Road Trailer loading for a 16 to 18ft I/B motor boat , But unshure

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Capt Popeye

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Thinking of Buying a Road Trailer for a 16 to 18ft Motor Boat with Inboard Engine but uncertain of max loading on thge suspension : So any advice please as to Load Bearing capacity required : This Inboard Motor Boat is not a satndard boat so cannot find out the boat weight etc : Have seen Motor Cruisers , mainly O/B ones on what appear to be quite lightweight trailers , but certainly do not want a Traier failure to happen to me

Thank you CP

NB Loading on the Trailer independent suspension appears to be available in loadings of 350 , 550 , ???
 
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fisherman

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An open wood boat with inboard could be anything from 500 kg to a ton or more, but we can only make educated guesses, and then you can find suspension units to cover it. The whole thing will be over 750kg, so you will need a braked trailer, I'm 95% sure, and it's not just failure if over loaded, it's possible prosecution and no insurance. Also the towing capacity of your car is important, google for it.
Pics would help.....
 
penfold

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fisherman said:
An open wood boat with inboard could be anything from 500 kg to a ton or more, but we can only make educated guesses, and then you can find suspension units to cover it. The whole thing will be over 750kg, so you will need a braked trailer, I'm 95% sure, and it's not just failure if over loaded, it's possible prosecution and no insurance. Also the towing capacity of your car is important, google for it.
Pics would help.....
Click to expand...
Only if you get caught; when was the last time you saw a traffic policeman not on a motorway or attending an RTA? I've not seen one in years.
 
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jaminb

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My 21ft drascombe longboat and trailer is on the limit of the 750kg limit. so much so I put the outboard, anchor and chain and rudder in the passenger footwell of the van.
 
ChromeDome

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Can you get it to a weight bridge (on a (hired) trailer) to get the actual weight)?

You may have to factor point of gravity in also, to ensure proper load on the tow ball

I think the highest trailer GW on one axle is 1800 kg.

Edit: When looking at trailers you select the load capacity, then the fitted axle will be right for the GW with a certain over-capacity to cope with whatever stress roads/potholes/speed bumps will bring.
 
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Capt Popeye

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northwind said:
What HP is the engine, Petrol or Diesel, cabin or open boat? Plaining or displacement?
Click to expand...

Ah yes thank you , its all in the details , eh ?

Volvo Penta about 24hp , Diesel , open boat made from GRP , no cabin or cuddy but wooden boards

The Road Trailer that I am considering is a 16ft bed , four wheels , NO brakes , refurbished by a pro , extra heavy trailer frame , galvanised steel rudder on a tiller

Maybe I cannot use this Trailer , I do not know , can I ?

Towing Car a suzuki Vitaria 4x4 with a 2L petrol engine

So what hope have I ? please CP

Other than Praying ?

Might add , that many years ago , when the Chidren were babies plus we had a big Dog I towed a 16ft Caravan to and around Wales with a Lada car , thought at the time that the Lada was quite a heavy car , but lacked Horse Power
 
penfold

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fisherman said:
Yeah....take a chance...
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Given the govt has largely abandoned policing the roads people ought to make decisions for themselves, based on risk as much as what the govt have decided; a vehicle's towing capacity is ideally looked up in the handbook or can be worked out from the figures found on the VIN plate, no need to risk finding some 'fact' online which is nothing better than rumour.
Capt Popeye said:
Ah yes thank you , its all in the details , eh ?

Volvo Penta about 24hp , Diesel , open boat made from GRP , no cabin or cuddy but wooden boards

The Road Trailer that I am considering is a 16ft bed , four wheels , NO brakes , refurbished by a pro , extra heavy trailer frame , galvanised steel rudder on a tiller

Maybe I cannot use this Trailer , I do not know , can I ?

Towing Car a suzuki Vitaria 4x4 with a 2L petrol engine

So what hope have I ? please CP

Other than Praying ?

Might add , that many years ago , when the Chidren were babies plus we had a big Dog I towed a 16ft Caravan to and around Wales with a Lada car , thought at the time that the Lada was quite a heavy car , but lacked Horse Power
Click to expand...
Boat is unlikely to weigh much less than a tonne, but I suppose it could be a very lightweight build. 4 wheel trailers have to have brakes in the UK, not roadworthy without and only of use as a yard trailer or launching trolley.
 
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ylop

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penfold said:
Only if you get caught; when was the last time you saw a traffic policeman not on a motorway or attending an RTA? I've not seen one in years.
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If you are the RTA though, they will throw the book at you. If, you were to be especially unlucky and kill someone I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they searched your internet history and saw the questions so knew you were potentially a dangerous load! If the OP is not that familiar with towing and it’s even a marginal trailer it’s probably more likely he does end up in an RTA with a cop looking at stuff (and as ordinary cops don’t usually understand towing limits, they will phone a friend even for a minor bump if it looks dodgy).

Capt Popeye said:
The Road Trailer that I am considering is a 16ft bed , four wheels , NO brakes , refurbished by a pro , extra heavy trailer frame , galvanised steel rudder on a tiller

Maybe I cannot use this Trailer , I do not know , can I ?
Click to expand...

Maximum weight for an unbraked trailer in the U.K. is 750 kg. (That’s the trailer plus its load, and assumed the car is rated to tow that). Given you were worried about the axels on a 4 wheel trailer I assume you thought the load was over 750kg, so no way it will be legal.

Unusual to have 4 wheels but no brakes, which suggests someone may have disconnected them - and could cause you headaches. If they have, any weight limits marked on the trailer (unless it’s ancient it should have a plate) is going to be plainly wrong.
 
penfold

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It's all about the individual's tolerance of risk; what might be a reasonable risk towing a few miles between a boatyard and home at 30mph becomes unreasonable over longer distances on faster roads.
 
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ylop

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penfold said:
It's all about the individual's tolerance of risk; what might be a reasonable risk towing a few miles between a boatyard and home at 30mph becomes unreasonable over longer distances on faster roads.
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and the state of the trailer and quality of those local roads - many a rusty old trailer has come a cropper on a short trip and if you manage to block a road the boys in blue will become aware. It’s your driving licence, or if the worst were to happen, your liberty though if you are confident in your abilities and the trailer.

If you can get the boat onto a trailer in a boatyard there is a (convoluted) method to measure it’s weight with a set of bathroom scales, moving the boat back and forth on the trailer and some maths. I think it was covered in a Dick Everett sketchbook in PBO years ago - presumably details on line somewhere.
 
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As said the lack of brakes will make the trailer illegal. However no one has mentioned the tires. They need top have a suitable load rating and be reasonably new. Tire failure would be a likely cause of breakdown etc. ol'will
 
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Capt Popeye

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Well just might mention , that I hired a Car Transporter trailer to carry my Boat and trailer on top when the Boat Trailer axle snapped off with my boat on top : rather like a pancake or burger bun

Anyways managed to launch my 4m boat and outboard from the Car Transporter whilst the boat trailer was still attatched to the Transporter , but leaving the Boat Trailer attatched : a bit of a drop , but controlled by the Transporter winch

Phew do not want to do that again , ever

Guess I should abandon the buying of the 4 wheel unbraked trailer plus get a bigger towing car ; thanks for all the info and guidence provided me CP
 
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