Towing the Distance

[Fat Chilli]

Hi all, as the boss is currently nagging me about a holiday up to the Whitsundays and this would probably be a comfortable two days travelling from the GC, I was wondering what's the greatest distance or duration you have towed your trailer boat.
What were you towing (boat length) and the vehicle used to tow it? Also if any, what problems did you encounter whilst towing (flats, breakage etc.)?

Cheers

FC.

[Roughasguts]

Towed a 21 foot 2.5 ton boat 485 miles in a day.
Had no problems.

But if I had to do it now I would carry 2 spare hubs with bearings already greased and packed, 2 spare axle nuts and split pins.
Only cost you 40 bucks ea for gal ones complete.

Of course if you got the spares with you, you won't ever need them.

[finga64]

Towed a 21 foot 2.5 ton boat 485 miles in a day.
Had no problems.

But if I had to do it now I would carry 2 spare hubs with bearings already greased and packed, 2 spare axle nuts and split pins.
Only cost you 40 bucks ea for gal ones complete.

Of course if you got the spares with you, you won't ever need them.
Yep, cheap insurance for sure.

Doesn't really matter the distance wheather it be 5km or 5000km. Just make sure everything like tyres (and spare), axles, huds, tie downs, winch strap, springs etc are all in top nick and you won't have a problem. Also make sure all the rollers and slides are adjusted correctly on the trailer.

300km trips are pretty common for our boat.

[blaze]

when towing it should be no diffence than driving your car a simular distance, if every thing is well maintained there should be drama's. Trucks drag trailers over the country for thousands of km every day.Just make sure the tow vehicle is matched to the load its dragging, the load is matched to the trailer its on, then drive to conditions.
cheers
blaze

[MattyDucati]

Is the TJ doing the towing? :D
Better do it soon before the Fuel price gos back up! :-/

[walruss]

Did the big trip last year. 10,000 k over 5 weeks. 2.5 tonne boat towed with a TLC on gas. No huge dramas just lots of loose bolts, and light fittings due to the goat tracks some call roads.

Russ

[triman]

Towed a Whittley cruisemaster from Melbourne to Perth behind a 4.2L Patrol on LPG and back with a 4.8L Patrol on petrol. Rig was about 3.5 tonnes each way.
Had one flat on the Nullabor on the way west; no problems heading east.

The only other problem was the wind getting under the canopies on the way west and blowing out all the zips. For the return we gaffer-taped all seams and joints and had no troubles.
The bigger engine made the drive much easier.

[gunna]

Towed mine between Sydney & Gold Coast 5 times. Its 4.5M and pulled by a Falcon. Like Blaze says - if its maintained properly its just another trailer. People don't worry about pulling vans or box trailers long distances - boat trailer is no different.

[whykickacatalong]

I do a number of trips up and down the coast and off road on crap tracks with the boat. Last one was up to Mackay and back with no dramas. Get the bearings checked before hand, check all the fittings and lights and take spares. I busted a spring a few years back on Frazer which was a major pain and since then carry a spare spring bolted with clamps onto the drawbar. Make sure you have the tools and that they fit the bolts and wheel nuts and that the jacks fits under the trailer.

[finding_time]

I drove to Adelaide to pick up my boat, left Brisbane at 4.00 pm monday picked it up from the dealer at 4.30 pm tuesday in Adelaide and drove home arriving at 6.30 pm Wednesday round trip 3987.3 km's not to bad for 50.5 hours!!! :D

The car was a nissan patrol and the boat a 5.2meter southwind, there were 2 drivers and i had arranged for the dealer to do the bearings before i arrived to pick up the boat. Set the back of the patrol as a bed so 1 of us could sleep as the other drove ;)


Ian

[marlinqld]

I tow mine to hervey bay with a Hi Lux ute.

I always check bearings etc before the trip. Never had a problem.


Mike

[peterbo3]

FC,
I live just south of Mackay & can tow from Bne in about ten hours. Still another few hours to Airlie. I would overnight at Rocky then head up to Airlie the next day. Around six-seven hours BUT if there are wide load semis on the road it could be longer. GC to Airlie in one day is possible but difficult..........a bit like having sex standing up in a hammock. :o :o :o :o :o :o :o
Most motels in Mackay are heavily booked due to the mining boom. Few are boat friendly = boat parked on street. And we all know what can happen then......... :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

[skippa]

G'Day FC,

I bought my boat in Sydney. In the last 12 months I've towed her from Sydney to Brisbane. 2 months after getting her home, I towed her to Mission Beach and back, over a 4 week period. Went from Brissy to Prossy in one day including a flat tyre on the trailer just south of Rocky. I always carry a spare. Boat was also loaded full of camping gear too. New bearings each trip tho with a spare set along for the ride too.

Had a few trips to Hervey Bay and numerous runs to Sunny and Gold coasts too; never missed a beat.

Boat is a SR17 southwind towed behind a 2004 Commodore (VY??)

Would be a good trip to Whitties with a easy 2 day run, you'll have a blast cruisin the Whitsunday Islands too, great place wish I was there again.


Cheers,
Tony # 8-)

[dnej]

Say Skippa,why did the bearing have to be replaced?
Seems a short life span
David

[setthehook]

I towed min nearly 2000 km's over 3 days last week. If anyone has a commadore and plans to tow boats make sure you have a oil cooler for the gear box :-[ hey i still made it, Wollongong to bundy.

[skippa]

Say Skippa,why did the bearing have to be replaced?
Seems a short life span
David

David,

I'd rather change bearings in the comfort of my own garage instead of the side of the hwy with cars and trucks buzzing past. Was bad enough changing a flat and it always seems to happen in just the worse place too. As you can see by the pic the wheels are only small for hwy work and for the Mission Beach trip we had the boat fully loaded with camp gear too.

It may have been an over kill, but geez we had a great trip with the only hickup being the flat just south of Rocky.


Cheers,
Tony 8-)

[CROOZY]

YEH DO IT MAN !, I TOWED A CRUISECRAFT 685 ( 2.7 T ON ROAD ) FROM BRISBANE TO HOBART IN 4 DAYS BIGGEST DAY WAS 720KMS, NO PROBS APART FROM STUFFIN FUEL IN THE NISSAN PATROL PETROL. TIP... CHANGE ALL BEARINGS AND SEALS B4 YOU GO AND GREASE BUDDIES EVERY MORNING B4 TRAVEL + CARRY A FULL SET WITH YOU.
HAVE FUN, KEEP THE WIFE HAPPY

[plat-a-puss]

just traveled from southern nsw to katherine in the NT. 10,000 km trip in 3 weeks ,towing a 5 mt fisher plate boat on a tandom special trailer. tow vehical was a nissan patrol 3lt turbo (very impressive) bearing packed b4 going along with spare set of springs and spare beaings (didnt need any of these spares ,but u know the old saying ,if we didnt have them we would have needed them) .fuel cost was approx $1500 to get there and back not including the traveling we done .we had 3 drivers and drove 40 hrs straight long time in a car i do not recommend this unless u have 3 drivers

[Feral]

Went down to Coffs and back with the boat trailer in a day, (to pick up a boat) 1200k round trip. Only issue is I would not tow the trailer that far empty again without locking up the pivot joint, flogged it a fair bit doing 600k with no boat on it.

[Thommo99]

We just recently moved to QLD from VIC and towed the boat from Melbourne to Gold Coast over 2 days. The boat is a Whittley Voyager 580 and the tow vehicle is a Prado 4000 V6.

We had no problems on the trip, #checked everything (wheel bearings etc) before we left and at every stop along the way.