"Eliminating" trailer sway
"Eliminating" trailer sway
If you really, really want to make trailering the Mac a whole new relaxing experience, sell that factory trailer and buy a dual axle. Don't try adding an axle.....you still have a trailer that's too light in my opinion. My trips from San Antonio to the Texas coast were white-knuckle affairs, even towing with a full-sized 8-cylinder pickup truck. The sway, the feeling that the trailer was just adequate for the weight of the boat, and the fear (yes, fear) about what would happen at 60-65 mph if I blew a tire (I kept picturing dumping my boat on the highway and the disaster that would be) made the 3+ hour trip not a fun experience. I bought a dual axle from Ace Trailers in Florida through eBay, had it delivered, made some bunk board mods on it to better fit my boat, and towing is now an absolute dream. Picture an extremely well built aluminum trailer designed to handle the weight of a 26' powerboat and you get the picture; it doesn't even know the Mac is on it! True, the trailer itself weighs a lot more than the Mac factory trailer but who cares??? I'm protecting a $30K investment. Just a suggestion if you can spare the money.
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Don T
- Admiral
- Posts: 1084
- Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2004 7:13 pm
- Sailboat: MacGregor 26X
- Location: 95 2600 "SS OTTER" - Portland OR - Tohatsu 50 - Hull#64 (May 95)
Hello:
Don Johnson here. Wow I famous.......... Ok I'll stop.
The combination of the 15"wheels and the hydraulic anti sway system has eased my white knuckles a lot. Although, I still get nervous flying up I5 through Seattle (10' lanes) at 60 mph with semi's on both sides going faster than me. The frontal wind pushing the boat around and then sucking the van over. Yee haw!!!!!!
I don't think worry ever leaves the equation when I'm towing. One must stay very alert and anticipate disaster which I find exhausting after 5~8 hours. I guess I should of been a long haul truck driver, maybe then I could relax more.
As for sway / steering, I tend to get my knee up and lock my hand to my knee which is resting on the door so I am not tempted to steer or forced to by my body swaying back and forth. Very little steering input during a sway event will have a large affect on the trailer.
Don Johnson here. Wow I famous.......... Ok I'll stop.
The combination of the 15"wheels and the hydraulic anti sway system has eased my white knuckles a lot. Although, I still get nervous flying up I5 through Seattle (10' lanes) at 60 mph with semi's on both sides going faster than me. The frontal wind pushing the boat around and then sucking the van over. Yee haw!!!!!!
I don't think worry ever leaves the equation when I'm towing. One must stay very alert and anticipate disaster which I find exhausting after 5~8 hours. I guess I should of been a long haul truck driver, maybe then I could relax more. As for sway / steering, I tend to get my knee up and lock my hand to my knee which is resting on the door so I am not tempted to steer or forced to by my body swaying back and forth. Very little steering input during a sway event will have a large affect on the trailer.
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ESPERANZA
- First Officer
- Posts: 219
- Joined: Sun Jun 27, 2004 8:09 pm
- Location: Black Hills of S.D. 97 26X nisn 50
I recently watched first hand as a crew cab truck with a fifth wheel trailer carrying a small skid steer loader, swayed twice and on the third sway jack knifed and went into a very wide ditch. Luckily no one was injured but they were certainly shaken. Being the first one at the scene and discovering no one was hurt, I suggested to the three fellas that they should each give their boss a few bucks for the best carnival ride they will likely ever experience. Sorry, I can't repeat their response here on this forum... 
Dik...
Dik...