Norman Weight

[macroft1]

Hi there. I've recently bought my own boat. It's a Norman and was advertised as a 20 footer. Since measuring it I've found it's actually an 18.5. This isn't a problem as it's plenty big enough for two but now unsure as what to do with the trailer that it came with. The trailer is unbraked and the max gross weight 750kgs. Looking on the Norman site the weight of 20 footer is 835.25kgs and therefore requires a braked trailer but the 18.5 weighs in at just 521.6kgs and should be ok with unbraked. I was hoping one of you knowledgeable people may be able to verify the weights as over 300kgs seems a lot for only a foot and a half difference?? It does feel very light on the trailer and one person can easily move it around. I'm just trying to stay on the right side of the law and any help would be appreciated. Best regards. Mark.

[grendel]

don't forget that the vehicle you tow with may well have a manufacturers gross train weight limit, and that any extra baggage carried in the vehicle may reduce the weight you can tow as well.

Grendel

[macroft1]

don't forget that the vehicle you tow with may well have a manufacturers gross train weight limit, and that any extra baggage carried in the vehicle may reduce the weight you can tow as well.

Grendel

It's a V8 Land Rover Discovery capable of towing 3500kgs.

[JawsOrca]

Mark as above. It's too hard to tell the weight and I believe the weights on the manufacturers websites will be completely empty and probably less the engine.  Best advice is to quickly run it to a weighbridge and see.. (try and google weighbridge near your postcode.. some councils also have them or there maybe another public one).. as you say it's better to do it before the police stop you and march you off there. Good luck.. fingers crossed!

[Viking23]

There is a website "Norman Boats Appreciation Society"

Link.. http://www.normanboats.co.uk

Have a look at "boat range" some of the models are listed, but there is a great range of weights between models, so be sure what you have, and there is no guarantee that the published weights on the site are correct.

Weights are without engine, fuel, battery etc, Might not even include the canopy either.

If you add things like cooker, portaloo, water tank, ropes, anchors and fenders, boat hooks, personal belongings, etc etc, then you need to add a lot more to the trailer weight.

Trailer Gross weight is trailer plus load, for unbraked, if your car is plated to tow unbraked, then the maximum unbraked is 750 kg. but some cars are rated at less.

You also have to consider how you are going to launch it, as soon as you unhook the trailer on a slipway.... you have no brakes, so consider the method carefully.

Best regards,

Richard,

[Baitrunner]

No problems pulling it then.

 

I used to tow a 16ft with outboard on a braked trailer. Although the car and weight may be within the law - when you try and stop that half a tonne behind you will still be going.

Personally at that weight I would get a braked trailer if you plan towing it any distance. 

[macroft1]

Mark as above. It's too hard to tell the weight and I believe the weights on the manufacturers websites will be completely empty and probably less the engine.  Best advice is to quickly run it to a weighbridge and see.. (try and google weighbridge near your postcode.. some councils also have them or there maybe another public one).. as you say it's better to do it before the police stop you and march you off there. Good luck.. fingers crossed!

There is a weighbridge at the firm opposite mine so getting it weighed is no problem.

 

My real problem is that I've just noticed the trailer has a bent axle and I really don't want to use it on the road at all until it's fixed. What I intend doing is to remove the boat from the trailer at my house and then take the trailer and weigh it. 

 

The boat is supposed to weight 521kgs so as long as the trailer is less than 229 then all should be good. Then a weekend at my factory will have it as good as new. 

 

The trouble is that I can't verify the weight of the boat so can't be sure if I'll be wasting my time on the trailer or not. 

 

It's all very well to say just buy another trailer but just about all my budget has gone into buying and restoring the boat - her indoors won't stand for much more!!

 

If anyone knows how I can verify the weight of the boat it would be a real help.

 

Regards.

Mark.

[Baitrunner]

Mark,

   Sorry but I wasn't trying to be flippant about buying a new trailer, but would hate to hear it all went pear shaped on the first outing!!

 

I did think maybe you could retro fit brakes seeing as you seem to know what your doing with a wrench, but most of the sites I have found are US based. Maybe speak to a local trailer centre to see how much it would cost, but from what I have seen it wont be cheap.

 

Shame you cant borrow a trailer to at least get the boat weighed?

 

I am sure you will be fine and good luck.

[macroft1]

Mark,

   Sorry but I wasn't trying to be flippant about buying a new trailer, but would hate to hear it all went pear shaped on the first outing!!

 

I did think maybe you could retro fit brakes seeing as you seem to know what your doing with a wrench, but most of the sites I have found are US based. Maybe speak to a local trailer centre to see how much it would cost, but from what I have seen it wont be cheap.

 

Shame you cant borrow a trailer to at least get the boat weighed?

 

I am sure you will be fine and good luck.

Baitrunner - no apology needed. Yours and everyone's comments have been a great help!

 

Having heard all the opinions I think I'm going to do the right thing and graft bits from the existing trailer on to a braked caravan chassis - belt and braces kind o' thing!

 

You can buy braked Al-Ko chassis on ebay for around the £100 mark and people use these to make car transporters so an 18.5ft GRP boat shouldn't cause them any problems.

 

As someone said earlier - better safe than sorry!!

 

.

Mark.

[Baitrunner]

Good luck Mark.

 

Dont do what a friend of mine did when he repaired a trailer. He bent a piece of steel plate into a swan neck to mount the trailer hitch to - but forgot to brace it!! First time down the road it started to lose it's shape and ended up scraping the front of the trailer down the road to try and get it home. Maybe hard to imagine what part of the trailer this was, but it was embarrassing being in the passenger seat!!!

 

You sound a lot more sensible and knowledgeable though.

[macroft1]

Good luck Mark.

 

Dont do what a friend of mine did when he repaired a trailer. He bent a piece of steel plate into a swan neck to mount the trailer hitch to - but forgot to brace it!! First time down the road it started to lose it's shape and ended up scraping the front of the trailer down the road to try and get it home. Maybe hard to imagine what part of the trailer this was, but it was embarrassing being in the passenger seat!!!

 

You sound a lot more sensible and knowledgeable though.

I bet that was interesting!

 

I'm a engineer/toolmaker with 32 years experience so if I get it wrong it would be extremely embarrassing.

 

.

 

Mark.

[Baitrunner]

He thought he was an engineer with 32 yrs of experience    

[Bound2Please]

I used to be a partner in a trailer building repair and service firm.

 

Look at the weights on a carvan chasis carefully yes they are braked but a lot of touring caravans weigh in less than 750kg.

 

Also the chasis on them is flimsey chanel that on a boat trailer will rot out in no time.

 

suspension units arnt cheap but are safe, as are alko axles of correct weight but not cheap. If there was a cheap way there wouldnt be so many trailers being built year on year.

 

Charlie