Largest Boat to Trailer???

C

chris41483

New Member
Jul 23, 2008
256
Selma, Alabama
Boat Info
2000 Sundancer 270
Engines
twin 4.3 efi, Alpha 1
I have a 270DA that I trailer everytime I put it in the water. I live in the middle of nowhere, and their are no marinas anywhere, so this is my only option. I am now ready for a bigger boat, and was wondering if anyone knows which class of sea ray is the biggest to be trailered. I do not care about getting wide load permits, as I have had to do this before with previous boats, and don't think it is a big deal. I have a large 4x4 diesel truck, so power is not an issue. I would just like to know if anyone has a clue to what is the largest boat sea ray makes that I can lug around on a trailer. I have water within 2-3hrs on every side of me, so I would not have to trailer too far.
 
2-3 hours is not "close" by my definition.

Any boat can be trailered. . .it just depends on the rig and how much you want to dissassemble the boat.

Start with the load limit of your truck. . .take 80% of that and compare that against the dry weight of various sea ray models. Some guys here trailer 32DA's. Personally. . .I wouldn't want to hassle with even a 28DA. . but that's just me.

I think you will find that you will want to upgrade the truck pretty quick.
 
I think I am good with the truck. I have a 2500HD 4x4 with a Duramax/Allison that has many performance upgrades. It pulls my 270DA with not a struggle whatsoever. If I need something more, I can use the F-550 I use to haul equipment.

You said that it depends how much I want to disassemble the boat. What in peticular are you referring to? Most of my time on the water is done over 3 day weekends, so I do not want to have to do too terribly much to the boat to get it in and out.
 
Also, I do a good bit of boating in the AL river, which is only a few minutes from my home. When I said I had water on all sides w/in 2-3 hrs., I meant when I go to the beach, the lake, or to a different river. I only do this a few times a year. So most of my trailering would be under 35min. each way.
 
Boltman has a 320Da which he had a special trailer made and uses a Ford 350 that has been tuned up, chip exhaust and more, he can tell you about that. Overpolished uses the same 2500 you have and pulls a 280DA with no issues and I even saw some idiot pulling a 280DA with a 1500 Chevy on the side of the road in Tallahassee just the other day. :wow:

I will second Com's remark that it depends on just how much you want the hassle of it.

Good luck.

:grin:
 
Hi Chris,

We have a couple of guys in our group that regularly trailer their 300DA's. But it's quite load they are hauling, tipping the scales at over 14,000#. They both tow with 1-ton diesels and report no significant problems, even having towed through the Cascade mountains on their way up to the San Juan islands.

Cheers!
 
Anyone who has owned a boat similar to mine, what do I really gain when I move up to a 320DA? The main place the size bothers me is in the aft deck. I would really like to have more space to sit with friends and enjoy a few beers while at anchor.
 
Cockpit space is everything in my book. But what do I know? I bought a cuddy :)

On the really big boats, you have to start worrying about bridge clearances and may need to start removing things like radar arches and what not.

The 310 DA starts at 14000# dry weight. Probably 16000#+ by the time you actually get it onto the trailer. Plus the weight of the trailer.

The 280 DA starts at 8630# dry weight, probably 11,000#+ if you have two engines.

You should take a look at the searay website and start prowling the spec archives to figure out what you can and cannot tow. Even if you can't get a factory trailer for something really big, I bet you can get a custom trailer without too much problem.

At some point, you will crane launch as opposed to ramp launching the boat. I don't see anyone ramp launching a 48DB.
 
I would love to live close enough to a marina to crane launch! My uncle crane launches his grady white, and it is amazingly convenient. He just spent over 100k building a doathouse with a lift, and for some reason still dry docks? he just has them launch the boat when he is at their coast house, and keeps it in the boathouse while he's there. Anyway, being able to call ahead and tell them to dunk it for you is awesome. Unfortunately my wife refuses to move! So I am stuck with a trailer :-(
 
I would say a 5th wheel type trailer would make things easier. We have a large gooseneck horse trailer with living quarters and it is a breeze to pull with my Duramax


move14sz4.jpg
 
I would tow up to 12' beam. It would require a different tow vehicle and permits but shouldn't really be to bad. If a person towed a 340DA for example you woul have an issue with height and a hinged arch would be advisable. I don't know of Boltman hinges his 320DA arch or not. He would be a good one for questions.
 
I need to check out some specs and see just how much room I would gain with a 320DA, and if I would have to hinge the radar arch. Do they make professional hinge kits, or do they look janky?

That is a good point. I love towing a gooseneck over a bumper pull. I have always wondered why they don't make more of them, although I have seen a very few.
 
Chris,

Food for thought and something you might want to consider is having a custom trailer built with a goose neck set up for a fifth wheel.

I'm from Birmingham originally and my Dad is with McLeod Truck Parts in Tuscaloosa. I know they have a couple of 12,500 Lb axles brand new that you can get for around $2400 to get started. If you get a custom trailer built you could set it up so you would not be concerned with strut, rudder and prop interference. I have the specs on the axles if you're interested.

They work with truckers all over west Alabama and East Mississippi and can hook you up with any thing you need.

Let me know.:thumbsup:

Oh and BTW my Dad is an Auburn Alumn.
 
Sea Harley stepped up from a 270 - hope he can chime in.
 
Boltmans got a custom 5th wheel trailer setup.
 
Like woody said, up to 12' beam. Wider than that and the permits get a lot hairier - not to mention there are roads you just can't travel down.

Sounds like you should be looking for an amberjack, that would suit your needs/wants pretty well with it's size and big open deck.
 
Max legal height for towing is 13'6". A 320 or 340 will be over that on a float on trailer with the arch on. A 300 might possibly be over too but I haven't checked. Towing overheight requires a pilot car w/ a long pole that tops out at the height of the towed load. Not cheap. There are no "kits" for arch hinges, custom made only and look like factory when done correctly. You can legally tow up to 12' wide with the correct permits but anything over that also reqiures a pilot car. IMO, theres not many easy options for towing anything roomier than a 270-280DA. Much more than that, the hassle outwieghs the convenience and just isn't worth it. That being said, I'm still contemplating arch hinges and a custom trailer for my 340DA :smt100 A trip north in the summer and one to Fl in the winter would be really nice.....
SB
 
I have a old 3/4 ton cummins I use to haul 34' boats, I had a steel trailer and recently upgraded to a aluminum trailer which I am trying to get rid of cause I no longer have a 34ft boat, this helps a lot with the weight and is also cheaper than a steel trailer
 
gengiant said:
Hi Chris,

We have a couple of guys in our group that regularly trailer their 300DA's. But it's quite load they are hauling, tipping the scales at over 14,000#. They both tow with 1-ton diesels and report no significant problems, even having towed through the Cascade mountains on their way up to the San Juan islands.

Cheers!
Click to expand...

I think I know that guy! :grin:

The width is the biggest factor. Anything over 12 feet and you have to have pilot cars front and rear. I draw the line there! Our 300 DA is 11 feet wide and weighs about 14,000 lbs fully loaded on the trailer. With IO's the light on the arch is 12' 9" high. If we had inboards, I'm sure it would sit even higher. Everytime I see an overpass that is 13' or 13' 6" I hold my breath! It just SEEMS too close even though there are 6 to 12 inches of clearance. Last year a spotlight eating tree peeled the spotlight off the top of the arch! I don't know where or when and didn't even notice it until we were out on the water. Fortunately it left the nav light!

We tow every weekend and have to travel at least 45 minutes to the nearest lake. Unfortunately, that is the busiest so we go a little farther to get away. I find it easier to load the boat up while sitting in the driveway rather than loading the car, unloading the car and carrying it to the boat at a marina. We moored it for three weeks last year while I replaced the undercarriage on the trailer and I hated it! I like having it at home where I can work on it or just putz around in it.
 
Food for thought... Figure out what it will cost to upgrade the tow vehicle, then put that money into the boat instead and wet slip.

We did this when I was looking at upgrading the Ford Explorer. Still have the Explorer with no towing hassles.
 
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