Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

As long as you have good pads, the roadster should stop just fine with the trailer. Remember all roadsters have big brakes to start with. A 2000 Nissan Maxima has the same size front rotors as a roadster, but only single piston brakes, we have 2 piston ones. The drum brakes have a good size surface area as well.

Will

In the U.S. we like to have about 10% of the towed weight as tongue weight. Europe goes for 5%. So for a 500lb trailer, somewhere between 25 and 50lbs would be considered ideal. Also, with a '72 510 wagon, I once towed a Bugeye Sprite on a trailer with too light a tongue weight. NO NO NO NO!!!!

(looking back on it) It was funny to see cars dropping back as the trailer fishtailed on the freeway. My friend following us thought, more than once, that we were going to lose it. I learned to slow down gradually going up hills, then gently accelerate down the hills.

So, too much tongue weight and the steering goes real light and sloppy, too little and the trailer develops a case of straight-line oversteer and wants to race the tow vehicle.

At least we're body-on-frame cars, so a hitch attached to the frame should give the strength needed. BTW, I've never seen a Roadster pulling anything before. (except lateral G's) One other thing, while the flip-up license plate sounds good, the CHP might not like no visible plate. Food for thought. Hmm. Maybe the plate on a pair of parallel arms so it moves up out of the way, but is still visible....

What I liked most about the receiver hitch is that it would be mounted where no permanent modifications had to be made to the Roadster. If it was designed right, you could put it on the car, and when you were done, you could remove it and there would be no evidence of modifications. You can get ball mounts that raise or lower the ball to a tremendous number of positions. My father in law had an Olds Delta 88 that I put a receiver hitch on. It was fairly low as well, but the ball mount brought the ball to a normal level.

Besides, with the ball mount that low, you could tow a lowrider trailer! ( think of that back half of a Roadster with comp springs bringing it down into the weeds!)

That's too funny. Those must have been from some kind of kit, because I bought a 72 510 that had the same setup. Wimpy strap to the bumper and big brackets to the underside.
TR
PS: I jumped on it after banging my shin on it, and it fell off...

Thanks for the pics Mark

Lets see if I can decipher this. Perspective is always hard once gone 1 dimensional. So, as I look at the last picture, I see the bracket that the ball is mounted to, and it bolts to another bracket. It looks as if this brackets then goes towards the front of the car and under the gas tank, and then to what? I look at my car, and I don't see anything between the gas tank and the differential to bolt to. Also, that bracket that ball is mounted on, it looks like that is welded the rear frame cross member, assuming that is the rear frame cross member that your backup light is mounted to. Am I seeing all this correctly?

Thanks, Joe

No insult intended to the hitch or it's owner, but I think this hitch is meant for a really light towing because it appears to be designed for a limited tongue gerth.

TR might be right that this hitch might bust off if you stand on it.

I couldn't get around to getting the photos Saturday. I will be able snap the phots to tonight.

I can't imagine heavy towing either.

I sent the photos to Steve, so when Steve gets around to it after what "honey do's" he may already have they will be up.

They way mine is it won't fall off with a heavy tongu but will put a kink in the bumper with any hard left to right jolting.

I think I will opt to replace all the bolts and nuts with stainless steel later befoer I every really use it.

You know there is this ultra light camper trailer I have been eye-balling for some time it even has an optional attached Den. Here is the link. http://www.trailmasterinc.com/

Here are the pictures Minh sent of his trailer hitch.

http://www.311s.org/PublicPics/hitch1.jpg
http://www.311s.org/PublicPics/hitch2.jpg
http://www.311s.org/PublicPics/hitch3.jpg


Steve[/img]

I just looked at the photos from Minh. That is similar to the one that I sold on Ebay a few weeks ago. I did not write it down, but if I recall correctly, it is only rated for 2-300lbs total weight with a tongue weight of about 50lbs. I have seen a few deformed Roadster bumpers from that type hitch. Remember that the bumper is a glorified piece of trim and it is pretty easy to bend. The hitch that I sold was made by Draw Tite, so they may still be available if you want to do all that drilling...

Given a choice between the bumper bolted version and the spider version that Mark has, I would pick Marks. It looks weird, but from what I saw of it when I helped load the trailer, it is pretty solid. Plus it does not rely on the bumper for anything.

I still think that a receiver hitch is the way to go. One day, one day...

If anyone wants to do the fabbing, I can come up with the dimensions...

Thanks Sid for that info,..

It's good to get more details of I got here.

Now for the bumper,.. You'r right about the bumber being jsut trim metal. However, you have to admit it does give a little more oompf to the center section of the bumber for the shear bumping purposes.

My roadster had a trailer hitch on it when I bought it in 1974. When the restore work was done in '97 we left it off, since we had never had a reason to use it. I don't know if I still have it in my barrel o' parts or not.