Dinghy Towing...
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Your ideas for this website
Forum Name: Your thoughts for YachtsandYachting.com
Forum Discription: What do you think we should be featuring on YachtsandYachting.com
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=369
Printed Date: 05 Aug 25 at 2:20am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Dinghy Towing...
Posted By: Solo1
Subject: Dinghy Towing...
Date Posted: 06 Jan 05 at 1:22pm
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Hi Can anyone recommend someone to supply and fit a towbar to my VW Camper van - the quotes i'm getting are pretty nasty.. ....I'm in Essex - and can't tow my dinghy! ------------- dtm - solo1 |
Replies:
Posted By: James Bell
Date Posted: 06 Jan 05 at 1:39pm
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Trident Trailers in Kent are pretty good. Around £180 for a towbar on a car. ------------- IOS Sailing Community - http://www.iossc.org.uk/" rel="nofollow - www.iossc.org.uk |
Posted By: Lucy Lee
Date Posted: 06 Jan 05 at 2:05pm
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Blanche Cleary Trailors are in E27 near Leyton (and Excel if you are going to the Boat Show). They are very good, cheap and have hundreds of towbars in stock. Their number is 02074762638. ------------- Fly Cherub! |
Posted By: redback
Date Posted: 06 Jan 05 at 4:46pm
| I fitted my own which I bought from Towsure (I'm sure they're on the web), it cost me about £50 and is excellent. |
Posted By: James Bell
Date Posted: 06 Jan 05 at 4:49pm
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>I fitted my own
------------- IOS Sailing Community - http://www.iossc.org.uk/" rel="nofollow - www.iossc.org.uk |
Posted By: Solo1
Date Posted: 06 Jan 05 at 4:50pm
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Thanks everyone
- I'll check these out....
------------- dtm - solo1 |
Posted By: mahany
Date Posted: 18 Jan 05 at 1:18pm
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Rick Simac in Waltham Abbey does a mobile service. Did a good job on an old Viva! I have also used Towsure to supply. New EU rules now apply to tow bar design, this may be making them more expensive these days. |
Posted By: elmo
Date Posted: 22 Jan 05 at 8:16pm
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Talking of towing, what is the smallest car that anyone has towed with? I have just got a 200 and wondering if my mums 1 litre corsa will manage to stand the pace  I'd be interested in anyones ideas. |
Posted By: hurricane
Date Posted: 22 Jan 05 at 8:20pm
on my walk home from the sailing club i once saw a reliant robin with a tow bar i coulnt believe it when i saw it towing a rib a while later 
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Posted By: sailor girl
Date Posted: 22 Jan 05 at 8:20pm
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There is a place near where i live in Essex, that restores and does stuff to VW campers, if you want the details PM me.
Solo check your PM's ------------- Sailor Girl, Queen Of The Forum! |
Posted By: Rob.e
Date Posted: 22 Jan 05 at 9:11pm
| I've seen small cars towing OK, just don't try/expect to go too fast! Of course it depends on how far you want to go, and how many hills etc, but some buddies of mine took a Nat12 to Chew/Axbridge behind a Nova many years ago, and the 200 should be about the same load. |
Posted By: redback
Date Posted: 22 Jan 05 at 9:32pm
| When I lived in Cheshire I used to do the Scorpion circuit. I remember doing an open on Coniston (Lake District) one weekend and the Sheppey Island Race (Kent) the following weekend. I had a Citroen at the time, 2 cylinders and 602cc. It was no problem and down hill used to make up for what it lost up hill! |
Posted By: Garry
Date Posted: 24 Jan 05 at 5:23pm
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I've towed the Lark behind a 1.1 Fiesta with no problems - average dinghy even with trailer I guess weighs less than 3 adults. ------------- Garry Lark 2252, Contender 298 www.cuckoos.eclipse.co.uk |
Posted By: Blobby
Date Posted: 25 Jan 05 at 1:04am
| Contender at 80mph behind a 2CV downhill - ask Jeremy Troughton for details... |
Posted By: Phil eltringham
Date Posted: 25 Jan 05 at 10:08am
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I've seen an 18 footer on the back of a saxo. Looked a bit strange with the boat prety much twice the size of the car, apparently it towed very nicely. ------------- FLAT IS FAST! Shifts Happen |
Posted By: Gael
Date Posted: 25 Jan 05 at 9:14pm
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I had a Saxo for a while - only a 1.1 but it towed the 4000 a treat... not so
surprised to hear of one towing an 18! |
Posted By: Contender443
Date Posted: 29 Jan 05 at 7:36am
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Just for interest I have just had a towbar fitted to my car. It is a MG ZTT and the price ranged from £180 to £323. So I went for the £180 The company was called Autotow and I got them out of the yellow pages, they are based in Essex but they cover Essex, Kent and Sussex. They come to where you want them and fix it there and then. No hassel. I would recommend them to anyone. BTW I asked the most expensive company (B&B trailers in Sussex) why they were so expensive. They gave such a load of bull****. They even said the quality of the cheaper towbar would be untrustworthy. Well the cheaper towbar fitted was a Witter one - exactly the same as they would supply. ------------- Bonnie Lass Contender 1764 |
Posted By: sjm.
Date Posted: 29 Jan 05 at 10:29am
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I had a tow bar and electrics fitted to my MX5, which I have used to tow my 470 and laser2. Cost of supply and fit was about £100 from a company in Romford but I can't remember their name or find the receipt. Whichever car you are planning to use check the car out first to make sure it is suitable. Some cars are not designed for towing and therefore will not be legal or insurable. The handbook should state it's towing ability and a good indication is on web-sites of companies who list tow bars for various models of cars... if your's ain't there check with the manufacturer! ------------- Si Solo 2751 "Jolly Jumper" |
Posted By: Garry
Date Posted: 29 Jan 05 at 11:00am
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We would have bought a Ford KA as our second car but the're not designed for a towbar. Just as well we had a suspiscion because the dealer didn't have a clue and would have sold it to us with all sorts of assurances - but we made him check... ------------- Garry Lark 2252, Contender 298 www.cuckoos.eclipse.co.uk |
Posted By: sjm.
Date Posted: 29 Jan 05 at 2:22pm
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Good job you checked! I was lucky with mine as it's an old model, newer ones can't do it ( I think it's to do with european legislation ). Otherwise it would be time to look for a new car. I heard about a guy who towed his boat on a launching trolley behind his bicycle... hope he didn't have to go far! ------------- Si Solo 2751 "Jolly Jumper" |
Posted By: Garry
Date Posted: 29 Jan 05 at 5:53pm
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Yes it is about EU legislation but the manufacturers are hiding behind it (as usual). The EU requires them to define the attachment points for the towbar and certify them as suitable. They'd have to do that if they were to develop a factory fitted option! ------------- Garry Lark 2252, Contender 298 www.cuckoos.eclipse.co.uk |
Posted By: Contender443
Date Posted: 29 Jan 05 at 6:29pm
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Well my cheap towbar(see my last post) has just done the job!! More than can be said for the tyre on the road trailer.... Next time I will carry my spare tyre.... just as well I was close to a friends house and he came out and rescued me. ------------- Bonnie Lass Contender 1764 |
Posted By: big man
Date Posted: 07 Feb 05 at 3:50pm
question for you.. do you think a J reg 106 1.1cc can tow a double trailor??? ------------- keep it flat you t*** |
Posted By: Contender443
Date Posted: 07 Feb 05 at 4:03pm
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Yes as long as the trailer is empty and you don't want to go very fast very quickly!! Seriously what wil be on the double trailer? ------------- Bonnie Lass Contender 1764 |
Posted By: big man
Date Posted: 07 Feb 05 at 4:11pm
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a scorpion. i bourght one and it came with a fixed double trailor. what do you think. im only 19 and i cant afford a bigger engin with the insurance. ------------- keep it flat you t*** |
Posted By: Garry
Date Posted: 07 Feb 05 at 4:59pm
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Probably no trouble with the power but you need to check your kerb weight compared to your loaded trailer weight. ------------- Garry Lark 2252, Contender 298 www.cuckoos.eclipse.co.uk |
Posted By: sjm.
Date Posted: 07 Feb 05 at 9:30pm
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Found this on " gocaravanning.com "... A quick look at the side of a car gives you an idea as to its potential for towing. If it has a relatively long wheelbase and the overhang at the back is short (distance between the centre of the rear wheels to the towball) that's a good start . We have listed some important calculations that you should consider in order to set up both vehicles for better towing. Kerb Weight Actual Laden Weight Caravan or Trailer /Towing Vehicle Weight Ratio Car to Caravan weight ratio It is recommended that you do not exceed an 85% caravan to car weight ratio. This means that your caravan, fully loaded, should not be more than 85% of your cars kerb-weight (or max tow weight if this is lower). If you are an experienced caravaner you can go up to 100% weight ration but this is not recommended. If the caravan is more than the kerb-weight of the car and you are stopped by the Police you could be prosecuted. There's a lot more advice regarding tow bars and new legislation. I guess for "caravan" read "boat, trolley and trailor" and it's the same formula. Regards,
------------- Si Solo 2751 "Jolly Jumper" |
Posted By: *GM*
Date Posted: 07 Feb 05 at 9:40pm
"Gocaravanning.com"? Don't tell me, you were just looking at the cartoons....
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Posted By: sjm.
Date Posted: 09 Feb 05 at 6:24pm
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------------- Si Solo 2751 "Jolly Jumper" |
some of those shiny vans are just.. dreamy.. (sigh)