Hello, we are about to purchase a Macgregor 26S for our family vacation, and were wondering if our equipment is capable of towing the load. We own a 2001 Chrysler Town&Country Van which supposedly can tow 3500 pounds, but it has no trailer brakes. Will we have any problems towing with this configuration, the hitch is a class II, but the max weight for the trailer matches exactley what is listed on the hitch. Thanks for your help!
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Trailoring
Dear Jason I hope the Mc comes with a trailor with brakes. If yes, you will not have any problem. George
Dear Jason I hope the Mc comes with a trailor with brakes. If yes, you will not have any problem. George
Add a sway bar
Add a sway bar to your hitch, it isn't that expensive. When large trucks blow by you and your car is shaken around, imagine what that same force can do with a larger object like a boat; the sway bar dampens that effect.
Add a sway bar to your hitch, it isn't that expensive. When large trucks blow by you and your car is shaken around, imagine what that same force can do with a larger object like a boat; the sway bar dampens that effect.
Ratio
The weight of the van is 5600 pounds, the weight of the trailer is more than half that, 2700 pounds. If we don't have brakes is this safe is the rig is driven conservatively?
The weight of the van is 5600 pounds, the weight of the trailer is more than half that, 2700 pounds. If we don't have brakes is this safe is the rig is driven conservatively?
In a serious driving situation....
In a possible impending accident can a vehicle be driven conservatively? You need the brakes.
In a possible impending accident can a vehicle be driven conservatively? You need the brakes.
adding brakes not hard
I added brakes when, long time ago, I had a 23 ft power boat. You have two options. If your trailer has only one axle, than you would need to replace it with the axle that has a hydraulic surge brake, and than you need to add a special coupler which activates the surge brake OR, a better option is to leave one axle that you already have and add another axle with the surge brake. A double axle trailer is much more stable and a lot safer in case , for example, if you blow a tire. You should NOT tow anything over 2000 lb without it's own brakes! hope this helps Happy triler sailing
I added brakes when, long time ago, I had a 23 ft power boat. You have two options. If your trailer has only one axle, than you would need to replace it with the axle that has a hydraulic surge brake, and than you need to add a special coupler which activates the surge brake OR, a better option is to leave one axle that you already have and add another axle with the surge brake. A double axle trailer is much more stable and a lot safer in case , for example, if you blow a tire. You should NOT tow anything over 2000 lb without it's own brakes! hope this helps Happy triler sailing
Doesn't every civilized country require brakes on
a trailer for a 26 foot boat? If you get a trailer with the boat I think the brakes will be there. Right everyone? Of course you might have to install a controller in the van. But for brakes that go into the sea, aren't they non-electric? My horse trailer would be very unhappy backing into saltwater, but not as unhappy as horses.
a trailer for a 26 foot boat? If you get a trailer with the boat I think the brakes will be there. Right everyone? Of course you might have to install a controller in the van. But for brakes that go into the sea, aren't they non-electric? My horse trailer would be very unhappy backing into saltwater, but not as unhappy as horses.
brakes not needed
I have a small toyota truck with a tow capacity of 3k. I have well over 4k miles safely driven w/o trailer brakes. Just drive very defensively...lots of room between you and the car ahead. (and be prepared to have to constantly drop back as people squeeze in between). I have had to stop quickly a few times and had no problem.
I have a small toyota truck with a tow capacity of 3k. I have well over 4k miles safely driven w/o trailer brakes. Just drive very defensively...lots of room between you and the car ahead. (and be prepared to have to constantly drop back as people squeeze in between). I have had to stop quickly a few times and had no problem.
I had a 26s...
And I used to live in St.Louis (many years ago)! First of all, congrats on your new boat and welcome to the world of trailer sailing! Next, your T&C should be sufficient if it has the trailer package. I would feel more comfortable with a class III hitch. I knew a guy who towed the same boat on long trips with a Toyota Camry... I wouldn't recommend it, but it has been done. Yes, trailer brakes are recommended and are required by law in many states. There are after market kits, and they don't require replacing the axle. Check out www.championtrailers.com. I recommend the Tiedown brake kits: the drum brakes are best if only using in freshwater (See related link, below). If saltwater, I would use SS disc brakes. http://www.championtrailers.com/TIEDOWN_STAINLESS_DISC_BRAKE_KITS.HTM If you have any experience working on vehicles, it isn't hard. The instructions are very good. A local trailer dealer or mechanic could do the job in about 4 hours ($200 to $250 labor). With your vehicle, boat and passenger's safety at stake; I think it is effort, time and money well spent. Fair winds and roads, Tom
And I used to live in St.Louis (many years ago)! First of all, congrats on your new boat and welcome to the world of trailer sailing! Next, your T&C should be sufficient if it has the trailer package. I would feel more comfortable with a class III hitch. I knew a guy who towed the same boat on long trips with a Toyota Camry... I wouldn't recommend it, but it has been done. Yes, trailer brakes are recommended and are required by law in many states. There are after market kits, and they don't require replacing the axle. Check out www.championtrailers.com. I recommend the Tiedown brake kits: the drum brakes are best if only using in freshwater (See related link, below). If saltwater, I would use SS disc brakes. http://www.championtrailers.com/TIEDOWN_STAINLESS_DISC_BRAKE_KITS.HTM If you have any experience working on vehicles, it isn't hard. The instructions are very good. A local trailer dealer or mechanic could do the job in about 4 hours ($200 to $250 labor). With your vehicle, boat and passenger's safety at stake; I think it is effort, time and money well spent. Fair winds and roads, Tom
Ok, i'm going for it..
I would feel safer having the brakes, so I am going to order the FIRST AXLE 5 LUG 10" (545 BOLT PATTERN) HYDRAULIC DRUM BRAKE KIT WITH TIE DOWN ENGINEERING® 6600# BRAKE COUPLER kit from champion trailor. My only question is should i get the 16, 20 or 23 foot brake line? I hope this kit works out! thanks for all your help, you have no idea how much i appreciate it!
I would feel safer having the brakes, so I am going to order the FIRST AXLE 5 LUG 10" (545 BOLT PATTERN) HYDRAULIC DRUM BRAKE KIT WITH TIE DOWN ENGINEERING® 6600# BRAKE COUPLER kit from champion trailor. My only question is should i get the 16, 20 or 23 foot brake line? I hope this kit works out! thanks for all your help, you have no idea how much i appreciate it!
The standard trailer comes with brakes
Trailer brakes were standard on the past two McGregors we owned. You should have no problem pulling it with your van. (We certainly pulled ours with lesser vehicles.) One word of warning, make sure you load the boat with as much stuff in and on the bow as possible. McGregors tend to be light on tongue weight. Also, we found that both of the McGregors we've owned would get squirrelly above 55 mph - especially if the tongue weight was too low. Best to keep the speed down. Other than that, McGregors are great camping boats. We took ours all over Washington and up the inside passage. You'll enjoy it. Warren
Trailer brakes were standard on the past two McGregors we owned. You should have no problem pulling it with your van. (We certainly pulled ours with lesser vehicles.) One word of warning, make sure you load the boat with as much stuff in and on the bow as possible. McGregors tend to be light on tongue weight. Also, we found that both of the McGregors we've owned would get squirrelly above 55 mph - especially if the tongue weight was too low. Best to keep the speed down. Other than that, McGregors are great camping boats. We took ours all over Washington and up the inside passage. You'll enjoy it. Warren
Class III Hitch
If you are right at the upper limit for a Class II hitch, you may want to change to Class III just for peace of mind. Class III is mounted to the frame of the vehicle, while Class II is just a bumper hitch. I tow my 4,000 lb. ski boat with a double axle trailer with surge brakes. The brakes need a lot of maintenance, which I neglect, so I am mostly towing the boat without brakes anyway. I can settle for that but not an inadequate hitch. It sounds like your trailer may come with breaks, I'd be more focused on the proper hitch.
If you are right at the upper limit for a Class II hitch, you may want to change to Class III just for peace of mind. Class III is mounted to the frame of the vehicle, while Class II is just a bumper hitch. I tow my 4,000 lb. ski boat with a double axle trailer with surge brakes. The brakes need a lot of maintenance, which I neglect, so I am mostly towing the boat without brakes anyway. I can settle for that but not an inadequate hitch. It sounds like your trailer may come with breaks, I'd be more focused on the proper hitch.
Now you need a tow vehicle! *sry
That was the big surprise I sprung on my wife when we bought our ski boat (almost 20 years ago). Our Cutlass just wasn't going to cut it! We got an Aerostar, which I thought was the best tow vehicle among the minivans. Women like SUVs more than minivans nowadays anyway. There are way more SUVs to choose from now than there were back then! I hope your credit is good!
That was the big surprise I sprung on my wife when we bought our ski boat (almost 20 years ago). Our Cutlass just wasn't going to cut it! We got an Aerostar, which I thought was the best tow vehicle among the minivans. Women like SUVs more than minivans nowadays anyway. There are way more SUVs to choose from now than there were back then! I hope your credit is good!
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