Typical towing weight

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catalac08

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Daughter has asked me about towing a 19ft twin keel boat on a trailer from Scotland to Wales. The boat is of unknown make (at present) and I wondered what the approximate all up (boat +2 wheel trailer) may be expected to be for legal and safety towing reasons. I do not know if the trailer has overun brakes but I will assume it has at this stage.
If ball park figures are far beyond my car's towing capability then I will tell her to forget it but if it is a possibility for me to tow she may be able to find more info.
Any ideas on boat weight, trailer weight etc? I think the boat is pretty old, GRP with mast etc with a minimum lake type sailing level of inventory. The boat is free to her from a relative so she is keen to have it if I can do it.
 
19ft bilge keeler + trailer is likely to be around a ton. Could be a little less, could be rather more.

Mine is just a tiny bit under a ton .......... I hope ;)


NTTA website useful for info on the legal aspects http://ntta.co.uk/


Pretty sure you'll need brakes but above site will tell you all the details . Id not like to tow a ton behind a car without !

I tow mine with a Volvo estate car... Id not like to tow it with any thing lighter
 
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The only 'laws' that are applicable are the licensing laws, the allowable dimensions and that the total weight of everything (towing vehicle, driver, passenger, trailer and boat with it's contents) mustn't exceed the Gross Train Weight (or what ever it's called these days), that will be plated on the tow vehicle.

So a racing Sonata on a trailer (just under 2 tons) could be towed behind a average saloon car (IIRC Mondeo ?) but only with the driver, and even the outboard and sails had to go in another car with the crew to keep the GTW within limits.

The police check this by getting you to follow them to a weighbridge and if the all up weight is under the plated weight, then you're good to go.

After that there's lots of detail which are a bit vague, plus loads and loads of 'recommendations' from people like the caravan club and RAC, which are almost impossible to comply with when towing boats of that size.

Finally your insurance company will have a say about what they are happy to see you do. They may insist that the tow bar and fixing to the car is within design specs, etc, etc. You really need to take heed of these. You also need to be clear who is insuring what - third party damage caused by the boat falling off the trailer might be on the cars insurance, but damage to the boat certainly won't be. That's usually covered (if at all) by the boats insurers.

But above all - take care. Make sure the brakes really do work and the trailer tyres and bearing are in good condition. When the trailed load is equal or even heavier than the tow vehicle, it's really easy for the tail to wag the dog.
 
Thanks for info and reminders, car is rated for 1300KG to tow so it may be a possibility particularly if the outboard and other bits can be transported separately. Yes the trailer needs to be braked and the all up weight within the cars rating.
I used to have a 18ft trailer sailor many years ago and I was always impressed how well it towed compared to a caravan ie wind affected it far less. Something to do with care and take plenty of time!
 
Katie L

Katie L weighs 1067kg empty - she is 23 foot long

so with any luck your 19 footer is unlikely to be much heavier

I reckon the trailer weighs less than half a tonne

the other thing you can do is to rent a van

I get one for £40 for 24 hours

yours would be a 48 hour rental unless you were really well organsied

if it were my daughter buying a boat I would do everything to help

unless she is married to a completely feckless eejit

Dylan

http://www.keepturningleft.co.uk/galleries/katie-l-images-for-pbo/
 
I think this is the current ministry brochure for towing regs:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/repository/Quick guide to towing small trailers.pdf

In the car V5 it gives the maximum tow load, but this is not mentioned in this guide. It just mentions the four plated weights as TimBennet said.

I towed a Manta 19 which weighed under a ton, but beware boats like the old Hurley 18 were much heavier than this.
 
Without brakes the Gross Trailer Weight (load and trailer) is limited to 750kgs by law.
It may just creep in under that but I doubt it. My Seahawk 17 and trailer was just 1000Kgs with the outboard etc.
However if you car has a GTW of 1300kgs you will undoubtedly find that the Unbraked limit is lower than 750Kgs. It should be marked on your V5.

All the rubbish spouted by the Caravan Club etc is rubbish The 85% figure they give has no relevance in law, The regulations actually state there is no connection between vehicle weight and trailer weight.
The only relevant issues are what the manufacturer has declared to be the maximum weights and the actual weight of the trailer/load.
If the police don't think you are within the limits they will take you to a weighbridge. (there is an issue with plated trailer maximum weights as well, but that is a bit of a grey area.)

I would say if you find there are no brakes on the trailer you need to hire a car trailer to load it all on. But then you own car won't have the capacity to pull that lot.
Also with the trailer that far away you could find when you get there it has no mudguards (illegal) or the tyres are cracked or bearings shot.
If your route is mainly motorway (M6) you are risking quite a lot.
If you are towing illegally, your insurance will be void.

I keep being told by people with trailers that they have towed 1000s of miles without being stopped. Perhaps so. But the police (especially in Cumbria) are hot on cars and trailers at the moment.
 
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Just a word of caution, although the maximum weight of unbraked trailer that the law allows is 750kg, it could be less depending on the tow car. Some can only tow an unbraked trailer of (say) 500kg. Depending on how old your car is, the definitive answer will be on it's EC Certificate of Conformity. Failing that, the handbook.

For what it's worth, I seem to remember our Leisure 17 (with trailer) weighed about 1100kg and our Evolution 22 weighed about 1300kg. If your car was registered after about 1996, it will need to have an "e-marked" tow bar that's been type approved for the vehicle.
 
Towing a boat

I can't comment on legalities or wisdom of bending the laws.
What you do need to do is dismantle the bearings and check and regrease before the trip.
You should also examine the tires. They will be well stressed by the trip and tires tend to have a finite calender life before rubber breaks down. So more than 20 years old it is probably worth buying new heavy duty tires. Check the brakes for operation. Especially that they don't tend to stay on after use.
Also check that you have lots of draw bar weight. It should take 2 strong men to lift the draw bar. ie at least 100kg load on the draw bar. Move the boat or move the axle to get this balance. Providing the structure of the trailer is sound and the car is OK you should make it OK if cops don't bother you. Drive slow drive carefully.
Obviously this is not a quick pick up trip. good luck olewill
 
I agree with William.

Check and grease the wheel bearings. Be prepared to replace them if they are rough. You do not want them failing on a long motorway journey.

Check the operation of the braking system and lubricate as appropriate.

Tyres ( not tires, William) tend to deteriorate if left standing for long periods so check for cracks in the side walls and in the treads ( I don't often use my trailer but every time I do it seems to need new tyres).
IMO it is false economy to buy cheap tyres if you will be using it regularly. Buy a good brand and they will last while while cheapies fall to pieces.

100kg sounds a lot for the nose weight!

Make sure the boat is securely lashed down so that it wont move. Backwards forwards or sideways. I had mine slew sideways at the bow once when I went round a roundabout too quickly!
 
Avocet said:
Just a word of caution, although the maximum weight of unbraked trailer that the law allows is 750kg, it could be less depending on the tow car. Some can only tow an unbraked trailer of (say) 500kg. Depending on how old your car is, the definitive answer will be on it's EC Certificate of Conformity. Failing that, the handbook.
Click to expand...
The only real indication may be the V5. My car has it there but all other sources give a wide variety of figures. I asked Suzuki for the definitive answer.
As I said before
However if you car has a GTW of 1300kgs you will undoubtedly find that the Unbraked limit is lower than 750Kgs. It should be marked on your V5.
Click to expand...
 
100kg sounds a lot for the nose weight!
Click to expand...

Certainly is! And remember calculating nose weight is totally different with a tandem wheeled trailer. You shouldn't really tow these unless your hitch has the facility to be adjusted up and down.
 
Oh yes. I read that as 100lbs.
With regard to adjustable height couplings, the e-marking situation usually means that only a 4x4 can legally have an adjustable coupling height, unless you particular car has an homologated one available.
Also a lot of older close-coupled trailers only have the brakes on the front pair of wheels which is not legal now. I haven't worked out if that new regulation is backwards enforceable.

If you go to a trailer maker or engineer and ask the relevant questions they will be very keen to bring your trailer up to the latest (31st Oct) regs. This may cost you a lot of money but only actually is applicable to new trailers. So beware.
 
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Tow ball load

Our local RAC put up this set of advice re towing.
http://rac.com.au/Motoring/Motoring-advice/About-my-car/Towing-a-load.aspx
The PDF (downloads Caravan and rec vehicle towing guide) clearly indicates 10% of total trailer mass as the desirable down load. hence the 100Kilograms suggested. A little less might be OK if the car is dropping too low at the back but too little can induce the sways especially when decellerating. I certainly run my trailer at around 100kg down load for 1.2 tonne total. olewill
 
William_H said:
Our local RAC put up this set of advice re towing.
http://rac.com.au/Motoring/Motoring-advice/About-my-car/Towing-a-load.aspx
The PDF (downloads Caravan and rec vehicle towing guide) clearly indicates 10% of total trailer mass as the desirable down load. hence the 100Kilograms suggested. A little less might be OK if the car is dropping too low at the back but too little can induce the sways especially when decellerating. I certainly run my trailer at around 100kg down load for 1.2 tonne total. olewill
Click to expand...

Having expressed my surprise ( I thought it was 100lbs!) I have looked into this a little.
I am finding recommendations of 5 to 7% with the proviso of course that it should not exceed the maximum the manufacturer specifies for the car or the towbar.
 
Trailers are funny things! I had an Etap 22i which I towed thousands of miles. Behind company cars, Peugeot 406, Renault Laguna 1 and 2, all estates, I had no problems. I towed it at up to 80mph with no problem. Later I used a large Mercedes Sprinter van and the trailer was all over the road at anything over 55mph.
I have towed many of trailers and the key is looking after the hubs and bearings. If you have a long journey with an unknown trailer it is worth fitting new bearings before you leave. Get details of the trailer from the vendor and you can find out which bearings to fit. Stopping on the way to check if the bearings are not too hot is a good idea.
From memory, the Etap weighed 1050kg and was legal to be towed behind all the vehicles I used. I checked it on the company weighbridge but can't remember the details. Check your licence, things have changed recently. I believe DVLA INF30 gives the details.
Allan
 
The laws as far as I know are:
Driver must be licensed to tow above 750kg
Must not exceed plated GTW of the car
Must not exceed towbar weight limit
No overhangs > 1m rear of trailer
Lighting board (which must work) at rear of tow not rear of trailer
Mudguards both wheels
Legal tyres
Breakaway fixing to activate brakes
Appropriate insurance for car to tow and insurance for boat to be towed
Load (or any part of it) must not fall off whilst being towed

These are all in addition to whether the probably rusty trailer with carp tyres and fooked brakes is up to the job......:D


Unless its a very lightweight boat I would expect the boat + trailer to weigh 1 tonne ish.
 
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