Trailering Wellcraft 2600 Martinique

[dkempton]

I recently boaght a 2002 Wellcraft 2600 Martinique and decided to buy a Venture trailer from the dealer to tow it and have it shipped to my house. I thought my 2010 AWD Sierra Denali (1500) would be able to handle towing the boat but I think I might be wrong. Here's the specs:

2010 Denali has a towing rating of 9400#
Venture Trailer is a bunk tandem with 7400# rating - wait of the trailer is 1300# GVW8750
2002 Martinique 2600 has a dry weight of 6500#
-84gal fuel=~500#
-26gal water=~217#
-gear I will estimate at 500#

obvouisly I'm getting close to the trailer max so I will make sure not to have any water in the water tank, try to keep the fuel under a half tank when trailering and keep some of the gear off the boat until after launch (the boat will be slipped most of the time anyway)

My problem is that I have severe sag if I put the trailer on my truck. (I wouldn't even attempt to move it) I'm not sure what the tongue weight is (I know it should be around 700#) but I'm not sure if they set up the trailer correctly at the dealership for my boat. Bunks are even with the transom but I have read that you may need to move the axles to properly set the tongue weight.

can I get a weight distribution hitch? I have read that a reese SC will work with surge brakes but I don't know if it will work with an aluminum I-beam trailer.

Am I screwed? not in the budget to go buy a 1 ton truck....

-D

 

[Silver Eagle]

Re: Trailering Wellcraft 2600 Martinique

At one time I had a Reese Hitch when I was pulling a 21 ft Travel Trailer And I had no problens towing it.You have to go to a Travel trailer place and see how they are hooked up, It's not the same as on a boat trailer. If your worried about the weight in the trailer with the boat put your gear on the truck. The Reese hitch will level everything out. You may want to get rid of the surge brakes and get Disc brakes on the trailer. They will stop you a lot better and surge brakes will be a problem in a couple of years.

 

[gtochris]

Re: Trailering Wellcraft 2600 Martinique

You may want to get rid of the surge brakes and get Disc brakes on the trailer. They will stop you a lot better and surge brakes will be a problem in a couple of years.

Surge brakes are just the activation method and can be Disc brakes, and I believe most modern trailers come that way (Mine is disc/ surge activated) and stop like it isnt even there!

I think the Denali is enough truck, you need to verify the tongue weight and that the whole trailer is ballanced, it took me alot of adjusting to get mine right (moved the winch alot and then shifted the axle forward to reduce tongue weight). You had 2 axles so it's even more work.

 

[hungupthespikes]

Re: Trailering Wellcraft 2600 Martinique

Here's a couple of links that may help.
The first for tongue weight and how far to move the axles if you need to.
the second with setting up the trailer for the boat.
The dealer should have done both, weight distributions.

http://www.continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/trailering/trailerCalculations.html

http://www.shorelandr.com/pages/pf_trstep1.htm


Will the truck handle it? Yes, but it will be a slow go.
"can I get a weight distribution hitch?" Yes, and it will be a must if your specs on tongue weight for the truck is 500 lbs. and if you need to go over it.
Just sounds like the boat dealer could care less, but give him a call to enlighten him, a good dealer will at least send someone out to take a look.

The best place I've found is a good RV dealer. They do this for a living all the time and can really get you going in the right and safe way.

Yea, it's going to take some time and money but you'll have peace of mind and be able to take the boat to any lake you pick.
Good luck and it's not near as bad as you think.

 

[Dave1251]

Re: Trailering Wellcraft 2600 Martinique

You forgot to add GM wessel words with your tow rating. Per GM web site:


**Maximum trailer ratings are calculated assuming standard equipped vehicle, driver, and required trailering equipment. The weight of option equipment, passengers, and cargo will reduce the maximum trailer weight your vehicle can tow. 10% to 15% of the trailer weight is the recommended trailer tongue load.

This means everyone in the truck and all your gear, you must reduce the tow weight by that amount. I am not sure what GM uses for driver weight, but Ford used 150lbs a few years ago. Boat dry weights do not include batteries, optional engines (for example for a big block over small block add 300lbs, added weight for a dual prop or any option equipment. This will drive up your tow weight more than you think. The only way to really know the total weight is to take the boat and trailer to a truck scale. You are going to be very close on both the trailer and trucks rating.

The dealer that sold you the trailer should have know it was undersize and more you to the next size up. As a boat dealer, if the trailer rating is within 500lbs of the wet weight of a boat, we move up to the next size trailer.

If a new truck is not in the cards, make sure the trailer set up is correct and add helper springs to the truck to handle the tonque weight.

 

[dkempton]

Re: Trailering Wellcraft 2600 Martinique

Looks like the dealer got me good... just looked at the title and the trailer model has a max of 7200#... I'd be very surprised if he answers my email or his phone! I just freakin registered the thing 2 days ago as well.... Argh! Anyone looking to buy a Venture VATB-7225? Actually as I was writing this he sent me an email blaming me saying I'm the one who chose the trailer.... you have got to be kidding me. All I said is I needed a trailer for the boat I bought FROM HIM - I didn't pick a model or anything - I didn't even know that it was going to be a Venture!!! What an ***....

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Trailering Wellcraft 2600 Martinique

2010 Denali has a towing rating of 9400#
Venture Trailer is a bunk tandem with 7400# rating - wait of the trailer is 1300# GVW8750


-D

You are teetering on the edge, no doubt about that for both the trailer and the truck. Without knowing the conditions that you tow or how far, it's hard to say whether or not this is a no go deal. Your trailer dealer sounds like a twerp, he should know better than to sell a boat trailer based on the dry weight. There's an industry standard for rigging and support that states working loads which is your GVWR and failure which is typically a 4:1 ratio. I don't believe the trailer is going to give you much of an issue. Have a serious look at the tires to see if they are capable of the load, that's typically the first point of failure. Your truck could struggle badly on hilly terrain, and the brakes will be at their limit on both the truck and trailer. A load distributing hitch will help greatly with sway control and somewhat with braking as the load will be distributed equally across the axles. You really are close to a triple axle trailer for what you're packing there with at least dual axle brakes.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Trailering Wellcraft 2600 Martinique

If it's an aluminum trailer, I'd be particularly leery of overloading it.

 

[dkempton]

Re: Trailering Wellcraft 2600 Martinique

Well the dealer is throwing a "he said, she said" (the dealer is male but we'll call him the she) So it looks like I'm stuck with the trailer. I checked the tires and they're rated at 2580# - with four of them I should be okay. I don't think the trailer is setup correctly so I'm going to get the whole thing weighed and weight the tongue weight - something's telling me I need to move the axles forward to relieve some tongue weight. Even with the tonque weight at 7.5% of the overall weight, I will probably still need a distribution hitch - probably will go with a Reese SC High performance with the pole tongue adapter - states this will work with surge brakes. I hadn't planned on trailering it much - maybe once or twice a year to maine (3 hours away). Mainly was going to use for storage in the off season at my house which is about 2o minutes from the boat yard. I will make sure the boat weight is under 7000#..... I'd post the name of the dealer and sales rep, but then I'd be stooping to their level - chock it up as experience... still a d-bag though

Here's a pic of the boat on the trailer....

 

[jzellers]

Re: Trailering Wellcraft 2600 Martinique

D,

Your trailer doesn't look all that bad with the boat on it as far as overloading is concerned. It doesn't appear as if the torsion axles are over-compressed, but you can verify that the spindles are either at the same level as the axle tube or a little lower. I would not recommend moving the axles forward, but if you can move the boat back some that will help with your tongue weight. If the bunks aren't long enough to reach the edge of your transom you might be able to move the bunks back a little.

From my experience, the manufacturers under-estimate the weight of their trailers. I have a 15,000# cap aluminum tri-axle for my '98 Four Winns 278 Vista. The manufacturer of the trailer said it weighed 1400# - actual weight: 2020#. I just had a custom single axle trailer built over the winter for my waverunner. I had it build extra heavy (3500# cap) because I intend to double-stack another waverunner with a lifting mechanism eventually. This manufacturer said the trailer was 200#. I haven't weighed it yet but can tell from moving it around in my shop that it's at least twice that and maybe more.

Your next step should include weighing your setup as it is at a truck stop. It should cost around $10 to weigh and reweigh (with and without tow vehicle) This will also tell you how much weight you're adding to the rear axle of the truck. If you are nervous about using your truck, maybe you can find someone with a 2500 or 3500 that can tow it for you.

Once you know for sure what the weights are, there are several things you can do like others have suggested, such as the WD hitch. If you're past the tow rating for your truck, there's not much you can do about that except doing what you can to lower the weight of the boat, like leaving the water tank empty, etc. as you mentioned.

 

[arks]

Re: Trailering Wellcraft 2600 Martinique

.... I hadn't planned on trailering it much - maybe once or twice a year to maine (3 hours away). Mainly was going to use for storage in the off season at my house which is about 2o minutes from the boat yard....

You've GOTTA make sure your rig will be safe rolling down the road, even for 20 minutes because you never know when you'll need to do an emergency manuever. If the boat is too heavy for the truck it'll be tough (or impossible) to overcome inertia. I know this from first-hand experience.........
Does the trailer have brakes on BOTH axles? In an emergency that can make a huge difference.
Does your state require trailers to be safety inspected? Even if it isn't I might suggest you take the whole rig for a once-over. They'll tell you if it's OK.

 

[bigcathunter]

Re: Trailering Wellcraft 2600 Martinique

I think you will be ok if you can slide your bow stop and strap and boat farther back on the trailer, I had to do that with my boat. From your picture it does not look like your boat is even pulled up to the bow stop roller which it should be.

 

[dkempton]

Re: Trailering Wellcraft 2600 Martinique

Well, I used a bathroom scale and lever setup to get the tongue weight - 850lbs. I'm going to get some boat stands and move the axles up 3-5 inches and see if that lessens the weight a little bit. If I still need to I will move the boat back a couple inches - not far though because it doesn't look lke the bunks will move back.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Trailering Wellcraft 2600 Martinique

Stop right here...... 850# is perfect..... your truck is a little on the light side BUT you need a class IV hitch and a weight distributing hitch (wdh)..... If you look closely at your owners manual it probably states that the 9400 lb rating is with a wdh.... another option is air bags on the rear axle to level the truck but you will be most stable with the wdh and the tongue weight that you already have. If you follow this advice your tow vehicle would be reasonably safe to tow (at REASONABLE speeds) anywhere as long as your tires are up to the job. Next thing to consider would be trailer brakes (I didn't read the whole thread) higher weight rated tires (D or E) and an aux trans cooler.

I HIGHLY recommend that you take this rig to a truck stop with a scale and get your axle weights... you need to know that that you are ok on the total weight and also that you don't have an individual axle that is overloaded

ALSO if you decide to ignore my advice and move the axle anyhow then you don't need boat stands..... just normal automotive jack stands under the trailer..... get the bigger ones though ie 5-7k rated...

btw I tow daily at 26k lbs for a living and have towed over 200k in the past so it's not my first rodeo

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Trailering Wellcraft 2600 Martinique

BTW tow this with as close to no fuel as possible..... completely drain the water and remove any heavy gear that you can...... If you must fuel before launch then do so as close to the ramp as possible. My boat is comparable to yours and I consider it to be FIRMLY in one truck territory although if I only had a 1/2 ton I'd tow it but at a much lower speed. I'd also be much less confident in my safety margin.

You are in the 45 in a 55 or 55 in a 70 speed limit area.... many would just hammer down and they would likely be ok but when the stupid person in the minivan cuts them off they may not be able to save the lives of all the kids on the back seat..... ya know?

 

[dkempton]

Re: Trailering Wellcraft 2600 Martinique

Smoke,
Thannks for your advice. Even if I lowered the tongue weight I was pretty sure I needed a wdh. Max tongue weight is 600# without wdh and 1050# with wdh. Should I try and get the tongue weight down below 800# for the Reeses SC 800# tongue/10000# wdh or should I just go for the 1000#/15000#?

The trailer has surge brakes (I think on only one axle). I will check the tire ratings - they said max weight of 2580# on each but not sure of the rating. The GMC Sierra Denali comes with a transmission cooler as a standard option so I think I'm okay there.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Trailering Wellcraft 2600 Martinique

read my first post again.... leave the trailer alone and get the tow rig /wdh setup right

 

[dkempton]

Re: Trailering Wellcraft 2600 Martinique

will do, thx...

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Trailering Wellcraft 2600 Martinique

I hope you aren't going up any hills. I have a Silverado with the 5.3L towing a 24' boat. It is marginal at best. Definitely need equilizing hitch and brakes on both axles.

Are you saying the GVW of the trailer is 7200#. You have the wrong trailer no matter what the tires say they can support.

What axle ratio do you have on your truck?

 

[dkempton]

Re: Trailering Wellcraft 2600 Martinique

No GVW of trailer is 8500# I just put a Reese SC Pro WDH on due to 850# tongue weight. Denali has max towing cap of 9400# - 403HP, 417Ft-lb, aux tran cooler so I think it will pull okay. No hills to boat yard anyway. I was planning on towing this a couple of times a year (will be mostly in a slip) but have reconsidered. I pulled it down the street and it handled okay but I would be worried about highway speeds and I was constantly worrying about the radar arch hitting trees...

Here's a pic of it on the Denali - looks like a toy truck!