Converting a big trailer

[tim griffin]

Hi Richard
I presume you want to use it for cleaning off the hull twice a month .
It will cost you £98 to use sea lift in Cowes or £2.00 a foot for a haul out on a trailer and Powerwash at the folly theirs will take your rib no problem.
Re servicing your engines that is gonna be a bit more awkward unless you can get them to come to you?? but not impossible .

Might be less hassle than converting/buying a monster trailer and all the associated paperwork involved.

[Nauti Buoy]

Have found the following out which may be of use to some:- Based on a Multi Roller Trailer

SBS, DeGraaff, Parrymore & Rapide, Blendworth, RM Trailers, Bramber & Rapide do a trailer suitable, that weighs in at 650-700kg price range £2900-£3600 plus vat

Parrymore do one as 650kg-700kg for £3500inc vat does anyone here have a Parrymore and are they happy with it?

Indespension come in at 850kg and £3490 plus vat.

So it would appear as long as the rib was not loaded up with fuel and loads of gear I would be inside the towing limit, by 100kg or there abouts.

[jwalker]

Originally Posted by Nauti Buoy

The rib weighs 2700kg. Will give SBS a call tomorrow, see what weight the trailer comes in at.

Richard, are you sure about that? It's a heck of a weight for an open rib.
For info, my trailer when in 4 wheel configuration was put on the weighbridge and it weighed 640kg. So, if you're careful with your choice of trailer, you may manage to stay legal.

Edit: oops, I see you've done your homework.....

[Nauti Buoy]

Originally Posted by jwalker

Richard, are you sure about that? It's a heck of a weight for an open rib.
For info, my trailer when in 4 wheel configuation was put on the weighbridge and it weighed 640kg. So, if you're careful with your choice of trailer, you may manage to stay legal.

Edit: oops, I see you've done your homework.....

Hi

I had the rib weighed on Sunday at Drivers Wharf on their crane. Parker estimated the weight to be about 2600 - 2800kg dry so the weight that Drivers have come in at I assume is farely accurate.

regards

Richard

[Alan]

Richard,

Howabout this combination advertised over on Boatsad.com?

http://www.boatmad.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7971

[BogMonster]

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

I wouldn't want to try driving with a PTO engaged. There won't be much of a gearbox left and the chance of making it past 2nd gear is slim. Driving with a PTO engaged causes so much drag you can't change gear.

Is it a realistic prospect to install a belt-driven 2nd vaccuum pump to power vac-assist brakes?

Why? Land Rover PTO's come off the back of the transfer box, in fact the PTO system is used (sort of) for overdrives so you can certainly drive those in any gear surely the drag depends on how much power you are taking out.

Info on LR4x4.com suggests that the Land Rover coupled brakes are either taken from the vehicle vacuum pump (and an accumulator tank) or a separate vacuum pump, and some are made ex factory by LR Special Vehicles. Probably costs more than a fiver to implement though...

One option would (might) be to replace the alternator with one of the Japanese alternators that also have a built in vac pump, or if the vehicle doesn't have air con then there is a ready made place for a vac pump - my Defender has a hydraulic pump for the winch mounted where the a/c compressor would live if it had a/c.

Lots of options but keeping it under 3500kg is the cheapest one by a long way

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by BogMonster

Why? Land Rover PTO's come off the back of the transfer box, in fact the PTO system is used (sort of) for overdrives so you can certainly drive those in any gear surely the drag depends on how much power you are taking out.

Info on LR4x4.com suggests that the Land Rover coupled brakes are either taken from the vehicle vacuum pump (and an accumulator tank) or a separate vacuum pump, and some are made ex factory by LR Special Vehicles. Probably costs more than a fiver to implement though...

One option would (might) be to replace the alternator with one of the Japanese alternators that also have a built in vac pump, or if the vehicle doesn't have air con then there is a ready made place for a vac pump - my Defender has a hydraulic pump for the winch mounted where the a/c compressor would live if it had a/c.

Lots of options but keeping it under 3500kg is the cheapest one by a long way

Granted I've not driven a landy with the PTO engaged but on every vehicle I've driven that's had a PTO it won't drive past 2nd gear if you leave the PTO engaged-even if there's no load on the PTO.

The japanese alternators with a built in vac pump might work-they might need an oil feed though- the Isuzu one I did last week did...Horrible job! Good idea though.

[Pete7]

Wasn't Cookee selling his truck with 6 tonne hiab. Sorry Richard but a Disco isn't going to do it. The Royal Marines use 4 tonne Bedfords to tow there Artic 28s which it does quite well, if a little slowly.

Pete

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Wasn't Cookee selling his truck with 6 tonne hiab. Sorry Richard but a Disco isn't going to do it. The Royal Marines use 4 tonne Bedfords to tow there Artic 28s which it does quite well, if a little slowly.

Pete

My Discovery 300tdi tows a 3.5 tonne rig no problem at all - a joy to drive!!!

[Pete7]

Yes I know what the manual says, now back in the real world, that weight of trailer will throw a landrover all over the place. At least one member of this forum jack knifed a 26 foot boat with a Disco on the M5. A Bedford or Pantechicon type of vehicle would be much safer and come with air brakes. Its a lot of boat to risk and it might not be Richard but some other nobber on the road who makes the mistake. Ask Nos42 he drives and eats Yorkies for a living,

I think its Phil Smith selling those trailers btw,

Pete

[Bigmuz7]

So after 1.1.97 you need a class 2 licence then, to drive a 7.5 tonner with more than 750 kgs trailed, I wasnt far off ? Or a 7.5 tonner full stop?

[codprawn]

I wasn't on about what the book says - actually speaking from experience!!!

It is all down to the trailer - the 3 axle I had was fantastic - towed like a dream and was as stable as a rock - it actually stopped the Discovery rather than the discovery stopping it!!!

[Richard B]

Originally Posted by Pete7

one member of this forum jack knifed a 26 foot boat with a Disco on the M5....

In fairness, that trailer and boat combo did weigh in at over 4 tonnes if I remember correctly. I remember seeing him leave the yard with the rear suspension bottoming out, and the tow hitch slowly distorting out of shape.

Many people who find themselves at the limit for European 4x4s, and at the 3500kg limit for over-run brakes opt for American vehicles. Chris Strickland used to tow his Scorpion 10m cabin rib Seahound 5 on a custom built trailer with air brakes behind a Ford F250 (or was it a 350?) king cab pickup. The trailer and RIB are about 4.5 tonnes. He had the pickup for sale last year, I don't know if he still has it or not.

[bedajim]

Originally Posted by codprawn

I wasn't on about what the book says - actually speaking from experience!!!

It is all down to the trailer - the 3 axle I had was fantastic - towed like a dream and was as stable as a rock - it actually stopped the Discovery rather than the discovery stopping it!!!

Yes and was the trailer under 650 kg

[Richard B]

Originally Posted by bedajim

Yes and was the trailer under 650 kg

That would only be relevant if his RIB weighed over 2850kg!

[bedajim]

Originally Posted by Nauti Buoy

The rib weighs 2700kg. Will give SBS a call tomorrow, see what weight the trailer comes in at.

"That would only be relevant if his RIB weighed over 2850kg!"

Not far from that with toys & fuel possibly a little more

If you get stopped and tested they will not be interested in dry weight

[Jono]

Originally Posted by Richard B

....a Ford F250 (or was it a 350?) king cab pickup.

Which reminds me... I've got a 1986 Ford F150 with a 351 Windsor (sp?) mated to a C6 auto for sale if anyone need a big tow motor...?

[Jono]

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

So after 1.1.97 you need a class 2 licence then, to drive a 7.5 tonner with more than 750 kgs trailed, I wasnt far off ? Or a 7.5 tonner full stop?

Oh Lord.. please help me <edit> perhaps I'm being a little harsh. Sorry! There is no such thing as classs 1,2 or 3 anymore. New licence classes are as per the link posted earlier.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Richard B

In fairness, that trailer and boat combo did weigh in at over 4 tonnes if I remember correctly. I remember seeing him leave the yard with the rear suspension bottoming out, and the tow hitch slowly distorting out of shape.

Yes this is my point, 3500 kgs is not far off 4 tonnes. Thats twice the weight of a Disco or 110.

There is a guy in Fareham called Mark Brown who runs a local authority coded rib, you could ask him if Portsmouth Police know the trailer laws. The charter would have been a nice little earner and introduced us to the BBC film crews and contacts, but it never happened. Rib and trailer stopped 200 yards short of Camber Dock and Police slapped a "Do not move" notice on the trailer. I think it eventually went home on a low loader. Film crew not impressed.

Lets be honest, Richards boat isn't exactly inconspicous

Would also be worth having a look at the max width issue and trailer laws, nightmare.

Pete

[Jono]

Originally Posted by codprawn

..- it actually stopped the Discovery rather than the discovery stopping it!!!

Go no... explain how that works, with the standard trailer braking system Ie those operated by the coupling "shortening"....