Trailer 'guide' question

last_tuesday · Post by **last_tuesday** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 2:13 pm

Quick straw pole chaps.

How many folks leave the trailer 'recovery' guide arms/ rollers in place when towing?

If we take it that the boat would be secured using commercial type ratchet straps, is there enough support from the keel rollers to allow the guide arms to be removed, or is it normal practice to leave them in place?

The trailer is an SBS , with two pairs of guide arms.

Terry · Post by **Terry** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 2:29 pm

I leave mine on but thats mainly because I'm lazy, also, where would I put them? However, I understand the rollers shouldn't come into contact with the boat and I believe it's ok to leave them off. Also, they do stick out a bit and liable to pick up the odd passing pedestrian!
Regards Terry

last_tuesday · Post by **last_tuesday** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 3:12 pm

Thanks for that Terry.

One of the reasons I ask is that I would reckon that, if you consider the guide arms as part of the trailer, then I would have thought that with them in place then it must be close to, or just beyond the 2.3m maximum that it's legal to tow with a 'normal' car.

Could you take them out , turn them through 90 degrees ( forwards for the front ones and back for the aft ones) a slide them back into the housings. They look like they would go in about 4" further if you did this.

It does all depend on the tube section being square though

I'm off to collect our boat on Thursday /Friday, so anyone seeing a white Saab towing a white Swift between Hayling Island and the Highlands, give me a wave

Terry · Post by **Terry** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 4:06 pm

Actually, I don't know if I want to go here but a swift has a beam of 2.41m so shouldn't be towed by a vehicle of less than 3500kg GVW.

Rondonay · Post by **Rondonay** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 4:32 pm

All the best with the journey. :0)

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last_tuesday · Post by **last_tuesday** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:29 pm

Terry wrote:Actually, I don't know if I want to go here but a swift has a beam of 2.41m so shouldn't be towed by a vehicle of less than 3500kg GVW.

Not quite so.

The Swift itself may have beam of 2.41 metres but ( and it's a big but ) the law relates to a maximum trailer width, for a vehicle of less than 3500 kg GVW, of 2.3 metres. The load being carried on the trailer can extend out either side by a maximum of 305mm, or by a total of 305mm, depending which 'legal' information you read

Either way, we would seem to be in the clear

last_tuesday · Post by **last_tuesday** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:48 pm

Some clarification :

Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986

8-3592 82. -

1. No load shall be carried on a vehicle so that the overall width of the vehicle together with the width of any lateral projection or projections of its load exceeds 4.3m.
2. Subject to the following provisions of this regulation, no load shall be carried on a vehicle so that -
1. the load has a lateral projection or projections on either side exceeding 305mm; or
2. the overall width of the vehicle and of any lateral projection or projections of its load exceeds 2.9m

So, given that my Saab is 1800mm wide, I can legally tow a load that is 2410mm wide. How wide is that Swift 18 ? That'll be 2410mm.

I'm glad the car isn't any narrower

giraffe · Post by **giraffe** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:31 pm

It never occurred to take them off - I guess I trust them much more than any ratchet straps to keep the boat on the trailer - especially going round bends, or in an emergency. In fact I tightened them onto the hull while I was towing so that the load could not move. There again, you could hardly call me a towing expert. As for what the builders may have intended: the Marlin brochure shows boat and trailer with guide arms while strapped on and attached to car. Can't quite make out the JCA marine brochure though.

If you're worried about being stopped on the motorway, my guess is that if the traffic police duck in behind you they would be looking more at whether the boat was secure on the trailer than whether it was a few inches too wide.

Good luck with the trip! (Thursday's looking a bit windy)

Terry · Post by **Terry** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 9:09 pm

Just out of interest does the vehicle width include the wing mirrors?

last_tuesday · Post by **last_tuesday** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 9:40 pm

Well the width of my car is quoted in the handbook includes mirrors, so I'm including them too

CHERRY PIE · Post by **CHERRY PIE** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 4:32 pm

Just as a by the way, I cancelled my AA recovery membership last year that we had held for 15 years, we believed that if a problem occured with Cherry Pie on the trailer we would be able to rely on the AA to get us out of trouble......NO! say the AA its to wide same goes for Green Flag. Gary

last_tuesday · Post by **last_tuesday** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 4:52 pm

Seems the RAC also consider it too wide.

I wonder how many Swift owners are paying for a recovery service, that they would find denied them, should they actually need it.

Bit like a lot of insurance really

Strange how you can tow a Swift legally, yet none of the recovery services seem willing to do so.

CHERRY PIE · Post by **CHERRY PIE** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 5:04 pm

I would suggest you print off your clarification and keep it in the glove box......I have.....just in case the boys in blue would like to see it >:D<

whiteede · Post by **whiteede** » Wed Oct 22, 2008 6:28 pm

I have left them in place travelling but they have left a depression on one side of the boat. Clearly they need cushioning.

Philip

From: last_tuesday [mailto:forum-trailers@swift18.org]
Sent: 21 October 2008 15:13
To: forum-trailers@swift18.org
Subject: [Swift 18] Trailer 'guide' question

Quick straw pole chaps.

How many folks leave the trailer 'recovery' guide arms/ rollers in place when towing?

If we take it that the boat would be secured using commercial type ratchet straps, is there enough support from the keel rollers to allow the guide arms to be removed, or is it normal practice to leave them in place?

The trailer is an SBS , with two pairs of guide arms.

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