Anyone got any experience with towing a 5.5m rib with a small hatchback? (bound to be someone) Looking at only doing 5 miles down to the local launch. Think all up weight is around 700kg which is 100 below the max for the car. Presume there's no way I'll be able to launch with it?
Dry concrete slip, use a rope, should be ok towing will be fine used a diesel Astra for years just don’t take it on dry soft sand or slippery slips, if slip slippery use a rope to keep car on dry and drag trailer onto flat, (needs wheel chocks and good jockey wheel) or a lot of wheel spin.......grippy tyres help uniroyal rain sport etc
Check the towing weights as braked and unbraked are different and if trailer is un braked max legally is 750kg and a car that tows 800kg on a braked trailer will be 400-500kg unbraked.
Trailers braked and the slip is concrete. Good idea with rope as slip is covered in slime and weed.
Then keep wheels off the slime.....use rope to lower trailer into water to launch. To recover do reverse car at top of slip. Lower trailer down secure rope to car load boat drive car on flat ground slowly...... ideally with a friend to help guide boat.
I can tow up to 1500kg with a Ford Focus 2lt turbo diesel, tows my 550 pro like it's not there. In saying that I use different tow vehicle most of the time.
Council keep all our ramps clean with pressure washers as soon as they start to become slippery. I'm sure you would be aware of your local ramp, if it is slippery you may find the upper part around either side of high tide should give you an hour or two of clean ramp.
Towed our 4.2m rib 250 miles home from Salcombe today with a Corolla T-Sport hatchback. 32mpg was not too bad I think. Certainly enough power with 190bhp it was a breeze and it was very stable despite the wind and heavy rain.
Used this car as the LPG conversion made it the cheapest way to get it back but I wouldn't want to launch with it as the clutches seem very weak. I came to the conclusion automatic transmission is the best for launching and if it is four wheel drive then even better so fortunately we also have a Q7.
You should be fine. I used to launch and recover a Ribtec 585 with a 1.1 Fiat Punto (my first car) back in the day at the Camber slip in Portsmouth. Only had to tow it 200m from the sailing club to the top of the slip. Slip is a very good concrete slip. Car had no issues. As stated above, I'd use a rope so all the wheels stay on the dry concrete.
(bound to be someone) Looking at only doing 5 miles down to the local launch. Think all up weight is around 700kg which is 100 below the max for the car. Presume there's no way I'll be able to launch with it?
