Hubby and i are going to pick up our new (to us) 1971 Morgan 22 on Sunday. It's our first sailboat and we'll be towing it (on it's dual axle trailer) with a full size Chevy Express van, 3/4 ton. At 3600 pounds, this boat's alot heavier than our aluminum Starcraft.....any tips or advice before we head out? Should be an interesting trip, from MI to WI via Chicago.
Towing tips
- Thread starter lorien
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We did this 2 weeks ago!
HI Lorien, Congratulations on your new sailboat! *5 My husband and I just bought our first trailerable sailboat(Quickstep 21) and he towed it from CT to NH. We made sure that the trailer was inspected and road ready before the trip home. The trailer had been used only for winter storage so we wanted to be sure the brakes , lights, etc were all in working order. Also the bearings need to be checked and greased if they haven't been serviced in a while. He stopped every half hour the first hour and a half of the drive home. Be sure to get trailer strapping to tie the boat down to the trailer. If you can register the trailer before the trip you may want to consider that. Hmmm..can't think of anything else but feel free to email me if you have questions I can help with. Joan
HI Lorien, Congratulations on your new sailboat! *5 My husband and I just bought our first trailerable sailboat(Quickstep 21) and he towed it from CT to NH. We made sure that the trailer was inspected and road ready before the trip home. The trailer had been used only for winter storage so we wanted to be sure the brakes , lights, etc were all in working order. Also the bearings need to be checked and greased if they haven't been serviced in a while. He stopped every half hour the first hour and a half of the drive home. Be sure to get trailer strapping to tie the boat down to the trailer. If you can register the trailer before the trip you may want to consider that. Hmmm..can't think of anything else but feel free to email me if you have questions I can help with. Joan
one more thing...
one more thing...get trailer insurance for the road trip..we got it through BoatUS. Joanie
one more thing...get trailer insurance for the road trip..we got it through BoatUS. Joanie
Trailer Insurance
Don't know who carries Joan's insurance, buy my insurance company covers my trailer under the auto policy...no extra cost or extra paperwork.
Don't know who carries Joan's insurance, buy my insurance company covers my trailer under the auto policy...no extra cost or extra paperwork.
Made it home just fine
Well, we got home safe and sound with our new addition. We checked everything at least twice and had taken tons of stuff "just in case", figured to spend hours at the local auto parts store for what we'd forgotten but...we were very surprised to find most everything on the tandem axle trailer was pretty good: wheels didn't need packing, tires didn't need replacing (but we will be doing that asap now), surge brakes working, lights (including turn signals) still working. After sitting for 4 years, it was most pleasant! We were worried about the bunks though, they had been wood covered in carpet but were pretty much bare. Thanks to some puffy carpet squares, we got home with absolutely NO problems but we did stop every half hour and make sure.
Long haul, i think it was almost 9 hours of driving time coming home. Our van pulled her just fine, too. I was alittle worried, a 3500 pound boat isn't something i want "running amuck" whilst heading through Chicago! Thanks for the suggestions, we had insurance already! becki
Well, we got home safe and sound with our new addition. We checked everything at least twice and had taken tons of stuff "just in case", figured to spend hours at the local auto parts store for what we'd forgotten but...we were very surprised to find most everything on the tandem axle trailer was pretty good: wheels didn't need packing, tires didn't need replacing (but we will be doing that asap now), surge brakes working, lights (including turn signals) still working. After sitting for 4 years, it was most pleasant! We were worried about the bunks though, they had been wood covered in carpet but were pretty much bare. Thanks to some puffy carpet squares, we got home with absolutely NO problems but we did stop every half hour and make sure.
Long haul, i think it was almost 9 hours of driving time coming home. Our van pulled her just fine, too. I was alittle worried, a 3500 pound boat isn't something i want "running amuck" whilst heading through Chicago! Thanks for the suggestions, we had insurance already! beckiAdventure!
Make sure the wheel bearing are freshly repacked. Check the tires: no cracks in the side walls, proper inflation (see side of tire). Brakes: do they work freely? Make sure none are "draging" Strap the boat to the trailer. Speed: Try not to exceed 55 mph. Good Luck!
Make sure the wheel bearing are freshly repacked. Check the tires: no cracks in the side walls, proper inflation (see side of tire). Brakes: do they work freely? Make sure none are "draging" Strap the boat to the trailer. Speed: Try not to exceed 55 mph. Good Luck!
glad you made it home okay!
Becki, I'm glad you made it home ok..that was a long trip! Have fun with your new boat. Joan
Becki, I'm glad you made it home ok..that was a long trip! Have fun with your new boat. Joan
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