Tow bar extension?

sogood

pJust wondering if such a thing might be available or feasible. I'm thinking in terms of launching a boat on a slip, where normally, it seems that the rear of the car is in danger of being submerged to some degree in salt water.

This cant be very good for your cars' wheel bearings, brake lines and general bodywork. Also, I have noticed the amount of slippery moss/slime that exists on some slipways and depending on the water level, you could find your back wheel fighting this, with the added weight of a boat and trailer to contend with.

I'm thinking of something like a length of box section steel or scaffolding pole, with a tow hitch on one end and a ball on the other, which would be fitted between the cars' tow hitch and boat trailer, prior to launching, thus eliminating the possible issues mentioned above. It wouldn't have to be very long, could even be in two parts or telescopic to fit easily into the boot. Any thoughts?

fergal.b

Yep you can get them http://xtend-a-hitchnorthwest.com/

There was also a guy on a fishing forum that made one up that looks easy enough http://www.boat-angling-ireland.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6136

Have you tried using a rope to let the trailer down and pull back up.


.

sogood

Thanks for the info. Happy to know that such a device is a bona fide piece of kit and not just some screwball notion of mine! I had thought that a rope might be a simpler, short term solution, before making up a permanent item myself. I haven't launched the boat yet as I'm still at the refurb stage. Just getting back at it during my winter "downtime".

Thanks again and keep up the good work!

fergal.b

There is another one like this that could be easy to make up but you would have to relay on gravity to keep it straight while reversing as I think it would be tricky to do pushing it with the car or another option would be to look for a steeper slipway

connel42

Hi
We have difficulty in launching boats at times if the lake level is low.
In particular if the boathas a bit of a keel we need to get it out a good distance to float off the trailer or back on for retreival.
I fitted a tow hitch to the back of a yard trailer and this now goes bewteen the boat trailer and the jeep.
Works a treat.
Also the front tow bar on the jeep is a Godsend.

pedroeibar1

One point to be aware of when using a bar or rope is the shift of the centre of gravity on the boat/trailer when reversing down a slip. The steeper the angle, the further back the centre moves. If you use a bar or rope there is no rigid towbar to hold the front down and the shift can cause the front of the trailer to rise up and the boat can slide off, embarrassing to say the least.

breghall

fergal.b wrote: »

There is another one like this that could be easy to make up but you would have to relay on gravity to keep it straight while reversing as I think it would be tricky to do pushing it with the car or another option would be to look for a steeper slipway

God I'd hate to try reversing a traielr with this attached, if the boat went went any bit astray left or right then you'd never recover, as surely this would swing the opposite way. dead straight or bust i reckon.

tin79

I use a second winch fitted on the trailer with a two way ratchet. A good quality one. Reverse down as far as you can. Hook up the winch to the towing eye. Release tow hitch from the bar and winch it down the rest of the way as you walk along with it.


Same in reverse for taking it out again

Guest0000

A 12volt winch attached to the rear of the vechicle, and coupled to the under side of the trailer hitch, allows the car/van to stay 50ft further up the slip, and the trailer can be recoup led without moving the vehicle, or letting go of the load....

sogood

Thanks a million for all the suggestions. I like the suggestion in the link provided by fergal, as it is a diy job and seems very effective. It would also eliminate some of the "reversing" and "shifting centre of gravity" issues mentioned. It never occurred to me to fit the extended/ extending tow bar to the existing boat trailer. It makes me wonder about incorporating an extending section into my existing trailer, which is built on a large box section centre rail. Food for thought.

In the meantime, I have finally fixed in all of the joists for my new planked floor. Some tidying and painting to do inside first, while I consider my options.

Thanks again.

fergal.b

The one in the link I posted seems to be just a box section bolted onto the trailer with another section that slides into it with just a pin to hold it in place.

toshiba2010

fergal ... ??? what do you mean by using a rope to launch the boat could you please explain in more detail thanks .

fergal.b

toshiba2010 wrote: »

fergal ... ??? what do you mean by using a rope to launch the boat could you please explain in more detail thanks .

Back the car and trailer down the slip till you get to a comfortable spot "not wet and slimily" apply the hand break on the trailer or use something behind the wheels then attach a rope to the trailer and let down the jockey wheel "As was said above the boat must be balanced right or you could get your head taken off" :eek: then double loop the rope around the tow ball and unhitch keeping tension on the rope and it low enough that it won't slip over the top of the ball, once you happy holding the weight of the boat let off the hand brake and lower it down by relaxing the tension on the rope bit by bit. I wouldn't be doing this with a very heavy boat.




.

toshiba2010

yeah i know what you mean . seen something like that on utube . thanks

toshiba2010

i thought this was good . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw6P7uNA0kg

fergal.b

toshiba2010 wrote: »

i thought this was good . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw6P7uNA0kg

That's how I launch mine as I'm a lone boater most of the time.

toshiba2010

great idea . but how do you get it back on the trailer on your own . ??? is it possible .

fergal.b

On my trailers I add two guide poles each side of the trailer "very handy if there is a cross wind" If I don't drive the boat onto the trailer I just stand next to the trailer and while holding onto the rope push the boat out till it's passed the pole flick the rope over the pole and pull it in.

toshiba2010

right so got yeah .

scuby

This is what ya need !!
http://youtu.be/4JheEd8Ey2k

MarcinG

have one used solid hitch extender? Im assuming you have to install it on flat surface - is it not causing any problems ? I tried to launch my new boat (tehri nordic 6020c) on my own twice over bh weekend in greystones on lowest possible water. Even when i get front wheels of my van to last dry and grippy piece of slip boat is good few meters away from water. I used piece of rope attached to trailer and looped over hitch ball. But very moment i undone trailer from hitch i realised how unprepared i was i managed somehow (still not sure how) to balance boat and release rope as i was sliding down till i reached full length of rope with trailer wheels still not touching water. But on that stage it was too late to do anything on my own (if i would step of trailer it would tilt backwards) so i used ratchet to lower boat and faced even greater problem - i have tilting roller coster trailer - boat will tilt way more when trailer arm swings under weight of boat. I think if I am on my own i need something better than rope over hitch thing. maybe i will try on gravel of the beach? but this all works only for launching on low and retrieving on high water. in opposite i can not see myself taking boat out of the water at all. So solid extender seems like good idea - will it not detach from hitch when you go over top of slip way (when you boat is still on slope and car on flat?)

sogood

MarcinG wrote: »

have one used solid hitch extender? Im assuming you have to install it on flat surface - is it not causing any problems ? I tried to launch my new boat (tehri nordic 6020c) on my own twice over bh weekend in greystones on lowest possible water. Even when i get front wheels of my van to last dry and grippy piece of slip boat is good few meters away from water. I used piece of rope attached to trailer and looped over hitch ball. But very moment i undone trailer from hitch i realised how unprepared i was i managed somehow (still not sure how) to balance boat and release rope as i was sliding down till i reached full length of rope with trailer wheels still not touching water. But on that stage it was too late to do anything on my own (if i would step of trailer it would tilt backwards) so i used ratchet to lower boat and faced even greater problem - i have tilting roller coster trailer - boat will tilt way more when trailer arm swings under weight of boat. I think if I am on my own i need something better than rope over hitch thing. maybe i will try on gravel of the beach? but this all works only for launching on low and retrieving on high water. in opposite i can not see myself taking boat out of the water at all. So solid extender seems like good idea - will it not detach from hitch when you go over top of slip way (when you boat is still on slope and car on flat?)

A hitch shouldn't unhitch as it also clips onto the tow ball. Make sure you get the "click" when it engages and the handle locks fully down. You can also pass a pin or bolt through the handle where you would usually fit a padlock, just for added safety. The angle of the slip would have to be very severe to put strain on the hitch.