charlieannear Posted February 6, 2006 Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 Went over to Wick on Saturday morning with my mate Matt to bring Star Turn, a 1980 Shetland Family Four, back to Parkstone. The last owner, Sid, had organised a good working party to help shift the boat, which hadn't been moved since Oct 2003. Unfortunately moving it about 3 feet highlighted the fact that the port side trailer brake had seized on. Discovering that my wheel brace didn't have a big enough socket (and having left my socket set in Parkstone, along with my wallet) about 30 mins of 'Nope, too big. Nope, too small" ensued trying to find a spanner man enough to get the wheel nuts off. Neighboring van owners were unable to help, but helpers eventually found a spanner that was close enough to do the trick. Luckily I did remember my trolley jack... (To do list item number 1- Purchase bigger wheel brace) Wheel off, then a bit of wiggling plus application of little hammer, big hammer freed the brake. Wheel back on, trailer back on the ground and manhandled the trailer onto the road. (To do list item number 2- Service trailer brakes) Then used my foot pump to inflate the tyres from 40 to 90 psi. Any more of that and I'll have calves like Geoff Capes... We were going to whip the wheels off and get new tyres, and check/grease the trailer bearings, but as bearings weren't noisy and tyres were looking fairly good, and having spent an hour longer than planned so far we decided to see how lucky we were and go for it... So, now to hitch up to the car, which was our... MkII Golf. OK, so I slightly underestimated things here! As we wound the jockey wheel in, the back of the car slowly sank closer to the ground. Jockey wheel up, and still a bit of give in the rear suspension. OK. Load the car up with all the other kit (suggestions of attaching heavy items to the front bumper causing great hilarity), deep breath and go for it!! (To do list item number 3- chat up all known Land Rover owners) Well we set off very slowly and cautiously. It's been a while since I towed anything bigger than a 4' trailer... The engine, clutch etc were coping admirably, but I felt like I needed to tilt the seat forward a bit! The seized brake was grabbing every so often, (it soon stopped) and we were just trickling along listening for any nasty sounds (other than the grinding of my teeth). Pulled over after a bit and checked things out- all OK so carry on. Every mile clocked up on the odomoter was noted, occasionally pulling over to let other motorists past (waving at us? ), and before long we pulled up in Parkstone. My mate Stu turned up totally by coincidence, and just in time to help lower the trailer down the driveway. So my wife Di came out, and the four of us guided the boat down the slope. The brakes definitely don't do very much! Matt's wife Sarah held onto Sam (our son, 18 months old) who thinks it's great to have a boat in the garden and insisted on having his lunch aboard. Andy (CREZZ) & Bob dropped in by chance a little later on and had a look. Got them excited about taking their boat out the next day. Shame they didn't catch anything! Now I'm going to spend a couple of months sprucing up and sorting a few things out on the boat (no electronics fitted so will have fun choosing some!), alongside doing some training. Then when the sun comes out and the fish return I'll be ready to get Star Turn out on the water. Watch this space! C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newboy Posted February 6, 2006 Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 The package is probably well short of the golf's legal towing weigh of 1200kg, but I wouldn't like using it to pull the boat up a slipway, especially a sheepish one, Baiter probably ok tho. Another thing I would check os the nose weigh of the trailer, use a bathroom scale, place a block of wood on top to protect it, then either lower the jocky wheel or by use piece of wood to measure how heavy it is. It should be no more than 75 kg for most package. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomBettle Posted February 6, 2006 Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 Good luck Charlie, I hope she gives you the buzz for boating and serves you well. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlieannear Posted February 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 Not going to worry about the Golf as it is soon to be replaced by a newer Audi. Also seem to have several volunteers with 4x4's all of a sudden! Will get those bathroom scales out next weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick Martin Posted February 6, 2006 Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 trailer nose weight will differ from car to car but will be from 75kg to around 100kg Look at your vehicles book for the correct weight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afishionado Posted February 6, 2006 Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 Re nose weight ......... taken from an advert for a weighing device for trailers....Noseweight GaugeTo make sure the nose weight of a trailer to be towed is correct; measures from 0 - 80 kgs. RAC advice on nose weight.........If possible, put heavier items in the car and larger lighter items in the trailer. Consult your trailer and car handbooks to establish the correct "nose weight" for your trailer. Most cars state 50kgs to 75kgs. I have no idea where members are getting the advice that nose weight needs to be in the range of 75kg to 100kg this is at the top end grossly excessive. !00kg is 220lbs! = to 4 X old fashioned 56lb of bagged cement on the jocky wheel. Dangerous! Very dangerous. As a usefull rule of thumb guide, if you can just lift the jocky wheel up off the ground then you have the correct nose weight. Next towing limits....... (first of all I am talking 'real world' and not the law as she is writ, so some of what I am going to say is not within the letter of the law) All up trailer weight has begger all to do with pull effort (expressed in Kg/Lbs) and therefore the power of a car to PULL a trailer does not have to be great at all. For instance one can buy tiny little 12v electric dollies that are used to move large boats and trailers. Traction is only a consideration when the surface being traversed is unsuitable and/or slippery, Therefore almost all slips within 30 miles of B'mth will be ok for use with a normal car. How you can change the tow hitch weight......... An excessive or inadequate tow hitch weight is almost always due to the positioning of the boat in relation to the trailer axle or the axle in relation to the trailers length or a combination of both. The expensive way to sort this out would be to have the boat lifted by a boat yard and then adjust the trailer whilst the boat hangs in the air above your head. The free way of doing it is to use ingenuity, a trolly jack and lots of lumps of large sectioned wood.......... I have all 3 of these and have done the exercise before several times. Give me a shout if you want and we can do it in a morning (on a nice day 'cos I am picky about when I go out ) Mad Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newboy Posted February 6, 2006 Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 As martin said this will depend on type of cars. I think it's around 75kg for most large family car. On the larger 4x4 the hitch weigh is more. Even more so if you fit uprated springs. I've been told the Muzzo tows better with 100kg+. You can also do the adjusting down the slip, just get someone to hold the boat (my advice is do it on a flooding tide from low water, this way your boat won't get standed) while you and someone else do the adjusting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick Martin Posted February 6, 2006 Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 I have no idea where members are getting the advice that nose weight needs to be in the range of 75kg to 100kg this is at the top end grossly excessive. !00kg is 220lbs! = to 4 X old fashioned 56lb of bagged cement on the jocky wheel. Dangerous! Very dangerous. As a usefull rule of thumb guide, if you can just lift the jocky wheel up off the ground then you have the correct nose weight Mike I have just got the draw bar weight from my van manufacturers hand book and it states max 100kg As I said in my earlier post refer to your vehicles recommendations as all will be different. Do not have the nose weight to light as this can induce snaking which isnt very pleasant and decidedly dangerous. Have a look at National Trailer & Towing Association Ltd website which is quite useful Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afishionado Posted February 6, 2006 Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 Quote..... hand book and it states max 100kg Exactly MAXIMUM 100Kg, not desirable. I stand by what I said. If one can just lift the jocky wheel off the ground then thats about right. However I am not sugesting that one has no or little down weight on the tow hitch am I? Mad Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
great white Posted February 6, 2006 Report Share Posted February 6, 2006 Hi again Charlie Nice one mate, soon have it spruced up and looking shiney Fit a few toys and off you go. If the budget is tight for toys can I suggest a priority of safety first VHF Echo sounder GPS/plotter and I believe some Members are upgrading their kit so there may be second hand outfits available. with a good background. Charlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlieannear Posted February 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2006 Hi again Charlie Nice one mate, soon have it spruced up and looking shiney Fit a few toys and off you go. If the budget is tight for toys can I suggest a priority of safety first VHF Echo sounder GPS/plotter and I believe some Members are upgrading their kit so there may be second hand outfits available. with a good background. Charlie I'll keep an eye out then! C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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