Contoversial Question for you!!

[HUMBER P4VWL]

Got a mate who has given up on boat trailers. He loads boat and launch trailer on to his twin axle Ifor Williams with the winch. Knows it'll tow safely and launches with the boat one. Works well.

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by mick

I don't find towing or launching stressful
Look after your gear and it will look after you

As you sayMate!...and considering the distances you Tow!..a bit understated!
(Like the Avitar!)

[m chappelow]

Had 2 occasions where the safety chain was effective on an unbraked trailer
1st time about 20 years ago when within a few meters of going up a very short steep angle ramp from a level surface (could have been worn coupling ) combined with extreme angle .

2nd time was after having been stopped in traffic in a town centre whilst 100s of people were crossing the road after leaving a sports event people were striding over the tow bar between the car & trailer ( on this one someone popped the hitch deliberately ) when the time came to move off again !Clonk !
So after that i now always put a padlock or nut & bolt through the hole to stop anyone tampering whilst stationary .

[Nick Hearne]

Originally Posted by m chappelow

So after that i now always put a padlock or nut & bolt through the hole to stop anyone tampering whilst stationary .

I thought you where not supposed to lock your trailer to the car whilst towing as in an accident it may course a problem if it can not be unhitched by the Rossers!

I do not find trailering or launching a problem, just brought my SR4 back from Devon after the summer down there, had new hubs a year ago but be for bringing it back took them off and regressed them so I know they are OK

What I do not do is dunk my trailer, I only go in just below the bearing as a rule (I have roller trailers) keeping the bearing out of the water and tend to avoid slips that are very shallow!
It do find it odd people float there boats off and on then they have a roller trailer, may as well get one with bunks!

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by Nick Hearne

I thought you where not supposed to lock your trailer to the car whilst towing as in an accident it may course a problem if it can not be unhitched by the Rossers!

What sort of accident is serious enough that I am unable to unhitch the trailer for them, point out the key on my car key for them to do it or the fire service can't just bolt crop it?

[Nick Hearne]

Originally Posted by ShinyShoe

What sort of accident is serious enough that I am unable to unhitch the trailer for them, point out the key on my car key for them to do it or the fire service can't just bolt crop it?

S**t you kidding me?
How may people die a year on the road, how you going to help then?
Let along knocked out or just out off it in a state of shock you aren't going to be any help to no one

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Nick Hearne

S**t you kidding me?
How may people die a year on the road, how you going to help then?
Let along knocked out or just out off it in a state of shock you aren't going to be any help to no one

And in that sort of serious accident why are they needing to urgently move trailers, but not able to check the drivers key ring? I've never heard it suggested the two should not be locked together. There is certainly nothing in the c and u regs I can see.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by mick

I don't find towing or launching stressful
Look after your gear and it will look after you

Yeah stressful is probably the wrong word. but you only need to look at the number of dry stacks and marinas to see that people value not having the trouble themselves. I've never seen anyone selling boat packages with the trailer and it's ease of use etc being a selling point rather than just a necessary tool like a steering wheel.

[Nick Hearne]

Originally Posted by Poly

And in that sort of serious accident why are they needing to urgently move trailers, but not able to check the drivers key ring? I've never heard it suggested the two should not be locked together. There is certainly nothing in the c and u regs I can see.

My trailer keys are not on my car keys how many are?

Car or trailer is on fire you may want to separate them quickly!

Why would you want them locked together give me a reason why, I can think of reasons why not to!

[mick]

Originally Posted by Poly

Yeah stressful is probably the wrong word. but you only need to look at the number of dry stacks and marinas to see that people value not having the trouble themselves. I've never seen anyone selling boat packages with the trailer and it's ease of use etc being a selling point rather than just a necessary tool like a steering wheel.

Fair point but that's a bit like having a static caravan stuck in one place boring.
Been off in my tintent this week 2 days in Beadnell then nipped across to Carlisle

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Nick Hearne

My trailer keys are not on my car keys how many are?

Car or trailer is on fire you may want to separate them quickly!

Why would you want them locked together give me a reason why, I can think of reasons why not to!

I very much doubt that the police are disconnecting trailers if either is on fire. If fire brigade are there a padlock is going to be little barrier. Especially since the whole hitch can be unbolt from the car

MC gave a reason for locking them earlier. I lock mine so I don't need to worry about locking it if e.g. I stop at a service station. I've also had a trailer "jump off" the hitch and think it would have been less likely if the hitch had been locked on.

My trailer keys aren't on my car key ring but are in my pocket, so hardly beyond the wit of a PC to find. The boat keys are on the same key ring which avoids the embarrassing 4hrs round trip to get them when I left them at home - so another reason for locking them is if I have the trailer keys I know I have the boat keys.

[SPR]

Originally Posted by Nick Hearne

My trailer keys are not on my car keys how many are?



Car or trailer is on fire you may want to separate them quickly!



Why would you want them locked together give me a reason why, I can think of reasons why not to!

I carry spare - boat keys on car keys in summer ! but usually attached with small one if these.




www.firstaidatsea.co.uk
www.SPRmarine.co.uk

[Poly]

Originally Posted by mick

Fair point but that's a bit like having a static caravan stuck in one place boring.
Been off in my tintent this week 2 days in Beadnell then nipped across to Carlisle

Oh we are in agreement on the downsides. I'm just surprised nobody has improved trailers much in a long time for convenience or ease of use.

[mick]

Originally Posted by Poly

Oh we are in agreement on the downsides. I'm just surprised nobody has improved trailers much in a long time for convenience or ease of use.

You would laugh if you saw how I get it in and out of where I keep mine have to use the winch on the defender

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by Nick Hearne

S**t you kidding me?
How may people die a year on the road, how you going to help then?
Let along knocked out or just out off it in a state of shock you aren't going to be any help to no one

Certainly not kidding you.

So I can see minor accidents where Mr Plod wants the road opening quickly - I can provide the key.

I can see a situation where I am unconscious/dead - Mr Plod should be in no rush to move the trailer

The only situation I can see where you might want to do something very quickly is fire. So I can see a few variations on that: Car / Trailer on fire but no one inside. If can disconnect then might be able to save the Car / Trailer. I pay insurance for a reason. I'll take my chances. Trailer on fire, occupants of car trapped. Want to stop fire spreading to occupants of car. This is the ONE case I can see where time might be critical + I might be unable to communicate where the key is. Trouble is I'm struggling to envisage a RTC that has left me trapped and my trailer on fire. I'm sure its possible... ...but on the likelihood scale I would say its not likely! For this to work the trailer needs to be movable or the car needs to be movable. If its the trailer thats being moved then what caused it to catch fire? I'm sure boats on trailers occasionally do 'spontaneously' catch fire but whats caused me to then crash and become trapped...? An entirely different incident - god thats a bad day! I'm sure if someone drives their car into my trailer and flips it over and the fuel leaks onto their hot engine it would catch fire. But with the trailer flipped its not gonna be easy to move. But my car isn't gonna be easy to move either if its damaged enough to trap me... i'll take my chances.

The lock I use the fire brigade would remove in about a second. I reckon a determined cop could have it off in a minute with a big screwdriver...

[Jeff]

Mine is always locked to the car when in transit >>> imagine coming out from a cuppa at a services to find some nice chap has decided to unhitch and drive it away! Check your insurance too - I am sure some I looked at years ago stated a wheel clamp should be fitted in those circumstances?

To follow the original post > I lavish nearly as much time, attention and maintenance on the trailer given I tow at least 10k miles each year, including a trip to Italy. Even then (as Pikey D would say) sh:t can happen.
Aside from failure of brakes, bearings, axle causing a severe delay or abandonment of trip, the potential for wrecking your boat or injuring others is too high to risk.
As with others, I don’t find towing stressful either - but maybe that’s because those of us living so far from the coast have no choice;;;;; but we do have the advantage of being able to use most of the beautiful coastline of the UK
Jeff

[9D280]

Originally Posted by hippyhunter

A secondary coupling is a legal requirement for all unbraked trailers."

I'm sure last time I checked (probably longer ago than I think) it was "Must be fitted if built after 19canteen" type thing, as I was specifically researching it.

As always, regs change to give you time to alter stuff. I guess longer has passed than I thought- bnever followed it up as it seemd like a good idea anyway even ifg it wasnlt legally needed so I fitted one. I had, however better check the chain's markings.....

Originally Posted by m chappelow

So after that i now always put a padlock or nut & bolt through the hole to stop anyone tampering whilst stationary .

Originally Posted by Nick Hearne

Car or trailer is on fire you may want to separate them quickly!

Why would you want them locked together give me a reason why, I can think of reasons why not to!

I;m with Nick on this one.....

I thought it was illegal to tow with them locked together - even if not - I can be carrying upwards of 90L of highly flammable liquid..... I once forgot to unlock it on departure from a motorway services -later on I needed to unhitch to manandle through a small gap (ideally as my friend driove off out the way) - whilst the traffic backed up behind us as we faffed keying off the car, wwalking back, unlocking....etc etc etc.... That extra faff of unlocking & not being able to drive the car away caused untold chaos- and that without an accident!

The hitch on mine will only stay "open" if lifted clean off the ball, so in theory unless the little nyaff also lifted the hitch clear.....



Back to the OP, when I went to fetch my current boat I had a very nervous 40 miles back to the house. Like Fenlander, I looked at rebuilding the trailer as the chassis was about the only solid thing on it. Having priced up the bits I spent an extra £150 odd & bought a new trailer. On some trips I do as much distance on the road as I do on the water, so my trailer is equally important as the boat.

It's not just boat trailers that are quietly abandoned trhen fail mid journey. I can however see how a "once a year" move may result in a lack of maintenance.....

[m chappelow]

I wouldnt pad lock it but a nut & bolt finger tight will stop anyone deliberately popping the coupling .

Coincidently i have just driven past a caravan thats come unhitched from its car just before a pedestrian crossing ,, seems he braked for the crossing lights & the caravan came off lucky he had the break away cable fastened on & was only going slow , the caravan dealer he pulled out from was only about 100 yards away the elderly couple were sat waiting for them to sort it out looks like it wasent fully coupled right down before setting off .

[9D280]

...and that's the very reason I try to lift the car using the trailer drawbar before I even plug the lights in!

[Poly]

Originally Posted by m chappelow

I wouldnt pad lock it but a nut & bolt finger tight will stop anyone deliberately popping the coupling .
.

But actually might confuse your potential rescuer, at least a padlock is obvious!