Getting to know my new boat/trailer combo

[livendive]

...the trial by fire method.

So last week I bought a 1997 Silverton 310, 2000 miles from home. The best bid I received on shipping it to me was willing to drop another $1,000 if I had my own trailer. I found an ok deal on a 2008 Venture triple axle (VATB-12625) and wired the money to my boat broker to pay cash for the trailer. He went and picked it up Saturday and said it looks brand new.

Fast forward to Monday, and said shipper had one of his teams of drivers quit on him, and of course nobody else seems to want to give me the same price as he did, on my trailer. So, I'm tossing the idea around of borrowing/renting a 1-ton and going back to get it myself. My half-ton Tundra does fine with my 28' travel trailer, but wouldn't cut the mustard on this. Of course this would entail learning the intricacies of wide-load permits in each of the states between Washington and Illinois, and I'm guessing it would take me 4-5 days to get it done. But I bet I'd know a thing or two more about my boat/trailer combination by the time I got home. I don't know, it does't seem like a wise thing to do, I guess I'm just annoyed, and my checkbook has taken some pretty good hits over the last week, so I'm venting here.

Anyone else jumped right into cross-country hauls with a bigger boat? How steep was the learning curve?

 

[livendive]

Re: Getting to know my new boat/trailer combo

Well, it looks like i've got a hauler again after all, with pickup scheduled for Monday. Hopefully she's up to the trip!

 

[roscoe]

Re: Getting to know my new boat/trailer combo

Looks nice, good luck.

 

[ingalp01]

Re: Getting to know my new boat/trailer combo

That looks like a really nice boat. If it has trailer brakes, I'd tow it with my Suburban...

60 MPH max, and it would probably cost you 500 in gas, so a grand to have it brought to you doesn't seem too bad.

Good luck, it really is a good looking boat.

 

[642mx]

Re: Getting to know my new boat/trailer combo

What year Tundra do you have?

 

[livendive]

Re: Getting to know my new boat/trailer combo

What year Tundra do you have?

2007 Limited Double-Cab 4x4 TRD with the standard bed. As long as it can handle the tongue weight, I'll use it to move the boat around town, but that'd be at or above the legal towing limit. A couple thousand miles and 3 mountain passes? I'd have to bring a spare tranny.

Now, how do I go about finding out if it can handle the tongue weight, without the risk of finding out it can't?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Getting to know my new boat/trailer combo

If television is to be believed, your Tundra should be able to tow that up 80 degree inclines, stop it within 2 ft going down the same incline, all while surrounded by tunnels of fire .

 

[642mx]

Re: Getting to know my new boat/trailer combo

2007 Limited Double-Cab 4x4 TRD with the standard bed. As long as it can handle the tongue weight, I'll use it to move the boat around town, but that'd be at or above the legal towing limit. A couple thousand miles and 3 mountain passes? I'd have to bring a spare tranny.

Now, how do I go about finding out if it can handle the tongue weight, without the risk of finding out it can't?

It could handle it. I've got an 08 DC 5.7L 4x4. Get the TRD sway bar kit, if you haven't yet. With the sway bar kit, they drive so much more stable with a boat in tow.

Don't worry about that tranny, I doubt the temp gauge would even move! Visit tundrasolutions.com and see what some of these guys pull with the Gen II Tundra.... lots of them treat them like 3/4 or 1 tons! Those guys will know how much tongue weight you can handle.

 

[642mx]

Re: Getting to know my new boat/trailer combo

If television is to be believed, your Tundra should be able to tow that up 80 degree inclines, stop it within 2 ft going down the same incline, all while surrounded by tunnels of fire .

That actually was done, just like on TV. All of the commercial's where real. Toyota use to have video's on there site showing the set up and taping of the commercials, but I think they removed them.

Here's an article for the non-believers: http://machinedesign.com/article/engineering-an-ad-0110

 

[Pirate_40]

Re: Getting to know my new boat/trailer combo

Before you go and haul the Shuttle Discovery and risk damage to your everyday vehicle, ask yourself this. What kind of trucks do the boat haulers use for their business.

If it were me, I'd have it done with someone else's truck. Let their insurance cover the radar arch being ripped off from a low lying branch. (If it were mine I'd take it and the canvas off for the haul). A $1000 is better than a possible 1900-2500 tranny rebuild. I think towing 12000 lbs for 2000 miles is the equivalent of 4000 miles of wear and tear on your vehicle. In the grand scheme of things it's a very small percentage of what you laid out for the boat and trailer. Give her a kiss good bye and tell her you'll see her in a week.

 

[livendive]

Re: Getting to know my new boat/trailer combo

I'm definitely having the canvas removed for the haul, but was planning to leave the arch on, provided the overall height is ok (I think it's about 12' even). But thanks for reminding me to call and have them check the height now that it?s on the trailer?we were just guesstimating before. 12,000 lbs is a probably a pretty good estimate?the truck and trailer, dry & empty are 11,200 lbs. I can easily imagine residual fluids, canvas, batteries, and odds & ends adding up to another few hundred pounds.

$1,000 is just what they were willing to shave off the price to haul on my trailer vs their's...basically meaning I got a $1,000 discount for buying a trailer there instead of here. My best bid on the haul is still sitting at $4,000 for a fully insured, legal guy transporting on his own authority. While better than the $6,000 bids I got, it's still a sizeable chunk of change. By contrast, I think it'd cost me a week of vacation and around $1,700 in fuel, permit, and hotel expenses (Oversize load permits in 7 states, 2,000 loaded miles, 2,000 unloaded miles, and 4 nights in hotels). That number could go up substantially the second things started going south. So the question is whether a week of vacation, wear and tear on my truck, and the head/butt aches are worth $2300. Sure they are.