Towing your boat

danfoley

danfoley

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 Sep 2006
Messages
1,020
Location
London
www.ybw.com
Hi all, we've been running a sponsored towing guide site for a month now but haven't got much in the way of questions from boat users. Does anyone have any burning questions they'd like to have answered (about towing your boat /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )?

If so, please post them here and our resident experts will answer!

Thanks,
Dan
 
I have a 1.6 tonne motor-sailer, 11ft OA, 4ft beam, and want to get it from Chertsey to Plymouth. I wonder what guidance your panel of experts can give in selection of a trailer and towcar. Please,
 
Is it a towing guide site? Looks like an ad for Kia Sorrento. That undermines its credibility a bit and made me not want to bother drilling down beyond the homepage.
 
I'll see what I can do sarabande. Jfm, it is sponsored by Kia but the editorial question/answer section is editorially independent so the information will be unbiased in that respect. Appreciate your feedback though.

Thanks,
Dan
 
I use a Kia Sorento to tow my boat, but have found the dealership is useless in fixing all the problems. Now it is out of warranty, they just don't want to know and I still have the issues I had when I first bought the car three years ago.

Can you recommend a decent 4x4 that is not too expensive and has dealers who give a damn? My boat is 1.5 tonne 22 footer.
 
For the trailer you will need one that has a total all up weight capacity equal to the sum of the weights of the boat and the trailer, ie if the boat is 2 tonnes and the trailer .5 tonnes the rated capacity of the trailer must be at least 2.5 tonnes, and I would suggest 3 tonnes gives a bit of spare.

The car also needs to be 'rated' to tow the max all up weight of the rig, and for 3 tonnes for example you are in the land/range rover area. Also you need to be able to make the trailer nose weight fall within the limits set for the car

The caravan club suggest that for comfort the max weight of the two should not be more than 80% of the cars rated capacity, though I do tow right up to the max for the car.

If you are towing any distance an anti snaking device would be sensible though not essential. The best are the ones incorporazted in the trailer hitch but the bolt on type are effective too.

The caravan club web site has lots of valuable and accurate data if you are interested, and they are not trying to sell Kia cars.
 
I would like to cruise to the Channel Islands next week but with the rising cost of fuel and family complaining at poor sea states my plan is to book SWMBO on the 1000 am Condor from Portsmouth and then for her to pass a tow line down to me as we rendezvous in Portsmouth entrance.

My problem is she is not very good with knots...............
 
err, thanks, Dan. I must have got my metric and imperial units mixed up a bit, and also trouble with the decimal point.

The boat is (deep breath)

16 tonnes
11 metres OA
4 metres beam.

This probably takes it out of range for your sponsor. Sorry.
 
Can't fault my Mitsubishi Pajero 2.8 TD. We used to do a lot of towing to the Med with it (Sealine 240) and found the gear ratios to be perfect for the job. Had it from new and have just chalked up 93,000 trouble free miles. Agents seem ok but haven't had any problems to really test them. I've heard that spares are expensive though.
 
I have no intention of changing my car, just very peed off that in three years they were unable to fix the problem with the cruise control that switches itself off every few minutes. Problem has now migrated to the radio/sat nav and the digital clock.

The car is a great tow-er and is definitely more efficient than the dealer.
 
I've had fewer problems than two friends who have Range Rovers. Except, with Land Rover, you get better service when things do go wrong.

The car is good, but I wouldn't buy another Kia, as the dealers are not.
 
I have a Renult traffic van with a tow bar that will just about make it to Plymouth .
Good points ... The brakes are new , taxed and moted

Bad points ... Everything else /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Between myself and my neighbour in the marina we hold 9 major franchises between us ,im sure we could find or recommend something suitable new or used.
 
Not sure I agree, put my boat in behind my 300Tdi Defender and I had to engage low box in reverse and not touch the brake as the car just skidded if i braked.

Pulled it our behind my Range Rover, no problem and felt so much better, just the extra weight of the RR and the Traction Control makes the difference.

I love the Defender by the RR is a better tow car.
 
OK,

I have a 5.5m centre console boat on a two wheel new trailer. Total weight of Kit is 1100kg. I need a tow car, preferably 4x4 to tow it and launch it on most slipways. Therefore need 4x4 and preferably low ratio. Will only be used as tow car and to nip to shops. Total budget £3000. I need it for summer only, will sell in winter so do not want to lose too much. Needs to be reliable as do not want to spend much running it. Fuel consumption is less of an issue as will only do 2000 miles at most!

Help please...and the less 'green' it is the better. I love chunky tonka toy 4x4s.

Paul /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Just the ticket, and cheap to run.

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/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
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