Cheapest tow vehicle - suppositions, guesses and maths

[Lakesailor]

absolutely perfect

room to sleep in the back

Dylan

You could theme the outfit and have a sailing coffin. You'd need shrouds.

[Avocet]

For Serendipity I http://www.autow.com/trailer-parts/t...n-braked/BG250. A 50 year old clinker dinghy doesn't deserve to be bashed about. The boat and kit and trailer weighed about 210Kg and that gave me a bit in hand at 250Kg total capacity for the pair of units. (I could carry the outboard and fuel can etc)
The boat rode beautifully on them. Gliding, in a stately way.

Sorry to prolong the thread drift, but I think a lot of older Indespension-type units used to seize because they had nylon bearings in the ends. The more modern (and cheaper ones) just seem to rely on the rubber preserving the camber and toe geometry - no bearings, so they shouldn't have that problem, if you can live with the sloppy geometry. Our little Heron dinghy had some terrible damage to the hull when we got it - caused by the pads under the chines being punched up into the fibreglass repeatedly by the seized rubber suspension units.

[misterg]

room to sleep in the back

Dylan

You could hold a dinner party in that!

Andy

[dylanwinter]

You could theme the outfit and have a sailing coffin. You'd need shrouds.

I have to say that a duck punt would make a great coffin - although it has quite a few plastics in in and the grave would need to be 15 feet long

but it is more or less the right shape

D

good shroud joke there lakey

[EuanMcKenzie]

Guilty thread creep

That's a perfect boat you linked to, great nick and does all the things you spec'd and sitting in Tarbert by the look of it.

I take it it was sold long before you found that link given the old pontoon went at least 2 years ago!

[lw395]

I think I might have found Dylan the http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Volvo-960-...#ht_925wt_1152. Might even be able to get the duck punt in the back

There used to be a couple of sailmakers on the dinghy circuit who had an old hearse as a tow car. They had the slogan 'repairs undertaken'....

I don't know if they slept in it, but somehow I assume so.

[lw395]

Sorry to prolong the thread drift, but I think a lot of older Indespension-type units used to seize because they had nylon bearings in the ends. The more modern (and cheaper ones) just seem to rely on the rubber preserving the camber and toe geometry - no bearings, so they shouldn't have that problem, if you can live with the sloppy geometry. Our little Heron dinghy had some terrible damage to the hull when we got it - caused by the pads under the chines being punched up into the fibreglass repeatedly by the seized rubber suspension units.

The problem with the modern trailers is the suspension is integral with the cross-beam, so it's rather more than 40 quid to change.
On one of my trailers, the cross beam is welded on.
Even the 250kg units are pretty stiff. My trailers have foam lined cradles to support the hull, I'm upgrading these to thicker foam.

[Lakesailor]

Are those 250kg units you speak of 250 kgs each or a pair?
Mine fitted to my trailer gave a soft ride. I could deflect the suspension by merely pushing down on the gunwhales.
Even if the trailer has integral units you can always buy mounting plates and u-bolts to attach softer units externally. You could tack-weld the plates under the existing beam.

[tinkicker0]

Here you go, perfect. Room for your sandwiches on the roof too.

[TSB240]

There used to be a couple of sailmakers on the dinghy circuit who had an old hearse as a tow car. They had the slogan 'repairs undertaken'....

I don't know if they slept in it, but somehow I assume so.

Adam Bowers from Weymouth

I seem to remember he used to strap his 14 foot Scorpion to the roof rails rather than tow.They werent restricted to towing at 50 MPH as it was then.

Him and his crew were quite happy to sleep in the back just had to draw the black curtains. If I remember they were usually one of the last to leave the bar though!

Not sure Dylans partner would be very happy with a Volvo 960 Hearse on the drive.