Fishing dilemma

[mrrick05]

The wife and I are going to be retiring in 3 yrs and are avid fishermen. We currently own a 16ft aluminum boat with trailer and will be looking to full time rving. In preparation to this new life style we are trying to figure out what type of set up would serve us best. Looked at 5th wheel trailers pulled by a 1 ton truck but none of the toy haulers garages are large enough to hold the boat and trailer. I have googled a roof rack type of boat/trailer setup, but it looks like it may be to top heavy and scary to drive especially in an emergency turning maneuver. Having just the boat on a roof rack without a trailer would make it too difficult for the wife when she wants to go fishing alone. Looked at motor homes to pull a stackable trailer (car, boat w/trailer) but it seem s like most are out of my price range (diesel pusher) to be able to tow 10K pounds.

The boat will need to be in the 16 foot range for safety reasons for the type of fishing that we do.

Does anyone has some suggestions as to what would be the best route to get around this issue.

Thank you in advance.

[dougdogs]

If you have an Emergency turning maneuver, a boat securely mounted on your tow vehicle will be the least of your issues. Dave and Sandy Batavia? (RP Dave) used to fulltime and teach with an F450 that had special mounting for their kayaks. Kinda looked like 2 MKII missiles mounted on top or their rig. I know I have a picture somewhere of their rig, but can't find it at the moment

 

Oh, and Welcome to the forum!

[skp51443]

I don't usually recommend MDT trucks these days as for most folks a HDT is a better option but in your case, wanting a boat on the roof the lower height might make it an option.

 

Look for something like an International 4700 LP, the LP (Low Profile) saving just over four inches of cab height. If that still leaves you too tall you could also look at 19 inch wheels and low profile tires although that really compromises the ground clearance. You'll likely want a 530 or larger engine to help with the additional wind resistance, a 466 would be too little in my opinion and a 444 even worse. You'd also need to look at the front axle and suspension weight and weight rating to make sure you could carry the boat safely. A spring swap isn't too expensive but adding in the axle change isn't going to be really cheap unless you can find something in good shape used. The 4 door version is going to be longer which with your boat is probably a necessity too.

 

That will give you a truck with a wide track and in the 13,000 pound weight range, assuming a conventional bed, so your boat and trailer roof mounted isn't going to cause it to flip.

 

Other brands of MDT might also work for you if the taller cab isn't an issue, just get enough power that you aren't unhappy driving it as it is expensive to impossible to boost power depending on what you get.

[sushidog]

Of course you could just get one of these:

 

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Class+A+Motorhome+Amphibious&Form=VQFRVP#view=detail&mid=536F3B92451161E91E8C536F3B92451161E91E8C

 

The same people make this amphibious car too: http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=amphibious+car&FORM=VIRE7#view=detail&mid=189600AA4ECFCAA91741189600AA4ECFCAA91741

 

Chip

[Jimalberta]

I have seen motorhomes pulling toads pulling trailers with either atvs on the trailer or sometimes boats. This is not a bad option as your wife could always drive the toad with the boat behind when you get to a city etc. or if the state you are in does not allow double towing.

Most fulltimers dont travel that far in a day so you would have the ability to tow the entire setup on a hiway or both of you drive. That would allow you to keep your present boat.

[mrrick05]

I appreciate the replies. The MDT or HDT route is a good thought but in the past I've owned several single and dual axle class 7 and 8 straight trucks and find that the maintenance costs are really high. In addition it would seem to me that i would need a Class A non commercial licence to drive them (I gave up my Class B several years ago).

Regarding a MH on double (or triple) towing I think that would put me into diesel pusher territory since many non pushers seem limited to about 5K pounds.

[greenacres]

You better check out the maintenance cost on a diesel pusher. And trying to back a 40' motor home down a launch will be a lot of fun too.

[Vladimir]

I looked real hard at one of these.....http://www.catamarancruiser.com/#!8x31-lil-hobo-trailerable/c1rx7

 

You get the RV and boat in one. Just use the boat as a trailer when traveling. Then you can get a smaller boat for fishing since your "trailer" can be the mother ship.

 

The part that stopped me. The pontoon are made of fiberglass. Which works fine back east, but out west you really need aluminum pontoon

 

The reviews on the net revealed that most people had no problem staying in RV parks. For giggles, some did put out their anchors and lined up the fishing poles!

[lenp]

Have a look at these: http://rogueottersystems.com/

[coachmac9]

I like that set-up Lenp!! We also were trying to figure out how to pull my truck and boat behind the RV. Thanks for posting the link.

[Chief 62]

Have you considered a truck camper? Our Lance is fairly roomy and I can tow my 19' Bass Tracker with it. We fulltimed for about 6 mos. in our 11181 over 2 summers before getting our current TC. I would not hesitate to hook up and go for an extended trip. It is easier to drive, you can get to some really great out of the way places and stay in rural areas that you would never get a large rv in.

[2gypsies]

You might want to re-think the size of your boat.

 

Before full-timing we lived on a lake and had a bass boat.

 

When we had a 5th wheel we carried a 12' aluminum Sea Nymph with a sharp, carved bow. We had made a rack that fit over the roof of the truck extending over the hood. We also put wheels on the rear of the boat. It also shaded our front window nicely!

 

It was easy for 2 people to lift it off the truck, turn it over, load it with all the gear, and then wheel it down the boat ramp. It was a very sturdy boat if caught in choppy water. We also carried an electric and a small gas motor.

 

We had a lot of enjoyment out of the boat but sold it - while parked in the desert - when we were getting the motorhome. We then took up fly fishing. Flies don't weight much.

[Dwain & Debbie]

What type of fishing are you doing. my wife pulls our fishing raft that has a small motor for lakes. we fly fish. some times we leave the raft at home ,and use guide services. you can do alot with a 14' fishing raft . my wifes truck is going with us any way, so we us it to pull and launch raft,.

[mscans]

or one of these:

 

https://www.seaeagle.com/?keycode=CJ&AID=531700&PID=3595935

 

http://www.porta-bote.com/

 

have fun

[NJ-Ron]

This is what I use: http://www.porta-bote.com/ , the 12ft version is easily manageable by one person and goes right up on top of the Honda CRV toad roof-rack. I push it with a 4 hp Toshiba OB, I could have gone with a 6 HP OB since they are lighter. All the boat gear goes in the Honda with room to spare.

 

As far as towing a boat trailer with a class A I've heard of people putting a hitch on front of the rig for easier launching.

 

RG

[HSVBamaBob]

Like you, we like to fish as well. Mostly, I prefer fly fishing rivers and streams, the DW loves to fish from a boat as well - and I don't mind that either.

 

Like you, we are interested in a TH as the "Perfect" retirement 5er. While a boat is not on our "must have" list, I have done some research and talked to folks that have used everything from inflatables to triple towing.

 

That said, and given that you are going to have a TH, you may be interested in a Folding Boat (Yep, folding!)

 

http://www.porta-bote.com/

[Jim Corey]

This is what I use: http://www.porta-bote.com/ , the 12ft version is easily manageable by one person and goes right up on top of the Honda CRV toad roof-rack. I push it with a 4 hp Toshiba OB, I could have gone with a 6 HP OB since they are lighter. All the boat gear goes in the Honda with room to spare

 

RG

I had a 12 foot Porta Bote. It is NOT easily managed by one person. Don't know what year your CRV is, but the roof rack design on our 2012 does not lend itself to carrying the 12 footer. That said, the PortaBota is a great little craft.

[NJ-Ron]

I had a 12 foot Porta Bote. It is NOT easily managed by one person. Don't know what year your CRV is, but the roof rack design on our 2012 does not lend itself to carrying the 12 footer. That said, the PortaBota is a great little craft.

I've been putting together, launching, recovering and disassembling the 12' Porta Bote by myself for years, about 6 to be exact. The only thing I needed help with was getting the boat on and off the roof of the CRV. When my wife was unable to help with getting the boat on and off the toad any longer I found this

http://www.prolineracks.com/rollerloader-abb-rl-kayak-roller-caddy-rack.html

 

the Roller loader, and now I can do that alone also. I'll be using the boat again this season in Ft. Myers and the Keys, and BTW I'm no youngster either, hitting 75 in October. Maybe my definition of "easy" differs from yours. For me, if I can do it it has to be easy, I'm not as skilled as many are on this Forum.

 

RG

[Big Z]

 

Unloading Boat!

 

 

38ft RSSA in spot and the unit he built to tow it!

 

 

Dave had the same Dilemma!

[empty_nest]

 

Unloading Boat!

 

 

38ft RSSA in spot and the unit he built to tow it!

 

 

Dave had the same Dilemma!

 

Just exactly what I need for my outfit....... hauling my 20 ft. bassboat and 5th wheel to Texas. In reality, will probably just take two vehicles. Makes more sense and probably cheaper in the long run.