30ft+/ Oversized load Trailering. Lets see your tow rigs.

ADR

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Feb 26, 2019
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Can we talk specifically about big boats/rigs for trailering?
If all goes well my wife and I will be new to us owners of SR 370 Venture by Memorial weekend. Although we will keep it in a slip most of the time on Lk St. Claire, MI; we intend to trailer this boat several times a year (maybe not trailering until next year tho..). Some trailering will take us all the way to Florida and back and to other interesting large bodies of water. Would be great to see rigs / setups of others in this size category with some specific details of:
- boat: Model, beam, dry/ship'g weight, needs to lower radar arch (how?), special work/needs to trailer safely, etc.
- trailer: make, model, types of construction (alum.? I-beam?), hitches, brakes, axles, tires, paint, overhang, etc.
-Rig: make, model, specials add-ons or packages for trailering, GVWR, GCWR, tires, receiver type, etc.
- Licensing, permits, signage/ flags, needed etc.

Doesn't look like there's a ton of us in this trailering category. But it would be great to be able to share tips, specs and pics to do it safely.

I can only share pending boat purchase specs so far:
370 Venture
37' 2" LOA
11' 3" beam
15,432lbs dry
12' 9" bottom of keel to top of radar arch (so it will need taken down or hinged for regular trailering to stay at or under 13' 6" hwy rating)

Details and pics of your setup would be great!
 
I tow my 30 footer with a stock 04 Duramax crew cab dually. It's a piece of cake. I get the appropriate overwide permits for Washington and Idaho and then I just go. I can't tow at night in Idaho but that's not usually when we are arriving or leaving any of the larger lakes up there anyway. We tow to the San Juan's periodically and to the Snake and Columbia river weekly. I store it inside at home so we can load it the night before and go. The only frustrating part is not being able to tow after noon on Sunday of Memorial Day or Labor Day weekends. On the WEST side of the state, I can understand that. Where I live, there isn't that much traffic and it doesn't make any sense. So we either leave at midnight on Monday or before noon Sunday morning.

As far as flags, I have a sign front and back indicating "Over Size" that I attach to the front bumper of the truck. The one on the back it attached to the cleats and the supports for the swim step. I also have two orange flags that are supposed to go on the widest point which would be the mid cleat, but I just attach them to the rear cleat since no one can tell where the widest point really is. My height is 12' 6" so I don't have to worry about being too tall. My unloaded weight on the trailer is around 13,000 lbs and I can add another 1,500 with fuel, water and gear.

The 37 footer will be over 12 feet wide and will probably require at least one pilot car if not two depending on the route. That's why I made sure I was UNDER 12 feet wide.
 
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I'm really close to buying a traer for my 310, which is 14,000 lbs dry.
I have a 2000 F350 7.3 4x4.
I plan on hinging my arch, that will be next winters project.
 
I'm really close to buying a traer for my 310, which is 14,000 lbs dry.
I have a 2000 F350 7.3 4x4.
I plan on hinging my arch, that will be next winters project.

Wyrman, do you think you will need to hinge it? I don't know the dimension from the props to the arch but I'm sure a foot in the air sitting on the trailer will have it pushing the 13'6" limit. It will be nice when you have a trailer! We can go all sorts of places!
 
I will know definitely once I get the trailer, but I'm sure I will have to hinge it.
I'm looking forward to having a trailer, the San Juan's, and Lake Chelan would be great with this boat.
 
I let the Professionals handle it...
Rig.JPG
 
Meh, I think you guys are making this far more difficult than necessary. This vintage diesel F250 seemed to handle 25,000lbs with no problem. A little light on the front springs but otherwise this seems cross-country worthy.

You'll just want to aim the headlights down a bit for those overnight hauls.

46863302295_a17118cd05_b.jpg
 
Meh, I think you guys are making this far more difficult than necessary. This vintage diesel F250 seemed to handle 25,000lbs with no problem. A little light on the front springs but otherwise this seems cross-country worthy.

You'll just want to aim the headlights down a bit for those overnight hauls.

46863302295_a17118cd05_b.jpg
Don't need no stinkin headlights, we gotta be low key get by the cops on the cross country trip...

MM
 
I will know definitely once I get the trailer, but I'm sure I will have to hinge it.
I'm looking forward to having a trailer, the San Juan's, and Lake Chelan would be great with this boat.
And don't forget about Priest Lake and Lake Pend Oreille!
 
I'm really close to buying a traer for my 310, which is 14,000 lbs dry.
I have a 2000 F350 7.3 4x4.
I plan on hinging my arch, that will be next winters project.
My 310 is 14’3” on trailer. But it hasn’t been a problem. You will need a permit for width anyhow.
 
On my side, I am just at 13,6 ft high by 10 ft wide. Going to Florida every year from Canada. I am staying on the Interstates so there is no problem. I let those guys handle the permits for me :J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.

I just need a flasher, must be seen 360 degrees around. A wide load banner on the front on the truck and one on the back on the trailer. I can't be on the road Sundays and by night. About the permits, every states had his own rules, some will ask you insurance proof, other the registered weight, but all will ask for kingpin distance (measure from the king pin to the center of the last trailer axle). Since you are not commercial, you won't need US DOT or Fed Tax ID.

I don't remember very well, but I think over 10 ft wide you need a pilot car on some states, but over 14 ft you need one on the front and one behind.

Aside from regulation, there is a couple of things I always do when I am towing :
- Tires shouldn't be older than 5 years no matter how much used they are.
- Always tighten your wheels at every stop and check everything from the straps to the hitch
- Be even more careful on warm states, especially with the tires. Put your hand on the tire and on the hub, you should be able to withstand the heat, if not wait a little more.
- Nitrogen on all wheels.
- Remove the anchor ;)

I guess you already know most of what I have written, but this is what I am doing and never add any issues so far ;)
 
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2007 310DA
14,500 lbs. dry
10.5' beam
33' LOA
Just under 15' high on the trailer
1996 steel Shoreland'r trailer
DSC00963.JPG
 
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Sorry I misread your post, here are the informations you asked :

BOAT
Model : SeaRay 310 Sundancer 2014
Beam : 10 Ft
Dry/shipping weight : 11 400 for the boat and 2600 for the trailer : the last post on this thread give some info :
http://clubsearay.com/index.php?threads/new-crew-member.90114/
Needs to lower radar arch (how?) : No need I am at 13.6 ft
Special work/needs to trailer safely : Triple axles is not an option if you want to tow long distances, tires every 5 years, Nitrogen on both the truck and the trailer, straps on the front and on the rear, no more than 10% on the tongue, same height on the front and on the rear (between the ground and the trailer), if you want to keep the boat clean, wrap it, be sure to balance the boat correctly on the trailer, here is why :
"
"​

TRAILER
Make : LoadRite 2017
Model : Tri-Axle AB Bunk LR-AB32R15000102TB3
Types of construction (alum.? I-beam?) : Full I-Beam Aluminium
Hitches : Weight Safe 6 Inches
Brakes : Disks Kodiak
Axles : 7000 lbs capable each
Tires : Goodyear Marathon
Paint : If you go in salt-water I strongly advise to go with aluminium
Overhang : Front : 4.09 / Rear : 4.10

RIG
Make : Dodge RAM 2017
Model : 3500 Dually Laramie Limited Mega Cab Cummins 6.7 AISIN
Specials add-ons or packages for trailering : Air suspension
GVWR : 14 000 lbs (RAM 2017 Specs)
GCWR : 39 100 lbs
Tires : Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac 35x12.5.20
Receiver type : 2.5" Receiver
Licensing : Regular Canadian license
Permits : Wide Load permits for all the states I crossed
Signage/ flags : Wide load banner on front and rear, flags at the widest point of the boat and 360 degree flasher on the arch.
Needed : Straps, Nitrogen everywhere, spare wheels, ratchet wrench (to tighten your wheels)

PICS
181028055158603534.jpg


181028055158127491.jpg


181028055157211212.jpg


181028055156642087.jpg
 
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Do any of you use a trailer toad to take the weight off the tongue?
 
Yep on the Weight safe hitch you have it, it work very well :

WS6-2.5-edited.jpg
 
Thanks everyone for sending in your boat, rig and trailer info / pics! Greatly appreciated! Sea trail for me and wifey is next Saturday. If all goes well I'll be a SR owner in 1 week! Then I start my trailer search.

Would like to see more oversized setups if your out there!
 
Well my boat isn't that big but is around 9500lbs with trailer so I bought a new truck last week to tow it. 2018 Ram 2500 Outdoorsman Off-Road with 6.4L Hemi and 4.10 gears. My 1500 was only rated to 8600lbs. Haven't towed it yet but do have a question. I use a weight distributing hitch (without the bars) so just the hitch. I might have an issue here. The hitch on this truck is about 5" higher than on my 1500 and my WD hitch can't be set any lower. What do you guys use in case I need to get something that is lower? And it needs to be a minimum 10,000 rating (preferably higher). I see that Weigh Safe posted above. Any others?

 

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