Trailer advice - towing 25' twin keeler

[MorrowinD]

Car was on it's wheels when I last checked

My Sunspot is going to live on the trailer and I didn't plan to jack her up. Wheels are chocked and jockey wheel fully extended but I will give it some thought...

Thanks for the replies.

 

[grumpy_o_g]

DfT website says 7m length for a vehicle <3500kg GVW, 12m for >3500kg

What you did 10 years ago with a glider is not relevant to the OP's current question about a boat trailer, unless you feel that a valid defence in court would be that, "Uzbeekikan said 34 ft is allowed"

The DfT site is a summary though, or just plain wrong, whichever you prefer. The BGA's Laws & Rules Trailers Supplement is freely available and not hidden behind a "members only" link - unlike the RYA website seems too a lot of the time.

Trailer law is now so complicated it's farcical.

 

[Csail]

Not the answer to the question but i recently got pulled (along with other towers) on the M4 and they weigh it,check all sorts etc.

 

[aquaplane]

Hi.

Can I ask, is the jacking up and taking the weight off the wheels advice relevant to a 450Kg Bilge Keel on a trailer ?

Thanks.

You don't have to. As others have pointed out, no one jacks their car up every night do they. Your boat doesn't weigh much either, it may not be an issue.

But then, the car moves most days and the flat bit at the bottom of the tyre is different each night. Folks laying up a car long term take the wheels off though.

 

[Ubergeekian]

DfT website says 7m length for a vehicle <3500kg GVW, 12m for >3500kg

Are you going by the summary here?

What you did 10 years ago with a glider is not relevant to the OP's current question about a boat trailer, unless you feel that a valid defence in court would be that, "Uzbeekikan said 34 ft is allowed"

Or he could say to anyone who asks "I followed up a helpful posting on the net and found the regulations relating to abnormal and indivisible roads, as specified in the Road Vehicle (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 (as amended)."

With all due respect, Vic, the rules are what the rules are, not what you think they are. Here's another DFT link for you. The OP may perhaps find this useful:

Construction and Use Regulations 1986 apply to loads, which are wide or long but not heavy. Vehicle lengths may reach 27.4 metres and can be carried on specially designed vehicles. Loads up to 30.0 metres long can be moved under STGO. Loads carried on any other type of vehicle or loads in excess of 30.0 metres length can be moved under STGO. Loads carried on any other type of vehicle or loads in excess of 30.0 metres require a Special Order.

Widths above 2.9 metres but less than 4.3 metres are permitted by the Construction and Use Regulations.

In short: the situation is not as simple as many people think, and there are significant exemptions which make moving large things around by road easier than is often thought.

By the way, if you'd like the 2010 summary of the laws and regulations governing gliding trailers, you can get it from the BGA here.

 

[mainmarine]

You can hire a 4x4 here: http://www.shb.co.uk/ much cheaper than buying and running one just to tow your boat twice a year.

 

[Ubergeekian]

You can hire a 4x4 here: http://www.shb.co.uk/ much cheaper than buying and running one just to tow your boat twice a year.

I've found it much easier to hire a van with a towbar than a car. Might be worth investigating. Check your licence entitlements carefully, 'cos it's a baffling minefield.

 

[mainmarine]

I've found it much easier to hire a van with a towbar than a car. Might be worth investigating. Check your licence entitlements carefully, 'cos it's a baffling minefield.

I hired a Land Rover short wheelbase van from SHB to tow my boat down to Plymouth from Derby, on a one way hire, dropped off the van at Exeter, they seem very flexible. No connection with them, only as satisfied customer. They were very understanding when someone's car hit the back of the boat on the trailer, on the M5 on the way down, bending the tow ball on the back of the van 45 degrees, I think the driver of the car had nodded off.