Chris 771 and Towing

[Guest]

Did you by any chance tow your shiny new SBS trailer with very fetching blue bunks through St Helens on Friday ?

If it was you did you realise that Polar Fox was missing from it or was it "borrowed" while traveling through one of the darker sections of this fair town ?

 

[Chris771]

Yes Mark I did, the M6 was gridlocked at Thelwall Viaduct, and smart arse thought he would come off at 19 and go through Stockton Heath and Warrington then the A570 through St Helens and home Ormskirkwards.

However....Stockton Heath was also gridlocked as everyone else must have had the same idea.

This is the new trailer for Arctic Fox (Polar Fox is still on the Indespension rollercoaster at Peely Weely, though I am taking her back to Banger on Monday). I did not really appreciate till I parked it alongside the house, it is bl**dy enormous isn't it. I think I have finally reached the absolute limit on what I can tow myself.

Wish somebody would buy Polar Fox. Don't want a new boat do you? I am getting fed up with two boats and no money. :-((

Next stage is that I have to sail Arctic Fox back to Bangor, then get train home to collect 4WD plus trailer so it can be craned onto it and the bunks set up. Plan A was to get the trailer before the boat, but such things never go according to plan. So I sailed the boat back to Preston to be in place for the Ribble Link Navigation opening, and now I have to sail it back to unite it with trailer.

If you fancy a sail from Preston to Bangor in about a week you are welcome.
Where did you spot me then? Unlike David E at least you saw me passing!
Chris

www.impact-computers.net/boat/cruiser.htm

 

[lanason]

How long is your trailer and what is it rated to carry.

The Trailer on Kelisha is a 2001 BeeLine, made in Pembrokeshire and is 8 meters long + another 1m for the extending bit that carries the lighting board out pass the outdrive. She is rated at 3500 kg and has a PIN tow hitch. It has 4 wheels 195's - found it difficult to get a wheel lock to fit. Its built like a brick s**t house and Cost £3500. All I need now is a 4x4 to tow it !!!.

Adrian

I got a new Job !!!!!!

 

[Guest]

I was sat at the lights at Windle Island (Why do they call it that, theres no water and it aint an Island !!) as you crossed the 580 going into the roadworks on the Rainford By Pass.

There was a couple in a car next to me with there windows down there comment about you was "Thats f$&*;"$ Big !!

I'm getting ready to go to Menorca at the moment and every time I cross a job off the todo list another one pops up. But if you want abit of company or help send me a PM to let me know when you are thinking of going.

The trailer looked great by the way, do you have the same problem towing empty that I do? The nose weight is either massive or nothing depending on where I position the adjustable tow hitch.

 

[Guest]

Mark..I've recently bought an SBS trailer to tow my Cruisers 224. Bought the big 'un (3000B)..it is bloody big an' all!!
Had same nose weight prob. With boat on, nose weight was 133kg!! Discovery was sitting up like a begging dog!
Live reasonably near SBS, so dragged trailer over to them so that they can bring the axles forward 12". You couldn't actually lift the nose as it was! Doing it as I speak. Will let you all know the difference..hope it's alot, 'cos we're dragging her off to Plymouth next Monday!!
Max

 

[Guest]

The trailers balanced perfectly with the boat on, its just that without the boat its a nightmare.Its even worse with my new Discovery, the old one had suspension air bags to manually stiffen the springs but the new one has got active suspension so I cant fit the airbags. The back end sits very low and virtually lifts the front of the ground. If I drop the hitch one notch then I get negative weight on the tow hitch. Luckily I rarely tow the trailer with out the boat so I guess I will just have to live with it.

I am going down to Surrey tommorow to pick up my brothers new 3500kg Van de Graff trailer, I wonder how that will tow back (No boat)

 

[Chris771]

Adrian,

Sorry to take so long to answer, I went to Dublin for the weekend to do a spot check on the quality of Guinness. I'm sure that you will be relieved to know it is just fine.

Monday I set off from Holyhead to Peely Wheely and brought Polar Fox back to Bangor and gave her a valeting before putting her on display there.

Today I finally had time at home to go and measure the trailer to answer your question.

Basically, as Mark said it is *!King enormous, makes PFs Indespension Roller Coaster 7 look like a baby. It is 8.5 metres long without the lighting board extensions (just to back of frame) and rated to 3500Kgs. It is on a 50mm ball hitch on the largest Allen Bradley Hydratow doublelock Towhitch. I also had difficulty in getting a Denver Boot too. Looked at all the cheap ones in SBS shop, then had to settle for the £115 version as that was the only one to fit the big tyres.

As it has the extended rear frame for the Antares it is not too nose heavy when empty, probably about 70 Kg.

It will be interesting to see how it sits when it gets Arctic Fox on board, and even more interesting to see what gear I get down to on the big hill east of Colwyn Bay on the A55. I am hoping 2nd will do it, but will not be surprised if I grind up it in 1st with 3 tonnes behind.

For Mark: I imagine that I will be sailing across to Anglesey next Tuesday or Wednesday if the weather looks OK. I am back to Malabo the following Tuesday and Dickies need to finish a few jobs which were supposed to be pre-delivery before I take her home.

Chris

www.impact-computers.net/boat/cruiser.htm