How large of a boat do you trailer on a regular basis
- Thread starter BGrinding
- Start date
FORGOT TO MENTION THE IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD TOW VEHICLE. REMEMBER TO SPEC THE TRUCK TO HANDLE THE WEIGHT YOU ARE PULLING. INCLUDE TRANSMISSION AND OIL COOLERS. MAKE SURE TRUCK HAS THE BRAKING CAPACITY TO STOP THE LOAD. MAKE SURE BOAT TRAILER HAS BRAKES ON ALL WHEELS, NOT JUST SOME OF THE AXLES. GOOD LUCK.
I tow a 2002 382 Fastech every weekend...I did have to move up to a Dually though. My buddies all tow boats as we keep them in garages at home. (43 Black Thunder, 42 Sonic, 38 Top Gun, 42 Tiger, you get the idea.)
You'll be hauling a heavy load...make sure your truck and trailer are in good working condition!!!!
You'll be hauling a heavy load...make sure your truck and trailer are in good working condition!!!!
I tow a 370SS everywhere. Every time I take it out is at least 60 miles (round trip), and Havasu is 400+ miles round trip. I did it with a Chevy Dmax dually, which worked OK, but soon after got a great deal on a Freightliner SportChassis.
A 31SS wouldn't be a problem. You need to make sure that you keep the boat under 14' on the trailer. Try to get as close to 13' 6" tall on the trailer as possible or even less. My 370SS is 14' 2" on the trailer at the top of the radar.
I am selling a very nice, custom, and clean 06 dually with low miles if interested. It would pull the 31SS just fine.
A 31SS wouldn't be a problem. You need to make sure that you keep the boat under 14' on the trailer. Try to get as close to 13' 6" tall on the trailer as possible or even less. My 370SS is 14' 2" on the trailer at the top of the radar.
I am selling a very nice, custom, and clean 06 dually with low miles if interested. It would pull the 31SS just fine.
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Some more info...
I trailered a boat with a 9' 6" beam for 3 years. Never had a permit, and actually never even put the plates on that trailer. I wa never stopped or questioned.
Currently, I do no thave a permit on my 370SS but with all my signs I completely conform. It looks like I have a permit, just haven't got around to getting it yet.
One thing about boats, they dont look wide at the base of the trailer. On the 310SS, I would not expect any issues. Overall, it will not look that wide. I would trailer it without going the permit route at all. Just run it. My last 2 boats were 34' cats that were 9' 6" wide. As I said, all over AZ and CA, no issue and that was without license plates installed on the trailers.
Below is a picture of my dually, still sitting in the garage.
I trailered a boat with a 9' 6" beam for 3 years. Never had a permit, and actually never even put the plates on that trailer. I wa never stopped or questioned.
Currently, I do no thave a permit on my 370SS but with all my signs I completely conform. It looks like I have a permit, just haven't got around to getting it yet.
One thing about boats, they dont look wide at the base of the trailer. On the 310SS, I would not expect any issues. Overall, it will not look that wide. I would trailer it without going the permit route at all. Just run it. My last 2 boats were 34' cats that were 9' 6" wide. As I said, all over AZ and CA, no issue and that was without license plates installed on the trailers.
Below is a picture of my dually, still sitting in the garage.
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Hmmm. We all have different ideas of towing...
I tow a 99 Formula 31 PC Cruiser on a tri-axle trailer behind a 2007 Chevy 3500 Dually with a Duramax/Allison setup.
The boat is trailered about 8 times a year. it is also slipped in a marina on the Mississippi River.
Each year we make a summer trip to the Great Lakes.
Last year we trailered from Dubuque IA to Toledo Beach MI. This is a 450 mile trip, one way.
Boat is right at legal height of 13'6" high on the trailer with the radar folded down off the arch.
Since the boat is 11 feet wide, oversized permits are always required. Over the years I have obtained permits from WI, IA, MI, IL, IN, and OH.
Boat with fuel, water, on the trailer is about 17,500 pounds and carries about 1,200# of tongue weight.
It has been towed with a 99 3/4 ton Suburban, 01 Chevy 3/4 ton, 03 Ford Excursion, and now the dually. All did well with the Suburban being the weakest. The Excursion did great as well.
The dually is much more stable in windy conditions.
Intially it had full surge drum brakes which were replaced for electric over surge. Much better setup now. I have towed a boat with electric over surge disk brakes. WOW, what a setup.
We are considering moving up to a new 34 or 37 Formula PC but the height of the new ones is a challenge that is difficult to overcome. There is a gentlemen trying to work with Formula with a fold down arch, however they have yet to bite.
To bad as it is holding us back on a new boat.....
I tow a 99 Formula 31 PC Cruiser on a tri-axle trailer behind a 2007 Chevy 3500 Dually with a Duramax/Allison setup.
The boat is trailered about 8 times a year. it is also slipped in a marina on the Mississippi River.
Each year we make a summer trip to the Great Lakes.
Last year we trailered from Dubuque IA to Toledo Beach MI. This is a 450 mile trip, one way.
Boat is right at legal height of 13'6" high on the trailer with the radar folded down off the arch.
Since the boat is 11 feet wide, oversized permits are always required. Over the years I have obtained permits from WI, IA, MI, IL, IN, and OH.
Boat with fuel, water, on the trailer is about 17,500 pounds and carries about 1,200# of tongue weight.
It has been towed with a 99 3/4 ton Suburban, 01 Chevy 3/4 ton, 03 Ford Excursion, and now the dually. All did well with the Suburban being the weakest. The Excursion did great as well.
The dually is much more stable in windy conditions.
Intially it had full surge drum brakes which were replaced for electric over surge. Much better setup now. I have towed a boat with electric over surge disk brakes. WOW, what a setup.
We are considering moving up to a new 34 or 37 Formula PC but the height of the new ones is a challenge that is difficult to overcome. There is a gentlemen trying to work with Formula with a fold down arch, however they have yet to bite.
To bad as it is holding us back on a new boat.....