Ron Westcott
Hi
I’ve just purchased a Sonata which is on a small wheeled cradle which I will be collecting soon. I believe must owners tow their boats on the cradle on a plant or car trailer? I’m considering a tilting flatbed with winch behind my Lan Rover. Can any one advise on the wisdom of this and normal practise?
Ron Westcott
Our Snotty lives on her cradle on a double axle flat bed car trailer. Although we have not towed her, we understand she towed fine behind a merc van on her journey down to the south coast. The car trailer floor is protected by some scaffolding style plank with small squares of metal to spread the load from the boat cradle, so it does not go through the trailer floor which is not designed for point loading. Effectively the cradle sits on the piece of metal that sits on the scaffolding plan that sits on the trailer.Have attached a photo.
Hope this helps. Worth looking at the towing section on the website which has a good bit of info. Be careful with the towing weight rules as people see to be being stopped mopre for this these days.
Good luck.
R
Thanks. Useful advice and image. No one seems to mention the width issue which according to the national Trailer & Towing Association web site is a maximum width of 2.3 metres if the vechicle is under 3500kgs (too narrow for a Sonata). This goes up to 2.55 metres if the vechicle is over 3500kgs and is just enough!
Sam Abbott
WE PULLED OUR FROM CORNWALL TO KENT ON A TILTING FLAT BED TRAILER MAKE SURE THE BOAT IS SECURD TO THE CRADLE WITH RACHET STRAPS. THEN ONCE THE CRADLE IS ON THE TRAILER ( CENTRE OF ) SECURE THE CRADLE TO THE TRAILER WITH RACHET STRAPS,
MAKE SURE THE MAST IS SECURED TO THE BOAT AND HAS SPONGE UNDER IT TO TAKE ANY SHOCK FROM BUMPS ETC,
DO MAKE SURE THE CRADLE IS CENTRE OF THE TRAILER!!!!!!!
Ron Westcott
Thanks Sam. Reassuring. Appreciate the perils of over a ton off-centre!
Tim Owen
Hi,
The max. trailer width quoted (2.3m for < 3500Kg) above is just that – the boat is the load, not the trailer and can overhang up to 305mm each side, giving a max width of 9’6″, so don’t panic! Check http://www.ntta.co.uk/law/law/dimensions.htm for more.
Note that as the overall height of load/trailer will exceed 3.0m you will need a notice in the cab of the towing vehicle giving the height.
Also check the total train weight on a weighbridge – you need a pre-’97 driver’s licence or to pass a test if its more than 3500Kg, which is quite possible….
By the time you have got your head round the lighting regulations as well you’ll feel you deserve a degree in trailer law! Good luck.
Tim
Alison Bell
Thanks for the web site. It’s good to be able to check the regs!
We tow our Sonata with a Hyundai Santa Fe (needing to tow a boat was a great excuse to change my car!)
We have a trailer base upon which the Sonata cradle is bolted.
I’ll try to get some photos of it next week when we lift out for the winter.
Alison
Storm in a G cup
Ron Westcott
Thanks for the clarification re the width issue Tim. Re driving liciense my hair is going grey and my liciense covers almost every thing except the space shuttle!
Thanks Alison
Gareth Martel
On the subject of towing, oneother little word of advice, always chock the wheels, even if not planning on unhitching. Found this out the hard way when my Snotty escaped from the car, rolled down a hill and across a main road, parking itself gently against a car, all the while with me desparately hanging off the side praying that adrenaline or something would kick in and giveme superhuman strength. Sadly it didnt, the car was unscratched, boat and trailer fine, and in six weeks the cast comes off my shattered foot! Now to get some plastic bags so I can team race this weekend…..
Tim Owen
Hope the foot is better Gareth!
You probably discovered what I did – the automatic release on the brakes that allow you to reverse the trailer without a stop catch kicks in when it runs backward down a slope, so the handbrake doesn’t function. I was lucky – mine was on a slip and ran back a couple of feet and then snapped a 2 ton dyneema safety line as if it was string (no stretch, wrong stuff!) – luckily I just ended up wet, with me and the trailer hanging off the bows in 8 ft of water! All sorted in a few minutes with some help, but I felt rather a fool!
Having once, long ago, been overtaken by my trailer, I always use a chain as well as the safety brake wire when towing – by law the chain has to be long enough to let the wire work, so I thread shock cord through the chain links to keep it off the ground.
Tim
Roland Emmans
Our Snotty lives on her cradle on a double axle flat bed car trailer. Although we have not towed her, we understand she towed fine behind a merc van on her journey down to the south coast. The car trailer floor is protected by some scaffolding style plank with small squares of metal to spread the load from the boat cradle, so it does not go through the trailer floor which is not designed for point loading. Effectively the cradle sits on the piece of metal that sits on the scaffolding plan that sits on the trailer.
Have attached a photo.
Hope this helps. Worth looking at the towing section on the website which has a good bit of info. Be careful with the towing weight rules as people see to be being stopped mopre for this these days.
Good luck.
R