Trailer for both boat and tractor?

[Pixguy]

I have a 22' bowrider, 4200# that I had stored at a local marina so I never bought a trailer. Now I recently bought a MF SCUT tlb that is close to 4000#.

Has anyone bought or built a trailer that I can use in the summer moving the tractor around and then mount bumpers or skids to winter the boat in my newly built garage?

Or...start with a 5k# boat trailer, take off supports and mount a decking??

Any ideas to save me storage space and money?

 

[Diamondpilot]

I move a lot of boats and have never really seen this done. I do know a guy who has a 28' Pontoon boat with modern trailer, not the old skinny type, that we welded on cross member's every 24" on center than covered with decking boards. Its not up to the task of moving a tractor but can move small items like riding tractors, lumber, ect.

You could make a boat storage cradle that would set on a standard car hauler. Chain it down then load the boat. Once home jack it up and pull the trailer out from under it till spring. Could work but you would have to get the trailer in very very deep to get the boat on. This would end up getting more than half the tow vehicle in the drink.

If it were me I would skip this whole idea you have. I have been in the part time marine business for 25 years. Never seen it done. Just keep having the marine take care of your boat or keep your eyes open for a good used trailer. They are out there if you are patient.

Chris

 

[Pixguy]

I move a lot of boats and have never really seen this done. I do know a guy who has a 28' Pontoon boat with modern trailer, not the old skinny type, that we welded on cross member's every 24" on center than covered with decking boards. Its not up to the task of moving a tractor but can move small items like riding tractors, lumber, ect.

You could make a boat storage cradle that would set on a standard car hauler. Chain it down then load the boat. Once home jack it up and pull the trailer out from under it till spring. Could work but you would have to get the trailer in very very deep to get the boat on. This would end up getting more than half the tow vehicle in the drink.

If it were me I would skip this whole idea you have. I have been in the part time marine business for 25 years. Never seen it done. Just keep having the marine take care of your boat or keep your eyes open for a good used trailer. They are out there if you are patient.

Chris

Thanks DP, but that means I have to store a boat trailer in the summer and the tractor trailer in the winter, as well as have to pay to store my boat somewhere else than in the garage I'm building and I used that storage reason to sell the new garage to the wife.

Still not sure why a strong platform could not be attached to the boat trailer after removing the cradle, but I respect your experience, I just don't like it.:laughing:

.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Thanks DP, but that means I have to store a boat trailer in the summer and the tractor trailer in the winter, as well as have to pay to store my boat somewhere else than in the garage I'm building and I used that storage reason to sell the new garage to the wife.

Still not sure why a strong platform could not be attached to the boat trailer after removing the cradle, but I respect your experience, I just don't like it.:laughing:

.

The issue with attaching a flat deck to a boat trailer is most boat trailer rails are not flat. I looked into this very hard back in 2003 when I was in need of a 18' car hauler type trailer. I could get a used boat trailer for very little but what was needed to modify it to haul a tractor safely would cost what a new car hauler would run me at the time through my connections in the trailer dealer business.

My marina will store a trailer for free as part of the dock or rack storage price. I assume this is what you have now. So that takes care of the trailer in the summer. During the winter the trailer will store your boat in your garage/barn you are building.

The trailers are really built so completely different that its just about a impossible task. A boat like yours at 4,200#'s and 22' long probably has 75% of the weight in the back 6' of the boat and the remainder forward of that point. Take a look at a picture of my small boat, a 25' Cuddy. The axles are set very far back and the structure in front of the axles is very minimal. This type of trailer converted would exert extreme tongue weight on your tow vehicle and would also need a lot of beefing up to handle the load forward of the axles.

This leaves you with one option, a car hauler with a cradle to haul the boat. I have done this. The question is how do you get the boat on and off. By the time you account for the "V" of the haul the boat will sit a few feet above the trailers deck and maybe 3' above the ground. Launching and retrieving the boat will be just about impossible due to the depth that you must back the tow vehicle in the drink. By the time you get it in that far it will try to float up. Been there done that. 4 tires and all that wood will float it for sure. Heck, one boat I deal with is 38' and has a purpose built tri-axle aluminum boat trailer with 6x6 bunks and it will float. Now you are left with sling loading the boat on the trailer. Do they have a boat lift of a crane with spreader bars and slings at your marina? How do they launch and retrieve it now? Do they use a marina universal trailer?

How do you get the load where you want it? Remember on a boat 75% of the weight is usually in the last 25% of the boat. This placed on a car haul type of trailer so that the outdrive can hang off the back will make for a very unstable tow due to axle placement. The axles are too far forward on this type of trailer. This will leave a very unstable load to tow and probably down right dangerous.

Now the next question is how do you get it off the trailer at home for winter storage so that you can use the trailer for other purposes?

The guys who's pontoon trailer we modified has a dock where he leaves the boat April15-Nov15 so he has use of the trailer all spring, summer, and fall for lawn chores but in the winter he is leaves the boat on it and is without a trailer. It has worked for him but he did borrow my 18' car hauler once to get retaining wall supplies.

Lots to think about.

Chris

 

[Pixguy]

Your right Chris, lots to think about. My inexperience left me not realizing the placement of the axles on the two trailers were different.

I do not need the trailer in the winter and it could be used just to store the boat, but the other challenges you've outlined make it unlikely that I'll try it with my FourWinns bowrider.

I guess I'll have to stay with the status quo and readdress it if the wife gets her way and talks me into a pontoon she wanted years ago. :thumbdown:

 

[timswi]

Your right Chris, lots to think about. My inexperience left me not realizing the placement of the axles on the two trailers were different.

I do not need the trailer in the winter and it could be used just to store the boat, but the other challenges you've outlined make it unlikely that I'll try it with my FourWinns bowrider.

I guess I'll have to stay with the status quo and readdress it if the wife gets her way and talks me into a pontoon she wanted years ago. :thumbdown:

Four Winns are too nice of a boat to take any chances hauling it...My brother has one..NICE.

The two types of trailers have apples and oranges engineering. Not worth the effort to convert either one.

 

[Duffster]

The issue with attaching a flat deck to a boat trailer is most boat trailer rails are not flat. I looked into this very hard back in 2003 when I was in need of a 18' car hauler type trailer. I could get a used boat trailer for very little but what was needed to modify it to haul a tractor safely would cost what a new car hauler would run me at the time through my connections in the trailer dealer business.

My marina will store a trailer for free as part of the dock or rack storage price. I assume this is what you have now. So that takes care of the trailer in the summer. During the winter the trailer will store your boat in your garage/barn you are building.

The trailers are really built so completely different that its just about a impossible task. A boat like yours at 4,200#'s and 22' long probably has 75% of the weight in the back 6' of the boat and the remainder forward of that point. Take a look at a picture of my small boat, a 25' Cuddy. The axles are set very far back and the structure in front of the axles is very minimal. This type of trailer converted would exert extreme tongue weight on your tow vehicle and would also need a lot of beefing up to handle the load forward of the axles.

This leaves you with one option, a car hauler with a cradle to haul the boat. I have done this. The question is how do you get the boat on and off. By the time you account for the "V" of the haul the boat will sit a few feet above the trailers deck and maybe 3' above the ground. Launching and retrieving the boat will be just about impossible due to the depth that you must back the tow vehicle in the drink. By the time you get it in that far it will try to float up. Been there done that. 4 tires and all that wood will float it for sure. Heck, one boat I deal with is 38' and has a purpose built tri-axle aluminum boat trailer with 6x6 bunks and it will float. Now you are left with sling loading the boat on the trailer. Do they have a boat lift of a crane with spreader bars and slings at your marina? How do they launch and retrieve it now? Do they use a marina universal trailer?

How do you get the load where you want it? Remember on a boat 75% of the weight is usually in the last 25% of the boat. This placed on a car haul type of trailer so that the outdrive can hang off the back will make for a very unstable tow due to axle placement. The axles are too far forward on this type of trailer. This will leave a very unstable load to tow and probably down right dangerous.

Now the next question is how do you get it off the trailer at home for winter storage so that you can use the trailer for other purposes?

The guys who's pontoon trailer we modified has a dock where he leaves the boat April15-Nov15 so he has use of the trailer all spring, summer, and fall for lawn chores but in the winter he is leaves the boat on it and is without a trailer. It has worked for him but he did borrow my 18' car hauler once to get retaining wall supplies.

Lots to think about.

Chris

If 75% of that boats weight is in the last 25% of its length you could never tow it as shown.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Too bad you are up in NH. I could help you find a decent deal on a used trailer around here. I can think of one right now that would probably work for under $1500.

You could always buy a cheap aluminum one size fits all trailer for about $2700 new. They are not the best but it does not sound like you would be trailering much so they are a great option for limited used/storage trailers. The ones we have used have ez-lube axles and disc brakes. They are a great value.

Chris

 

[timswi]

If 75% of that boats weight is in the last 25% of its length you could never tow it as shown.

I'd say give or take on the % Chris is right. The motor (usually a small block or big block) the outdrive, pumps and most of the mechanicals are in the rear of the boat. From the boat trailers that are in my family, (I'm just a casual observer) the wheels are close to 3/4 of the way to the rear....That would preclude much tongue weight from the boat. I'm certainly no expert on the subject though.

 

[Runner]

Another good reason for not trying to use a utility trailer for a boat trailer is you will be dunking your electric brakes in the lake, which cannot be good for them.

I used the removable cradle idea to haul an old stand up Jet Ski on a small utility trailer, and it worked great, but would never try it with a full sized boat.

 

[timswi]

Another good reason for not trying to use a utility trailer for a boat trailer is you will be dunking your electric brakes in the lake, which cannot be good for them.

I used the removable cradle idea to haul an old stand up Jet Ski on a small utility trailer, and it worked great, but would never try it with a full sized boat.

We did the same thing by mounting a the delivery pallet of our wave runner to a utility trailer...It worked, but the next one had the correct trailer...Much easer to launch and load.

 

[crazyal]

My father modified his boat trailer to use as a car trailer as well. He added strips of metal where the tires would go. A boat may have most of it's weight in the rear but boat trailers are so long that the tongue weight was never an issue.

To take the boat off he would tie it to a large tree and put down several tires and slowly pull the trailer forward. Then to put it back on he would just crank it back on (electric winch).

 

[Pixguy]

Thanks for all your replys, I would only have to tow the boat about a half mile but uphill and my 214 FourWinns Funship has a 5.0 IO engine, so I would have the marina move it up for me.

Chris, so you recommend the trailer mentioned above? But just for my boat, right?

Moving my tractor would be 160 miles to one way to my daughters house though.

.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Thanks for all your replys, I would only have to tow the boat about a half mile but uphill and my 214 FourWinns Funship has a 5.0 IO engine, so I would have the marina move it up for me.

Chris, so you recommend the trailer mentioned above? But just for my boat, right?

Moving my tractor would be 160 miles to one way to my daughters house though.

.

Yes, just for your boat.


Chris

 

[Duffster]

I'd say give or take on the % Chris is right. The motor (usually a small block or big block) the outdrive, pumps and most of the mechanicals are in the rear of the boat. From the boat trailers that are in my family, (I'm just a casual observer) the wheels are close to 3/4 of the way to the rear....That would preclude much tongue weight from the boat. I'm certainly no expert on the subject though.

On the boat pictured there is easily over 25% of the length of boat behind the center of the tandems which with the weight distribution mentioned would make a negative tongue weight.

 

[Diamondpilot]

On the boat pictured there is easily over 25% of the length of boat behind the center of the tandems which with the weight distribution mentioned would make a negative tongue weight.

I just went out to the barn and measured it. From the tip of the motor in the trimmed up position to the ball coupler on the trailer its 31' in length.

From the back of the boat to the center of the axles is 6' and form the tip of the motor trimmed up to the center of the axles is just a little shy of 9'. I think it looks a little different in this pic because its at a angle.

Again, this boat is right at 7,000#. The outdrive weighs 148#. Not sure of the weight of the extended swim platform but I would guess its in the 200# range. The boat was weighed by me twice in the last 2 years.

Chris

 

[Duffster]

I just went out to the barn and measured it. From the tip of the motor in the trimmed up position to the ball coupler on the trailer its 31' in length.

From the back of the boat to the center of the axles is 6' and form the tip of the motor trimmed up to the center of the axles is just a little shy of 9'. I think it looks a little different in this pic because its at a angle.

Again, this boat is right at 7,000#. The outdrive weighs 148#. Not sure of the weight of the extended swim platform but I would guess its in the 200# range. The boat was weighed by me twice in the last 2 years.

Chris

How long is the boat?

Either way, your numbers pretty much prove my point.

 

[Diamondpilot]

How long is the boat?

Either way, your numbers pretty much prove my point.

Boat is a 25' boat with a 3' extend swim platform for about 28' overall length. On the trailer its 31' from the tongue to the back edge of the swim platform.

As for the weight, there are 3 group 27 batteries, a 75 gallon fuel tank, 383 stroker plus outdrive, 25 gallon water tank, 10 gallon holding tank, plus all the mechanical systems in the back 4-5 feet of the boat. I have seen it slung lifted and the CG point is roughly over the axles.

Its bigger than it looks in the pic. The truck pulling it is a 2008 Nissan Titan that is 20' long. Its sitting on 33" tires to give you a idea.

Here is another pic to give you a idea of the length.

Chris

 

[Pixguy]

Nice boat Chris, wanna trade?? Your trailer included of course.

.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Nice boat Chris, wanna trade?? Your trailer included of course.

.

Thanks. This one is for sale.

Chris