Towing Long Distances with outboard Attached

[chipko]

Originally Posted by smallribber

Many thanks for all the suggestions.... I am however none the wiser

Well, we had a T38 for a season, couldn’t be arsed inflating/deflating etc. each time so ended up towing it on a trailer with a 47.5kg Mariner 20 efi attached. No problems tbh on 420miles round trips, bunks extended under transom, floor at working pressure and motor clamped to home made transom saver.

No pics of T38 on trailer but use same motor, trailer and home made transom saver on our tiny Ocean Runner 340.....also works well.

[The Gurnard]

Originally Posted by chipko

No problems tbh on 420miles round trips, bunks extended under transom, floor at working pressure and motor clamped to home made transom saver.


Attachment 134312

I thought you had a lot of problems with Honwave T38IEs Harrison ? .. did you mention to the dealer towing them hundreds of miles with the outboard on .. when you got them replaced under warranty.. three times too.

[chipko]

Quite correct Gurnard, lots of problems. Purchasing dealer went bust days after purchase. Took 9 months and three warranty replacements to get a half decent boat...two seriously wonky hulls and one with an air leak under starboard cone end. Honda UK a pain to deal with and only saved by another Honda dealer helping out. Great boats but with all that hassle ‘I’m out’

Anyways fail to see how any of this saga has any relevance to the op’s query. Despite their quality control issues all Honwaves have the meatiest transoms in all of sibland.

Whilst always preferable to trailer a sib with outboard in the car if practical, in my experience the T38 is well up to the task if set up correctly.

[smallribber]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

>>> I am converting a Toyota Previa into a camper van...

Interesting. Over the past two or three years we have talked ourselves into and out of and almost back into a campervan to fit in with sibbing. Considered both home build and ready made.

We have had the Previa for several years as a third car and it has done very few miles (75K on and R plate) with the lockdown we decided to clean her up and convert here. We are doing a simple conversion and following one done by Bumble Campers. With a driveaway awning I think is is a viable option to stay for a few nights on a site and of course can tow your boat.

MOT in the Previa is Friday so fingers crossed

[Peter_C]

Since you can't tow with the outboard on the boat, that doesn't mean it couldn't be mounted to the trailer under the boat, just get the tongue weight right.

[Dydigital]

Never towed with my honwave t38, but with my Excel 435, always used a transom saver.

I must agree with others, that is the air deck that is the area of concern.

It's going to bounce in the air floor, as it is a sib will bounce a little on a bunkered trailer, and you have to consider this when using a transom saver because it has less give it in. I noticed this after my first tow so when using the saver I wrap few old towels round the outboard leg between that and the saver, the the boat and Outboard have that little free movement together.

[Windsurfer]

Originally Posted by smallribber

I was thinking the same..... More Bounce on the water however I think but much more speed and sudden impacts against solid on the road.

I think there is a lot more support and give for the sib when its bouncing on the water compared to when its bouncing on a trailer.

[smallribber]

Well I have now sorted out a proper SIB trailer which has excellent support particularly under the transom. Also the tramsom for the T38 is very thick so I think I am going to go with a 10 - 15 miles tow with the 20 hp on the back to see how things go.

Pics below showing support and transom thickness

[chipko]

Go for it. Reckon after a test tow you’ll find it will be ok.

I’d hazard most of the nay sayers on here have never even owned a T38, let alone tried to tow engine mounted on a correctly set up trailer.

Naturally cautious, even I felt confident towing our T38/Mariner 20 combo long distances on our carefully set up trailer and transom saver. T38 transoms are really meaty, floor won’t compress if at or near working pressure, and transom saver won’t stress motor/transom as no power tilt/trim locking everything rigid...it’s a triangle with articulated hinged joints...the perfect structural solution.

[smallribber]

Originally Posted by chipko

Go for it. Reckon after a test tow you’ll find it will be ok.

I’d hazard most of the nay sayers on here have never even owned a T38, let alone tried to tow engine mounted on a correctly set up trailer.

Naturally cautious, even I felt confident towing our T38/Mariner 20 combo long distances on our carefully set up trailer and transom saver. T38 transoms are really meaty, floor won’t compress if at or near working pressure, and transom saver won’t stress motor/transom as no power tilt/trim locking everything rigid...it’s a triangle with articulated hinged joints...the perfect structural solution.

I have reversed the internaly lifting eyes and made them point outwards and tied the boat down with these. I am going to use your pic previously posted to make a transome saver similar to yours. It will be wood with some flexible material between the wood and outboard. I like little challenges like this and it will be so better to tow with the outboard attached than in the tow car

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by chipko

Go for it. Reckon after a test tow you’ll find it will be ok.

I’d hazard most of the nay sayers on here have never even owned a T38, let alone tried to tow engine mounted on a correctly set up trailer.

Naturally cautious, even I felt confident towing our T38/Mariner 20 combo long distances on our carefully set up trailer and transom saver. T38 transoms are really meaty, floor won’t compress if at or near working pressure, and transom saver won’t stress motor/transom as no power tilt/trim locking everything rigid...it’s a triangle with articulated hinged joints...the perfect structural solution.

Question if your floor is at full pressure won't the added bounce from the suspension cause an over pressure on the floor and if the floor has a puncture will you have sufficient support not to cause damage?

[smallribber]

I think there is a lot of overthinking this going on here. Now perhaps I will have a little overthink.

If you have a transom saver attached to the trailer and you hit a bump wont this be a big force directly onto the motor........ Either way I am going to git it a go

[chipko]

A bit of overthinking never hurt anyone, just need to keep it in perspective.

Jeff, our T38 sat on full length bunks positioned under the toobs right adjacent to the floor and extending well beyond rear of transom. The edges of the T38 hull are lower than the tubes, thus centering the boat, and floor effectively hangs unsupported between the bunks. I did not use a transom pad but doubt this would puncture the floor, if of sufficient surface area and carpeted. We could tow with floor at any pressure, but generally both tubes and floor at 75-80% to provide sufficient rigidity whilst allowing for any solar gain.

Although we had enough clearance to tow with motor vertical, found the transom saver option transferred less live twisting load to the transom. Transom is ratchet strapped, via towing eyes, tight to trailer and limiting excess movement. Essentially the same way we secure our rib. I think also worth bearing in mind this was a 47kg motor on a transom rated up to 83kg.

Anyways, it worked for us, so confident to say it can be done.

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by chipko

A bit of overthinking never hurt anyone, just need to keep it in perspective.

Jeff, our T38 sat on full length bunks positioned under the toobs right adjacent to the floor and extending well beyond rear of transom. The edges of the T38 hull are lower than the tubes, thus centering the boat, and floor effectively hangs unsupported between the bunks. I did not use a transom pad but doubt this would puncture the floor, if of sufficient surface area and carpeted. We could tow with floor at any pressure, but generally both tubes and floor at 75-80% to provide sufficient rigidity whilst allowing for any solar gain.

Although we had enough clearance to tow with motor vertical, found the transom saver option transferred less live twisting load to the transom. Transom is ratchet strapped, via towing eyes, tight to trailer and limiting excess movement. Essentially the same way we secure our rib. I think also worth bearing in mind this was a 47kg motor on a transom rated up to 83kg.

Anyways, it worked for us, so confident to say it can be done.

so your tubes do all the work with no problems fair enough never towed an air floor so worth knowing cheers

[chipko]

Yes Jeff, that’s how we did it.

Seems wrong to me to put any load through an air floor, towing engine mounted or not. Full length bunks under toobs also centres the T38 nicely for recovery.

[smallribber]

Mine is also strapped with the rear eyes to the trailer and I do also have 3 center transom pads (My trailer is the one extreme make specifically for Sibs). I also think the engine will have plenty of support. Was it the T38 that had the 83 kg rated transom

[chipko]

Originally Posted by smallribber

Was it the T38 that had the 83 kg rated transom

It was, and in all fairness to Honwave’s they do have the meatiest mf of transoms in all of sibland. [emoji106]

[smallribber]

Well I could have just looked at my plate That clinches it for me at almost half the weight with my engine who needs to worry... Many thanks chipko

[smallribber]

I went out in the Honwave on Thursday and towed her 60 miles round trip with the 20 hp Mercury 4 stroke in the full up position. I used a piece of approx 1 inch square timber to support the engine at the void left at the bracket. The tow went well and no issues were observed.