Biggest practical inflatable for one person and no trailer

[gwozhog]

Okay so I was wandering how big of an inflatable some of you handle with out using a trailer. I have a volvo xc90 with a hitch carrier that is 24x60. It hauls my 14ft kaboat and 6hp yamaha around with no problem. End of the day I place my hitch carrier in the garage park over it. The kaboat is nice for my local river but I want a to have real dhingy now too that I can take in the larger lakes and bay. My only problem is that I refuse to buy a trailer. In my mind if I need a trailer why not just buy a normal boat instead. So I'm curious how big of blowups and how large of outboards are you guys hauling around in your SUV's.

 

[ronaldj]

Re: Biggest practical inflatable for one person and no trailer

Okay so I was wandering how big of an inflatable some of you handle with out using a trailer. I have a volvo xc90 with a hitch carrier that is 24x60. It hauls my 14ft kaboat and 6hp yamaha around with no problem. End of the day I place my hitch carrier in the garage park over it. The kaboat is nice for my local river but I want a to have real dhingy now too that I can take in the larger lakes and bay. My only problem is that I refuse to buy a trailer. In my mind if I need a trailer why not just buy a normal boat instead. So I'm curious how big of blowups and how large of outboards are you guys hauling around in your SUV's.

I understand how you feel about the trailor.
What you will need is a boat with an airfloor.
A 12 foot boat is about as large as you can go due to the fact that you already have a 6hp motor.
To be able to handle the boat by yourself you need a boat that weighs under 100 pounds.
I just went through the same thing .
I wound up with a Zodiac FR325 ( I couldnt find a Odyssey and I got a deal on the Zodiac FR325.
I wanted a FR340 or a Walker bay odyssey 310AF. Those 3 boats met the weight requirement. They are all about the same size in actual interior space . And best of all for you is they all are designed for a 5 to 10 hp motor.
I am currently using a Lehr 5hp propane motor and I love the combination

 

[mrdrh99]

Re: Biggest practical inflatable for one person and no trailer

I understand how you feel about the trailor.
What you will need is a boat with an airfloor.
A 12 foot boat is about as large as you can go due to the fact that you already have a 6hp motor.
To be able to handle the boat by yourself you need a boat that weighs under 100 pounds.
I just went through the same thing .
I wound up with a Zodiac FR325 ( I couldnt find a Odyssey and I got a deal on the Zodiac FR325.
I wanted a FR340 or a Walker bay odyssey 310AF. Those 3 boats met the weight requirement. They are all about the same size in actual interior space . And best of all for you is they all are designed for a 5 to 10 hp motor.
I am currently using a Lehr 5hp propane motor and I love the combination

Hey ronaldj, how much does that propane motor cost to run after initial investment? How fast will it move your boat? Thanks!

 

[gwozhog]

Re: Biggest practical inflatable for one person and no trailer

I'm now in search of a yamaha 15hp 2 stroke. It only weighs 81 lbs and I can handle that.

 

[minuteman62-64]

Re: Biggest practical inflatable for one person and no trailer

Don't know about today's inflatables, but I had a 15 ft. Zodiac back in the late 1970's - with a 50 HP Johnson. Way too much to handle with out a trailer. I finally designed a trailer and had a friend build it for me.

I understand you position regarding trailers, but I do have to say that it was a very easy trailer/boat rig to tow/launch.

 

[Mlmg]

Re: Biggest practical inflatable for one person and no trailer

I have a zodiac 340 with a 15 four stroke. I packed everything in a 2011 Honda Pilot, including the family. I hated, and I mean hated, having to inflate and man handle the thing going into the water and when going home,,,,only to re inflate it at home so I could clean it. Everyone else is launching and I am inflating the dam thing!

I took a Harbor Freight Trailer, made some mods and will use this to store, launch and retrieve the Zodiac. No more packing and unpacking that boat.

Do yourself a favor and get a trailer!

Btw, around me a Yamaha 15 HP stroke outboard are very hard to find.....

 

[ronaldj]

Re: Biggest practical inflatable for one person and no trailer

Hey ronaldj, how much does that propane motor cost to run after initial investment? How fast will it move your boat? Thanks!

The propane motor runs just as fast if not faster than the gas engine
Propane is 110 octane vs 87 for pump gas so take that for what it's worth
The only difference between propane and gas is that
1 Propane does not go bad
2 It does not clog the carb because of the ethanol. Propane does not contain any
3 The maintenance is a lot cheaper for propane
4 The propane motor is lighter
5 You dont have to carry a big gas tank

A 20lb propane tank which is actually 4.5 gallons if filled at a propane station is lighter than my 6 gallon gas tank and I find that the propane is getting better gas millage.
The other nice thing about propane is that I can use the 1 lb tanks also.
I have been posting info in the Lehr section on motors here on this forum.
It was actually a Lehr dealer that turned me on to the boats I mentioned
The propane motor was really made for this type of application

Here is a link to the thread where I am doing the long term testing
http://forums.iboats.com/lehr-propa...l-world-results-lehr-5hp-outboard-598771.html

 

[ronaldj]

Re: Biggest practical inflatable for one person and no trailer

I'm now in search of a yamaha 15hp 2 stroke. It only weighs 81 lbs and I can handle that.

2 Stroke engines have fallen out of favor in the lower 48 and the 4 stroke versions weigh a ton

 

[ronaldj]

Re: Biggest practical inflatable for one person and no trailer

I have a zodiac 340 with a 15 four stroke. I packed everything in a 2011 Honda Pilot, including the family. I hated, and I mean hated, having to inflate and man handle the thing going into the water and when going home,,,,only to re inflate it at home so I could clean it. Everyone else is launching and I am inflating the dam thing!

I took a Harbor Freight Trailer, made some mods and will use this to store, launch and retrieve the Zodiac. No more packing and unpacking that boat.

Do yourself a favor and get a trailer!

Btw, around me a Yamaha 15 HP stroke outboard are very hard to find.....

I feel your pain.
The best investment I ever made was an electric air pump.
I also made a portable boat launch dolly out of PVC
I tend to set my fr325 up differently depending on what im doing.
I have a cruising package I created for when the wife wants to go out.
A fishing package
I am now working on building a console out of pvc
Im trying to see how close I can get to the rib version of our boats

I am sold on the whole inflatable boat thing and I do understand the need for a trailor as you go larger than 15 ft

 

[Mlmg]

Re: Biggest practical inflatable for one person and no trailer

I feel your pain.
The best investment I ever made was an electric air pump.
I also made a portable boat launch dolly out of PVC
I tend to set my fr325 up differently depending on what im doing.
I have a cruising package I created for when the wife wants to go out.
A fishing package
I am now working on building a console out of pvc
Im trying to see how close I can get to the rib version of our boats

I am sold on the whole inflatable boat thing and I do understand the need for a trailor as you go larger than 15 ft

I thought about the pump, but with the kids, outboard, life jackets, etc.....it was to much!

Would love to see your PVC console when done.

Sorry Op to high jack your post..

 

[minuteman62-64]

Re: Biggest practical inflatable for one person and no trailer

On the pump - I used the blower end of a 12 V. vacuum cleaner (plugged into the truck accessory socket) that was made for auto use. It would quickly inflate the Zodiac to the point where it only took a few strokes with the factory pump to bring it up to pressure.

I don't know if those vacuums are still around, but the one I used was a cylinder, about 6" diameter and 18" long - didn't take up much room.

 

[gwozhog]

Re: Biggest practical inflatable for one person and no trailer

Sounds like you went to big. Like I said if I need a trailer Im getting a regular boat. If a blowup is not portable its not worth it IMHO.

 

[fbpooler]

Re: Biggest practical inflatable for one person and no trailer

We have inflatables for camping trips when we tow a camping trailer. If we are not camping, we use conventional boats on trailers. I really do not see a use for an inflatable which needs a trailer.

When we tent camped, we would pack the tent, etc. in the trailered boat and hit the road, so we had no use for an inflatable. We seldom use the inflatables since we started kayak fishing.

You give up room inside an inflatable, but they are very seaworthy craft.

 

[saabsaviorlee]

Re: Biggest practical inflatable for one person and no trailer

I did the whole inflating/deflating thing with a 12.5' sib, 20hp in the back of the blazer, boat in the hitch carrier. I went the trailer route out of laziness. Got a bungee net so I leave most on boat gear in the boat have motor and troller in truck. It was a pain with wood/aluminum floorboards I would imagine an airflooor wouldn't be an issue for no trailer life.

 

[ReelSlow72]

Re: Biggest practical inflatable for one person and no trailer

Sounds like you went to big. Like I said if I need a trailer Im getting a regular boat. If a blowup is not portable its not worth it IMHO.

Im gonna have to second this. I'll find a way to make my boat portable.. Even if it means on the roof!


Lift with yer legs boys!!

 

[ronaldj]

Re: Biggest practical inflatable for one person and no trailer

Im gonna have to second this. I'll find a way to make my boat portable.. Even if it means on the roof!


Lift with yer legs boys!!

How big is your boat?

 

[zurk]

Re: Biggest practical inflatable for one person and no trailer

8 footer with air floor. no more.

 

[ronaldj]

Re: Biggest practical inflatable for one person and no trailer

8 footer with air floor. no more.

You should be able to carry an 8 ft boat with no trouble.
An 8 foot boat weighs in at under 75 pounds
Put a 5hp motor on it and you will be fine.

 

[JohnnyRudeClassics]

Just for another data point for Reference:

I haul my 365 class SIB in a 2005 VW Passat TDI Wagon
and
the "old / obsolete" 10 or 18 HP outboard 2-stroke smoker
/ fuel tank on a trailer hitch cargo rack

thinking about getting a roof basket to carry the hull
for the times there are 3 passengers interested in
going out for a slow cruise