Towing

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I have noticed cars run into each other on the opposite carriageway as they look at me

[/ QUOTE ] well its not every day you see a Pentland towed by a Fiesta
 
Checking to ensure that the weight towed (gross) is within the stated allowable towing weight ( as in the handbook) for the vehicle doing the towing. A bit of a panic about this in the horsey world a while ago. Just becase you it can pull it doesn't make it legal.

edit (don't go there)
 
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I have noticed cars run into each other on the opposite carriageway as they look at me

[/ QUOTE ] well its not every day you see a Pentland towed by a Fiesta

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/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif I don't think that could ever happen! My rig was a Range Rover towing a Westerly 25. However, the W25 is designed to sit on its trailer "stern first". Very good for launching & reduces trailer length, but does look unusual.
 
Don't put your brakes in seawater. If your boat has no bilge keels, shaft drive inboard or other underwater appendages and you have a properly designed modern single axle trailer it should not be necessary. If you can't launch without submerging the brakes - arrange a crane or get a trailer with a piggy back trolley.

The exception is if you have one of the recent fresh water flush direct hose connections - and can guarantee access to a hose to connect it to.
 
My approach to the bearings in water problem is to service the bearings often. As in every trip to the water. Servicing involves removing the hub (with wheel attached) and cleaning regreasing the bearings. The bearings don't mind salt water it is the subsequent rust that kills them so service/ clean them after every dunking.
It is often satisfactory in an emergency to replace the roller bearings part and not the cone (the part that is hard to remove).

It is worth listening for noisy bearings when going slow and checking for overheating after a few miles.

If you are towing at any speed the draw bar weight is vital. It should be at least 10% of total weight for happy tracking. If necessary it is better to have the towing vehicle down at the back with high draw bar load than not having enough draw bar load. If it does go down at the back there are helper springs or inflatable shock absorbers can be fitted. Another device is load leveler bars which effectively lever the back of the car up.
A spare tire should be carried on a hub with good bearings fitted. Use an old car stub axle to hold the spare tire/hub. Tires should be near new and as already said of a suitable load ratring.

There is no substitute for going slowly if you want safety. olewill
 
Good point about rubbernecking,Searush. I was towing James Bond´s `Little Nelly´ to an airshow once and nearly got rammed be a Transit crewbus who didn´t notice we were coming into a round about. Awfull tyre noises, I cringed and looked back to see the rotor blade tapping his screen infront of his white face. Very close!!
Snaking, yes learn about it. We nearly rolled an Atalanta/Austin Champ combo on a French motorway. The fresh driver allowed the speed to creep up beyond the 45mph we deemed safe, realised it and lifted off to quick. The short wheelbase made the Champ prone to it. The resulting snake used up both lanes and the hard shoulder, apart from giving us all brown trousers.
Andrew
 
Join the AA NOT the Rac,
The AA will sort out or relay your trailer but the RAC wont help.
My experience with a wheel bearing.
 
ok - serious suggestion from me this time ....

once you are ready for the off - drive a mile at slow speed (ie not motorway) ... stop and then CHECK the boat & trailer - make sure everything looks ok before heading off on your epic journey ....
 
Put the boat and trailer, with everything that will travel in it, e.g. engine, gas cylinder, battery, fenders, warps anchors etc., etc. on a weighbridge.

Make sure your trailer is rated for the weight it is to carry.

Make sure your vehicle is rated to tow that weight with some margin.

When we bought the Tonic (Just after the trailer related Selby Rail Cash) the trailer (Aqua Ride, Wrexham, now out of business) all up permissable weight was plated as 2000Kgs, the weight of the trailer was a total lie stated as 175 Kgs when in fact it was 450Kgs. I worked out that at that weight it was just about within the train weight of a Renault Espace if I shifted some weight from the boat to the car (battery, fuel, warps, fenders, sails, food, no water) and did tow it to Windermere on a known route O.K.

However a subsequent trip to a weighbridge showed all up the weight was 2250 Kgs. We had to replace the vehicle with 4 X 4 which hugely added to the cost of running the boat.

I would would think twin wheel trailers would weigh 450 Kgs or more.

With reference to the 80%, I am interested as to how this applies to large 4 X 4s.

My Isuzu weighs 2000kgs but is rated to tow 3500Kgs.

Another thing to be very wary of is the turbulence experienced when passing trucks just as the trailer draws level with the front, especially when a 7.5 tonner or Merc Sprinter goes thundering by in the outside lane. Particularly noticable if there is a cross wind, I watch curtain siders and other signs to tell me where the wind is coming from.

I usually stay with the trucks, treat them with courtesy and they usually respond likewise.
 
4x4 are rated higher because they have the low gears needed for hill starts.
On the longer journeys we always carried a spare hub, makes a bearing failure no more work than a wheel change. Esp for the less tech. minded. And got to be cheaper than a call out mechanic.Tho´ you might need a hub puller depending on the bearing set-up
A
 
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4x4 are rated higher because they have the low gears needed for hill starts.

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That's the trouble. Manufacturer's towing weights are based on the ability to re-start on a hill not the safety of the rig in real world traffic. IMHO to think that it is safe to tow three tons at the legal maximum towing speeds on public roads behind a vehicle that weighs less than two tons is absolute madness.
 
Isn't that what articulated lorries do? What does the tractor weigh in relation to the weight and load on the trailer?

I think the rules regarding 4X4s also presume that appropriate brakes are fitted - something better than just simple over-run, I think.
 
Always carry a spare wheel, decent wheel brace, spare bearings, bottle jack, axle stands.

Always let the bearings cool before dunking the trailer.

Load the car not the boat.

Ensure that nose weight is correct.

Make sure tyres are properly inflated.

Check lights before setting out.

Make sure boat is properly secured before setting out / pulling up slip (very embarrasing to drop the boat onto the slip.

Always check the slip in advance of taking the boat there.

Take your time and don't ever rush anything to do with trailers, plan ahead.
 
Erm, re the AA they will relay trailer but it has to be under 23', I think. We once conked out with a 23' boat on a 25' trailer and whilst we and the car went home free, we had to pay for the boat and trailer.
 
Not sure on the length, maybe it depends if the tow it or have to load it on their lorry.


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