14' boat on 19' boat trailer?

[matt167]

I just got my 1960 or 1970 something Starcraft Holiday 14 and the trailer is an old Holesclaw 700* which I knew were well known but this one has seen better days. It does have new hubs and bearings and tires but it has a bent tongue and rust. It does seem solid, but the tongue worries me

My Freebie parts boat is sitting on a 2001 Shorelandr and is a 19' boat. . Could I put the 14' boat on the big trailer?

 

[jhande]

I'm not that knowledgeable with boat & trailer setups but 5 feet extra play sounds to me to be a lot.

The stern of the boat basically needs to be at the back of the trailer. You could adjust or fix the bunks and/or rollers and bow stop to cradle the boat. But now you have an extra 5 feet of tongue. Plus the axles will be in the wrong position. You'll have to adjust the axle and tongue for the proper weight distribution. Might need to cut the tongue shorter.

 

[matt167]

I was getting cought up where trailers are 'up to' a certain length even though it didn't seem right.

Local dealer has a Venture VB1300 for under $1,000 tax and all that I think I'm going to get

 

[JimS123]

Put the transom at the end of the trailer.
Adjust the winch stand to the proper place.
Move the axle to get the proper tongue weight.
Try her out and see how she trails.

Most likely your only problem will be that the trailer bounces a lot because of insufficient weight on the springs that are set for a bigger boat. Nevertheless, probably no safety concerns, per se'.

 

[matt167]

Put the transom at the end of the trailer.
Adjust the winch stand to the proper place.
Move the axle to get the proper tongue weight.
Try her out and see how she trails.

Most likely your only problem will be that the trailer bounces a lot because of insufficient weight on the springs that are set for a bigger boat. Nevertheless, probably no safety concerns, per se'.

I was tempted to try it, but that 19' trailer I had planned to use on a different boat that I'm building ( Chugger ) anyway... The VB1300 which is more or less the 'right' trailer for the boat, as the trailers max length is 15'6" and my boat is 14'.. I'm getting the trailer for $950 which I think is a fairly steep discount

 

[JimS123]

I was tempted to try it, but that 19' trailer I had planned to use on a different boat that I'm building ( Chugger ) anyway... The VB1300 which is more or less the 'right' trailer for the boat, as the trailers max length is 15'6" and my boat is 14'.. I'm getting the trailer for $950 which I think is a fairly steep discount

If the 19' was already spoken for why did you ask the question?

 

[matt167]

If the 19' was already spoken for why did you ask the question?

It was before I found a dirt cheap trailer brand new... But I would have gave it a go if it could have been 'correct'

 

[matt167]

I actually just looked at the 19' trailer, and it's an EZ Loader not a Shorelandr. The back of trailer to tongue is 17', so it would never fit a 14' boat.. If I had looked, I'd have known. It might not even fit my 16' Chugger, although I think it will. The winch stand jutts backward about 1.5', so the trailer all the way in, should be small enough for it.. Otherwise I'll have to go back to the dealer and get another VB1300 when it's time