INVESTIGATOR 563

After years of sitting on my front lawn my boat will finally get some use. In the past I towed it with a Falcon Ute, but I no longer have the ute. We will be buying a new/newer car soon. This will be our only car so we have some serious thinking to do.

We would like to tow in comfort, and hopefully will be doing some travelling with the boat. At least up and down the East Coast.

I'm wondering What do you tow with, how long of a trip you have made and did the tow vehicle do a more than adequate job.

Also I know we all talk "about 1200 kilos, but has anyone actually had boat, trailer and usual load of gear weighed?



Thanks
LarryW
Brisbane

This is the great dillema of trailer boating. You need a big car to tow, but a big car is not good for everyday commuting or shopping. My solution is to tow with a Subaru Liberty, which is used also for family outings or long trips, but for everyday use I also have a Daihatsu Sirion. At 1litre engine it is cheap to run and park and I am saving the planet!

Range Rover V8, 93 model, very comfortable, but like me, loves a drink.

Coops

Have 2009 E-Gas Falcon Ute with towpack and LSD. Just use standard towball and bar. Prefer to load ute with stuff and pull a light boat. Good on road, likes a drink but a cheap drunk. Good at ramp. No howling wheelspin.

If you have family then perhaps E-Gas station-wagon.

Peter

Thanks for the reply
I guess there is no getting away from the fact that it will require a a few extra trips to the bowser, but at least the wind if free.
Still looking and thinking so if anyone else would like to share what they tow with it would be great.

Larry

Hey larry,

Depending on how soon you want to know, I can let you know how I go once it's all over

I am about to pull a well loaded up I563, I have LT tyres up to their max of 60psi and they need all of it.

Brisbane to SA via Singleton NSW (about 2200ks) behind my VS 3.8 V6 auto Ute with oil cooler and HSV Chipped etc. I am expecting it will be drinking as I'm sure the trailer along with the Ute tray will be weighing far higher than it would for a trip down the road to go cruising. (I'm guessing that all up Gross Combo will be 3 -3300 Kgs or so?) Curb weight for my Ute is about 1380kgs normally.

I'll be happy as long as it all tows well enough for around the 90-100ks tops, I have done this trip once many moons ago at around the 70-80 mark and it makes for a very long haul and don't really want to do that again.

We doing Brissy to around Glen Innes first leg, GE to Singleton then a few days stop over, Singleton to W/Wyalong, WW to Mildura, Mildura to Rural SA destination.

Pretty good test for a review I think!!

Jay
Im a scaredecat so 80 k/hr is tops for me. However if you do want to go fast, maybe think about moving the boat forward on the trailer to get a good towball download. On my rig it is only about 50kg.

Hi Jay,
I guess that is going to be one serious road test. I'll wait for your report. I wish you luck with the move. Sage trip and and easy time getting things back to as normal as you can. Remember you will come out the other end.

Larry

Echo the previous post Jay, have a safe journey, if possible keep us informed on how you are going on the journey.

Coops

LarryW wrote:Hi Jay,
I guess that is going to be one serious road test. I'll wait for your report. I wish you luck with the move. Sage trip and and easy time getting things back to as normal as you can. Remember you will come out the other end. Larry

Thanks Larry and I didn't mean to hijack the thread but I guess it is relevant in a way.

Yara50 wrote:Jay
Im a scaredecat so 80 k/hr is tops for me. However if you do want to go fast, maybe think about moving the boat forward on the trailer to get a good towball download. On my rig it is only about 50kg.

Thanks Ian, I tried as best I can to keep weight balanced over axle, but made sure a bit extra up front. I can usually lift the hitch and still can but only just so must be a bit on it. Hopefully I won't need to make changes inside, she a bit tight to move in there
I'll have to take a pic once I can and all hitched up and will post, cockpit has 3 Mountain bikes, and a small dog kennel for dogs on way down sitting in it

Cooper wrote:Echo the previous post Jay, have a safe journey, if possible keep us informed on how you are going on the journey. Coops

I'll try my best mate