Boat trailers

[toger13]

Hi Guys

Im not sure if this is the right section but here goes lol

I am after abit of clarification about towing a boat that I am looking at purchacing but Im not 100% who to ask

There seams alot of gray areas about towing boat trailers that I keep finding and im not sure what to belive

The boat I am looking at is 8.3 metres long and 2.9 metres wide the weight including a suitable trailer and alowing for some loading capacity will be just under 3500kg

My tow vehicle is rated to 3500kg so thats ok I am just worried about the width I belive UK trailers can be 2.55 metres wide which is what the trailer its self will be and I assume the boat would be classed as the load?

From the websites I have been reading 2.9 metres is the max size before been classed as an abnormal load but does this only apply to hgv`s?

Thanks
Si

[MOTORVATOR]

Max 2.9m on trailer before it becomes an abnormal load. Technically you can overhang the trailer width by 305mm either side but if you did both it would send you over the 2.9m limit, that's a hangover from when the max trailer width was 2.3 a few years back.

Just because the trailer is 3.5t all up doesn't mean the tow vehicle has to be but it changes the rules on lengths when the tow vehicle is 3.5 GVW. Under 3.5 and the max trailer length is 7m not 12m but, and it's a little understood rule by your average traffic cop, that length excludes the drawbar. If you look at most trailers produced for boats of this length you will notice the drawbar runs back beyond the front of the A frame for exactly this purpose.

All of that assumes you passed your test before '97 otherwise you are restricted to a maximum of a roller skate in tow.

[toger13]

Cheers for the info

Ye so based on that it should be ok to tow like you say the draw bar is massive on most large boat trailers

Thanks
Si

[PugwasHDJ80]

Presumably your towing with a larger 4x4 or van? not sure i'd enjoy towing that rig with a swb vehicle......

[toger13]

It's a Mercedes ml430 copes very well with my current setup which comes in about 3000kg used to have a v8 discovery which couldn't cope with it at all did 2 engines 1 auto box and anything over 45 and the tail was wagging the dog scary stuff lol

Thanks
Si

[PugwasHDJ80]

toger13 said:

It's a Mercedes ml430 copes very well with my current setup which comes in about 3000kg used to have a v8 discovery which couldn't cope with it at all did 2 engines 1 auto box and anything over 45 and the tail was wagging the dog scary stuff lol

Thanks
Si

A quck google suggests that some models had a towing capacity of 3365kg rather than the full 3500kg- might be worth checking on the VIN plate?

also be careful with MGTW- I used a landcruiser amazon for towing (and it was an amazing tow vehicle), but worked out with a 3.5t max trailer, it couldn't also take 4 people, plus luggage- pushed over by about 100kg.

I wouldn't worry but I got stopped twice for a weighbridge check in the past 24m and I was very very close both times.

[toger13]

Ye mine is a full 3500 version I will look into the other weights though

Cheers for the info

Si

[Shadow62]

I have just taken my rib down to south of France. Had to deflate the tubes to get the width down. Slightly off topic but we may look to sell the trailer if you are looking for one, its approx one year old.

[toger13]

I don't think it will have the weight capacity that I need but cheers anyway

Si