Newbie Questions

[gooner-paul]

Another set of newbie questions, sorry this stuff is confusing to the "un-initiated" like me, i need to understand this stuff as im considering purchasing a rib.

1.) What can i tow on a Category B?

Car is a VW Golf MK5
From the v5 document i got the following info..
-max permissible mass 1810
-mass in service 1259

Towing Capacity
-Braked 1200
-Unbraked 620

So from what i understand rightly I can tow
-unbraked trailer at 620KG as its below the 750kg limit but within the towing capacity
-Braked trailer less than MAM of 1200 as (1200+1810=3010)

Or have i got this wrong?

2.)What would you say the weight of a standard 5M(ish) rib with a 50hp outboard and associated gear would be? i have no idea how much they weigh and if this would be within those limits above.

3.)Recovering with a VW golf 1.6 manual petrol, is this going to work?

[Adamn]

Hi if you passed your test after 01/01/97 you can tow up to 750kg with a vehicle weighting up to 3500kg total weight not excessing 4250kg. If you wish to tow more than the combined weight of trailer and car should not exceed 3500kg.
A 5m average rib weighs around 220-240kg add on a 50-60hp engine at around 106kg. The trailer will vary depending on build.
If you passed your test before 01/01/97 then you can drive anything up to 7500kg and tow even more than 750kg.
I hope that helps

[Rogue Wave]

If there was rig you were interested in why not get the vendor to tow it to a public weighbridge you can always pay for his fuel etc.

You can recover the boat and trailer OK but you will probably need to use a long rope and be well away from the slimy parts of the slipway. Make sure you have a good Jockey wheel

[SW Boat Transport]

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

If there was rig you were interested in why not get the vendor to tow it to a public weighbridge you can always pay for his fuel etc.

The weight on a weighbridge is irrelevant as far as driving licences are concerned, it is the GVW of the trailer that counts.

[SW Boat Transport]

Originally Posted by gooner-paul

Another set of newbie questions, sorry this stuff is confusing to the "un-initiated" like me, i need to understand this stuff as im considering purchasing a rib.

1.) What can i tow on a Category B?

Car is a VW Golf MK5
From the v5 document i got the following info..
-max permissible mass 1810
-mass in service 1259

Towing Capacity
-Braked 1200
-Unbraked 620

So from what i understand rightly I can tow
-unbraked trailer at 620KG as its below the 750kg limit but within the towing capacity
-Braked trailer less than MAM of 1200 as (1200+1810=3010)

Or have i got this wrong?

2.)What would you say the weight of a standard 5M(ish) rib with a 50hp outboard and associated gear would be? i have no idea how much they weigh and if this would be within those limits above.

3.)Recovering with a VW golf 1.6 manual petrol, is this going to work?

1. You are correct that you can tow a trailer upto 1200kg GVW behind that vehicle on your Cat B licence, as the combined GVW of vehicle and trailer does not exceed 3500kg and 1200kg is less than the unladen weight of the car.

2. You should be able to find a 5m RIB that falls into your weight limit without any problems, but carefully check the GVW of the trailer.

3. If you are careful on your choice of slipway (ie not to steep or slippery) you should be fine.

[gooner-paul]

Thanks for the confirmation about the weights on the slips I'm thinking of are lymington, key haven maybe baiter park in Poole and then hopefully one on the Thames /Medway if I can find one

[TRevor Lawson]

Lymington is ok ,not too steep, but has a bit of a peak as you reverse over the top, Baiter park is virtually flat, but quite long ,most people use a long rope to recover, as trailer needs to go in a fair way.

[9D280]

Can't help with slips round your neck of the woods, but for the "rolling mass" I have a 5m boat and the whole thing fully fuelled clocks in at 430Kg (did some maths on a weighbridge with & without boat!)

The whole thing on the trailer clocks in at 750KG, BUT the boat is a 1984 build and has a lot less wood under the fibreglass round the back end to hold up an engine. NEt result is the transom is only rated to 110Kg / 60Hp which is why I have a super light Merc Clamshell - probably the lightest 60Hp out there at 85Kg. (Modern 25Hps clock in at about 75-ish KG.

If you are buying a trailer separately, remember that a trailer sold "to take an X m boat" will usually be slighty too big for an X m rib - the cones at the stern and the overhang of the toobs at the bow add between 0.5 - 1m to the "solid" length, which is the important part for sizing a trailer. You can use this (as I did) to get a slightly smaller (& lighter) trailer.

As said already - the "actuals" will be irrelevant if the police stop you & the plated weights don't add up.