Having had our pay award (due last July!!) I have a little spare cash and wonder what the best combi value for money would be. Also do you know if they are delivered "flat pack" or do you have to collect. |
Soverign have been the gold standard for merlins for ages, but Winders have started doing their own now. Worth finding out the numbers! |
I have a Soverign now, great quality but i have heard that West Mercia trailers are the best |
i have a sovereign for my merlin - excellent, and a west mersea for my wayfarer, also excellent and easier to load the trolley with a heavier boat, but not such an issue with a merlin, although west mersea trailers has been bought by someone else and there were support issues last year. |
Jon, |
West Mersea have the cradle further back (I have both Soveriegn & WM) which helps the balance, useful if you have a long drag up a beach like Mill bay. |
Garry get the larger wheels for your distances and because of rough roads (when you come south I mean). |
It's about the size of the wheel and the ride it gives the boat, tyre wear is a desirable side effect as well though! |
mid circ chap |
also the cross section of tyre can be bigger on 10" wheels - my sov combi takes (old-proper) mini tyres. volume of air / rolling diameter etc. |
Just sold my West Mersea and about to order a Soverign! Don't recomend West Mersea for wooden boats as the cradle is aft of the thwart and has broken away the steps on my hull! |
I had a west mersea on Armed Forces and it was fine. Are you strapping it down too tight? |
A word of warning re; mini wheels. The old BMC/Leyland mini was not a heavy car, and each wheel was only designed to take (obviously!) one-quarter of the cars weight. This actually isn't very much, and you've got to remember you've only got two wheels on a trailer, not four. Towing the standard ply rating mini wheels at high speed might make the petrolheads amongst you feel good, but don't rely on the tyre holding together. Using the boat as a trailer for every bit of gear you might ever need at a champs week is also not a clever idea. I know a Merlin ain't heavy, but add in the weight of the trailer, and trolley and it all mounts up. Piggyback two boat trailer owners especially beware! |
The problem is that when you hit a bump the hull flexes and the cradle is directly under the end of the steps and has broken them away. If i had a Soverign this would not happen. |
It shouldn't happen period. |
bmax, |
I don't use ratchet straps and the boat is firmly tied to the trailer. Don't know why it happens but it does. One way or another it would not happen with a Sovreign. |
In my experience the Soverign trailer has proven to be the most reliable and easy to use, backed up by excellent after sales service and advice, it has also been a deal clincher when selling a boat, I have used them for Merlin's and Int 14's |
I agree. When i bought my boat it was advertised with a Soverign combi but i guess the owner had swapped it with his new Winder Wonder. Had i realised the problems it would cause i might not have bought that boat as there is a problem somewhere with either the trailer or the boat! |
I'm not knocking soveriegn trailers at all, indeed i currently own one. |
My vote for Robert O'Neill and his Sovs! Big and butch but you do pay a bit more but it is a safer bet if you do the miles. A reasonable cheaper (both in price and quality) alternative are Hayling Trailers who might be worth an enquiry. Generally you pays your money and takes your choice.... |
My understanding is that a Sov is about 200 quid cheaper than a W/M and a ton or so lighter! I can barely pick mine up with out the boat on it. |
The other thing to consider is the way the trolley is loaded onto the trailer. This is the first time I've had a sovereign (with the Merlin) and I find having to pick the trailer nose up wilst also pulling the trolley forward to locate the trolley axle in the two little prongs on the trailer a bit of a pain. Got used to it now but... |
Rob o Neill is looking at aluminium trollies , recomend you phone him |
I believe the Sovreigns are available with a roller now too. I sent a guy up to Rob to buy one for my old boat before he picked it up and the trailer he came back with had a lot of new additions to it which i had not seen on a Sov before. |
I believe there’s more to this than meets the eye, OK yes ideally you need the main support under the Thwart – I don’t believe any manufacturer makes such a trailer. From experience Mini wheels are more than adequate for small keel boats, and 8” wheels are OK for Merlin’s. |
I have a Rover 75 Estate diesel and you wouldn't know the boat's there!! Get on motorway at M6 junct 15 set cruise control to 65ish relax until you reach Scotland 4hrs later. 42mpg towing is not bad. For this rare model will now accept £15k (boat and car becoming classics!!) Main problem is to make sure that everything you need for the journey is accessable from the rear doors as the tailgate wont go right up - it just fouls the mast support. |
Or buy a transit van and put the mast on the roof. |
I have a Saab Convertable and towing the Merlin is a doddle. The MPG does not seem to change and you hardly notice the boat. The only thing i have noticed is that when passing lorrys at about 70 the boat likes to take off! |
Funny if your boat insurance company agent was reading this forum. |
Thats very true! However i never go over 60 for that very reason! |
lol |
For even more boat comfort, because the loading for 10" is normally 350KG, and the merlin all up with trailer is under 200KG, Don't pump the tyers up to the recomended levels of 35-50 psi, I run mine at 25 psi, the tyer is less stressed and the road contact patch is the full width of the tred, hence less centre ware. |
Your insurance underwriter DOES read this forum............ |
With the high top camper van the vortex comes off the aerodynamic roof and seems to give a lovely slipstreaming effect on the trailer, pushing it slightly towards the van. |
I was looking at Trident Trailers website simply because they can send trailers ready to assemble and to Aberdeen that's a consideration. The site showed they sell Rapide Trailers but when I phoned them (01795 427551 - the depot is in Sittingbourne)they now don't do them but they are getting in a combi trailer in the next week or so which will be suitable for a 14'6" boat at a price of £399 complete (plus delivery). It might be worth looking out for this. Anyone know anything about dealing with them in the past? http://www.tridenttrailers.com/ |
Garry |
Och aye - I'll just open my sporran, let the moths out and tae hell wi' the expense!! |
Er, aren't you Irish anyway, Garry? |
Yep I am - does this make me too thick to work my wallet!! |
I just assumed that he was adopting the local habits for camoflage. |
If anyone need a new car to tow their boat with (when i say new i mean slightly used) I am your man. |
If you are towing a Merlin behind an MGB you have very little view of anything behind you EXCEPT the boat. So if you see me on the M5 tonight just bear it in mind. |
And unless you have a tallish mast support you can get banged on the head going up a dip after going down! (In an MGB that is, but remember "You can do it in an MG"!) |
stop showing off! |
Last time I was in an MG we broke our mast on the greengrocers blind at the bottom of Salcombe High Street on the first Saturday of Salcombe Week. We also destroyed his blind and knocked over his display of fruit. Not a happy greengrocer! |