Albin 25 tow vehicles in Europe

[Bob Noodat]

I am sure I am not the only one on this sub-forum to have looked at a lot of the very fine A25 videos on SpewTube. I was viewing a couple of extremely interesting ones by a Swedish? owner, showing the launching and retrieving of his boat. Very nicely, calmly and methodically done. One thing struck me however as a posing a distinct contrast to what we would see over here in North America: the size of tow vehicle.

Here are the 2 videos:


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0UVNa32PbTs
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CC2PI0WhNXc

And here are a couple of screencaps:

Screenshot_20200215-104005.jpg

Screenshot_20200215-105305.jpg

I believe that this vehicle is a mid-90s Opel Frontera, with probably a 2.2 litre diesel or 3.2 litre V6. They weigh about 3800lbs. The Albin likely weighs 5500 to 6000lbs and the trailer maybe 1200lbs? I would say that the car is towing near twice its weight, possibly more. I am sure this must be common practice in Europe, but it seems a little scary. They must be building them with much better brakes and stronger power trains than similar vehicles for our market. The idea of towing that weight behind something the same size and power as my wife's Santa Fe frankly scares me.

I have no idea why one of these screencaps is in twice and the second has placed itself below

[WillieC]

Da bomb in tow vehicles... VW bug

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpwH9WeVEfU

[NickScheuer]

The weight of the Albin-25 is listed in the owner's manual as 3,500 lbs. Add 1,200 lbs for a trailer and the GVW (weight of boat + trailer) is 5,000 lbs.

[WillieC]

Put a BC hardtop on it, fill the tanks, and load her up for a trip...6000lbs. Then the trailer.

[Dieselram94]

I have thought the same thing about the small size of their vehicles. I’m guessing, larger vehicles are not common in Europe?? I’ve never been over there...
It’s also interesting, the practice of tying vehicle to the ramp.

[Bob Noodat]

I had a close look, with a view to buying, at an A25 last year, with no BC hardtop. That was NO 3500lb boat! I suspect a number of people on this forum have weighed their boats, and I'd be very interested to hear what a reasonably equipped A25 would weigh. And that is a heavy, strong trailer in the videos.

I guess if everybody has a light vehicle towing a big boat, and probably surge brakes, you'd better tie off to the helpfully provided ring!

If/when I ever find my A25, I'll be pulling it with a Duramax dually. Overkill? That's fine by me.

[Dieselram94]

I had a close look, with a view to buying, at an A25 last year, with no BC hardtop. That was NO 3500lb boat! I suspect a number of people on this forum have weighed their boats, and I'd be very interested to hear what a reasonably equipped A25 would weigh. And that is a heavy, strong trailer in the videos.

I guess if everybody has a light vehicle towing a big boat, and probably surge brakes, you'd better tie off to the helpfully provided ring!

If/when I ever find my A25, I'll be pulling it with a Duramax dually. Overkill? That's fine by me.

Nothing wrong with overkill, I use my Dodge diesel for towing mine, I wouldn’t even attempt towing it with my 2014 suburban, I think it’s too heavy for it.

I will be weighing mine this summer on the trailer. I will post results

[dkirsop]

My tow vehicle is a VW Touareg with a 3.0L diesel. Which probably weighs in a little more than that shown in the video but not much more. I have had no problems towing my Albin in all types of terrain. The vehicle is rated to tow up to 7500 pounds with the appropriate use of trailer brakes. The key factors to success are: a well balanced trailer that is up to the job and a good set of trailer brakes; in my case electric over hydraulic discs. My trailer brakes are capable of stopping both the boat and the car on a downhill without apply the car's brakes.

[nebulatech]

I towed mine home with a 2006 Toyota Sequoia 4.7 V8 (not the newer 5.7) - about 350 miles or so, highways and interstate. No problem. It wasn't loaded for cruising, but had loads of junk in it. Also, I didn't tow in any mountainous region. Interestingly, now that I have removed the 650lb Volvo Penta MD17C motor, the boat is so light it practically bounces on the trailer. I suspect this is due in part to the stern protruding past the bunk boards by about 4 feet.

[NickScheuer]

What is a "BC Top"? 6000 lbs trailer not included sounds a bit heavy. Per Brohal counseled against overloading the hull in his owners' manual.

[glk34]

friends of ours have towed many miles each year with aV6 toyota tacoma. No problem as long as you set the vehicle up for it. Good brakes all round, proper ply tires and take your time and know your limitations.

Chris
A25 Iron Jack

[glk34]

I also agree with Willie that most of our boats will weigh in a much more than 3500 rigged up for cruising. 6000 wouldn't be that far off.

Iron Jack

[Bob Noodat]

Touareg and Sequoia and Tacoma? Interesting, I must say. All fine vehicles, but at best with no margin for error when pulling this weight. Manufacturers' towing limit claims must also be viewed in light of their complete subjectivity and the commercial pressure for gaining sales. To put in caveats about how one needs to drive or about only driving under certain conditions of terrain etc. I think indicates a realization that one is on the edge.

I did not wish to start a religious discussion though.

[WillieC]

When first we loaded our brand new trailer with the boat we had motored down from Bellingham, I stopped at a local transfer and storage outfit and weighed as follows:

11200# The whole shebang
5160# Truck wheels on scale with trailer attached
6280# Boat and trailer
Tongue #240

Trailer is somewhere around 1200#, so minimum 5000# for the WillieC. Starboard aft cabin is named "West Maroon". Port side is dubbed...well I won't say but think of derogatory terms big box retailer. I try to balance her by leaving the holding tank full and never using the fresh water.

We ordered the trailer based on the same 3500 # noted in the "Book". 4800 gross seemed like a reasonable overage.... wrong. Of course the boat was loaded with all the extras that came with it, well not the extra engine, but you get the idea. We didn't fuss with attempting to balance anything, just wanted to get it home after three days on the water in November. BC Hardtop is the oft seen hardtop so common on many PNW A25s. Ours is plywood cored fiberglass encrusted, homemade one-off with about fifteen gallons of microballoon polyester filler, one $65 quart at a time, and fortyseven coats of white-ish paints. Plus canvas and plastiglass roll-ups all around.

We have our own private ramp on our property so we weren't overly concerned about our under-tagged trailer limit. Our longest road trip was up I-5 to Blaine to meet up with DA for our Desolation Sound voyage a couple years back. I-5 was worse than the potholed, windy road we live on.

So, we plan all our trips from our ramp, returning to same. As soon as I get the boat off the trailer in the spring I do all the maintenance for the unhoped for event of having to retrieve the WillieC from say Lund, or Powell River. Or North Pender Island, though we know some very nice people there who would take us in for two or three months while we install his spare AD21.

Should have sprung for a bigger better trailer, but I don't think there is such a thing as a saltwater trailer that is easy to own. That said, at between 3 and 6 hunnert a month moorage...she's paid for herself. Less than 500 miles on it.

And that's all I have to say 'bout that, (the Starfleet Commander only dreams...)

[Bob Noodat]

If that is with all tanks full and mother-in-law locked in the aft cabin, it is 1000lb lighter than I would have guessed. Thanks for the info.