Towing vehicle - boat over 7 metres

[GuyC]

Originally Posted by Nasher

And that Ob is why the Discovery up to the D4 won best towed car of the year time after time.

Obviously the additional weight from the separate Chassis has penalties elsewhere, but it really helps when towing.

I'm not sure how long the D5 will keep the crown with it's lighter weight, but appears to be doing OK last time I looked.

Fixed it for you

[Playtime]

I tow with a Amarok, 3tonne car trailer and 6.7m rib, loaded with wife, 2 kids and back full plus 190 litres fuel in boat and it pulls like a dream

[willk]

Originally Posted by xpertski

So in summary it’s ok to tow a 9m RIB using a decent 4x4 with 3000-3500kg tow capacity

Yes

Originally Posted by xpertski

Isuzu D Max

Attached is the old 2.5L - better by a mile than the 300tdi that preceded it.

[beamishken]

An interesting but long winded article from an aussie page gives some good info not a quick read but lots of good advice re vehicle choice & trailer set up.
https://practicalmotoring.com.au/car...eavy-trailers/

Sent from my SM-G950F using RIB Net mobile app

[gtflash]

Originally Posted by Nasher

And that Ob is why the Discovery up to the D4 won best tow car of the year time after time.

Obviously the additional weight from the separate Chassis has penalties elsewhere, but it really helps when towing.

I'm not sure how long the D5 will keep the crown with it's lighter weight, but appears to be doing OK last time I looked.

I seem to remember reading d5 has been knocked off its spot for a x7.

I have an x5 40d and it does ok with 8.1m. Which equates to 9.5m trailer boat length but it’s amazing how much it sounds like a lorry when pulling. The caravan flys on the back. Despite that I Still prefer the old Discovery 2 for the boat. Shame the chassis is now terminal.

[tehguy]

We tow a 6.8 with a little L200, it's pre 2018 so has 3.1t towing capacity instead of 3.5t, but the Ribcraft and trailer is only about 2.3t all up when it's full of fuel. It would be nice if first gear was a bit lower to make pulling away quicker but once you're moving it's fine to drive. Never had to use low range yet even on a steep slip

[paintman]

Originally Posted by gtflash

I seem to remember reading d5 has been knocked off its spot for a x7.

I have an x5 40d and it does ok with 8.1m. Which equates to 9.5m trailer boat length but it’s amazing how much it sounds like a lorry when pulling. The caravan flys on the back. Despite that I Still prefer the old Discovery 2 for the boat. Shame the chassis is now terminal.

If it's just the usual rear part then there's an interesting multipart youtube of one being done on a drive. Looks pretty straightforward welding wise.
Part one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppejq9J_dlM

Plenty of others too as it's a common problem!

[gtflash]

We have done the back third on the drive already. This time it’s front under engine etc. in theory a few plates but the need for bigger and bigger plates is becoming obvious and it’s turning into a dilemma. Cars been in the family since 6 months old.

[paintman]

That's a pity.

Replacement galvanised chassis would be the best option although would be a huge amount of work & not cheap to start with - - but I expect you've already explored that.

There's one done here which might entertain you with the trials & tribulations!: D2 chassis replacement | LandyZone - Land Rover Forum

[Lee argyle]

I’ve used a Ford ranger for the last few years, currently have a bi-turbo wildtrak and she pulls my Stingher fine

[JTURNER]

Hi All - an adjunct question to the above. Just purchased a new BRIG 8m. Its 2.9m wide - does anyone have any experience of towing this width? do you deflate tubes or trailer at that width with Mirror Extensions? Are there any additional signage requirements for towing between UK and Ireland? Much appreciate the experience of those on this forum who have done this before. Thanks JT

[beamishken]

I've towed up to 2.9m many times & occasionally wider never bothered with extended mirrors, it does restrict your view behind slightly but it never worried me, not keen on deflating & strapping tubes to be honest looks sh1t & cant be great for the tubes. No special restrictions i know of, side markers are nice & are common on new trailers not but still not mandatory afaik best idea is try it & see how you get on with it & modify your set up to suit you

[jonp]

Be careful with vehicles that state they can tow up to 3500kg as this will normally include weight added to the vehicle, such as people, tow pack fittings and any other items put in the vehicle.

We tow larger heavier boats and caravans etc quite commonly here in Australia but vehicle manufactures are quite deceiving in the way they advertise towing limits. Many here buy American F trucks with 4500kg towing limits as it's very easy to go over the weight restrictions.

Many of these rules might not apply to you but this might well be worth considering or checking with your insurance.

My own 4x4 has a tow limit of 3500kg but the fact I carry tool boxes, roof tent, tow pack and normally 3 or 4 adults, all, of that weight needs to come off the combined total mass. Also adding items such as anchors, winches, fuel, dive gear, fishing gear, drinking water, food etc etc to the boat soon adds up. Here there's a government body that can do mobile weighing with sets of scales under the vehicle and trailer wheels. If an accident is caused on the road and a vehicle is found to of been overloaded in any capacity, then insurance will be void.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKm2qt8XYs0&t=7s

[jonp]

Originally Posted by Lee argyle

I’ve used a Ford ranger for the last few years, currently have a bi-turbo wildtrak and she pulls my Stingher fine

Wow, there's no way that would be legal here. Rangers are extremely common here, I had one but got of it due to constant dpf issues. What size fuel tank in the boat, it would have to be over 3500kg without any additional items in the vehicle or boat.

This 4.40m centre console weighs 1240kg without fuel or items for a day on the water.

[beerbelly]

Originally Posted by Lee argyle

I’ve used a Ford ranger for the last few years, currently have a bi-turbo wildtrak and she pulls my Stingher fine

is the trailer supposed to be bent like that? or is it an optical illusion

[JTURNER]

Thanks for all the input - I am specifically interested in width on the trailer. I have towed by current 8m long RIB for years with no issue (including UK, France, Spain, Ireland and Portugal) but I bought that boat (Humber OceanPro) specifically because the beam was 2.55m and therefore no tube deflation required. That boat has now gone to a new home and the new boat has a beam of 2.9m - the debate for me - and experience I am looking to tap into is anyone who has towed that width in the UK/Ireland as those are the regs I need to work with and the roads I need to work with too :-) Based on Beamishken helpful reply above its very do-able - I am collecting from Wolf Rock in Salcombe so some small roads to navigate before I hit the motorway and from there its easy enough to Southampton. Depending how that goes I will decide on if I trailer to the continent in the summer or not - anyone else with advice - please post here :-) Thanks to all of you so far JT

[willk]

I have some experience with that type of scenario



So yeah, that added up to around 16m and 3.2m wide, and there were some tons here and there My basic move involved deflating the rear tubes and strapping them in, keeping me approx within an 'extended' trailerboard - I guess around the 2.8m+ mark? She was 3.2m without deflation. Kit transferred to the D-Max that had a GTW of 6 tons, 450L fuel tank was always run down in advance. All in I'd say I was generally close to the 6 ton GTW. I DID have a 'conversation' with one of Her Maje's constabulary in the field and they waved me on, once they had established that I did not require a tacho.

The small roads aren't the worst IMO because it's slow going and you can bully other drivers a little into giving you a turn. Reducing width on small roads can save a tubeset. I found that the standard mirrors were OK, allowing me to see both tubes and the road behind. I DID run a yellow flasher on the starboard mudguard and I am convinced it aided safety, pushing oncoming traffic in little and alerting traffic to my length when entering a roadway - especially roundabouts. Load balance was critical, without the right noseweight it was a 'mare.

Not sure I'd want to tow similar across France (post 'B word') - les Flics would just LOVE it.