How should the boat be secured to the trailer? What kind of straps (make, length, width), how many straps, and where should I place them? Should the mast be secured in any particular way?

Another suggestion I have (in addition to those just posted) is to grease all the moving parts inside the hitch and ensure they are moving freely. Otherwise, the retainer plate may simply be frozen in place but not mechanically latched.

Having had, or heard of similar experiences I suggest that you first check the diameter of the ball you are using and the receiver on the trailer. Some of those older trailers actually require a ball larger than 2". Also a 1 7/8" feels ok on a 2" receiver, but it may come off at teh worst possible time. Second, when the trailer is on the ball get underneath the hitch and look up. You'll see a shaped retainer plate that pivots up underneath the ball. When you have closed down the lever on top how much room is there between the bottom of the ball and the top of that retainer plate? This space is adjusted by tightening that nut below the retainer plate. The fit should be snug. Sometimes that retainer plate gets bent, it feels tight, but really isn't holding anything. Time to replace the plate or the hinge pin.

Chris,
Thanks. Perhaps my trailer isn't a Triad then ( I thought it was when I bought my '79 3 years ago but the trailer has been through better days so I can't really tell.). My hitch has a lever latch above the pocket that fits on the ball. My understanding is you depress the lever, put a lock on it and go. I usually try to jack up the front wheel on the trailer to lift the truck by the trailer to be certain I'm hitched. Once I pass this test - I'm on my way. Last time I did this, within 15 minutes, I had a boat banging the back of the truck. There's has to be a better way!

Depending on the type of hitch, there should be one of a couple means of latching the hitch in place. Most Triads have a ratcheting device which is tightened by rotating a fixture mounted on top of the hitch. Once tight, however, it is prevented from loosening by a small spring-loaded latch. If this spring is not functioning properly, the fitting can rotate loose, allowing the hitch to pop off the hitch ball. A padlock can be run through the fitting as a secondary means of preventing rotation-highly recommended!

I'm new to trailering and was curious if there's anyway to be assured a trailer won't pop off a hitch. A few weeks ago, I was trailering my J on a single axle Triad trailer with a fairly new (borrowed) Land Cruiser. The trailer popped off as I merged onto the Parkway. Much to my surprise, there was no damage to either the truck or the trailer/boat. Thank God for safety chains and strong steel bumbers. I re-attached the trailer and nervously continued my trip without incident. Any thoughts?

There was a guy who used to tow his J around Europe in a Hillman Minx (1500cc).

I like this turn on this thread. What's the worst J24 tow vehicles/scenarios you've ever seen? I'm thinking my Isuzu 3.2L was "marginal", but maybe I'm just a wimp! Sounds like Steve is the current winner. I've heard rumor of a Volkswagon Jetta, but just being used to move around the boatyard...

I bought my J24 in Brittany, France and towed it back to Plymouth, S.W England (via Brittany Ferries). My car is an 1800cc Ford Mondeo, luckily the steepest climb was the ramp off the ferry. NOT to be recommended.

Brian,
Don't you also use a class 4 weight distributing style hitch? Somehow, I remember seeing one on the circuit, and thought it might've been yours. If you use that type of vehicle, a weight distributing setup would be beneficial! Great info on tow vehicles/trailering. Also, remember that if you use "ratcheting" type of tie down straps to strap the boat to the trailer, be sure that you always put the ratchet on the starboard side of the trailer ( so they are readily accessible, and out of danger's way, when roadside adjustments are necessary - pretty slick if have to adjust them ).
see you at the Canyon Lake stop of the circuit!
Harald
_____(\(\__(\(\(\___(\_(\___/)/)__/)_______

I have towed my J24 all around Texas with a V8 Explorer since 1996. It does very well and has enough power to do most work but do not expect a lot of acceleration. The 4 wheel disc brakes are quite strong and are actually better than the Chevy offering IMHO. I have also added electric brakes to the trailer and truck and it completed the package quite well. Would I rather have a new 3/4 ton, 4x4 Suburban? Probably, but not the payments or the bill for the extra gas around town.

B.Carter USA 786, GoodBull

See my previous posting on this thread. I would think a V-8 Explorer would do fine in most conditions.

I just bought a J24 this weekend (#3208). I borrowed a box truck to tow it home. Is anyone using a Ford Explorer/Mercury Mountaineer with a V8 to tow a J24, and, if so, how does the car do? Thanks, Wood Thornton

Dave- The issue isn't entirely one of engine power. The Voyager is front wheel drive which disqualifies it from any kind of substantive towing. FWD places 60%+ of the weight over the front wheels leaving the back end light and subject to being thrown around by the trailer. These FWD vehicles seldom have a frame which means all of the weight and trailer forces are passed through the body work. They also don't make the front drive transmissions heavy enough for this purpose. If you still have the owner's manual it will probably give you a max trailer weight of around 1000#. Another indicator is that I doubt you can find a class 3 hitch (the minimum needed for a 3500# boat and trailer) made for this van.

Dave - Hauled our boat up from Oakland to Portland behind a 3.2L V6 Isuzu Trooper. It was pretty frustrating being passed by loaded U-hauls up the pass. I would say the Trooper, with a rating of 5,000 lbs., is a marginal tow vehicle. Don't think the Voyager would cut it, I also believe it is only rated for 3000-3500 lbs?

The boat also came on a backwards trailer, and we have a six pack out to whomever can tell us why. The only thing we can figure is it allows the whole package to be shorter, and the axle (under the keel) closer to the tongue. Like the trailer, but with bunks floating on/off isn't an option.

Dave - Hauled our boat up from Oakland to Portland behind a 3.2L V6 Isuzu Trooper. It was pretty frustrating being passed by loaded U-hauls up the pass. I would say the Trooper, with a rating of 5,000 lbs., is a marginal tow vehicle. Don't think the Voyager would cut it, I also believe it is only rated for 3000-3500 lbs?

The boat also came on a backwards trailer, and we have a six pack out to whomever can tell us why. The only thing we can figure is it allows the whole package to be shorter, and the axle (under the keel) closer to the tongue. Like the trailer, but with bunks floating on/off isn't an option.

Engine size and stern-to-front

We have a Plymouth Voyager with a 3.0 liter 6 cylinder engine. Will that do for hauling a J24. Most will be local to the boston area, but we do need to retrieve the boat from Cleveland. Anyone have experience with this size car - it seems a bit small to us and we've started looking around.

Also is there any downside to a stern-to-front trailer. We have a lead on a used one thats set up that way. While the used trailer will save some money, the big advantage is availability - new ones are quoted at 4-6 weeks.

Thanks for any comments or suggestions.

Two Points:
One, tongue weight should be about 7% of the total boat and trailer weight or about 200-300lbs. Too little tongue weight will cause the trailer to sway at highway speeds. Too much tongue weight will overload the tow vehical rear suspension. Sway bars between the trailer and vehical can reduce tongue weight requirements.

Two, bearing buddies should be carefully greased. The previous owner faithfully pumped grease into the bearing buddies every year. The grease has to go somewhere in this case it filled the brake drums. Brakes are not very effective when greased.

Peter Stanwicks
Entropy #2127

Robert,

To answer your question. Yes I have towed with a Wrangler a short distance and it was pretty scary. I towed with a Cherokee several times with both tandem and single axle trailers without being out of control, but the Wrangler experiece was with a single axle trailer. Every time we stopped, I thought the trailer was going to twist the back end of the car around and drag it along. That trailer did have functional surge brakes.

Will

Greetings,

The first thing to consider when choosing a tow vehicle is the manufacturers opinion of whether a particular vehicle should be used for a particular type of towing. The class of hitch is only one of the factors. The ability to stop and control the tow is a major, maybe forgotten, consideration. Whether the trailer is single or tandem axle, and of course let's not forget trailer brakes. Imagine yourself towing your J-24 to a regatta site where you've never driven before and dealing with trafic issues like road construction and holiday drivers.

That's my 2 pennies worth,
Tim <

Although I think I know the answer, I thought I'd ask anyway. I have a Jeep Wrangler with a 5-speed, in-line 6 cylinder engine and the same drivetrain that's in the Cherokee (and I know the Cherokee can tow the J). Is it ridiculous to think my Jeep can tow the boat? Some people have said it's no problem and others have said it's impossible, the wheelbase is way too small. I obviously haven't tried it and would rather not experiment. Has anyone experienced a Wrangler tow a J24 succesfully? For what it's worth, I do have a class III hitch on my Jeep.

If you take your boat on the road often, grease those bearings annually (I agree that Bearing Buddies are great).

Definitely do not use overdrive with light trucks or typical SUVs. I know someone who has smoked several trannys in his Dodge Dakota towing his J/24. If it's a manual transmission, don't use 5th gear.

Anthony,
Take all this stuff to heart, trailering experience is just that. It should be noted that tongue weight is easily approached if your trailer has a boat box on the front (full of treasures you forgot you had). Furthermore, I can't emphasize the importance of a spare, jack and tire iron. The most effective jack is by mounting fixed ones to the trailer on the aft sides (when you do have trouble just fold them out and crank up, these are also useful when stepping/lowering a rig on a J/24 on a single axle trailer). One more tip: make sure you grease pack your bearings (bearing buddies are great for this). Have a great time! Best regards!_______________/)___/)__/)/)/)____/)_/)______

Chris's all up weight comments seem right to me, but working on numerous 24's each year I can state emphatically that I've never come across tongue weight anuywhere near 400#. Average tongue weight on a J24 rigged for rolling is about 120-200#max. 400# on the tongue will dramatically alter the ride of most midsize SUVs.

All the advice you have recieved so far is dead on. The only thing I would add is be sure you take the vehicle out of overdrive if it is anything short of a one-ton pick-up truck. I fried a Jeep Cherokee transmission, and my father and several other people I know have fried Ford Explorer transmissions in exactly the same way. And yes I do come from idiotville.

Check your owner's manual.

Will Crump

I think the hitch setup you'll need will be a Class III (believe they are rated to 5000lbs.) setup on a vehicle rated to support the weights mentioned by Chris. Most the mid sized SUVs are borderline. I just hauled a loaded boat up from the SF to Oregon behind a '97 Isuzu Trooper, rated to 5K with a ClassIII. Not sure the Trooper would cut it on a full time campaign basis, but for short trips it'll do fine.

I think the hitch setup you'll need will be a Class III (believe they are rated to 5000lbs.) setup on a vehicle rated to support the weights mentioned by Chris. Most the mid sized SUVs are borderline. I just hauled a loaded boat up from the SF to Oregon behind a '97 Isuzu Trooper, rated to 5K with a ClassIII. Not sure the Trooper would cut it on a full time campaign basis, but for short trips it'll do fine.

The dry weight of the boat is 2800 lbs. If you add 200 lbs or so of equipment, tie downs, etc. the rest of the weight is in the trailer. These vary between about 900 and 1400 lbs depending on make and model (making total trailering weight 3900-4400 lbs). Tongue weight should not exceed 10% of trailering weight (i.e. about 400 lbs max). This should be fairly easy to achieve on a tandem axle trailer since the weight is generally centered between the axles.

Good Luck!

As a potential newcomer to the class (potential owner) I would like to make sure I have a vehicle that can tow a J24. What is a typical tow weight (total weight) of a typical J24 (with mast and rigging stowed) on a typical dual axle trailer? What is the typical tongue weight of such a configuration? I may have to tow this weekend so a speedy response would be appreciated. Many thanks in advance.
Anthony Stockhausen, Toronto, Ontario