Towing a 14ft boat

[stevetubbyturbo]

Hi all

Ive just got myself a 14ft speed boat and road trailer and it gets delivered on saturday and all in it weight is around 300-350kgs

My Surf is a 2.4 SSR limited auto my question is there anything i need to do to the vehicle other than having a tow bar and electrics fitted?

Cheers

Steve

[marky]

Hi all

Ive just got myself a 14ft speed boat and road trailer and it gets delivered on saturday and all in it weight is around 300-350kgs

My Surf is a 2.4 SSR limited auto my question is there anything i need to do to the vehicle other than having a tow bar and electrics fitted?

Cheers

Steve

With that weight you will forget its there so there are no real issues to be concerned about. NOTE* I hope your SURF is undersealed as the salt water will corrode your chassis etc

[laser_jock@work]

With 350Kg you will be fine. I tow a 17ft boat and don't know it's there. In fact we didn't really notice it towing with much smaller cars than a Surf.

If you're planning to reverse launch or recover the boat in seawater make sure it's well Waxoyled (my advice would be to the car out of seawater if at possible).

Nevillef

[marky]

Dont be smart & do this!

[stevetubbyturbo]

Ive got a new Superwinch 4 tonne capacity in the garage im looking to mount that on the front of the Surf and fitting a towing ball on the front as well and then adapting the trailer so it i can extend its length by 2 meters just for launching and recovering the boat and then using the winch when recovering the boat and hopefully my Surf should not get its boots wet.

Hows that sound for a idea

[Ste00]

you sure about that weight? seems a bit low for a trailer on its own never mind a trailer and 14ft boat,

[stevetubbyturbo]

you sure about that weight? seems a bit low for a trailer on its own never mind a trailer and 14ft boat,

I guess it is as two of us can lift the boat and again two of uscan lift the trailer with ease

[Conquering Lion]

boat recovery

I've got a 4 ton superwinch too. Had it for 6 mths, still got to put it on.
Deffo keep you truck out of the water, even waxoyl won't stop sal!!!!er, your truck will be in holes after a couple of seasons, never mind all the rusty !!!! that'll build up in your brake drums. my winch cost £270, so its not bad when you consider you may end up with a rotten truck.
Just lock the jockey wheel down on the trailer and haul it up/ let it down the slip. also handy for beach launching.

[mark g8awo]

What a lot of people seem to forget when towing domestic trailers is the speed limits

If its unbraked you are limited to 50mph and 60mph braked and you are not allowed to use the outside lane of a motorway.


Make sure you have the nose weight of the trailer right as an average its 70kg nose weight. The easiest way to set it up is a stick in the socket and a set of bathroom scales, this should keep the trailer behind you and not trying to pass.