How to tow a car AND a boat?

[crazycal]

Originally Posted by bus-bro

How the heck do you launch the boat?

How else, very carefully.

[GreyEagle]

Originally Posted by bus-bro

How the heck do you launch the boat?

Drive fast and just hit the brakes!!!!!! Be sure to stop before you hit the water........

[nat_ster]

Originally Posted by bus-bro

How the heck do you launch the boat?

Most stacker trailers have a hydraulic lift system just like the big rig car haulers do. They put the boat on top because it lighter than the car for more safety. The key to stability is keeping the heavy unit on the bottom. Most boats are so light, you would not even know its up there. The real cool thing about this is you already need a trailer to tow a boat anyway. Why not make it haul your car too. Your car would eat way less road debris, less ware and tear, and now more scuffing the edges of your front tires.

By far the best option for towing two units.

Nat

[chev49]

God's dandruff....

[Kathy WI]

Or you could just get an inflatable boat and stuff it in the trunk of the car.

[stonestatue]

Thanks for your replies everyone. I didn't say I was going to double/triple tow. I just mentioned it to reference one of the options people use, safe or not. I was thinking along the lines of a stacker (or double decker) trailer. Another option would be a long car trailer capable of two cars; except you could drive a truck towing a boat onto the trailer. However, that would most certainly exceed most states' length limits.

[lornaschinske]

Originally Posted by Kathy WI

Or you could just get an inflatable boat and stuff it in the trunk of the car.

We used to carry a 13 ft canoe on top of the car back when we tent camped. David & I (& our dog) paddled in many rivers & lakes including the Indian River/Intercoastal Waterway (not a good idea). The kids didn't like the canoe when they were little so we sold it. They didn't like the tent either at night (sold it & got the pop-up). We've looked at various inflatables. I would still like to get another short canoe. But we don't care for speed boats... moves too fast to look at stuff. And it's hard to put a speed boat in most of the creeks/streams/rivers in the Appalachian Mtns where we used to canoe.

[lapeer20m]

Originally Posted by nat_ster

Just because you did it, and it seemed fine, doesn't mean it was. Your Jeep is a little bigger, and a lot stronger than a car. Your schoolie on a tight turn would drag the front tires of the jeep side ways and you would never know.

Again, I drove a Truck with the same wheelbase, overhang, ect. I've seen it happen.

The only way I can think of to correct that, would be a tow bar as long as the overhang on the bus. That would cancel out the swing. But for what the op wanted, this would make the over length problem worse.

Nat

i towed vehices behind my bus twice using a tow bar. NEVER AGAIN! It was very hard on the steering components of the towed vehicles.

I had three flat tires along the way to california and back to michigan on my VW because it would tend to get dragged sideways. Also had to replace tie-rod ends after the trip.

I know there are people who love tow bars, but i am not one of them.

I would much rather pull a car-hauler trailer behind the bus.

As someone else mentioned, building a trailer that could haul the boat above the car would be ideal.

[nat_ster]

Originally Posted by lapeer20m

i towed vehices behind my bus twice using a tow bar. NEVER AGAIN! It was very hard on the steering components of the towed vehicles.

I had three flat tires along the way to california and back to michigan on my VW because it would tend to get dragged sideways. Also had to replace tie-rod ends after the trip.

I know there are people who love tow bars, but i am not one of them.

I would much rather pull a car-hauler trailer behind the bus.

As someone else mentioned, building a trailer that could haul the boat above the car would be ideal.

I guess lornaschinske has a magic tow bar!!

lornaschinske, towing a single axle food cart is a completely different category, and has nothing in common with flat towing a four wheeled automobile.

My advise to you lornaschinske, is try to learn from what people are posting, rather than trying to prove your right. Being a "know it all" is a learning block. It wont do you any good in life. I only post for educational reasons to help others. Otherwize, I would not waist may time.

ALL automobiles that are flat towed using a tow bar suffer from advanced wear and tear. Its a fact of the way the steering is forced around corners. Some just show it faster than others.

Nat

Posted for educational purposes only.

[crazycal]

Originally Posted by lornaschinske

You need to find out what your legal length is for your state. From what I understand, some states you cannot be over a certain length NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE TITLED. Double/triple towing is dangerous. It's not how much can you pull but how much can you stop. Crosswinds will make driving very hazardous. There are some stretches of road/interstate that it is illegal to triple tow on. We are very leery of double/triple towing. That has a great deal to do with what we have seen. When we were living in Socorro (NM), we would drive up to Albuquerque about once a week on I25. During spring/summer/early fall we would see a flipped RV/toys or the remains of a flipped RV/toys on the side of the road every week. Plus we have watched a few loose it. One was really impressive. I did not know a travel trailer could sling a vehicle up in the air like that. Whole set up was air borne. Worthy of an Olympic gymnast. Amazing that no one was killed. Not only could you not tell that the RV was a trailer but you would never have known they were pulling a boat either. Crosswinds. Double/triple towing is dangerous. Would we do it? Depends. IF we had to leave out for what ever reason (hurricane, fire, flood) and one of us was unable to drive due to illness or injury, then yes. The BlueBird is capable of towing/stopping our Jeep (4 down) plus the food cart. This would put us between 60-65 ft I believe. I've never measured the overall length. But to double/triple tow just because we could? NO! I would not risk a ticket in NM (65 ft OA and requires supplemental braking system which we do not have). They are using traffic tickets as a way to raise revenue. It's so bad that I now call the state & local cops "revenuers" since all they are interested in is writing revenue producing tickets.

You CANNOT back up. You must unhook (also a problem when we tow the Jeep 4 down).

While you can generally double/triple tow on most interstates (with a few sections prohibited due to winds). It's once you get off the federal roads that trouble occurs.

Most states won't ticket an RV for double/triple towing or being over length because it's a private vehicle. But if a cop decides you "look" unsafe or wants any reason to pull you over, the long length will provide the "excuse". Then again it's also a good revenue maker. Most states need to make up budget shortfalls.

While traveling in various states over the years, I have seen RV's pulled over that looked too long and they WERE being measured. I don't know about anyone else here but I can't afford the fine nor the resulting insurance increase.

TOWING LAWS LISTED BY STATE Also lists legal overall heights by state

No Triple Towing States -- Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia.


Read the laws and make your decision. If you decide to double/triple tow then get the supplemental braking systems and use them.

I'm surprised that Oregon doesn't allow triples and has a 50' length limit. They run trucks on I5 pulling 3 X 28' trailers.

[lornaschinske]

Originally Posted by nat_ster

...
I guess lornaschinske has a magic tow bar!!

lornaschinske, towing a single axle food cart is a completely different category, and has nothing in common with flat towing a four wheeled automobile.

My advise to you lornaschinske, is try to learn from what people are posting, rather than trying to prove your right. Being a "know it all" is a learning block. It wont do you any good in life. I only post for educational reasons to help others. Otherwize, I would not waist may time.

ALL automobiles that are flat towed using a tow bar suffer from advanced wear and tear. Its a fact of the way the steering is forced around corners. Some just show it faster than others.

Nat

NO PINHEAD! I read lots of RV forums where they discussed towing 4 down! Far more posters that towed 4 down than have ever posted on this specialized forum. I researched for a long time before I ever bought the Jeep. Do I know it all? Nope, but you think you do! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PUT ME ON YOUR FOE LIST SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ MY POSTS!

BTW , for any who may be interested, my "magic towbar" Is a Stowmaster 5000. One person hookup. Can also hook up when not perfectly aligned or on perfectly level ground.

[lornaschinske]

Do your research and decide

Dinghy Towing
If you're a motorhomer who opts to tow, you'll want to join this discussion. RV discussion website on towing. There's over 40 pages covering the past 12 months (you have to select "Past 12 months" so gain access to them all). Covers using tow dollies and flat towing, pro's & con's.

A Search for "Flat Towing" turns up this list

[crazycal]

Now now children, we must be civil to each other. EVEN IF WE DON'T WANT TO.

[lornaschinske]

I don't post stuff that I can't back up. Whether I post the many links or not depends on how I feel. I don't really like to share some of my links. Info is too good! Some things I simply do not wish to be out there. Others are promises I am keeping (like the special floor sealer recipe).

Seriously. do not go by what I on nat-what's-his-face says. You need to read the posts that folks who have done it, posted. You need to get the pro's & cons of dolly, flat & trailering. There are pro's & cons to all of them. You have to make the decision for yourselves. Not one single solution. What works for me does not work for another. All methods have had many, many miles put on and you can see what others have said. In other words get your info from the folks who "have the fruit on the tree".

[nat_ster]

MMM looks like I may have agitated the troll in this thread.

One more good read on home made stacker trailers.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthre ... 494&page=2

Nat

Posted for educational purposes only.

[lornaschinske]

Originally Posted by nat_ster

MMM looks like I may have agitated the troll in this thread. ...

Arkie, there's no need to go calling yourself a troll.

[hordechick]

figured i would throw my 2 cents in i found this, this would be they way i would go if i wanted it all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pZHmaH5rBI

[stonestatue]

Originally Posted by hordechick

figured i would throw my 2 cents in i found this, this would be they way i would go if i wanted it all.

I've seen that video before, but I'm not sure how they set that up in their truck. I've also considered a long flatbed truck to carry the boat and trailer, which itself would sit on a flatbed trailer to be towed by the bus.