Towing

[Dozzer]

I have a dilemma. I want to be able to transport my boat to races by road and want to know the best way to do it. My fountain at the moment is on a triple axle ally american trailer and overall length including trailer is about 12 metres. The weight of the boat with 1/2 fuel and trailer is @ 5000kg.

So, do I buy an articulated lorry with a 40 foot flatbed, and the lorry spend most of the time parked up?

Or, what size american pickup truck would I need to legally pull the boat, or is there another type of vehicle available which would pull the trailer legally?

I have always wanted a "Monster truck" but could never justify having one, but would use it lots if I had one. The tow vehicle would also have to be able to carry a spare 8.2 litre V8 and some tools.

So is there anyone out there who knows the regs who can help me come to a conclusion?

Thanks.

[Taz]

Hello mate i have a dodge ram 2500 which wiill carry 1.5ton on back and fith wheel will pull 7500kg i have towed this on the rear coupling but i know in uk 4 ton is max on a coupling or i belive jaw! to be safe you can buy a cheap unit tax it private 180 year and then use when u like! vosa wont care ase its private hgv so it only a ticket a year!

Although i would just tow and hope 4 best up to u if u want play it safe

[hunton69]

The Dodge Ram and the Ford F250 are all capable of towing those loads and length in the states however there not all approved over here.

Chris tows his 10m Scorpion with a F250

Legal way would be with a small artic however i believe you would need HGV for that. Scrutineer Guy would have the answer

May be some of us should club together and buy a second hand one they are dirt cheap once they are few years old and my mechanic who services my buses works on artics.

As you say its the fixed costs and storing the unit.

[Taz]

Originally Posted by hunton69

The Dodge Ram and the Ford F250 are all capable of towing those loads and length in the states however there not all approved over here.

Chris tows his 10m Scorpion with a F250

Legal way would be with a small artic however i believe you would need HGV for that. Scrutineer Guy would have the answer

May be some of us should club together and buy a second hand one they are dirt cheap once they are few years old and my mechanic who services my buses works on artics.

As you say its the fixed costs and storing the unit.

If you Mot them as 7.5ton you have know problem my truck weighs 3.6 tons not even a class 7 test its how you test and run them that counts! taz

[Dozzer]

So is the legal alternative to use a 7.5t short box lorry, plenty of space for spares etc. and no HGV licence required?

[lyder]

Originally Posted by Dozzer

I have a dilemma. I want to be able to transport my boat to races by road and want to know the best way to do it. My fountain at the moment is on a triple axle ally american trailer and overall length including trailer is about 12 metres. The weight of the boat with 1/2 fuel and trailer is @ 5000kg.

So, do I buy an articulated lorry with a 40 foot flatbed, and the lorry spend most of the time parked up?

Or, what size american pickup truck would I need to legally pull the boat, or is there another type of vehicle available which would pull the trailer legally?

I have always wanted a "Monster truck" but could never justify having one, but would use it lots if I had one. The tow vehicle would also have to be able to carry a spare 8.2 litre V8 and some tools.

So is there anyone out there who knows the regs who can help me come to a conclusion?

Thanks.

Perfect, provided legal the in the UK ?

[Cookee]

Originally Posted by Dozzer

So is the legal alternative to use a 7.5t short box lorry, plenty of space for spares etc. and no HGV licence required?

I could be wrong but I don't think you could tow the trailer behind that as it's the hitch that isn't legally allowed to tow that much. We had a flat bed with a crane and lifted the boat on, but this boat is too big. We also had it taxed as private heavy goods, but the insurance is still expensive.

My preferred option would be to buy an arctic trailer and fit it out - the spare motor could fit on the trailer in a box - and either buy a unit or rent one with a driver for the times you need it. We are facing a similar (slightly lighter) problem soon and thinking hard about the best solution!

[roofer]

My dad's towed this all over the UK and Europe for the last 5 years without any problems and never been stopped by the police . Outfit is 36 foot long and weighs 5500kg unladen and about 7000kg laden . Truck is a Dodge Ram 3500 with Cummins turbo diesel and pulls like a train, at 70mph you don't know its there.

[Cookee]

Probably helps that it looks OK and all made for the job!

[roofer]

Originally Posted by Cookee

Probably helps that it looks OK and all made for the job!

Maybe , but a few boat delivery guys use American trucks and a guy I know had a 38 foot barge delivered by one .

[andyxs]

Originally Posted by Cookee

Probably helps that it looks OK and all made for the job!

then make the trailer look nice lol. the towing laws are so confusing in the uk very few police understand them all. but on the flip side, are you going to use a huge uneconomical pick up truck every day? a used hgv will probably be cheaper depreciate less and attract less attention from the police. its just the licencing that is the issue but at least if it went tits up their would be no issues from the insurance companies.

[timtap]

Earlier on in the year wer'nt there pictures of the Lucas Oil P1 boat being towed around Europe on a trailer behind a box van ?

[Jono]

Originally Posted by Dozzer

So is the legal alternative to use a 7.5t short box lorry, plenty of space for spares etc. and no HGV licence required?

No, you can't do it that way. You need CE on licence. 5 tonnes being heavier than the unladen weight of a 7.5 tonner even if the combined weight is less than 12.

<edit> possibly may be achievable if you get something like a 12 tonner (Ex MOD LD or Bedford) "downplated" to 7.5 tonnes, as I think that unladen they weigh around 6 tonnes.... but I don't know for sure...Don’t forget the trailer will also need proper linked (air) brakes too.

[Bus Pass]

We used to tow up to 8 tons on a hitch.
We bought a old DAF 2500 in 1986, took off the fith wheel and fitted a "Nato" hitch which was rated at 16 tons. Trailer was built for us by RM Trailers with air brakes. Built a GRP box for stowage on the back. Removing the fifth wheel took it out of the HGV system. Was taxed as a Motor tractor, no plating and no mot, about £300 per year tax As the tractor unit was only 7 tons we were told we only needed a car licence, but that was abit of agrey area, our guy had a HGV 1 any way.
Don't know what the law is now, we were also told by DVLA we could not carry any goods on the tow vehicle.
Used in UK and abroad for years and sold it to Vee a few years back, as far as I know he still has it.

[Jono]

Originally Posted by Jono

No, you can't do it that way. You need CE on licence. 5 tonnes being heavier than the unladen weight of a 7.5 tonner even if the combined weight is less than 12.

<edit> possibly may be achievable if you get something like a 12 tonner (Ex MOD LD or Bedford) "downplated" to 7.5 tonnes, as I think that unladen they weigh around 6 tonnes.... but I don't know for sure...Don’t forget the trailer will also need proper linked (air) brakes too.

Quick think....Nope...ya can't...total MAM would exceed 12 tonnes.

Post above (bus pass) sound like a winner....but you still need to watch the 12 tonne rule.

[Tony Davis]

Originally Posted by Jono

Quick think.

Carefull, you'll get another one of your headaches!!!

[Jono]

Originally Posted by Tony Davis

Carefull, you'll get another one of your headaches!!!

I was trying to think of a witty reposte........."Fack Orf" is all I could come up with.......

[Dozzer]

So the pick up route is out, 7.5t box truck no good, where can I get a second hand flat bed preferably like the one that Sunseeker used ?

We can then blast clean and paint in the boat colours and stick the spare engines on the front of the trailer with all the tools.

Probably better that someone else tows it and it wont get wrapped around a lamp post!

How much does it cost to get an HGV licence?

[timtap]

Courtesy of Nigel Hook Racing :

[NIC SURRY]

[QUOTE=Dozzer;171632]So the pick up route is out, 7.5t box truck no good, where can I get a second hand flat bed preferably like the one that Sunseeker used ?

There's allways quite a lot on there