Long Haul Trailering

[dlane83]

I would like to trailer a Suncat between Massachusetts and Florida each year in order to use it in both the summer and winter and would appreciate any thoughts or experience you may have concerning how best to protect the boat from debris kicked up from the road?  I would be towing it behind a mid sized SUV on the standard trailer that comes with the boat.     

[kickingbug1]

    i think the best thing is a full width mud flap. they attach between the bumper and rear axle. i would say that they look ugly but give much better protection than just fender rock guards

[crazycarl]

a full size mudflap?

jeeeze steve. 

did you read his post?  he's from massachusetts, not southern illinois!

them folks have pride in what they drag behind them ve-hickles.

but i forget, this commin from a salour who drags a gas can beehin his boat!

if'n you whanna keep that thar boat of yars purtty, nail some old boards to the bed of the tralor sos them rocks'll bounce back onta the road.  iffin you go out at nite, you kin get you some of them xpressway signs.  thems made of norust stuff and thays a nice green to boot!

that thars how us educadums in NORTHERN illinois does it!

[MacGyver]

I have a set of mud flaps that attaches to the drawbar.
They are a bit oversized for my truck but I plan to mod them to work. I cam across them at a good price and didnt pass em up with the thought that anything towed behind the truck would be better protected.

They are adjustable as well..... Currently they are out in my garage and it is cold as heck outside...... the warm house is keeping me in tonight otherwise I would go get the name of em for you. They might make a smaller set more suitable for other vehicles..... This set really is a bit bigger than what I probably needed.... but some bargains you just cant pass up.

I will try to remember to get the name for you, otherwise, message me just in case....

Mac

[kickingbug1]

  at least i dont have a lawn chair on my anchor. hey take care in the snow

[sjaffess]

I have a Suncat that I sail in Florida (Ocala ) for 6 months.  In May it goes into my garage and I drive back to Cape Cod and put my O'Day in the water for 6 months.  Think twice before you tow your Suncat back and forth twice a year.  It is not an easy trip with 2000 lbs behind you.  There is a lot of strain on your SUV.  I trailed my Suncat from Sanibel to Ocala and I would not want to go from Florida to Mass. on a regular basis.  Where in Mass. do you sail?  I love my Suncat and it would be good in Cape Cod, but I would not want to trail it back and forth.  Happy sailing.

[tmorgan]

I trail my Suncat to the coast (3-4 hrs) several times a year and from Virginia to Maine in the summer (14 hrs) and never thought of mud flaps.  I've gotten a little tar spatter on the boat once in awhile but it comes right off.  My biggest concern is maintaining the trailer bearings and making sure the tires have good tread and are fully inflated. I have a GMC Envoy and it has no trouble towing the Suncat. I carry an extra bearing just in case!

[CaptRon28]

I've towed 7,000+ pounds of trailer from NJ to FL several times. Loads included near 7,000 pounds of Catalina, 4200 pounds of Horizon Cat, 6500 pounds of Telstar, and several sports cars in an enclosed trailer. No problems ever. You might pick up some tar but it comes right off. I usually hold the speed to 65 mph, and sometimes take a more scenic route than staying on I-95 all the way. Cutting thru VA , MD and DE on 301 is one choice I like. The Avalanche can easily handle over 8,000 pounds as long as the trailer has good brakes on all axles and I always use a weight distributing hitch. A light boat like the Sun Cat should not be a problem for any mid size SUV with 5,000 pound capacity. Just take it easy.

[MacGyver]

 
This is what I have, and plan to cut down the flaps to be shorter in height.
http://mudflaps.com/rt-1209-rock-tamers.html

They have pictures of how the attach, the system is real light, but the flaps are solid rubber....... so pretty weighted.

Mac

[crazycarl]

  at least i dont have a lawn chair on my anchor. hey take care in the snow

hey, that was no lawn chair!

that was a "deck" chair", and it works purtty fine as an anchor too!


i often thought about making a "bra" for the front of our 15' sailboat to keep road debris off it.

i figure if they work for cars, they'd work on a boat.


carl