Towing bar

JSP · 25 May 2009, 13:06

Sick of using a rope between car and trailer when launching. Is there such a thing as a towing bar with a hitch and tow ball attached to bridge the gap instead?
Looking at making one but would rather buy off the shelf.

m chappelow · 25 May 2009, 13:38

a few members of our club have made them in the past where it slides out from along the centre spine of the trailor, but it was more hassle than just using a rope although it was better if alone or mid week where no others around to help guide the boat down the slip if a few boulders or stones were there .best way was to bolt or lash i with a webbing strap it to the main spine which is then an extension of the trailer ,another chap made one from a long scaffolding pole that had a ball on one end and another hitch on the other that was ok when straight but a nightmare when turning a tight corner at the top of the slip .we dont use them now as we have a couple of decent tractors ,

JSP · 25 May 2009, 13:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by m chappelow

another chap made one from a long scaffolding pole that had a ball on one end and another hitch on the other that was ok when straight but a nightmare when turning a tight corner .

That is along the same lines as what I'm going to make. Will only ever be attached just as the trailer is ready to go into the water so will only ever need to go straight back.
Cheers

mdt · 25 May 2009, 14:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSP

That is along the same lines as what I'm going to make. Will only ever be attached just as the trailer is ready to go into the water so will only ever need to go straight back.
Cheers

I have used one like this before but even going strait it dose not take much deviation from this to start causing you some hassle… not for a second suggesting your reversing skills are not top notch. I have given up with both the rope and tow bar technique. I just put the car further into the sea… oh did I mention the garage can’t understand why both my last cars have got failed rear ABS sensors?

If you need to extend the bar I would go with a length of rope, it is a lot easer to store in the car than a long pole.

JSP · 25 May 2009, 14:19

The rope works fine, can be a pain on your own though. Idea was to reverse the trailer down till it's on the edge of the water, chock wheels, fit bar and roll it back into the water with the car. Couldn't really deviate from the intended path that much with in 5 or 6ft could it?

mdt · 25 May 2009, 14:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSP

The rope works fine,

if it aint broke.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSP

Couldn't really deviate from the intended path that much with in 5 or 6ft could it?

no it is not likly to in all fairness. but if you are looking at 6ft and you are having to get in and out of the car any how I would just stick to the rope. Or get a range rover with the height adjustable suspension, was calling my mate a flash git as he hiked it up and drove in with out the water touching the body work.

JSP · 25 May 2009, 15:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdt

if it aint broke.

no it is not likly to in all fairness. but if you are looking at 6ft and you are having to get in and out of the car any how I would just stick to the rope. Or get a range rover with the height adjustable suspension, was calling my mate a flash git as he hiked it up and drove in with out the water touching the body work.

I'd rather pop a bar on and off than bugger about with ropes, specially when recovering as sometimes the bloody trailer moves.

JABS · 25 May 2009, 21:04

How about a front tow bar??

Easer to manoever and you can see where you are going.

Put it on the near side and you can look along the side of the rib!

codprawn · 26 May 2009, 02:39

I once saw a very neat solution - just wish I had taken some photos. It looked like a scafolding pole about 6' long which slid in some U bolts along the draw bar. There was a stop at the end - just pull it out and attach to the car.

jyasaki · 26 May 2009, 08:16

A friend has a piece of square steel tubing (I think it was 3", about 6 or 8 feet long) with a trailer ball at one end (don't remember how it was mounted, but I'd assume just through the top wall), and a coupler at the other. As I recall, it was pretty thin-walled tube, but he was only launching a largish SIB.

Somebody over here made a tongue extender kit that was essentially what Cod described: The thing slid in under the center trailer frame member, and, when needed, was slid out to some kind of stop device, and pinned in place. Max length depended on what kind of obstructions were behind it on the trailer.

The problem with the first solution is that you need to ride on the jockey wheel, or the whole thing collapses to the ground. The second method has at least some rigidity, and acts like a really long trailer tongue.

Backing with the second method shouldn't be too bad; it will turn slowly and really wide, but for fairly straight runs, should be pretty straightforward (no pun intended, unless it's better than it appears.)

jky

Here's the second setup:

http://www.xtend-a-hitchnorthwest.com/

BogMonster · 27 May 2009, 01:50

The trailer I got with mine has a sliding drawbar - basically one piece of box section inside another - you pull out 2 bolts, slide it out and put the bolts in new holes and the trailer is 6ft longer, but I've never used it - its easier to use a beach where I don't need it!

Scaffolding pole is used by somebody else I know here just with a ball hitch on one end and a ball on the other end of about 10ft pole, and a Land Rover wheel hub welded onto the trailer drawbar so when it is dropped off the vehicle it runs back in a straight line. Seemed to work quite well the couple of times I have seen it, but a lot more buggering around than mine.

I'd never put a vehicle in salt water even to the hubs, it murders brakes, the caliper pistons seize up in no time. The most mine gets in is about an inch of water and I only do that when I cock it up...