Tow weight of 26M heavily laden for remote area cruise

[Oskar 26M]

On the the Australia board of this forum there has been some recent discussion about choosing a tow-hack/tow-beast and just how much load your might put on a tow vehicle.

When I bought my 2007 ,I also bought a Totyata Kluger based on the factory specs of the and its trailer thinking I had a few hundred kilos to play with for gear and provisions.

Bad (expensive) mistake!

When I put it the modestly loaded (on its original steel trailer) over a weighbridge not long after I bought it weighed in at 2,300kg. This exceeded both (a)the Mac trailer aggregate load rating (just over 1,905 kg for the then painted steel) trailer and (b) the Toyota Kluger V6 towing capacity which was only rated to tow 2,000 kg. Because I wanted to travel widely with my This created both legal and insurance risks.

I needed the capacity to carry provisions and spares for remote areas, so I upgraded the tow vehicle to a Toyota Landcruiser rated to tow 3,500 kg) and, after an abortive attempt to upgrade the carrying capacity of the original trailer, I eventually purchased a Venture Aluminium trailer rated to an aggregate load of 3,200 kg. I figured that ought to be enough!

It was enough and the new combination has generally performed well. However, I thought it might be of interest to forum members just how much a boat, trailer and tow vehicle can weigh when heavily laden with provisions, spares and all the other stuff needed for long distance travel travel to a remote part of the world.

At the time of weighing, the boat was packed as for trip: on board were all anchors and chains, safety gear, Waeco50 ltr fridge empty), icebox (empty) and boat spares and tools, and usual galley and miscellaneous stuff for extended cruising. In addition the 150 ltr water bladder on boat was full, 2x50 ltr fuel tanks about 1/2 full,

The following had been offloaded from boat to the car prior to weighing: 2x64W solar panels, 1x10 ltr can of fuel, 1x 1, 000kva generator, and fridge battery which had been off loaded from the boat to the car, and about 60 kg of food, ice, clothing and bedding.

The car's 138 ltr car fuel tank was near empty when it was weighed, but the car was loaded with everything else for the trip (plus above from boat), including crew (67 kg + 96 kg) heavy duty jacks, 32 kg rubber duck dinghy and miscellaneous spares of all kinds.

Here are my actual weighbridge statistics (actual weights after our 8,000 km Lake Argyle Trip):
Car plus boat total weight = 5,720 kg (12,610 lb)
Trailer and boat aggregate weight (detached from car) = 2,660 kg (5,864 lb)
Car weight minus towball (difference from above) = 3,060 kg (6746 lb)
Car weight with crew and towball weight included = 3,320 kg (7,320 lb)
Trailer Tare Weight (not including spare wheel) = 440 kg (970 lb)
Towball weight = 3320-3060 kg = 260 kg (573 lb)
Towball weight as % trailer gross weight = 9.8 %
Boat plus spare trailer wheel plus gear = 1,820 kg (4012 lb)

It just goes to show that all those little bits n pieces add up...

[RobertB]

Yikes, from your description, since I carry most of what you do, I wonder how heavy mine is. I was towing with a Volvo XC-70 but now use a Ford F-150 Ecoboost. I use the stock aluminium trailer with an extra axle.

Anyhow, I am curious where you have placed your Dometic/Waeco CF-50? I installed mine across from the head.

[Oskar 26M]

RobertB:
I have tried a couple of spots for the Waeco 50 ltr.

My preferred location for it is the same as yours- opposite the head, mounted on the locker and butting up against the V bunk. I use the Waeco as a freezer and found that a Coleman Extreme Ice Cooler fits nicely between the Waeco and the galley for unfrozen provisions. They are all about the same height so it results in a great extended galley bench top for preparing/cooking, food etc (provided you remember to get what you need out of the top-opening cooler and/or freezer first!)

For part of my most recent trip, I moved the Waeco back to the factory cut-out area in the starboard aft bunk (aft of the starboard table seat) in an attempt to shift a bit of weight aft of the trailer's axles and reduce the load on the towball. I don't think it made a great deal of difference to the towball weight and it is much more difficult to get to in the Waeco that location so it will be moved back to being opposite the head for future trips.

[raycarlson]

It's a shame they don't make real tow vehicles down under like we yankees get to buy up here.My dodge ram bone stock empty weighs 500kg more then your little land rover fully loaded, not to mention the 5.9 liter cummins turbo diesel with over 600 ftlbs of torque which can easily tow 10,000kg. Also up here we enjoy a much more highly developed postal and delivery system called UPS and FedEx which can deliver spare parts ordered over a thing called a smartphone overnight to anywhere in the united states overnight.No need to carry all those unneeded spare parts.

[March]

I have a 26X, but my Waeco 50 cooler fits perfectly under the aft settee at the table, with a few modifications: I made holes in the lining of the compartment, in order to allow for ventilation straight into the bilge. The power goes directly to the bus panel which is in that bilge area, too. Had to remove one of the handles of the cooler, and cut a cover out of marine plywood, since the cooler was about two inches higher than the lining allowed. No problem: a "ring" of rigid foam about 3 inches high and 2 inches wide that goes around the perimeter,with a few spaces made for extra ventilation, glued to the plywood cover. The cushion to the settee goes on top. Granted, the sitting area is a little higher than the opposite one, but that doesn't pose a problem. I can still sit comfortably at the table. The cooler is out of the way, well-protected, and with the cushion on top, you can hardly hear when it kicks in.

[Mac26Mpaul]

Hey Ray
We got them there fandangled smartass phones and even overnight post! But when you talk about being in the middle of nowhere, your talking no more than 5 miles from the kwickymart and when we say that, we mean it As to real vehicles, true, nobody anywhere else but the US drives actual trucks as family cars, but if the rest of the world had the unbelievably cheap fuel you do, there would already be none left. Enjoy that cheap fuel why while you have it, and stop being a smartass about it

[DaveB]

I tow my 4500 lb MacX on my 1999 F150 standard trans rated at 2000 lb max towing for 4 years and several trips 400 miles round trip.
I did have to get a new clutch 3 years ago but think it was Hurricane Charlie and I was pulling out a Oak tree Stump.
Down under Ya must have done this once?
I know one person that towed his X with a 4 cylinder jeep with no problems.
He did have his whole family aboard jeep.
What you really need to know is the ramp,steep,traction and stowage of trailer and truck.
Dave

On the the Australia board of this forum there has been some recent discussion about choosing a tow-hack/tow-beast and just how much load your might put on a tow vehicle.

When I bought my 2007 ,I also bought a Totyata Kluger based on the factory specs of the and its trailer thinking I had a few hundred kilos to play with for gear and provisions.

Bad (expensive) mistake!

When I put it the modestly loaded (on its original steel trailer) over a weighbridge not long after I bought it weighed in at 2,300kg. This exceeded both (a)the Mac trailer aggregate load rating (just over 1,905 kg for the then painted steel) trailer and (b) the Toyota Kluger V6 towing capacity which was only rated to tow 2,000 kg. Because I wanted to travel widely with my This created both legal and insurance risks.

I needed the capacity to carry provisions and spares for remote areas, so I upgraded the tow vehicle to a Toyota Landcruiser rated to tow 3,500 kg) and, after an abortive attempt to upgrade the carrying capacity of the original trailer, I eventually purchased a Venture Aluminium trailer rated to an aggregate load of 3,200 kg. I figured that ought to be enough!

It was enough and the new combination has generally performed well. However, I thought it might be of interest to forum members just how much a boat, trailer and tow vehicle can weigh when heavily laden with provisions, spares and all the other stuff needed for long distance travel travel to a remote part of the world.

At the time of weighing, the boat was packed as for trip: on board were all anchors and chains, safety gear, Waeco50 ltr fridge empty), icebox (empty) and boat spares and tools, and usual galley and miscellaneous stuff for extended cruising. In addition the 150 ltr water bladder on boat was full, 2x50 ltr fuel tanks about 1/2 full,

The following had been offloaded from boat to the car prior to weighing: 2x64W solar panels, 1x10 ltr can of fuel, 1x 1, 000kva generator, and fridge battery which had been off loaded from the boat to the car, and about 60 kg of food, ice, clothing and bedding.

The car's 138 ltr car fuel tank was near empty when it was weighed, but the car was loaded with everything else for the trip (plus above from boat), including crew (67 kg + 96 kg) heavy duty jacks, 32 kg rubber duck dinghy and miscellaneous spares of all kinds.

Here are my actual weighbridge statistics (actual weights after our 8,000 km Lake Argyle Trip):
Car plus boat total weight = 5,720 kg (12,610 lb)
Trailer and boat aggregate weight (detached from car) = 2,660 kg (5,864 lb)
Car weight minus towball (difference from above) = 3,060 kg (6746 lb)
Car weight with crew and towball weight included = 3,320 kg (7,320 lb)
Trailer Tare Weight (not including spare wheel) = 440 kg (970 lb)
Towball weight = 3320-3060 kg = 260 kg (573 lb)
Towball weight as % trailer gross weight = 9.8 %
Boat plus spare trailer wheel plus gear = 1,820 kg (4012 lb)

It just goes to show that all those little bits n pieces add up...

[mastreb]

Enjoy that cheap fuel why while you have it, and stop being a smartass about it

I don't think Canada's going to run out any time soon

[Nautek]

Now play nice in the sandbox boys

In OZ we do have the vehicles to pull heavier loads however when they get bigger than a landcruiser or nissan patrol will pull then more than likely you are into a wide load as well

As for overnight postage

In some remote areas you might only get a postal delivery every three to five days depending on where you are

Some of the areas that Oskar has available to him in West Australia fall into this category

We can have 400 kilometers between fuel stops and can pay $2.50 per liter of diesel in remote areas

It is the price we pay for such a sparsely populated country where you can go for days in some areas without seeing another vehicle let alone another boat.

Allan

[DaveB]

Up here in the Everglades boonies, we call that Gods Country.
Dave

We can have 400 kilometers between fuel stops and can pay $2.50 per liter of diesel in remote areas

It is the price we pay for such a sparsely populated country where you can go for days in some areas without seeing another vehicle let alone another boat.

Allan[/quote]

[Catigale]

Price of oil Is the same for everyone of course.

I went through the heavy boat phase of cruising but am now a lot lighter...more and more stuff gets left home for my one week cruises now. I stopped lugging my engine manual when I got a tender kicker big enough to serve as a backup for the for example....

[Phil M]

Price of oil Is the same for everyone of course.

....

Price of oil may be the same, but the price of gas ...

As I was filling up my spare gas tank, a one gallon little thing, I asked the attendant what was the largest gas purchase for a big cruiser lately, and he replied about $3000, AND, that the captain asked for a discount. He never got one.

[mastreb]

Price of oil Is the same for everyone of course.

I went through the heavy boat phase of cruising but am now a lot lighter...more and more stuff gets left home for my one week cruises now. I stopped lugging my engine manual when I got a tender kicker big enough to serve as a backup for the for example....

Yep, we too have been removing stuff from the boat just about every trip. The kids are getting bigger, and we need the space to pack five people in the cabin.

[WASP18]

Hey Ray
We got them there fandangled smartass phones and even overnight post! But when you talk about being in the middle of nowhere, your talking no more than 5 miles from the kwickymart and when we say that, we mean it As to real vehicles, true, nobody anywhere else but the US drives actual trucks as family cars, but if the rest of the world had the unbelievably cheap fuel you do, there would already be none left. Enjoy that cheap fuel why while you have it, and stop being a smartass about it

I remember when large pickup trucks suddenly became fashion statements (frightening). I labeled them "empty-pickup-trucks". White collars guys were driving them to work wearing baseball caps. Once they arrived in their parking lots, they would remove their caps and emerge wearing a suit and tie. When I was growing up several years ago, we always saw these trucks filled with something. I saw small cement mixers, saw horses, wheel barrows, building materials and other stuff used for small construction businesses. Now we see trucks with Cadillac interiors sucking up gas while the Mrs. is on her way to shop for groceries.

[Kittiwake]

Enjoy that cheap fuel why while you have it, and stop being a smartass about it

I don't think Canada's going to run out any time soon

I remain a bit surprised that more folks don't leave their mast, rigging, sails & rudders at home on some of these long trips. I mean, OK, sailing's fun and the Mac does it well ... but the Mac is also a great mini motor-cruiser. The simpler towing & launching & setup and clear decks can be awfully nice on long trips, where exploring and gunkholing are often major aims. Modern 50-70 hp motors get great gas mileage and are very peaceful at low rpm. I save the sailing for local launches - where I am already very familiar with the territory. I do leave the daggerboard in when not sailing - but only because I have not found a simpler way of plugging the daggerboard trunk.
Kittiwake