towing a CP23

[nbsupply]

I purchased a 1981 Compac23 in Miami Fl. I had i towed to Tarpon Springs because that is where I had stored my CP16 until I sold it. Upon closer inspection I discovered that cosmetically the boat was quite rundown and required a lot of hrs of tlc to put her into a condition I like to have a Boat. I have a little condo not far but live in Ohio. I could spend oodles of summertime hrs. restoring this boat here and I had planed to trade my car in and buy a 6cyl. Ford Ranger and tow it home. Previously I had towed the Cp16 With my MB E320 without problems.
Than the surprises appeared the trailer did not have brakes, had torsion springs that do not allow to have brakes installed and I was toled that the 1/2 ton Ranger is not big enough to pull this boat. It is illegal to pull a boat and trailer above 3000lbs in all but one state on my trip to Ohio. Talked to a boat hauler and I was told that I will be stopped and go no further if caught. I am not looking forward to that. It appears that is cheaper to purchase a new used trailer fit it up and get a big truck that I can not get into my garage. Can anyone give me some advise?

[Greene]

I believe the Ranger has a towing capacity that ranges from 1500 - 6000 lbs.  It really depends on how the truck is equipped.  We purchased our 23 near Clearwater, FL and towed her home to Wisconsin with a 3.4L V6 Toyota 4Runner.  It is definitely underpowered for the job, but it towed just fine.  There is no way I would tow the 23 without trailer brakes though.  There is way too much weight to stop with trucks of this size.  The boat/trailer/gear weighs around 5000 lbs, so stopping is your main concern.

We have towed our 23 about 3000 miles so far and we've needed those trailer brakes several times.  Either replace the trailer or install new axles that have the brakes on them.

Mike

[jgsharpe]

We also have an '81 23 on the original trailer (I think), dual axle and no brakes.  We tow it only when necessary with a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee / V8 2WD.  It's scary and I hate doing it more than a few miles.  The Jeep has a tow cap of 5000lbs, but the brakes are really not adequate for the job.

[MacGyver]

I know my Rangers, I am a big Ford guy, and own a 2003 Ford Ranger FX4 Level 2.

I am proud of that truck but I can tell you from experience that pulling around 5 to 6 thousand range is a fun ride.
I HIGHLY encourage trailer brakes. I also encourage the use of a cushioned ball mount which just seems to make pulling easier on the truck side.
To totally understand my cushioned ball comment you would have to "feel" it to believe it. I have converted 2 of my buddies to using the same setup I have just because the shock is taken out from the connection by a lot.

To be honest, if you can swing it, it is better to run fullsize truck as the gas mileage normally is about the same as the ranger and you can pull more, and more power typically.....

Full weight of my truck is right at 4200 or so.......

Mac

[Salty19]

Yep, you definitely need trailer brakes.

I would want a full size PU to tow that far and as much weight.  I don't know rangers real well, but they seem to be designed for lighter duty work than what you're asking of it. Shorter trips around Tampa (with brakes added) would be doable, but highway speeds through the mountains of GA/TN/KY would be pretty scary, IMO.

[SpeakEasy]

I wonder if you could sell the trailer you have and buy one with brakes?

[Tim Gardner]

With a new axle with brake mounts and surge or electric brakes one can upgrade a trailer without brakes.  I just replaced a 3700# axle on one of my utility trailers for $170.00 and new brake (electric) assemblies for $40 each.

TG

[Bob23]

   The law is not the issue here. Do whatever it takes to safely transport you and your 23 to where ever it is you are going to. If you chince out on trailer and/or truck and hit something or find you can't stop in time, it will be very uncomfortable to try and expain how you placed a $ amount on the value of life. Maybe you should have someone transport the boat for you.
   A CP 16 is not a 23. I'd imagine a 23 in full tow garb will weight 3 times the 16 in similair garb.
Stay safe, fellow 23 owner!
bob23

[skip1930]

Well the old timers here will recall the return our trip from Shreveport, LA to Toledo, Ohio pulling a overloaded 6 horse gooseneck trailer, with a fully loaded Chevy one ton diesel pick-up truck and on the back of the goose neck, was a ball hitch and an over loaded 16 foot double axle flat bed. This set-up is legal BTW. I don't care about the weight.

Mashed to the floor we never exceeded 45 mph for 1,754 [give or take] miles.

We were returning from building a powder coat paint finishing line for the 'Smoke Joe's' sold at Wal-Mart. It's the same guy who builds the 'Mag Flashlights' in Texas. Bachmann Corporation.


I had a Indiana smoky the bear drive the entire length of the rig real slowly on my left side, and when he got up to the drivers window our eyes met and he just shook his head real slowly and continued to pass us...I know we were and I think he was just laughing at the circus going down the toll road.

Renting a better truck to haul the load is not a bad idea, so are brakes.

If you can move it you can tow it. IMHO. skip. Bad Karma, I know. But me and the crew made it safely home.

Don't forget when figuring any steel construction by welding or bolting, ie, bolts through angles or C-channels, or flats, whatever...the ultimate strength of steel, black iron or stainless, makes no difference, is 10,000 lb times the thickness divided by a safety factor of 4. We always build 4 times stronger then we need. And if we are building a mezzanine with 4 inch C-channel then the spacing is 8 inch. Or 6 inch C-channel would be 12 inch spacing, ect. it is always about spreading out the weight.

[brackish]

I Tow my 23 with a Toyota Tacoma crew cab, six cylinder with a tow package.  It has 6500# of tow capacity and 11,100# gross combined capacity.  My trailer has surge brakes.  I'm able to tow just fine on relatively flat surfaces, but it struggles a little up the hills, particularly in north Alabama.  I have no proactive plan to replace it, but I'm always on the lookout for a Duramax/Allison combination at the right price that would make the change attractive.

I tow cautiously,keeping my speed down, leaving a long space between the vehicle ahead, routing on four lane highways so people can pass me without doing something dumb.  Despite my caution I've had two emergency stops in the rain where both the surge brakes activated and the antilock feature on the truck was activated.  Kind of scary.  Stopping, not towing is the real issue when you think about capacity.

Regarding the law, Mississippi actually has a 2000# requirement for brakes.  I would venture to say that better than half the trailers carrying a load over 2K don't have them.  I've never heard of anyone being stopped for it.  Trailers with greater than 2K capacity are sold every day in the state without brakes.  I think your hauler was just trying to drum up a haul with that warning.

However, just because you can get away with it doesn't make it safe.  I would rent a high torque, heavy truck to make the long tow, one with oversize brakes and would feel confident that the truck brakes can handle the boat.  No matter the tow capacity of the Ranger I don't think the brakes could handle the boat on that one or two emergency stops you are liable to run into on your trip.

[CaptRon28]

My Yanmar powered Horizon and MagicTilt trailer actually weigh about 4200 pounds, empty. Weighed it on a certified truck scale about 2 years ago. I pull it with an 8,000 pound rated Chevy Avalanche. I wouldn't be comfortable pulling this with anything much smaller for longer distances. Short distances at lower speeds maybe. Horsepower and torque are  not the only issues here. My main concerns are the brakes (both truck and trailer) and overall handling. You can't pull anything safely if the load approaches or exceeds the weight of the truck vehicle.

The 23 has got to be somewhat heavier than the the Horizon. I'd guess maybe 5,000 to 5,500 pounds. I had a wing keel 25 foot Catalina 250 several years ago that came in at 6500 pounds total, which was the measured weight of the Avalanche. A little too close for comfort, but I had no real problems. The 4 wheel trailer brakes and weight distributing hitch made it work.

Forget about pulling any trailer this size without brakes on both trailer axles. It would not work on a Ranger and wouldn't even be safe with an F350. It's also illegal in most of the country. You'd also be much better off with a weight distributing hitch.

[cfelle2]

I own a 1981 CP-23 along with a twin axel trailer with brakes and a 2010 Toyota Tacoma 6 cyl. towing capacity 6500lbs.  I tow this between my home in the Chicago suburbs and Port Clinton, OH each year.  It tows very well.  I have no trouble stoping or carrying the load.  I would not hesitate to take it on a trip to Florida however I'm sure it would be slow going in the mountains.  If I did not have breaks I would not tow it further than down the road to and from seasonal storage.  Aside from the fact that it is not legal I don't believe it is safe to tow a load of that size without trailer breaks.  If I were in your situation where I need to tow the boat from Florida to OH one time I would probably try to find someone to do it for me unless I had a trailer in good condition with two axels and breaks. 

Chris

[SpeakEasy]

Can electric brakes be submerged?

JS

[Tim Gardner]

Can electric brakes be submerged?

JS

Yes. The electric brake parts on my Dexter axles are made of the same materials as the hydraulic brake parts. The only difference is the electric brakes have a sealed electromagnet actuator that grabs the the brake drum and uses the rotational energy in it to apply the brakes. The only potential for problems that's different than hydraulic is the wiring to the magnets. If it's not executed in a "marine wiring" manner, it will corrode from being submerged and fail. Frankly, I expect the electric brakes to last longer than the hydraulic brakes, which I had to repair numerous times. If they do fail, I can get complete replacements for 37 bucks a wheel.

There is no reason to fear dunking electric brakes in fresh water, if you see how they work, you'll understand why. The "electronics" are just a big sealed hockey-puck-like electromagnet on each wheel If you routinely dunk in salt, SS disc brakes would probably your best bet. I rarely dunk my trailer in salt water.

TG

TG

[Glenn Basore]

Can some one explaine what a "cushioned ball mount" is?

I never heard of this.

Glenn B.