm concerned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcarguy Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 I have the Brunton trailer for my Stalker and it works pretty well. The thing I love is the tilt deck feature. When I was using U-Hauls or borrowing regular trailers, I had trouble clearing the peak where the ramps meet the deck. Since my car is so low with the 13" race wheels/tires, the oil pan would hit the cross bar on the back of the deck if I just tried to drive it straight on. It was a pain-I had to use a precarious collection of 2x8's on the ramps and decks to get it to clear. Or just use the big 17" street wheels and get more ground clearance and change to the race tires at the event- but that's just more work! . With the tilt deck, you just drive right on (as long as you don't have a super low front splitter). I don't think you would want to go any shorter than 14' for a tilt deck because the angle then increases more. They built mine as a custom trailer with a full enclosed top and it is still under 1000 lbs. Jason, Thanks for the update on the trailer. I'll touch base with Mario about the trailer portion of the new 2015 web site; I believe he's helping Scott a bit in these areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucky dawg Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 If you'll be coming through the Seattle area on your way up, give a little advance warning and some of us can try to get together wIth you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdog Posted June 11, 2015 Author Share Posted June 11, 2015 lucky dawg, That would be great. I like the Seattle area & would love to meet up & maybe even take in a Mariners game if they are in town. My father 'RIP' lived in Bremerton, So I know the area pretty well (at least the Kitsap side). Express trailers said it will be the 2nd or 3rd week of July for a get well date on the build. I will be going up north in the SUV & pulling an empty trailer back south. I did check into renting a u-haul auto transport to take the 7 along. But that pig of a trailer (2500lbs empty) and my 7 would max out my tow vehicle (Mercedes GLK-250 diesel) and then there was the cost, even though I would pay only $119 to Everett. If I were to haul the U-haul trailer into Canada and drop it on the island, U-haul wanted an extra $400. Yikes!!!! Thanks but no thanks. I was rather unpleasantly surprised that Canada did away with the GST/HST refund for non-residents making big purchases like mine. But thankfully Washington DOL said that they will credit the Canadian GST towards any tax due in Washington. I was quite shocked that the money hungry folks in Olympia would allow that. So that was a nice surprise. :hurray: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucky dawg Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Big dog - That timing should work for me. Please keep in contact when you get your dates finalized. I am in the Kirkland/Bellevue area, not too far from Beachman Racing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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