About to get a suitable tow vehicle (finally)

[Gypsy]

I have towed 3 different keel boats with various Jeep Grand Cherokee V8---all boats were on tandem axle trailers and did OK on the interstates and over high passes. My trailer was a single axle and I was not happy no matter how I loaded the boat/trailer and was thinking about a new P/U (122,000 miles on the Jeep). My wife thought the problem was the single axle and she was right. Rather than trade the Jeep and spend $30g + I converted the trailer for $1,800 and am please with the results (151,000 miles now). The Jeep has excellent brakes but the tandem brakes on the trailer make steep down hills a breeze with no sway even with 24 gallons of fuel in the stern lockers. Can't really tell the boat is on the hitch at 70 mph

Bob

Got any pictures of the tandem axle modification ?
I gues you mounted it behind the original axle ?

[Hamin' X]

Search the Mac Mods at the top of the page for "axle", category "Trailer".

~Rich

[curtis from carlsbad]

I bought the fire engine red Suburban this evening.I think I'll call her "BIG RED ".Got it checked out by a good older,mild mannered,patient mechanic that specialized in safety inspections of vehicles.Everything checked out good.It drives with a very tight "new "feeling and easily gets up to 80 mph without leadfooting.The motor was so smooth and quiet I almost turned the ignition to start it when going through a drive through.I vowed when I was about 25 years old not to buy any more used vehicles, only new ones(never say never).But if I'm only going to drive it 1200 miles a year why spend 25-50k for a new crewcab pickup or SUV? This thing drives better than my wife's hyundai tuscon 2006,70k miles!Visibility is better than the GMC Sierra U hauls I have been renting .No more waiting in line behind apartment dwellers that move very 3-6 months on Saturday mornings .This check out /check in process took around 2 1/2 hours out of my Sundays(round trip pre-sail,post sail)plus $45 for rental fees including mileage just to go to the ramp which is 7.5 miles from my house.Hope I get lucky with repairs with this SUV as I read on KBB reviews about 95 percent of owners of these things didn't get the bad ones.It,s really a crap shoot.Even with perfect maintainence the American vehicles are more prone to major breakdowns than their Jap counterparts.I got a stick shift Toyota Scion XB that I bought new in 2005.This toaster oven has only cost me an axle shaft at 120,000 miles ($480 using dealer new shaft and Meineke for the labor).I replaced the clutch at 183,000 miles but this is "routine ".The drivers I have leasing my cab are hard on it( nature of the game).I should get 300k out of that breadbasket then I will probably buy a new one and raise lease fees a bit to cover payment.Drivers love driving new taxis and customers stay loyal in a clean newer taxi with courteous drivers.Hopefully I'll get lucky with this Suburban on the reliability.The towing hitch reciever is bolted to frame with 6 bolts so I don't know if it is an original "dealer" towing package.I'll call several dealers and speak to their head mechanics to see if it needs a transmission cooler(it may have one- does anyone know what to look for if I crawl under the vehicle? Please submit feedback.When I post here I imagine that we are all in a large garage,drinking coffee and shooting the @$#% about our boats.It was like that for me in my old Yellow Cab days at the assignment office(what a collection of the most memorable and diverse eccentric characters I have ever seen anywhere!)Some of these guys lived in their cabs and were reprimanded by the city for complaints of cockroaches crawling out from under the seats onto the feet of a poor dame with heels on! The roaches lived on the Mcdonalds remnants that were shoved under the seats.What a gut busting riot!

[curtis from carlsbad]

I bought the fire engine red Suburban this evening.I think I'll call her "BIG RED ".Got it checked out by a good older,mild mannered,patient mechanic that specialized in safety inspections of vehicles.Everything checked out good.It drives with a very tight "new "feeling and easily gets up to 80 mph without leadfooting.The motor was so smooth and quiet I almost turned the ignition to start it when going through a drive through.I vowed when I was about 25 years old not to buy any more used vehicles, only new ones(never say never).But if I'm only going to drive it 1200 miles a year why spend 25-50k for a new crewcab pickup or SUV? This thing drives better than my wife's hyundai tuscon 2006,70k miles!Visibility is better than the GMC Sierra U hauls I have been renting .No more waiting in line behind apartment dwellers that move very 3-6 months on Saturday mornings .This check out /check in process took around 2 1/2 hours out of my Sundays(round trip pre-sail,post sail)plus $45 for rental fees including mileage just to go to the ramp which is 7.5 miles from my house.Hope I get lucky with repairs with this SUV as I read on KBB reviews about 95 percent of owners of these things didn't get the bad ones.It,s really a crap shoot.Even with perfect maintainence the American vehicles are more prone to major breakdowns than their Jap counterparts.I got a stick shift Toyota Scion XB that I bought new in 2005.This toaster oven has only cost me an axle shaft at 120,000 miles ($480 using dealer new shaft and Meineke for the labor).I replaced the clutch at 183,000 miles but this is "routine ".The drivers I have leasing my cab are hard on it( nature of the game).I should get 300k out of that breadbasket then I will probably buy a new one and raise lease fees a bit to cover payment.Drivers love driving new taxis and customers stay loyal in a clean newer taxi with courteous drivers.Hopefully I'll get lucky with this Suburban on the reliability.The towing hitch reciever is bolted to frame with 6 bolts so I don't know if it is an original "dealer" towing package.I'll call several dealers and speak to their head mechanics to see if it needs a transmission cooler(it may have one- does anyone know what to look for if I crawl under the vehicle? Please submit feedback.When I post here I imagine that we are all in a large garage,drinking coffee and shooting the @$#% about our boats.It was like that for me in my old Yellow Cab days at the assignment office(what a collection of the most memorable and diverse eccentric characters I have ever seen anywhere!)Some of these guys lived in their cabs and were reprimanded by the city for complaints of cockroaches crawling out from under the seats onto the feet of a poor dame with heels on! The roaches lived on the Mcdonalds remnants that were shoved under the seats.What a gut busting riot!

[Kelly Hanson East]

Skip the trans cooler for the short trips, especially since I think its pretty flat around Carlsbad area. My tow vehicle is about half the beast you have, I trailer about 1000 miles per year, and just take it easy and take a break every hour for both me and the trailer tire/wheel inspection, and to let the trans temp fall a bit.

[Paul S]

Skip the trans cooler for the short trips, especially since I think its pretty flat around Carlsbad area. My tow vehicle is about half the beast you have, I trailer about 1000 miles per year, and just take it easy and take a break every hour for both me and the trailer tire/wheel inspection, and to let the trans temp fall a bit.

I would still do a cooler. There is no downside to having one. They are cheap. Just remember to put the cooler in line before the trucks cooler in the radiator, not after. Sometimes they can cool too much and you need the radiators heat to bring it up to where it should be.

[Gypsy]

I can't tell from the pictures , are you putting the second axle in front or behind the original axle ?

[bscott]

Gypsy,
I had a trailer repair company build a sliding channel assembly that bolts on to the trailer frame. The assembly has a walking beam welded on the channel. The axles are then placed on either side of the walking beam with one end of the spring welded to the channel, the other end bolted to the walking beam. The entire channel assembly can be moved and bolted to the trailer frame thus allowing you to move the entire axle assembly fore/aft to get the best tongue weight. The walking beam on the sliding assembly ended up approximately 3" in front of the original axle hub. I replaced the original springs with 1,200# for a total capacity of 4,800# to give the boat a better ride.

I placed the original axle in front of the new axle--both axles have standard brakes. If money were no object, I would have installed new disc brakes all around. I also put new bias ply trailer rated tires all around. Hope this helps.

Bob

[Nautek]

The fact that your new vehicle has a tow bar already fitted may mean that there is already a transmission oil cooler fitted.
Get it checked out.
I would fit one if it doesn't have one as you will probably do more towing now that you have you own tow hack.

Allan

[Russ]

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... index.html

I just spent an hour reading your logs of your boat. Great website BTW. Fun to read.

Wonderful photos.



--Russ

[Sumner]

Gypsy,
I had a trailer repair company build a sliding channel assembly that bolts on to the trailer frame. The assembly has a walking beam welded on the channel. The axles are then placed on either side of the walking beam with one end of the spring welded to the channel, the other end bolted to the walking beam. The entire channel assembly can be moved and bolted to the trailer frame thus allowing you to move the entire axle assembly fore/aft to get the best tongue weight. The walking beam on the sliding assembly ended up approximately 3" in front of the original axle hub. I replaced the original springs with 1,200# for a total capacity of 4,800# to give the boat a better ride.

I placed the original axle in front of the new axle--both axles have standard brakes. If money were no object, I would have installed new disc brakes all around. I also put new bias ply trailer rated tires all around. Hope this helps.

Bob

I'm trying to visualize the "walking beam" part with no luck and google didn't help much either. Do you have any pictures? I also didn't have any luck with the search feature here finding your work . If no pictures maybe a little more explaining.

Thanks,

Sum

P.S. RussMT I'm glad you enjoyed the logs. I like doing them (most of the time).

Our Trip Logs.....

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links

[Gazmn]

if I'm only going to drive it 1200 miles a year why spend 25-50k for a new crewcab pickup or SUV?

Curtis,
I'm so proud of you
Welcome to the in$anity of owning a boat. Ya' dun good kid

Best of luck with the tow beast. I like the Chevys & any big American brute that can kick A$$ & change lanes. & with this one you can add a front hitch, if you got a tight spot to squeeze into; something like this [Shop around you may be able to do better - but this ain't bad]
Nothing like knowing you can tow your house if you have to
& for cheap too - minus gas

[curtis from carlsbad]

Thanks Gazmn and to the others that talked some sense into me over the last several months(not to try with the tuscon or goon car lincoln) and kept me on the straight & narrow..I drove the suburban to Knotts Berry Farm (A nice themepark) with my wife and kids today and it was a real pleasure to drive.It feels about the same width as a crown vic (the staple of the taxicab industry)when turning and I even noticed a lot of other drivers gave it more leeway and respect and didn't cut me so close when risking their own lives trying to get somewhere in a hurry.I drive at reasonable speeds for the flow and on occasion have had taxi customers complain to me that I'm not going fast enough.I like to drive when I'm relaxed like an old man.I don't get impatient in traffic unless I'm running late to a good run.I can sit in traffic for hours as long as I'm not losing business without getting even the slightest bit angry. The Admiral still won't admit yet that she likes either Big Red or the Mac ( She did enjoy the test sail when I bought Mac and I'm sure Mac will win the Admiral over after she can see that I know what the hull I'm doing).Just to mess with the Admiral I asked the kids several times which car do you like better ? : Big Red,the Hundai(Admiral's rig),the taxi(Scion XB) or the goon car(Lincoln Towncar).They invariably pipe up BIG RED!!! We'll see how She tows the boat in a couple of weeks. Thanks again to all of you that convinced me to get a suitable tow vehicle.And you know what? : You might have even saved my life or any of my other family member's lives down the line if we are ever in a serous car crash.I like the safe feeling of driving the large suburban around- I think I'll switch to it for family driving.I won't bully others in traffic with it or anything , I'll still drive the same boring way I always do, it just will give me more metal around my family to protect us. Sincerely , Curtis Becker

[Gazmn]

Glad to hear the kids enthusiasm. For Momma, ask her opinion on things Often. Not as a pressure thing but to keep her in the loop. Especially something like naming the boat; the kids input will be good too. If there's any way it can be named after her - or related to her that doesn't hurt either

I must admit I blew it on this one and named my boat after my mother There were significant reasons for doing so and explained this to the admiral well before doing so.

& as you've read here somewhere: bad things - or things that'll be funny in time- do happen. So keep her as involved as she'll let you regarding your boating learning curve. My admiral mainly likes to play passenger. But her enthusiasm for "Miss Ollie" comes when we invite friends on board. She feels, and is, more knowledgeable than them

& the kids enthusiasm and personal growth on a family craft should win her all the way over

All the best to you & yours,
& HAPPY TURKEY TO ALL

[bscott]

Gypsy,

I have done a few trailers over the years and the trailer guys I deal with call the center device that looks like a see-saw a "walking beam". It is a fixture welded to the frame that has a beam with a center pivot. The beam has an eye on either end to which the spring is bolted. This lets the axle walk over an object with more flexability. This is the best I can describe it.

Bob