RIB,s and Towing

[Val & Frank]

Sorry not quite caravans but looking for advice.

Looking to buy a RIB which we can take over to the West Coast. Anyone any experience with these and anything we need to know regarding Laws etc ??

We will use our LC to tow the van,so we will need to look at changing our Polo for something that will pull a trailer with a medium sized rib. My wife who has no towing experience will need to pull the trailer with the rib, anyone know of any specific issues when towing an inflatable boat with say a 20/30hp outboard on the back??

Val & Frank

 

[Stephen_5122599]

HI Frank,

There are no specific issues about towing a boat on a trailer, just make sure it is securely attached to the trailer and the propellor is protected by one of those reflective bags.

Boat trailers wheel bearings can take a bit of a battering from launching in salt water so make sure the bearings are cold or use a bucket of fresh water to cool them before submersing them in the briney. If your trailer is below 750kg gross as it probably will be you won't have brakes to worry about but dont forget to remove the trailer board before launching.Towing is very easy as they are relatively light an offer little wind resistance. I prefer a strap not wire on the winch as it is easier on the hands, I would also recomend investing in a good quality length of rope to connect between the tow hitch and the trailer if you want to keep the car wheels out of the water when recovering or launching also wheel chocks are useful with unbraked trailers.

I hope this is a pointer in the right direction .

Regards

Steve

 

[Val & Frank]

Thanks Stephen,

Would it be better to purchase a trailer with brakes?? seeing that my wife will be doing the towing. She has no experience with towing at all.

Thanks Val & Frank

 

[MikeP]

If the trailer is light enough, there is no need for brakes. And I'd question the need to change your Polo. As long as you can get a towbar for it and the outfit is within limits, then the Polo will pull a RIB just fine. I used to tow a trailer tent with a 1978 1500cc VW Golf.

 

[MikeP]

PS - if you're worried about towing an unbraked trailer ...

Most responsible people drive more steadily and are far more observant when towing. Therefore, they are less likely to need the full capability of the brake system.

Fact - when we had the Golf we managed 38mpg solo, and I was surprised to get the same going to Cornwall and back with about 400kg of trailer tent. I put it down to a lower top speed and more gentle acceleration/braking. (If you think about it, every brake application that you ever make is a waste of petrol/diesel).

 

[Garfield]

Hi,

I used to tow a sportsboat (660kg with unbraked trailer) with a Fiesta XR2 which had a kerb weight of 850kg, like Mike P a solo run would give me 36mpg cruising at 80-90mph and I still got the same with the boat on the back at 60mph, not sure on the age of your Polo but newer ones are well over a ton so will probably tow the RIB you have in mind no probs and you can use the LC for launching.

 

[TrevorM]

Frank, brakes are best avoided on a boat trailer (if your towcar permits this.) This is because constant immersion in water and the moving brake parts are not an ideal combination; the brakes will require very frequent servicing to avoid seizure due to rusting, especially in salt water.

An unbraked trailer must not be over 750 Kg laden weight, or half the weight of the towing vehicle (whichever is the lower,) unless the vehicle manufacturer specifies a lower unbraked limit.

As you can see, Garfield would have been travelling illegally due to the low weight of his XR2, even if he had kept to the speed limits.

Hope this helps.

Enjoy your holidays,

Trevor M

 

[TrevorM]

Whoops; sorry Garfield, I just re-read your post and noticed you were only doing 60mph with the trailer connected!

Enjoy your holidays.

Trevor M

 

[Val & Frank]

Hi Guys,

Just got the log document out for the Polo it's a 2004 model, 1200cc petrol engine with 12000 miles on the clock

Revenue weight 1079kg unladen So would it be like the van 85%ratio or should we be a bit more cautious with a boat ??

We only want the boat for something to do, when we go across to the West Coast around Arisaig, but we will get one that is safe, probably looking at a Zodiac

Thanks for the tips

Val & Frank

Val & Frank

Val & Frank

 

[Val & Frank]

Hi Guys,

Just got the log document out for the Polo it's a 2004 model, 1200cc petrol engine with 12000 miles on the clock

Revenue weight 1079kg unladen So would it be like the van 85%ratio or should we be a bit more cautious with a boat ??

We only want the boat for something to do, when we go across to the West Coast around Arisaig, but we will get one that is safe, probably looking at a Zodiac

Thanks for the tips

Val & Frank

Val & Frank

Val & Frank

thanks for your help from all 6 of us

 

[MikeP]

I wouldn't get rid of a car that had done just 12,000 miles. It has loosened up and settled down, and you should have 40,000 relatively trouble-free miles ahead of you. Don't give that away to someone else!

Forget the 85% ratio, for unbraked you need 50%. You can tow up to half the kerbweight (which I think is around 1,010kg), so that's 500kg. If the laden trailer, then you'll need a braked trailer.

 

[MikeP]

I wouldn't get rid of a car that had done just 12,000 miles. It has loosened up and settled down, and you should have 40,000 relatively trouble-free miles ahead of you. Don't give that away to someone else!

Forget the 85% ratio, for unbraked you need 50%. You can tow up to half the kerbweight (which I think is around 1,010kg), so that's 500kg. If the laden trailer, then you'll need a braked trailer.

Sorry, missed if the laden trailer "is heavier" ...

 

[Garfield]

Boats tow more easily than a caravan of similar weight, they have much less wind resistance from the front and sides, at the time I had the XR2 I was told by the police that the unbraked limit was 750kg or 75% of the kerb weight, I was still over the limit so I adapted a caravan chassis into a boat trailer with brakes and proper springs and dampers, stable at 85mph!!!! but don't tell John L!!

 

[Stephen_5122599]

Hi Frank,

I think you will find that weight is not a big issue a typical 4.3m RIB weighs around 165kg, a 4.8m around 200kg. A basic 30hp two stroke outboard weighs as little as 50kg. A light boat doesn't need a large heavy trailer So unless you want a big RIB with a large outboard your Polo is well capable of towing it.

Regards

Steve

 

[Val & Frank]

Thanks again guys great help

Frank

 

[colin-yorkshire]

hi frank

there should be no problems towing the rib with the polo as I used to tow a picton 13ft speed boat with a 1300cc polo without any issues.

however one suggestion I could make would be to remove the engine off the transom and depending on the engine size either carry it in the boot (with the back seat down) or in the btm of the boat as this gives better weight disribution of the outfit the engine I used was a 25hp johnson long shaft and when fitted to the boat did rather stick out quite a bit, and an engine about this size should not be too heavy to lift on/off before launching.

colin

 

[spj]

Hi Frank,

I have just been looking at RIBs as well, a 4.7m RIB on a trailer with a 50hp outboard only wieghs around 400kgs, a smaller engine will be lighter still, your Polo may be OK to pull it depending on VWs max towing limits.

Presently I have a 3.65m inflatable with a 30hp two stroke out board, last year this all fit in an Audi A4 saloon with a roofbox, a full 3m deep awning two adults and a dog, this year we have an ML270CDI, with no roofbox and we had much more space even though I tend to load the car and leave the caravan light, this allows us to travel with one car, caravan and the boat.

This boat will take 5 adults and cruise at 25mph with two and a dog in, so far we have only been on Loch Lomond with it which is really good, insurance is not needed to launch (although advisable) and your boat needs registering, this only costs

 

[Val & Frank]

Thanks SPG,

I will look at the web sites you posted. Thanks everyone I feel a lot more comfortable now.

Val & Frank