SR5.4 - Measurements

[9D280]

Quick ask of all you SR5.4 owners. Next time you are by your boat with a measuring tape, any chance of a couple of approx dimensions for a mad crazy plan that's hatching to allow me to store one of these in a garage not much longer than the boat.......

1) Engines down, how much do they stick out from the tip of the toob cones?
2) Where's the axle of the trailer relative to tip of the cones?

It's a crazy plan, but it might just work........

Thanks in advance.... Metric or imperial are equally valid!

[9D280]

Also any chance of a pic (low res is good enough) of the bow / snubber / winch area (side view). It's just to get an idea of how much space there is / isn't round there and how far under the bow the snubber contacts the hull on the "off the shelf" trailers - Based on my old SR4 trailer I could have parked a bus under the bow, but i'm sure I've seen some more densely packed winch areas....

Cheers.

[doggypaddle]

You can take the drawbar off my degraff trailer, engine doesnt really take up anymore length than the boat when its trimmed right down. length overall would be the length of the boat give or take a few inches(drawbar off). If you deflate the bow sponson you could loose quite a bit i guess a foot at least.

[9D280]

Thanks for that. I suspected the engine wouldn't poke out too far, but was just curious for some data, 'coz this one literally every quarter inch will count..... (5.7m garage, potentially 5.4m RIB)

How easy / quick is it to do that? I've just looked at the pics on their website, and that doesn't look like it would be an easy or quick job with a boat sitting on top.....

Agreed the sponson deflate, but as the boat (well, an SR5.4) is only 30cm shorter than the garage, I suspect the trailer hardware may become the deciding factor......

[Nos4r2]

Can you cut a hole in the end of the garage for the drawbar and put it in nose first?

There's one of Matt H's pics of mine on the trailer here if it's any help.

[9D280]

Nos,

Thanks, for the phot. I suspect I'd ideally need it to stop roughly where the front of your winch is! Cutting a hole isn't an option - firstly coz it's a structural wall, secondly 'coz it will need to go in stern first - it's a steep climb out the garage (even getting the SR4 in was interesting without the car), so ideally would like some "car assist" for that manoever!

I did toy with the idea of a cat flap in the door, which worked in my previous house on the dinghy trailer (that garage was well small!) and even that was pushing it getting an unbraked hitch through the hole.

To put this in perspective, I'm toying with a "folding" drawbar on a big pin, with a strengthening "square C" section that will engage on the drawbar proper for stiffness & be fixed on by two M12-ish studs and a couple of nylock nuts (which would be easily accessible at the side) Theory being the hinge pin only takes "fore & aft" force.

I'll try to sketch the mad idea & post it later to try & give a better idea of my mad plan.

[Nos4r2]

Is it feasable to cut a slot in the door and put a hinged plate under where the drawbar comes through?

[PeterM]

How about a 'Dog Flap' in the door - you can get great big versions which you could easily fit the hitch through . Surely easier / less risk than hinged drawbars etc ?

[9D280]

Now there's an idea...... I must admit I didn't realise they came in bigger sizes. I did wonder about the flap idea, but don't most hitches tend to stick out a metre or so beyond the bow? - then there's the small matter of the jockey wheel.....

As for less risk, I've had an open box trailer with a truly telescopic drawbar for years (will extend to almost 4m for long loads e.g. a laser), and it's done thousands of miles with various dinghies on the "roof rack" bars on it. I replace the bolts that hold it together every couple of years as a precautionary measure (due to wear as a result of the design), and I've never had a problem with it parting company with itself.

Not had time to sketch this idea yet, but will try to do so over the weekend. Alternatively if a 4.7 appears in the meantime the problem may solve itself the very easy way!

[Rogue Wave]

after weve rebuilt your house we might as well have a look at the measurements of the boat

http://www.avon-workboats.com/page/sr54o1

[doggypaddle]

It looks really easy to remove the drawbar, just 2 U bolts and off with it. you may need to take the winch off too. I rekon with a17mm spanner and socket and ratchet it should take a few minutes maximum, the only thing with mine you would need to watch is the height of the bow keel roller, i put the drawbar under the roller on mine to keep it very short, you will need to check there id 1/2" clearence or the drawbar wont slide through cos there is a lump welded on the end to stop it coming right out.
What are you going to tow it with? my trailer is unbraked and i tow it with a landrover, if you use a smaller car you may need brakes which would be a pain to disconnect to remove the drawbar.

You can always make your own removable drawbar, a piece of thick walled SHS that the existing bar wil slide into and some pins from your nearest tractor place would do the job.

[9D280]

Rouge,

If you want to come round and finish all the stuff we've had to do so far(which has already stopped us getting out on more than one weekend so far this year ) then please feel free - I'm sick of DIY!

Already checked those dims out, it's the trailer that will stick out too far!

Doggypaddle,

I did think that's as easy as it looked, but is the boat not right on top of it at that point? It's a Focus 2.0l TDCi, so plenty of get it moving grunt, but unfortunately brakes are going to be a necessity on a 5.4. (a 4.7 would be on the very upper limit of unbraked if I don't fill the tanks! )

One idea crossed my mind - a 4 wheeled launching trolley and a flatbed "car" trailer with a winch (could be parked unobtrusivley round the side of the house or under the car!) ......... would keep the brakes out the drink too!

[doggypaddle]

Hi

Had a look at the drawbar, 4 nuts (2 u bolts) and 2 more on the bow snubber as i have it mounted straddling the a frame and its off. the trailer is then shorter than the boat considerably. but i guess you cant do this on a braked trailer so easily. You will definetley need brakes with it behind a mondy to be legal, but i wouldnt mind betting my rib that the brakes are considerably better on the mondy than my drum braked landrover!! I cant stop that even without a trailer.

why dont you give degraff a ring and see what they can do for you? perhaps with cable brakes the cables have enough slack to stay in place?

If you have roon for a flatbed car trailer cant you park the boat there? a flatbed trailer is an expensive option, a 15 foot ifor williams id £1500 second hand and well used. and of course IFOR WILLIAMS is welsh for Pikey come and steal me!

[9D280]

The DeGraafs look most promising for the modification of a "standard" trailer. Is your drawbar mounted with "plates" to the rest of the frame, or is it the U-section as shown in the bigger capacity pics? I assume yours is a SR5.4? How far does the hitch poke out the front? (pics don't give a great view of the type I think I'd need.

I might askif they could do a "telescopic tube" version, then the snubber would stay fixed relative to the rest on the outer tube, and the drawbar slide thru' it. These new EEC approved hitches are huge compared to the good old Bradley Doubleock spring plunger type!

Agreed ref. the flatbeds! I had a quick look after I posted the thought - and I thought boat trailers were expensive!!! (also the boat would overhang it a fair bit (dinghy road base I could almost put in my back pocket when the dinghy ain't sitting on it!)- and I'd rather the local kids didn't use the rib as a climbing frame / bouncy castle - the space is on the corner, so in full view.....

[avon5.4]

hi just been liiking at my boat pictures theres only 2 that show the whole rig, pics should be attatched its a 5.4 on a twin axel trailer dont know how long it is though

[doggypaddle]

Hi,
the drawbar bolts onto the rest of the trailer with u bolts, when you undo the bolts the drawbar will slide in and out between the a frame.
I just took a look at it and i think you could put the ball socket level with the bow tube. this would male the boat on the trailer 5.4 M total! It would tow behind a car like that but the landrover window would be a bit close for comfort.
I would stick my neck out and say that i could fit my boat and trailer in a garage less than 5,7M as its set up now the tow ball is about 18" past the bow, it could go in a foot easily.
my digi camera is in work at the moment but i could take a photo on the weekend if i remember.

[9D280]

Avon,
Thanks, that's really useful - your pic gives quite a good overall view. That shows a more inclined snubber / winch post would allow space immediately under the bow for drawbar fixing points & hinges. The SR bow isn't maybe as steep angle as It looks in the drawings....

Doggypaddle,
If it will fit right under thats perfect! As I have an estate car I too would be concerned about the back window! Mind you It's got the factoiry fit hitch (somehow managed to persuade the dealer to add it for less than an aftermarket Witter!) which is a fair way back from the bumper, but the proximity of the bow means if you need something out the boot, you have to unhitch. (even the SR4 was close 'till I shifted it back 4 inches on the bunks) If yours is the unbraked one, if I add a foot for brake gear, it should sill fit!

All good food for thought, thanks guys. HopefullyI'll have some time at the weekend to sketch & scan my mad ideas..... Maybe I can amend that post in the "wanted" section soon......

[doggypaddle]

I will measure the boat and send you some piccys, i think if you deflate the rear sections a bit too you will gain a few inches by squashing the madonas bra in a bit, they stick out farther than the engine. I am sure it will fit.

[Scrumdown]

I keep my YAM480R in a garage just fits in a standard garage! the tow hitch sits in void of the garage door!!! 2mm clearance! biggest problem is height though I need to drop the jockey wheel right down and still lift the door over the top rail of the screen (but I do have quite a high console) I have bought a folding a frame to stop any further problems when I fit the a frame.

Can be a bit tight getting through the doors as well but I deflate the tubes a bit to give more clearance.

I am looking at De Graff trailers to replace my current rust bucket for the reason that they can remove the draw bar.

[9D280]

I have found someone selling a 5m Humber! Asked him to measure the LOA on the trailer, and it's shorter than the garage....

Thanks for all the input & help guys, much appreciated.

Now I just need to get used to not having to wait for the ballast tank to empty.......