Does anyone have any recommendations on trailering a cat behind a class c rv? I have an a-cat on a Trailex trailer (30' mast) and a Prindle 16 (27' mast).
I've seen some guys elevate the mast level by making the rear mast carrier higher. I'm a little uncomfortable with 10 to 12' of the mast hanging out behind the boat. I would put a red flag or battery operated blinker on the end but still with all the distracted drivers these days I wouldn't want to harpoon some trucker's windshield.
That's probably just the way it is but I thought I would bounce it off the panel of experts here in the forum.
Thank you in advance.
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Bob Bitting
Mooresville, NC
1983 Prindle 16
2012 A-Class Catamaran
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Trailering a Cat Behind a Motor Home
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Posted: Jan 05, 2018 - 09:41 AM
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Posted: Jan 05, 2018 - 10:21 AM
Bob,
What I've seen done most commonly is to build some mast stands for the motorhome and throw the stick up there.
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Posted: Jan 05, 2018 - 10:27 AM
Hi Sam,
I thought about that but after putting an entire new roof on this past summer I realize these RV roofs were not meant to walk around on. Plus drilling more holes and installing more screws equals potential leaks. Although , it may be my only other option.
You wouldn't have any photos of how they made and installed the cradles by any chance?
Thanks for your response Sam.
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Bob Bitting
Mooresville, NC
1983 Prindle 16
2012 A-Class Catamaran
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Posted: Jan 05, 2018 - 10:39 AM
I trailer behind my RV all the time. I have front and rear mast stands like your Trailex trailer has. The mast can't go any farther than the trailer tongue, so I put a red flag on the end of my mast. Its not ideal, but I'm like you, not crazy about putting extra holes in my roof. It wouldn't be a huge deal with light A cat mast, but those aluminum masts would be a pain to put up there.
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Mac
Midlands South Carolina
AHPC Viper USA 366
A Cat USA 366
Super Cat 17
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Posted: Jan 05, 2018 - 10:59 AM
I used to put the mast on top of my slide in camper and can tell you that is is a pain to do. I then built an
extension for the front mast stand and would put the mast over the camper. This put the mast over 12 feet
high and again was not ideal. Now I just slide it back like suggested above and flag it well. I found that taking fluorescent orange surveyor's ribbon and wrapping the end like a barber pole really makes it visible. Probably is
not legal for rear over hang but we all do it and don't get bothered.
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Pete Knapp
Schodack landing,NY
Goodall Viper,AHPC Viper,Nacra I20
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Posted: Jan 05, 2018 - 11:57 AM
How about securing it to the side of the RV? Perhaps make some mounting brackets that use the existing awning hardware.
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Posted: Jan 05, 2018 - 02:14 PM
Yeah... In my state the max overhang is six feet, must have a 12" x 12" red lag over three feet, and the state patrol do pull folks over for violations.
Best to research your local statutes.
The guys that tow with motor homes here have one end of the mast up over the motor home, but as minimally as the overhang on the other end will allow. It's usually under 12 feet which allows for most of the underpasses in the state.
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Sheet In!
Bob
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Prindle 18-2 #244 "Wakizashi"
Prindle 16 #3690 "Pegasus" Sold (sigh)
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(Way) Past Commodore of Prindle Fleet 14
Arizona, USA
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Posted: Jan 05, 2018 - 09:14 PM
I actually made a 4 FT extended ball mount for the receiver on my coach. A 40 ft MCI 8
Works great. -
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Posted: Jan 05, 2018 - 09:33 PM
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Posted: Jan 05, 2018 - 10:32 PM
A hitch extension is another option, but you have to be very careful about how much load you put on them. The max trailer weight and tongue weight ratings for your hitch will go way down when you start tongue extending.
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Posted: Jan 06, 2018 - 01:32 AM
True that but my rig hauled a 10,000 lb race trailer with 10% of that in tongue weight,
My nacra or my prindle are not gonna touch that., even with the extension https://www.thebeachcats.…ictures?g2_itemId=129509
Edited by carl2 on Jan 06, 2018 - 02:03 AM. -
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Posted: Jan 06, 2018 - 09:39 AM
Thanks everyone for the great ideas. I really appreciate the help!
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Bob Bitting
Mooresville, NC
1983 Prindle 16
2012 A-Class Catamaran
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Posted: Jan 06, 2018 - 05:24 PM
I use a tall mast support. Had the mast not cleared above the van I could have telescoped it up and pinned it.
This is the new to me tow vehicle. Clarence over the Dakota was never a problem.
Watch out for Max Headroom!
One of my sailing buddies tows with a converted church bus. He stows the mast on top of the bus. He tows with the bows to the back. When he slides the mast to the step the height of the bus roof gives him a good start for raising. This mitigates the pain
of having to store the mast on the roof.
Edited by gahamby on Jan 06, 2018 - 06:41 PM.
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'82 Super Cat 15
Hull #315
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Posted: Jan 06, 2018 - 10:05 PM
I attached several images showing the mast on my camper roof, mast extension, and my long hitch extension with anti sway chains. I borrowed the idea for the chains from Superhitch. Makes a big difference with a long extension. We found when using an extension to raise the mast over the camper it helps to tie the mast support to the hulls or use heavy trucker bungees between the bow tangs and the mast support to help control the whipping of the mast when traveling.
https://www.thebeachcats.…ictures?g2_itemId=129524
https://www.thebeachcats.…pictures?g2_itemId=86636
https://www.thebeachcats.…ictures?g2_itemId=129526
Edited by pknapp66 on Jan 06, 2018 - 10:14 PM.
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Pete Knapp
Schodack landing,NY
Goodall Viper,AHPC Viper,Nacra I20
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