Trailering a 290 1200 Miles

Alex F said:
Sadler,

Besides some great advice you're getting from other members I just want to mention that it's very important to have a long term plan for your traveling needs. It's very possible that you'll spend lots time and money to get the right rig. Then, initially you'll be making number of trips and eventually end up making only couple of trips per year. At that point, you may realize that all the money and effort that was spent was not really worth it. I had similar situation when we've upgraded from 175BR to 240DA. After making few initial trips the first and second season we had a new burn and our travelling had slowed down big time. Then, when staying in slip for a season, we've realize that having the towing rig for couple trip in the season was not worth it. We have no needs for such a large vehicle except for towing 240. So, driving full size SUV and tow the boat few times a year didn't make sence anylonger. This is when we made the decission to move up.
I don't know your situation and travelling plans, but I just wanted to mantion that sometimes it's worth of paying more for travelling by water (not to mention the enjoyment of that trip getting from point A to point B, as a jorney of it's own), then invest in expensive rig, which will require maintenance.

Good luck in whatever you decide,
Alex.
Click to expand...

Good thoughts Alex, clearly from someone who's been there. You make some good points. I'll keep my marina spot for awhile and see how this goes. Love your 320 by the way. That or a 340 will likely be my next step up boat. Have you been ok with the engine access?
 
Last edited:
TIME WELL WASTED said:
Sadler
Here's a picture of my Loadmaster Trailer that I bought last summer for my 1995 - 290. It came from the manufacturer in Florida. I bought it from a local dealer. I prefer the aluminum trailers. I had one under my last cruiser too. I also got a quote from the other Loadmaster brand. It sounds like they build a nice trailer. I pull mine with a 3/4 ton Suburban but wouldn't want to do it for 1200 miles. I would definitely want something bigger.
Click to expand...

Do you prefer aluminum because of the weight advantage?
 
The main reason I like the aluminum is for the maintenance, don't have to worry about the paint chipping or rusting. Whether that's a good reason, I don't know.
 
Great links regarding the oversized permits. It's nice to see it in one spot.

As far as DRW vs. SRW, I'm sure a SRW will handle your load just fine. Most boat trailers don't have huge amounts on the tongue. I'd definitely recommend either a WDH, gooseneck or fifth wheel. A standard tongue will work, but it can take a lot of weight off the front end of your vehicle. Our 250 behind our burb is OK if the pavement is dry, but if it's wet it becomes a shorts changing experience! There is NO weight on the front end and it becomes very loose. In a quick manuver you'll understand what I mean. A big long truck may not experience that as much as a burb.
 
Interesting post...I bought a 2500hd Chevy duramax/allison on my way to the Cleveland boat show today. I am looking to move up to a '92 or '93 290da ( the reason I bought the truck ! ).
 
Quint4 said:
Interesting post...I bought a 2500hd Chevy duramax/allison on my way to the Cleveland boat show today. I am looking to move up to a '92 or '93 290da ( the reason I bought the truck ! ).
Click to expand...
I figure if Allisons could pull my fathers P-38 in WWII, it can DARN SURE pull my boat! I think you will love driving that truck. It's a great rig, has a ton of power and will handle the load with ease. No more high revving to get up a hill, the towing mode will keep it from building speed when coasting down a hill and it's diesel!

As far as having a trailer, yes you might not use it much after a year or two but we've never moored our boat anywhere. It's easier to load at home than it is to load the car and then load it from the car down the dock to the boat. It's just as easy to drop in the water as any other boat, winches on the trailer faster than our 250 DA and having it at home where you can clean, polish, maintain or just play on it is worth a ton of money! I like being able to walk out to take a look or fiddle or whatever. Folks in the West are explorers genetically, that's why we're out here. Taking the boat and going to a new destination each week is my favorite park! I'd quit boating if my boat was moored at the same dock, same lake, same marina and same neighbors. I need to some variety in my life!! :)
 
Last edited:
The thing about a dually is there is nothing better when you are towing, and nothing worse when you are not. If you will get it primarily for towing, I would definitely say get the dually. If you will be using it a great deal as a driver, get the SRW.

Also, I have a fixed-bunk aluminum trailer under my 260, and a powder-coated boxed-steel trailer under my 310. All in all, I prefer the simplicity, light weight, and lower maintenance of the aluminum trailer.

Your 290 will tow fine with the right equipment.
 
Sadler Sir:

There are a lot of things to consider before you get the tow vehicle.

If you are going to be towing all over the place as you indicate I would think twice about pulling on the ball. So here are some more things to consider.

We have a MegaCab with Mr Cummins under the hood. The megacab is only available in a short bed which can be an issue when towing Goosenecks and fith wheels. On very tight turns you have to be careful you do not crush your cab since the hitch point is in the center of your bed. To solve this problem you can get a slider for the fifth wheel which moves the hitch backward to allow a tighter turning radius. The design of your gooseneck will determine your turning radius and needs to be considered when the trailer is built. Extra thought. Some one in TX makes a long bed conversion and or a tractor platform if you want to take the box off. Sure is fun spending your money!!!

2006 and forward you can get a factory Jake brake. It can be installed after the sale. Knowing where you live Sadler I would get the Jake. It is not an expensive option but once you get used to it you won't give it back. I do not have a Jake as I don't tow enough wt at this time on a regular basis, hoping to change that though.

Pin wt is also a concern when towing from the bed. On the 3/4 ton megacab the payload wt can be a concern. Check with the manufacturer of the trailer for the estimated pin wt on your particular boat and trailer combination. If you are over your payload capacity you can put air bags in the rear which in effect gives you a 1 ton. The difference between the 1 ton and the 3/4 ton is one extra spring. The rest of the truck is the same.

Single vs dually. If you have a lot of pin wt you may want to consider a dually as the wt is distributed over 4 tires as opposed to 2. If you go with a SRW make sure your tires are rated for your wt. You may have to buy a larger load range tire even if you are not squatting the back. I have no idea how much pin wt you will have so this may not be of concern. I don't have my payload wts in front of me at the moment. I THINK it was something like 1500 lbs. You will have a more stable platform with a dually.

An aluminum or galvanized trailer is fine. No painted trailers. I would also go with electric over hydralic brakes.

The largest load scaled load I have pulled is18K plus the truck. No problem.
 
SearayPaul said:
Sadler Sir:

There are a lot of things to consider before you get the tow vehicle.

If you are going to be towing all over the place as you indicate I would think twice about pulling on the ball. So here are some more things to consider.

We have a MegaCab with Mr Cummins under the hood. The megacab is only available in a short bed which can be an issue when towing Goosenecks and fith wheels. On very tight turns you have to be careful you do not crush your cab since the hitch point is in the center of your bed. To solve this problem you can get a slider for the fifth wheel which moves the hitch backward to allow a tighter turning radius. The design of your gooseneck will determine your turning radius and needs to be considered when the trailer is built. Extra thought. Some one in TX makes a long bed conversion and or a tractor platform if you want to take the box off. Sure is fun spending your money!!!

2006 and forward you can get a factory Jake brake. It can be installed after the sale. Knowing where you live Sadler I would get the Jake. It is not an expensive option but once you get used to it you won't give it back. I do not have a Jake as I don't tow enough wt at this time on a regular basis, hoping to change that though.

Pin wt is also a concern when towing from the bed. On the 3/4 ton megacab the payload wt can be a concern. Check with the manufacturer of the trailer for the estimated pin wt on your particular boat and trailer combination. If you are over your payload capacity you can put air bags in the rear which in effect gives you a 1 ton. The difference between the 1 ton and the 3/4 ton is one extra spring. The rest of the truck is the same.

Single vs dually. If you have a lot of pin wt you may want to consider a dually as the wt is distributed over 4 tires as opposed to 2. If you go with a SRW make sure your tires are rated for your wt. You may have to buy a larger load range tire even if you are not squatting the back. I have no idea how much pin wt you will have so this may not be of concern. I don't have my payload wts in front of me at the moment. I THINK it was something like 1500 lbs. You will have a more stable platform with a dually.

An aluminum or galvanized trailer is fine. No painted trailers. I would also go with electric over hydralic brakes.

The largest load scaled load I have pulled is18K plus the truck. No problem.
Click to expand...

Thanks Paul. Lots of good info in your post. I was concerned about the short bed. I'll give it very careful thought before doing anything. If we run into each other at the boat show next weekend, maybe we can discuss. Folks here have been a great help. Thanks very much.

Got to take off now. Snow's over and planes here are flying again today, so it's off to Florida for a little r&r. Hope it's a little warmer down there.
 
Sadler said:
Good thoughts Alex, clearly from someone who's been there. You make some good points. I'll keep my marina spot for awhile and see how this goes. Love your 320 by the way. That or a 340 will likely be my next step up boat. Have you been ok with the engine access?
Click to expand...

Sadler,
Thanks, I can't wait for the spring to start enjoying the 320. I got it at the very end of our season and just had enough time to winterize it. I did it myself and can say that engine room could be bigger, but it's manageble for basic maintenance stuff. I'm not a big guy and pretty flexible, so that makes it easier. I may have to replace my hot water heater, so I'm not sure how much dificult it'll be, meaning if it'll fit in te opening without taking other items a part. When I did it on my 240 it was a fairly easy job with no space issues.

Alex.
 
I tow my 1988 270 sundancer with a 10' beam. I bought the boat in
Georgia and three weeks later took it to Florida. With the right truck and trailer you will have no problem. My trailer is tripple axle with brakes on two alxe sets. My tow truck is 2000 Ford Excursion 4x4 Diesel with hevy duty transmission and coolers. I have no idea about S.C. but Georgia was a real pain to get my oversize permit. They could not understand I was a private person towing my boat. They wanted an insurance letter like a business, so my State Farm made up a bs letter for them. I had a hard time even get info from them to get what I needed. Goergia is sorta that way sometimes. By the way I live in Georgia so I get to deal with this too often not only the DOT. My home state of Florida is awsome! Just go to Fla DOT website and fill out online app, pay the fee and you are good to go. Your car insurance should cover your liablity when towing but does not cover actual boat. That is cover by your boat insurance. Call your company to make sure you are covered. I will be towing from Tarpon Springs, Fl to Miami in June for a trip down the Keys. Good luck planning your trip have fun and be safe.
 
kevin27 said:
I tow my 1988 270 sundancer with a 10' beam. I bought the boat in
Georgia and three weeks later took it to Florida. With the right truck and trailer you will have no problem. My trailer is tripple axle with brakes on two alxe sets. My tow truck is 2000 Ford Excursion 4x4 Diesel with hevy duty transmission and coolers. I have no idea about S.C. but Georgia was a real pain to get my oversize permit. They could not understand I was a private person towing my boat. They wanted an insurance letter like a business, so my State Farm made up a bs letter for them. I had a hard time even get info from them to get what I needed. Goergia is sorta that way sometimes. By the way I live in Georgia so I get to deal with this too often not only the DOT. My home state of Florida is awsome! Just go to Fla DOT website and fill out online app, pay the fee and you are good to go. Your car insurance should cover your liablity when towing but does not cover actual boat. That is cover by your boat insurance. Call your company to make sure you are covered. I will be towing from Tarpon Springs, Fl to Miami in June for a trip down the Keys. Good luck planning your trip have fun and be safe.
Click to expand...

Thanks Kevin. Are you using regular ball hitch or gooseneck/fifth wheel? And do you find not being able to tow Sundays, holidays, and nights a problem? I could swap my overwide 290 for a not overwide 260/270 if overwide is a problem for lots of towing.

Sadler
 
Hey Sadler -

Just found the site a while ago.

FWIW I have trailered my '96 290 from the Charlotte area to the NC and SC coasts every year since '96 and never been stopped. I usually remember the permits about 50 miles into my trip (oops). Anyway, that's my story.

Bob
 
Welcome icu812 Good to see another 290 on the site. We need to get a thread going for 1994 to mid year 1997 290 owners.
 
icu812 said:
Hey Sadler -

Just found the site a while ago.

FWIW I have trailered my '96 290 from the Charlotte area to the NC and SC coasts every year since '96 and never been stopped. I usually remember the permits about 50 miles into my trip (oops). Anyway, that's my story.

Bob
Click to expand...

Bob,

That's good to hear. I think I've seen you on I-26!

So, from your experince, looks I'd be ok in SC/NC.

And from what people say GA and FL could be a problem without permits.

Sadler
 
Bob

Welcome to CSR and thank you for the information.

I just got off the phone with DOT and the overwide permit agency. They all very emphatic that the permits needed to be in place etc. I was wondering if they would bother a recreational boater or not. There probably are bigger fish to fry with a lot more violations than we could ever amass in one stop.

Sadler in addition to what has already been discussed you will need to get a weighted tag for your truck that covers the truck plus the trailer. 7K for truck plus 15K for trailer and boat total wt is 22K. This is a one time fee. Also since you are overwide and pulling more than 10K you need a tag for the trailer. One time fee.

There is no reciprocity with a SC wide load permit. One state only. The rules we have discussed are correct in regards to towing times.

You do not need to roll through the wiegh stations just keep on going unless requested by DOT.

Now for Bob's real world experience. How often have you towed this load. Do you go down I 26 to Charleston very often? Not being able to tow on Sunday bothers me. Without a sign sounds like no one would give a second look.
 
Sadler, I use ball type hitch. The reciever is rated at 20,000# and ball 10,000#. I do not tow at night although would continue to destination if almost there. Last time I towed the boat back from the canvas shop I had to stop very quick(stupid people) and the road was wet. Tires on the trailer locked up and could not believe how quick it stoped. Good to know it stops fast but don't want to do that again. Leave lots of room and be suspect of everyone doing something stupid. Don't trade to smaller boat you will be sorry.
 
Sadler -

I'm not recommending you forgo the permits but their low priority for me when preparing for a trip has not caused me a problem. I did read a thread somewhere about NC DOT's getting more rigorous in their enforcment, however.

Paul -

Several times up and down I-26. It's a good road and Charleston is one of our favorite vacation areas. Last year we took the ICW south to Port Royal and the year before we went north from Charleston.

I did check out the maximum 290 thread and I've got a question so maybe I'll slide over and post it.

Bob
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,112
Messages
1,426,288
Members
61,027
Latest member
NeilS
Back
Top