Yet another first timer (must trailer)

[jakew009]

I have towed all sorts of crazy things before that were certainly not legal (agricultural upbringing…).

It’s one thing towing something dubious when that’s the sole endeavour.

However, towing a massive boat to a busy slipway on a bank holiday weekend with family and friends in tow is not going to be fun in anyone’s book.

You’re going to want to strip the breaks down almost every outing to be sure of their condition because a wheel bearing going on a twin axle trailer at 3.5t (or more) isn’t fun. A tri axle trailer will put you even more over weight.

I regularly tow a 7.5m rib (live in North Devon).
You need to be as confident going backwards as forwards and have a good wing man/woman because if you meet a bus or similar in a bad place, you can have a very long reverse. I’ve had to reverse the entire length of Appledore sea front after meeting a bus before.

I’ve thought about going bigger but I honestly think a ~8m rib is about as big as I want to be regularly towing.

 

[Mr Googler]

Bunch of lightweights….you really feel the weight with this one ??

 

[madabouttheboat]

Bunch of lightweights….you really feel the weight with this one ??

View attachment 127761View attachment 127763

remind me, how far did you tow it? ??

 

[Mr Googler]

remind me, how far did you tow it? ??

20 ft at least! ??

 

[Bigplumbs]

20 ft at least! ??

That is some quality Slipway there as well

 

[Bigplumbs]

I have towed all sorts of crazy things before that were certainly not legal (agricultural upbringing…).

It’s one thing towing something dubious when that’s the sole endeavour.

However, towing a massive boat to a busy slipway on a bank holiday weekend with family and friends in tow is not going to be fun in anyone’s book.

You’re going to want to strip the breaks down almost every outing to be sure of their condition because a wheel bearing going on a twin axle trailer at 3.5t (or more) isn’t fun. A tri axle trailer will put you even more over weight.

I regularly tow a 7.5m rib (live in North Devon).
You need to be as confident going backwards as forwards and have a good wing man/woman because if you meet a bus or similar in a bad place, you can have a very long reverse. I’ve had to reverse the entire length of Appledore sea front after meeting a bus before.

I’ve thought about going bigger but I honestly think a ~8m rib is about as big as I want to be regularly towing.

View attachment 127760

How far is the most you have ever towed that beast and I am wondering what the all up weight is

 

[jakew009]

How far is the most you have ever towed that beast and I am wondering what the all up weight is

200 odd miles but to be honest motorways are a piece of cake if the trailer is up together. Sit's happily at 65 ish.
I always take a couple of spare drums ready to bolt straight on having been caught out before and having to come home on three wheels, reckon I could change one in 15 mins.

If it's full of fuel its about 2800kg with the trailer.

We have perfected the launching technique, don't even use the winch any more just motor right up.

 

[limecc]

Be careful with quoted weights. My Antares 760 is given as 2800kg, just towable. Actual weight at lift in with fluids and cruising gear is 3700kg, well above towable weight even without a trailer.

I had looked at that one

Also what type of driving licence have you?

Same as you so no problems re license

On a similar note ,,,,,, even a newly serviced trailer can fail if limits are pushed !!

I'm paranoid about this and always check the bearings and replace the grease before a long journey. Jake's idea of carrying a spare drum is reassuring if the axle design allows.

Main problem this year was the towcar, Audi Q7 with factory fitted hitch. Earlier this year on the way home from Devon, on the M5 it popped an injector snapping the retaining bolt and bending the injector rail. Next holiday on Hayling it broke down while launching the boat on the campsite, a former boatyard. Main engine pulley fractured and I lost power steering, water pump and alternator. Another trip home on a recovery vehicle, at least it saved me some diesel lol. Pity a recovery truck broke down when they plugged the caravan electric in.

All good advice about the stress of towing a large load. Thanks for experiences given.

 

[Farmer Piles]

Problem solved. Get a tidy second-hand one, 8m sports cruiser, job done.
Oh yeah, and an HGV licence and somewhere to keep it. That said, probably actually cheaper than a quality trailer and a decent towing vehicle.

 

[Alicatt]

View attachment 127764

Problem solved. Get a tidy second-hand one, 8m sports cruiser, job done.
Oh yeah, and an HGV licence and somewhere to keep it. That said, probably actually cheaper than a quality trailer and a decent towing vehicle.

Don't knock it, I had a quick look at a 7.5tonner with the prospect of using that to tow a small cabin cruiser, there is a dealer local to us that has second hand ex army 4x4 trucks

 

[Corona Mia]

Great idea, but I’ve got to agree with the others the ’joys’ of regular towing.?

In the early 1980’s we had a Fairline Vixen (Volvo 140/280) based at Windsor and a 4 wheel Snipe Trailer.
Only about 19/20 feet, no idea what it weighed……..but probably filling with fuel before we left didn’t help!?

One Bank Holiday weekend I thought it might be a good idea to tow her up to North Yorkshire behind my new Saab Turbo.
(lots of power…….but not quiet as heavy or robust as a LandRover!)

Journey was long and went ok……..but my wife firmly told me ‘I’m never going back towing that thing!’
40 years later we‘re still together……..but the boat was sold in Yorkshire.?

 

[Sneds]

“Below is a pic of the Fletcher SC19 Stern Drive when I towed it back from Wales to the UK.”


From Wales to the UK?

 

[jakew009]

View attachment 127764

Problem solved. Get a tidy second-hand one, 8m sports cruiser, job done.
Oh yeah, and an HGV licence and somewhere to keep it. That said, probably actually cheaper than a quality trailer and a decent towing vehicle.

You jest, but I have seriously thought about it. My girlfriend has a HGV to cart her dobbins around in, what’s the difference?
I have an artic license…

 

[chillee]

I towed my Saver 690 on a twin axle trailer behind a 4wd builder style truck.

Not a pleasant experience and i'm a seasoned tower ....

23 ft long, 1700kg " dry" weight, 300 kg outboard, 600 kg trailer so therotically 2600 kg.

Before you commit to buying and towing the Leader 805 you may wish to weigh it

If you are stopped and overweight then your towing of that boat will come to an abrupt end...

Out of interest has anyone actually ever been stopped, and challenged about their weight ratio?

 

[chillee]

I've towed 7.5m caravans all over Europe, with sibs and sailing dinghy on the car roof, and later 20ft Maria bowrider with inboard engine. The latter I estimated with trailer should have come in under the 2200kg towing limit of my audi a6 allroad at the time. The way it towed it must have been significantly heavier, had a few scary moments trying to bring the whole thing to a stop. Also could never get the tow hitch weight high enough, even with the 2 axles as far back on the trailer as they could go. Outcome, lots of bouncing, so resorted to bags of sand on the A frame. Even so, I would still do it again if I was holidaying like this. Always serviced the bearings before leaving . 2000mile round trip, and knew where we going and stopping, to minimise risks of getting stuck down tricky roads. As you already tow an 8m caravan, and assume you probably load it like I did with all sorts of crap, you must be well experienced at prepping for your journeys. Imo, towing a boat feels different, handles different, but is fine, it's just different. As for what boat. I think there is some good advice already provided to not go too big, so maybe a 2 berth cuddy would be more practical.

 

[madabouttheboat]

Out of interest has anyone actually ever been stopped, and challenged about their weight ratio?

yes, not me but someone I know. They were overweight so were issued an on-the-spot prohibition notice. Had to get a low loader to come and pick boat up. Not sure if there were further repercussions regarding the rules being broken.

 

[stelican]

Regularly used to tow Falcon 23s from Norwich to Solent behind D 4trac perhaps 20 times never a problem good time made. Never dipped trailer
Same with own combo 22ft 2000kg plus trailer
Always paid yard to crane on/off.
Overtaken once by wheel due to lack of checking bearing adjustment £720 recovery fee ten years ago.(private purchase) different boat/trailer
Well balanced outfit and not rushing paid off apart from that one

 

[dunedin]

Out of interest has anyone actually ever been stopped, and challenged about their weight ratio?

Yes. A neighbour was travelling in convoy with friends. Both were given a full inspection at motorway stop on the other rig was deemed too heavy for a regular licence, the driver charged and not permitted to continue. Fortunately neighbour and his wife both had Class 1 HGV licences and she was allowed to drive it to the destination.

 

[QBhoy]

I have both a Land Rover Discovery 2 and a Discovery 3 and their capability is incredible to tow. I tow a large Caravan and various Boats from 15 foot Rib to 18 foot Bow Rider and a Fletcher 19 ft Sports Cruiser.

I bought a Sealine S24 Some time ago with a view to towing it just as you are thinking of for the same reasons you are thinking. The truth is that I never have and never want to. I tow the others quite a bit but after a while I decided that even the Fletcher Sports Cruiser was too much stress and sold it.

The main issue is that Boat Trailers will and do fail and the size and weight of a 24ft boat (the smallest to properly be a stay on board boat with a toilet) are incredibly stressful to tow.

Below is a pic of the Fletcher SC19 Stern Drive when I towed it back from Wales to the UK. I would never want to tow even somthing that big again any distance let alone bigger.

People do do it but they must have nerves of steel and ask yourself how many boats do you ever see that size being towed about as you travel around. The answer is the odd one once in a blue moon

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Lovely boat. I have the GTO version with a new mercury outboard. Great wee boats. I towed mine up here from Nottingham. Fine on the motorway and not too bad the rest. But all I did was tow it straight to the marina. It’s been there ever since. I think mine is lots lighter than the inboard you had to be fair. I think it’s around 1000 kgs with the engine on it. Twin axle abs fletcher trailer will be another 600 kgs or so perhaps. I did that with an old xc90. Like you say, I never find towing anything much more than this a nice experience at all. I drove the other half crazy with my constant worry along the way !

 

[Bigplumbs]

“Below is a pic of the Fletcher SC19 Stern Drive when I towed it back from Wales to the UK.”


From Wales to the UK?

Whoops from Wales to Suffolk in the UK