Maximum trailerable towing width

[Saylaman]

This is not particularly a multihull topic, but I'm not sure where to post. Since multihull threads are where I spend 90% of my time..I'll give it a try. I was looking up the maximum trailer width in Australia, New South Wales. Most of the references on the web indicated 2.5 m. One reference 'The Moth association' mentioned that from the 1st of July 2009 the width had been reduced to 2.1 m? I could not find any reference to this on the RTA website, surely this is not correct? There must be thousands of boats and trailers in NSW wider than 2.1m. Does anyone have authoritative information? I've been drawing up a boat for a months, based on the 2.5 m maximum....I sure hope the Moth website is not correct.

[CDK]

That would mean NSW has deviated from the rest of the metric world.
Hard to believe, it probably is a joke of the not-very-funny-type.

[Saylaman]

I can't imagine it to be true and hope, as you say that it is just a not-so-funny-joke, but here is the quote from the 'International Moth Class Association' website:

The NSW Department of Main Roads will be implementing a new policy on “Maximum Trafficable Lane Widths” to take effect from 1st July 2009. In essence all vehicles and trailers (including load) must fall within a 2.1 metre square (i.e 2.1m wide x 2.1m high). Any vehicle or trailer outside these dimensions will have special conditions placed on their movements.



From the NSW DMR press release:



“The old Australian lane width of 7’6” was an arbitrary figure that dates back to early 1800’s. It originated from Apple growers in Eastwood who used 7′6″ wide wagons to transport apple crates 6 abreast. We have been systematically reviewing all our antiquated standards and updating them to reflect the motoring needs of today”



Unfortunately this impacts on the Moth Class, as the current International Moth maximum beam measurement (2.250m) falls outside the new 2.1m limit. We contacted Ian Morgan from NSW DMR and he advised us that under the new changes the only legal way to tow something like an International Moth on NSW roads would be with a ”Wide Vehicle Escort” or “Pilot Car”. We would also have to display a “wide vehicle” sign on the rear most extremity of the trailing load. He also added that ALL the Toll Road Operators will be reducing the widths of their toll booths and only ONE “wide vehicle” booth will be available. The Government has also given approval for the Toll Road Operators to “substantially increase” tolls for vehicles outside the 2.1m width.

As you can see from the quote above, it doesn't indicate that it will be illegal to tow more than 2.1 m wide, but it will be very impractical if you have to have a vehicle escort every time you go boating. I do not see any reference to this change anywhere else...so I'm hoping it is just a misunderstanding or something.

[ThomD]

The motoring needs of today? Right, something completely divorced from the past, and all vehicles developed under those standards. I don't get Australian, big place, not all that many people, land trains, yet if the gov, can think up some new regs to throw around there doesn't seem to be much to restrain them.

[anthony goodson]

Redesign the trailer use the diagonal of 2.1 square

[marker]

The DMR was amalgamated to become the RTA in 1989, on the RTA website it gives the maximum trailer width as 2.5metres .
I notice that the date on the Moth blog is 01.04.09 maybe that is significant!
Mark

[guzzis3]

There are several problems with this.

Interstate trailers are allowed in NSW and they all have 2.5 max width.

Every semi in the country is 2.5 as is most tow trucks.

Shipping containers are 2.5.

Lots of cars/trucks are over 2.1.

If they did that it'd bring road transport to a halt immediately and for a protracted time. It'd also push up prices all over the place.

If any of you care email the rta and ask. I bet it's bunk.

[Boston]

well Im a bit far from Oz but I came up with a great solution to trailer width issues
I got farm plates
means Im exempt from the typical regulations concerning towing
basically I have to regulations except for the highway code
so on any road not designated highway I can tow anything that will fit down the road

my bet is in OZ they have something similar that might be designed to help the basic farmer move his equipment around
might come in handy if your towing a lot which I am

just a thought
cheers
B

[Saylaman]

Thanks everyone for the input. After spending all the time on designing a trailerable boat to fit the 2.5 m rule I guess I was quite upset at the possibility of the rule being changed to 2.1m. It has to be bogus! As pointed out....all shipping containers would then also need the escort car etc. I'm going to ignore it. Thanks for pointing out the date too...didn't check that out....someone sure has a poor sense of humour! I guess that reinforces again...you can't believe everything you read on the net

[bad dog]

A class cat sailors, and most other cats over 16', and motorhomes, and trucks and - and - the list goes on...
You gotta love April fools day though. It just sounded that little bit plausible - like the story of how we got standard guage railaway at 4' 8.5"...derived from the width of the Roman Centurions marching two abreast. Of course that's a good width for train tracks!

Since this thread seems to have reached a logical conclusion, you might permit a slightly off-multihull conclusion, which still speaks bucket loads about design (though generally not multihulls, thankfully)...

The Calf-Path
by Sam Walter Foss (1858-1911)

One day, through the primeval wood,
A calf walked home, as good calves should;
But made a trail all bent askew,
A crooked trail, as all calves do.

Since then three hundred years have fled,
And, I infer, the calf is dead.
But still he left behind his trail,
And thereby hangs my moral tale.

The trail was taken up next day
By a lone dog that passed that way;
And then a wise bellwether sheep
Pursued the trail o’er vale and steep,
And drew the flock behind him, too,
As good bellwethers always do.

And from that day, o’er hill and glade,
Through those old woods a path was made,
And many men wound in and out,
And dodged and turned and bent about,
And uttered words of righteous wrath
Because ’twas such a crooked path;
But still they followed — do not laugh —
The first migrations of that calf,
And through this winding wood-way stalked
Because he wobbled when he walked.

This forest path became a lane,
That bent, and turned, and turned again.
This crooked lane became a road,
Where many a poor horse with his load
Toiled on beneath the burning sun,
And traveled some three miles in one.
And thus a century and a half
They trod the footsteps of that calf.

The years passed on in swiftness fleet.
The road became a village street,
And this, before men were aware,
A city’s crowded thoroughfare,
And soon the central street was this
Of a renowned metropolis;
And men two centuries and a half
Trod in the footsteps of that calf.

Each day a hundred thousand rout
Followed that zigzag calf about,
And o’er his crooked journey went
The traffic of a continent.
A hundred thousand men were led
By one calf near three centuries dead.
They follow still his crooked way,
And lose one hundred years a day,
For thus such reverence is lent
To well-established precedent.

A moral lesson this might teach
Were I ordained and called to preach;
For men are prone to go it blind
Along the calf-paths of the mind,
And work away from sun to sun
To do what other men have done.
They follow in the beaten track,
And out and in, and forth and back,
And still their devious course pursue,
To keep the path that others do.

[Alan M.]

[bad dog]

How's it go round corners? ;-)

[Saylaman]

Your solution......if it's over 2.5m....sneak down to the water at night. Thanks for the pic!

[CDK]

Saylaman, my boat is 2.90 m wide and 3,5 tons, so it isn't trailerable.
So I had a truck adapted to transport the boat across Europe for our annual holidays. When staying on highways, nobody normally bothers you, but at the time there was a toll road in Italy we had to use, and the toll booths were exactly 3 meters apart no I had to approach carefully, yet appear like a normal lorry driver doing nothing wrong.

Once we were caught when leaving for home. The official requested boat documents and driving license and instead of handing them back to me called the highway police. After 10 minutes he gave me the documents saying that we were lucky because the police was busy with an accident and advised us never to come back there again.

The next year I met a German engineer in a marina who had an identical boat and also used a truck for it. I showed him my forged documents where the width was given as 2.50 m. He had done the same, but he also had a measuring tape made especially for the purpose of giving it to any policeman who doubted the document. Each cm on his tape was 12 mm long ......

[Boston]

I love the tape measure trick

that is just to funny

round this area you can drag anything under 12' tall and 12' wide without to much trouble

with permits you can literally move a house down the road



I cant imagine what it must be like to be restricted to 3 meters