Towing Capacity
- Thread starter CurrentSea
- Start date
"Mostly go out at nissequgue river."
We luanch there ocassionally and live right near by and that ramp is very good regarding angle and depth as well as having enough lanes on hand and decent floating docks. Past few years the depth father out in he channel has become the challenge at extreme low tides. We have a 24' dual axle aluminum bunk trailer with 4 disc brakes that weighs about 1,200#'s and carries a 24' boat. The trailer is sized for the weight and length of the hull and I would hate to have it any shorter or underzsized for weight based upon our use and experiences.The traler will have 2 ratings one of which is a carrying rating and the other wich is GVW as described above which adds in the trailer weight.
At any rate it appears that we are close by so if you ever wanted to get a close look at our Continental aluminum trailer just give a yell.
Hope this helps
We luanch there ocassionally and live right near by and that ramp is very good regarding angle and depth as well as having enough lanes on hand and decent floating docks. Past few years the depth father out in he channel has become the challenge at extreme low tides. We have a 24' dual axle aluminum bunk trailer with 4 disc brakes that weighs about 1,200#'s and carries a 24' boat. The trailer is sized for the weight and length of the hull and I would hate to have it any shorter or underzsized for weight based upon our use and experiences.The traler will have 2 ratings one of which is a carrying rating and the other wich is GVW as described above which adds in the trailer weight.
At any rate it appears that we are close by so if you ever wanted to get a close look at our Continental aluminum trailer just give a yell.
Hope this helps
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2002
- RO Number
- 10314
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- 858
Some trailer websites like Load Rite have information on how to measure the boat to determine the right size trailer. Thats the easy part the hard part is estimating weight since they always weigh more than what the specs say. Usually you have to know the beam at the widest point and the bow eye to transom measurement, this information will often be on the boat manufacturers website. When you talk about trailer weight capacity keep in mind that the GVWR of the trailer is not the same as carrying capacity. The carrying capacity is the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (the most it can weigh all in) minus the weight of the trailer.
Having maintained a salt water trailer for years, the things that will give the most trouble are the brakes and lights. Brakes, if you can get the best ones possible, stainless discs. I have drums but my boat sits on a mooring so it doesn't get dunked more than 4 times a season and I have learned how to modify the wheel cylinders to keep the salt water out which helps make them last. The other is lights, whether you have conventional or LED lights, the grounding can be a problem. The way to stop having issues is to run additional ground straps, either to each lamp if you are really compulsive, or if you are a bit lazy like me and run ground straps from the tongue where the harness ground is to each leg of the frame and then to the tail light mounts. Doing this greatly reduced my lighting issues.
Having maintained a salt water trailer for years, the things that will give the most trouble are the brakes and lights. Brakes, if you can get the best ones possible, stainless discs. I have drums but my boat sits on a mooring so it doesn't get dunked more than 4 times a season and I have learned how to modify the wheel cylinders to keep the salt water out which helps make them last. The other is lights, whether you have conventional or LED lights, the grounding can be a problem. The way to stop having issues is to run additional ground straps, either to each lamp if you are really compulsive, or if you are a bit lazy like me and run ground straps from the tongue where the harness ground is to each leg of the frame and then to the tail light mounts. Doing this greatly reduced my lighting issues.
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2002
- RO Number
- 10265
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- 9,958
If I recall disconnecting lights before dousing helps too.
I am waffling on the whole idea now, not sure what to do!
Miss my damn boat!
I am waffling on the whole idea now, not sure what to do!
Miss my damn boat!
"If I recall disconnecting lights before dousing helps too."
Yes - it does on the older style lamps which get hot and in most cases can also get wet.
No - on the new style LED's which are mostly unaffected by the heat issue.
Hope this helps
Yes - it does on the older style lamps which get hot and in most cases can also get wet.
No - on the new style LED's which are mostly unaffected by the heat issue.
Hope this helps
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2002
- RO Number
- 10314
- Messages
- 858
Not sure meaning not sure if you want to trailer or not?
I have moored my boat in the Huntington area of the North Shore for 10 seasons worth, while you can never keep the boat as nice as a trailer boat, and you have to deal with bottom paint and the anti fouling for the drive (which doesn't really stop growth where I am) trailering in my neighborhood would be difficult. Very narrow roads steep hills but we have mooring rights and a private beach assn with a dock and ramp. The boats up here on rotating moorings did fine in the storm. I took mine out but I went over to Huntington Harbor and Northport Harbor to look around and there was really no significant damage despite the fact that Eatons' Neck (right by Northport) had a recorded gust of 94 mph. We had a surge but it was like the one for Irene, came about half way up the beach and stopped. Mooring a boat up here is a good alternative to trailering if you can lock up a dinghy on the beach and/or use a launch service like they have in Northport.
I have moored my boat in the Huntington area of the North Shore for 10 seasons worth, while you can never keep the boat as nice as a trailer boat, and you have to deal with bottom paint and the anti fouling for the drive (which doesn't really stop growth where I am) trailering in my neighborhood would be difficult. Very narrow roads steep hills but we have mooring rights and a private beach assn with a dock and ramp. The boats up here on rotating moorings did fine in the storm. I took mine out but I went over to Huntington Harbor and Northport Harbor to look around and there was really no significant damage despite the fact that Eatons' Neck (right by Northport) had a recorded gust of 94 mph. We had a surge but it was like the one for Irene, came about half way up the beach and stopped. Mooring a boat up here is a good alternative to trailering if you can lock up a dinghy on the beach and/or use a launch service like they have in Northport.
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2002
- RO Number
- 10265
- Messages
- 9,958
I don't like moorings. No bottom paint or outdrive growth is best way to go.
Boat holds it's value alot better.
I might go back to high dry which I did for a few years.
Might even consider a lift.
I even thought about buying a older silvertion to sleep on because in the end that is what I will miss most.
Waking up on boat and looking out to bay!
Lot's of options but no clear winner!
Boat holds it's value alot better.
I might go back to high dry which I did for a few years.
Might even consider a lift.
I even thought about buying a older silvertion to sleep on because in the end that is what I will miss most.
Waking up on boat and looking out to bay!
Lot's of options but no clear winner!
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2002
- RO Number
- 9880
- Messages
- 1,855
The problem with disconecting the lights is that you'll probably also disconnect the solenoid for backing up. Many trailer set-ups have surger brakes. The surge brake coupler will compress when you back up, which locks up the brakes.
To overcome this, many trailer set-ups use a solenoid that activates when you shift in reverse. The solenoid diverts the trailer brake fluid so the brakes don't lock up.
If you disconnect the lights, you end up also disconnecting that reversing solenoid.
The solution is to use LED lights (which don't get hot), and leave the lights plugged in.
If the trailer has a 5-pin connector, it probably has the reversing solenoid. The trailers that have only lights, and no reversing solenoid, will have a 4-pin connector.
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2002
- RO Number
- 10314
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- 858
That was one of the reasons I stuck with drum brakes, they are freebacking and there is no need for a solenoid. If you remove the wheel cylinders when they are new and pack the area under the dust boot with OMC triple guard grease, then seal the boot to the cylinder with high temp RTV and grease the adjuster, they do not seize up as easily and will last 2-3 times longer. Disc brake calipers can also seize up if you don't take em off and flush the salt deposits out from around the piston seal.
I can understand not wanting to leave the boat in the water, esp if you starting with a nice boat never bottom painted. The anti fouling paints for aluminum don't work that well either so there is always growth to be cleaned off the drive (at least here). If I lived in an area with normal roads I would consider trailering, but its more of a pain, than dealing with bottom paint.
For me, the next boat will for sure be an outboard, I can do all the I/O maintenance myself but at my age crawling around in the bilge is not something I want to do that much longer. A lot of boat companies have brought back OBs on smaller boats because with the addition of EFI and cat converters on I/Os they have pretty much lost the cost advantage they once had over OBs. So if you then figure in the much lower maintenance requirements of a modern OB vs an I/O over the time you own it the OB can turn out to be significantly cheaper. And the do hold their value better in salt water regions.
I can understand not wanting to leave the boat in the water, esp if you starting with a nice boat never bottom painted. The anti fouling paints for aluminum don't work that well either so there is always growth to be cleaned off the drive (at least here). If I lived in an area with normal roads I would consider trailering, but its more of a pain, than dealing with bottom paint.
For me, the next boat will for sure be an outboard, I can do all the I/O maintenance myself but at my age crawling around in the bilge is not something I want to do that much longer. A lot of boat companies have brought back OBs on smaller boats because with the addition of EFI and cat converters on I/Os they have pretty much lost the cost advantage they once had over OBs. So if you then figure in the much lower maintenance requirements of a modern OB vs an I/O over the time you own it the OB can turn out to be significantly cheaper. And the do hold their value better in salt water regions.
"The problem with disconecting the lights is that you'll probably also disconnect the solenoid for backing up"
Yes its true but you only need slide in a supplied pin through the trailer toungue to temporarily bypass this issue - that is why they provide this feature now.
"Huntington Harbor and Northport Harbor to look around and there was really no significant damage despite the fact that Eatons' Neck (right by Northport) had a recorded gust of 94 mph"
We boat in the same area as well and love the mooring options as we have been in Northport harbor for over 25 years now. Over the past few years our daughter is a dockmaster at the Norhport Town dock and so we get quite a 'report' of any activities down there. Although the harbor did better than many I can assure you that there were at least a half dozen boats up on the beaches with a few 40' plus power and sail. With the right mooring and lines that can be averted but its just too easy to get hauled or temporary slips at Brittania or other marinas. Brittania had room for a number of boat lifts in that size range last we checked late this year so that might be another option if it suits your goals. Rumor has it that new town marina will be built sometime next year at Woodbine as well (replacing existing with larger).
Hope this helps
Yes its true but you only need slide in a supplied pin through the trailer toungue to temporarily bypass this issue - that is why they provide this feature now.
"Huntington Harbor and Northport Harbor to look around and there was really no significant damage despite the fact that Eatons' Neck (right by Northport) had a recorded gust of 94 mph"
We boat in the same area as well and love the mooring options as we have been in Northport harbor for over 25 years now. Over the past few years our daughter is a dockmaster at the Norhport Town dock and so we get quite a 'report' of any activities down there. Although the harbor did better than many I can assure you that there were at least a half dozen boats up on the beaches with a few 40' plus power and sail. With the right mooring and lines that can be averted but its just too easy to get hauled or temporary slips at Brittania or other marinas. Brittania had room for a number of boat lifts in that size range last we checked late this year so that might be another option if it suits your goals. Rumor has it that new town marina will be built sometime next year at Woodbine as well (replacing existing with larger).
Hope this helps
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2002
- RO Number
- 9880
- Messages
- 1,855
"The problem with disconecting the lights is that you'll probably also disconnect the solenoid for backing up"
Yes its true but you only need slide in a supplied pin through the trailer toungue to temporarily bypass this issue - that is why they provide this feature now.
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Given the choice, I'm going for the LED lights and leaving them plugged in, .... rather than getting out and putting in a pin everytime I want to go in reverse.
LEDs are pretty common and affordable these days. Also, they eliminate the PITA of breaking the seal on light fixtures to have to change burned out incandescent bulbs.
LEDs just seem like the no-brainer way to go these days.
Yes its true but you only need slide in a supplied pin through the trailer toungue to temporarily bypass this issue - that is why they provide this feature now.
********************
Given the choice, I'm going for the LED lights and leaving them plugged in, .... rather than getting out and putting in a pin everytime I want to go in reverse.
LEDs are pretty common and affordable these days. Also, they eliminate the PITA of breaking the seal on light fixtures to have to change burned out incandescent bulbs.
LEDs just seem like the no-brainer way to go these days.
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2002
- RO Number
- 10265
- Messages
- 9,958
So I spoke to trailer company and they feel their 5225 is fine for this boat.
Boat is 22' from Bow eye to drain plug.
Dry weight is 4500 lbs.
Trailer is rated for boats 21' to 22' and 5225lbs.
But they say it can go to 6000 but they use 5225.
Not sure what to do.
Next size up is 5925lbs and is for 23' to 24'
Boat is 22' from Bow eye to drain plug.
Dry weight is 4500 lbs.
Trailer is rated for boats 21' to 22' and 5225lbs.
But they say it can go to 6000 but they use 5225.
Not sure what to do.
Next size up is 5925lbs and is for 23' to 24'
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2012
- RO Number
- 33100
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- 128
Not trying to sell you on anything one way or the other, but regarding this concern, I find what works for me is an enclosed SUV and an open utility trailer. Of course, you have to have room to store the trailer, but since you'd be set up for towing anyway, it might give you the best of both worlds.
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2002
- RO Number
- 10314
- Messages
- 858
If that is really what it weighs, it should be fine with the Jeep, as long as it has the 5.7 Hemi and the towing package. The later model Jeeps have much better brakes than the older ones did, but I'd still try to get brakes on both axles if you can. On Jeep bulletin boards people have towed more than 6000 with them and as long as the trailer has good brakes, the load is balanced right and if needed, you use a WD hitch, they are good tow vehicles. I have found that the Grand Cherokees use soft springs to let the axle articulate in off road driving and they need either air bags in the rear coils (for lighter tongue weights) or a WD hitch (for heavier ones like over 500 lbs). I have the Air Lifts in the rear of my 98 Grand and fully aired up it makes the rear suspension as stiff as a 3/4 ton pick up. Cheap and effective.