A couple trailering questions

rgranger · Dec 3, 2021

I had an H26 for seveal years. The real diff. in trailering is does your trailer have breaks or not?
Usually single axle trailers do not have breaks (but there are exceptions) and dual axle trailers usually have breaks. I will always opt for the trailer with breaks especially if they are surge breaks.

jeepbluetj · Dec 3, 2021

waterman30 said:
Also as a newbie trailer sailor I want to ask what would you do if you had serious breakage on the road - let's say boat came off trailer or trailer failed and became unusable. Will you be in trouble with the law if the thing is stuck and can't move anywhere?

That's what flat bed tow trucks are for. When boats come off of trailers it's most often the end of the boat therefore being dragged onto the towtruck isn't a problem. Easy to keep that from happening if the boat is secured to the trailer properly.

Prevention of trailer failure is mostly maintaining bearings, brakes, and tires. If the hubs get hot the bearings are going out or need to be regreased.

You can get in trouble with Johnnie Law if you're over the state's weight limit for requiring brakes and didn't have brakes. California it's 1500lbs, Colorado is 3000lbs, TX is 5000lbs because I guess everybody in TX has a massive truck or they don't care about collisions. Traditionally, most boat trailers have surge brakes. I personally prefer electric brakes - they're always testable, easy to back up, cheap enough to replace after they die, and manually actuatable from the cab of the truck. They do require a brake controller.

If you're new to towing in general, it's common advice to practice backing up in an empty parking lot before you get to the ramp.

Justin_NSA · Dec 3, 2021

The basic question is do you want a H240 or a H260? Not single vs dual axle trailer. Either would travel fine behind that beast.
FWIW, my Mac 26S had a single axle with surge brakes. As mentioned already, maintenance and properly securing the boat to trailer are the real importance here

Tedd · Dec 3, 2021

Either one is going to tow just fine behind a Ram 1500 and you probably wouldn't even notice much difference. I definitely wouldn't let towing considerations sway your choice (pun intended), in this case. I would want brakes on the trailer and, if both boats have the "factory" trailer, then they probably do. Although I'm quite sure your Ram 1500 could tow the 240-single-axle fine even without brakes.

I highly recommend using checklists to ensure that everything is hitched up and stowed away properly. That will greatly reduce your risk of problems on the road. I don't know how many boaters use checklists but I'll wager that few of the ones whose boats fell off used them.

DayDreamer41 · Dec 3, 2021

Kinda an odd question, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, don't let the boat come off the trailer other than in the water. We tow my sons Soverel 33 fixed keel without issue with an f150, the boat weights about 6500#'s, a key to success is weight balance in relation to the axles, sailboats mass tend to be in the middle where a power boats mass tends to be in the aft.

Benny17441 · Dec 3, 2021

The 260 with dual axels. No trouble with the law unless a law was broken. Nothing is unmovable, a flat bed tow truck might be able to winch it on, if not it could be picked up by a Fork-lift or crane. By the way the best protection is trailer road insurance.

sail sfbay · Dec 5, 2021

If I was towing a boat that length and weight a tandem axel trailer with electric or surge brakes would be my choice.....tracks better forward and reverse and safer in the event of a tire failure.

AaronD · Dec 6, 2021

jeepbluetj said:
That's what flat bed tow trucks are for. When boats come off of trailers it's most often the end of the boat therefore being dragged onto the towtruck isn't a problem. Easy to keep that from happening if the boat is secured to the trailer properly.

Prevention of trailer failure is mostly maintaining bearings, brakes, and tires. If the hubs get hot the bearings are going out or need to be regreased.
...

My recent experience with trailer failure and a flatbed tow truck might be relevant: Story and a few observations.

bmorr · Dec 6, 2021

With either trailer you will figure it out. The important thing is which boat best fits your needs. I looked at both 11 years ago when I bought my H26. The enclosed head area, the extra room inside and out and how well it handles (in truth I did not sail a 24) has made me very happy I went for the 26. Try to sail on both and think about who will be sailing with you. Another thing to think about if you will be trailering a lot is which is easier to set up. The 24 might have me beat in that category, but since I am in a slip it's only 2 times a year job. What is net is that whatever direction you go you will be on the water.

Stephen Griffin · Dec 6, 2021

Greetings...When trailering, don't forget to disengage the overdrive (or torque converter)...You'll burn more fuel, but that's much cheaper than a new transmission...plus it's what your truck owner's manual says to do...A lower gear takes some of the load off the tranny, kinda like trying to go uphill
on a bicycle in 10th gear rather than 5th...On my '04 Ram 1500, the switch is a button on the end of the gear shift lever...And don't forget to inflate your tires more, even to the max won't hurt a thing because tires are made to withstand the pressure increase on a hot, summer interstate...

patbratton · Dec 7, 2021

I can tell you that the H240 is easy to tow. I have a 2010 Mercury Mountaineer with a V6. It has the 3500 lb towing package and it will run the boat with trailer right up to 70 mpg with no effort. I pulled mine 600 miles from Jupiter Florida to North East Atlanta. The H260 with everything on board gear and motor is very heavy. I would have had to rent a truck with a large V8 if the deal I had in Panama City went through.

Hunter 260 Owner Modifications and Upgrades

hunter.sailboatowners.com

rgranger · Dec 7, 2021

patbratton said:
... The H260 with everything on board gear and motor is very heavy. I would have had to rent a truck with a large V8 if the deal I had in Panama City went through.

The Hunter 260 empty is 3000lbs. The Hunter 26 empty is 2,600lbs and the Hunter 240 empty is 2300lbs.

Although the H260 and H26 share the same hull mold, the empty displacement of the H26 is more similar to that of the H240. I'm guessing the H260 has a smaller ballast tank and more permanant ballast than does the H26.

Crazy Dave Condon · Dec 9, 2021

@rgranger

specs for the26 &260 show both boats to be dry weight of 3000 and 2000 lbs. of water ballast. Tanks are the same as I was involved the design of both

rgranger · Dec 9, 2021

Crazy Dave Condon said:
@rgranger

specs for the26 &260 show both boats to be dry weight of 3000 and 2000 lbs. of water ballast. Tanks are the same as I was involved the design of both

I got those numbers here...

HUNTER 240 - sailboatdata

Total weight (without water ballast): 2300lbs./1043kgs. Sailing weight: 3600lbs./1632kgs. Some Hunter promotional material list the E rig measurement as 11 ft / 3.35m. Referred to as the Hunter Legend 240 when sold in the UK.

sailboatdata.com

SailboatData.com - HUNTER 26 Sailboat

Sailboat and sailing yacht searchable database with more than 8,000 sailboats from around the world including sailboat photos and drawings. About the HUNTER 26 sailboat

sailboatdata.com

HUNTER 260 - sailboatdata

Water ballast model (for ease of trailering – tanks remain full for sailing). Based on the earlier HUNTER 26.

sailboatdata.com

Crazy Dave Condon · Dec 9, 2021

Numbers came from Hunter Marine engineering plus the volume of water ballast were identical

Project_Mayhem · Dec 9, 2021

Balance of weight on the trailer is by far the most important. If the weight is too far back then the trailer will sway back and forth. Not fun. If it's too far forward and it causes the rear of your vehicle to squat it can result in loose steering and worse yet, poor braking because there's less weight on the front wheels. I wouldn't be too worried with a truck like yours.

Both dual and single axles will work fine. I personally prefer single because I can do tighter turns. Drive a reasonable speed to reduce the chance of swaying, practice reversing, use 2-3" ratchet straps to keep the boat still (in some cases it can make the trailer feel more stable) and be mindful of your surroundings. Towing mirrors may put your mind at ease

Ward H · Dec 9, 2021

As @Benny17441 said, get tow insurance. Either make sure your auto insurance will cover the trailer and boat or if your getting on the water towing insurance, get the plan that includes on the road towing insurance.

Project_Mayhem · Dec 10, 2021

+1 for towing insurance. Some RV insurance covers trailers as well. I once had a truck leave me stranded on the side of the road two weeks after having the engine replaced. It cost around $400 to have a flatbed tow both truck and trailer to a shop. I'm guessing it would be much higher now.

The three most common trailer failures while traveling are electrical issues, a flat tire and bad wheel bearings/hubs. You can buy a spare hub with bearings if you plan on taking a longer trip. Not many of us carry spare hubs however