SR5.4 - Measurements

[9D280]

Quick ask of all you SR5.4 owners. Next time you are by your boat with a measuring tape, any chance of a couple of approx dimensions for a mad crazy plan that's hatching to allow me to store one of these in a garage not much longer than the boat.......

1) Engines down, how much do they stick out from the tip of the toob cones?
2) Where's the axle of the trailer relative to tip of the cones?

It's a crazy plan, but it might just work........

Thanks in advance.... Metric or imperial are equally valid!

[9D280]

Also any chance of a pic (low res is good enough) of the bow / snubber / winch area (side view). It's just to get an idea of how much space there is / isn't round there and how far under the bow the snubber contacts the hull on the "off the shelf" trailers - Based on my old SR4 trailer I could have parked a bus under the bow, but i'm sure I've seen some more densely packed winch areas....

Cheers.

[doggypaddle]

You can take the drawbar off my degraff trailer, engine doesnt really take up anymore length than the boat when its trimmed right down. length overall would be the length of the boat give or take a few inches(drawbar off). If you deflate the bow sponson you could loose quite a bit i guess a foot at least.

[9D280]

Thanks for that. I suspected the engine wouldn't poke out too far, but was just curious for some data, 'coz this one literally every quarter inch will count..... (5.7m garage, potentially 5.4m RIB)

How easy / quick is it to do that? I've just looked at the pics on their website, and that doesn't look like it would be an easy or quick job with a boat sitting on top.....

Agreed the sponson deflate, but as the boat (well, an SR5.4) is only 30cm shorter than the garage, I suspect the trailer hardware may become the deciding factor......

[Nos4r2]

Can you cut a hole in the end of the garage for the drawbar and put it in nose first?

There's one of Matt H's pics of mine on the trailer here if it's any help.

[9D280]

Nos,

Thanks, for the phot. I suspect I'd ideally need it to stop roughly where the front of your winch is! Cutting a hole isn't an option - firstly coz it's a structural wall, secondly 'coz it will need to go in stern first - it's a steep climb out the garage (even getting the SR4 in was interesting without the car), so ideally would like some "car assist" for that manoever!

I did toy with the idea of a cat flap in the door, which worked in my previous house on the dinghy trailer (that garage was well small!) and even that was pushing it getting an unbraked hitch through the hole.

To put this in perspective, I'm toying with a "folding" drawbar on a big pin, with a strengthening "square C" section that will engage on the drawbar proper for stiffness & be fixed on by two M12-ish studs and a couple of nylock nuts (which would be easily accessible at the side) Theory being the hinge pin only takes "fore & aft" force.

I'll try to sketch the mad idea & post it later to try & give a better idea of my mad plan.

[Nos4r2]

Is it feasable to cut a slot in the door and put a hinged plate under where the drawbar comes through?

[PeterM]

How about a 'Dog Flap' in the door - you can get great big versions which you could easily fit the hitch through . Surely easier / less risk than hinged drawbars etc ?

[9D280]

Now there's an idea...... I must admit I didn't realise they came in bigger sizes. I did wonder about the flap idea, but don't most hitches tend to stick out a metre or so beyond the bow? - then there's the small matter of the jockey wheel.....

As for less risk, I've had an open box trailer with a truly telescopic drawbar for years (will extend to almost 4m for long loads e.g. a laser), and it's done thousands of miles with various dinghies on the "roof rack" bars on it. I replace the bolts that hold it together every couple of years as a precautionary measure (due to wear as a result of the design), and I've never had a problem with it parting company with itself.

Not had time to sketch this idea yet, but will try to do so over the weekend. Alternatively if a 4.7 appears in the meantime the problem may solve itself the very easy way!

[Rogue Wave]

after weve rebuilt your house we might as well have a look at the measurements of the boat

http://www.avon-workboats.com/page/sr54o1