Trailering BIG boats!

[Sundancer]

It will be interesting to tow this boat! I followed it for a a good 20 miles to see how it handled behind the 2500 long bed extended cab the current owner uses to tow it. I gave him a bad time about the truck being too small, no extended mirrors, a 5.7 L instead of 7.4 and some other items I deemed insufficient to tow a boat this size! I won't mention WHICH law enforcement agency he works for!

He did provide some good insight into the struggles within Washington State and how the laws can be interpreted differently by different agencies. That was GREAT conversation and an eye-opener as well.

The boat can be moved back and forth quite easily on the trailer. I think I'm going to spend some time on the local Cat scales to make sure it's balanced and I've got enough weight on the hitch to pull it, yet keep the front wheels firmly planted. I think he's got it pretty close, but I think a little more weight on the hitch will be good since my truck can handle more than his truck. Then it will be a matter of keeping the trailer level and maintaining weight on the front wheels. With a long bed crew cab diesel it's easier than a shorter wheelbase.

The Allison transmission is a good match and a great transmission. The Allison engines protected my father throughout WWII so it's a pleasure to see the company is still alive. It's a good match for the rest of my "Isuzu" truck! It's not a Cummins engine, but it IS an Allison transmission!

 

[Sundancer]

Dave,
That's going to be great for next year's trip!

I'll be watchin' all of your guy's advice as now that I have my tow rig, we hunt for a bigger one. Jeremy's 280DA sure looks enticing

Todd:

I see you in a nice "Jeremy like" 280!! It's a sweeeeet looking boat! You'll find something and I think now is a good time to get a good deal. People don't want to moore or store if they can sell it. Of course the boat shows bring in a lot of used boats as folks trade up and the dealers want to move those off the lots. You'll have a couple of good opportunities to pick up a deal, or be one of the first to own a 2008?

We've been wanting to go the the San Juans forever and when I saw your thread I told my wife we're going! It took a little while for it to sink in, but then she started thinking it would be a good way to learn about the islands. THEN she decided we needed a bigger powerboat instead of the sailboat we'd been trying to find all summer long. OK, if you insist dear!!!! What a GREAT wife! I think it will be a great boat for the San Juans and for the cruising over on our side of the state. The 11 foot beam will be nice, twin engines and SPACE for all of us.

OH yeah, ad here is a pic of our "Wide Load" behind the "Isuzu"!!

http://pictures.aol.com/galleries/jtsmlarson/2f10e55XIRRJRdQu2LbEiZaiyi1ondIInyhuv4xQp5Fd3Ig=/large/

 

[boltman]

Sundancer, I trailer a 320, with a Fifth wheel trailer. We pull it with an F350 dually deisel, that has 400,000 miles. And it's not hard at all as long as you have the right trailer. Yes we have a wide load, but I do not apply for the permits, it seems when in Michigan, they send you on the narrowist roads when you do get a permit. So I've stopped, but I do not haul on Holiday weekends, why Because it's too busy that's why, why would I want to haul when every drunk is on the raod and every teenager has the weekend off? So we stay home, it's so much more peaceful that way.

So get yourself a Fine trailer, like a Loadmaster Trailer, they bild nice trailers for sure..
You will enjoy your boat so much more, when you can trailer it anywhere you want to go...
And No there aren't many trialer larger boats then I, one in Arizona that has a 390, that's a large load.....

Robert Chapman

 

[Luckydogs]

This was our first year with our 280DA, that we trailer approx 6 miles each way. I have been towing her with my current truck, F-250, crew cab, 5.7L, it handled ok but I would not want to tow her long distances. In two weeks though I will be taking ownership of a beast. My father has an old 97' 1 ton F-350 7.4 diesel, crew cab that he no longer uses since he purchased a new 1 ton dually. It will be a project truck since it's been used primarily as a farm truck but the ticker is fine and it's a pulling machine. I'm looking forward to next year and pulling her around to different lakes.

 

[lorenbennett]

We trailer our 260 every where. As close as 20 miles to lake mohave, or 45 miles to lake havasu, or 90 miles to lake mead, or 350 miles to lake Powell. Permits are required here in az because limit is 8'. Trailer with guide rails is a little over 9'. Its best for insurance in case something happens. We tow with dodge 2500 mega cab with cummins and don't even notice the boat back there with full load. You can never be to safe.:thumbsup: