Moving from a 20' to a 25'. Help!!!!!!!

[Fordiesel69]

Here is my reasons to move up to a bigger boat: I would like to be able to boat when it is choppy (early mornings to middle evening) as of now I usually have boat 7PM - 9:30PM otherwise it just pounds the crap out of the bayliner. It is too light.

I also cannot sleep on my boat, it is just too small, and not usable space inside to do anything.

On a big 25' it is quite a comittment, if I want to pull it out to go on a weekend somewhere else, it is going to be hard, right? Also will a 25' ride good in slightly rough water?

Looking at a Sea ray 245 Sundancer to replace what I have in my signature.

 

[Burtonair01]

Re: Moving from a 20' to a 25'. Help!!!!!!!

DO IT!! I just went from a 20' to a 25' and we are loving every minute of it!

 

[lrlima]

Re: Moving from a 20' to a 25'. Help!!!!!!!

i went from a decent 18 foot bowrider to a 23 foot deep vee cuddy. we boat on a busy lake. its night and day and ive already been out twice as much as last year just cause we dont get beat up as much...

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Moving from a 20' to a 25'. Help!!!!!!!

How do you guys solve the portability issues? A big part of my boating is taking it out of my slip for a weekend, and going 100 miles to a resivoir (kinzua dam). With my 20' it is a breeze. With a 25' I can't imagine the nightmare, or isn't it really that bad?

 

[Utahboatnut]

Re: Moving from a 20' to a 25'. Help!!!!!!!

With the right tow vehicle it's not as bad as it might seem, a longer trailer is easier to back up and maneuver into places. If you don't have the right tow rig then its a stress I wouldn't wish upon anyone....

 

[lrlima]

Re: Moving from a 20' to a 25'. Help!!!!!!!

i guess it all depends on your tow vehicle and if its properly equipped and your level of comfort towing that distance. Also, a 25 foot boat trailer will need brakes too. Its definitely a trade off for you in terms of flexibility of towing a smaller boat. For me, i keep mine in a lot about 20 yards from the launch, so its pretty convenient.

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Moving from a 20' to a 25'. Help!!!!!!!

It is a 95' Ford E350 15 passenger van w/ 351 engine and 3:54 (yuk!!!) rear gears. It has the sheer weight to handle and stop, but if you want to talk about gutless...............

The trailer in question has the front axle surge brakes the work off forward tongue pressure.

 

[Burtonair01]

Re: Moving from a 20' to a 25'. Help!!!!!!!

I pull my cruiser with a Duramax that has all the power I need and the trailer has electric brakes, so I'm good to go. Our favorite lake is 250 miles away but we only make it there a couple times a year. Other than that our local lake is 15 miles away so towing a 25' boat is not an issue.

 

[J. Howard]

Re: Moving from a 20' to a 25'. Help!!!!!!!

Also will a 25' ride good in slightly rough water?

Yes, absolutely. I boat on Lake Michigan with my boat (see sig) and there are definitely days where I take a pass on going out, but you will be absolutely fine in moderate chop.

I can't help you on your trailer question as I store my boat in a slip all summer long. I am definitely interested in the answer, though, as it is likely that I'd like to trailer this boat at some point in the future.

Good luck and enjoy your new boat!

 

[dingbat]

Re: Moving from a 20' to a 25'. Help!!!!!!!

If you have a truck to pull it, a 25' boat isn't any harder to trailer than any other boat.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Moving from a 20' to a 25'. Help!!!!!!!

That's still gonna be some good weight. I would take the van to a driveline/off-road shop and have them put in some 4.10 gears. That will wake her up a bit.

 

[Stachi]

Re: Moving from a 20' to a 25'. Help!!!!!!!

Its a shame you live out in Erie....I worked for a guy who was a high performance ace on anything trans or driveline related including rearends.... he can read ink like nobody can...he is a G.M. man at heart aswell...loves 'em... he would put a shift kit in it for ya to help the rearend perform. Race or power. He can build it . I used to build street rod 200 4R's for a Buick Grand National Club in Maryland when I worked for him....ask a street rodder who to go to for trans and rearend work near ya...they will know. Good luck bro !

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Moving from a 20' to a 25'. Help!!!!!!!

Well, I just got to ride in a 25' sundancer that has the OMC 5.7L engine and cobra drive, gutless and 30MPH was all she would go. Took forever to get there. I hope somthing was just in need of repair or tuneup because the one I eyed up had the MC-1 Merc drive and a 260HP chevy 350.

I also got to drive my buddy;s wellcraft eclipse 233 23' with a alpha one and 305 chevy engine. It would only go 38 becuase the throttle cable was bad. It handled the chop as good if not smoother than the 25' which has me confused. The 25 was a nightmare to put on the trailer, the 23 went right on.

Now I am in a rut of pondering a 23' vs a 25'. I cannot afford or desire a pickup truck right now, I have to stick with the big van. I can swap out to 4:10 gears no prob, but we still have not solved the traction issues at the lauch site, and we still have not addressed the weak E40D trannys ford used.

As much as I want a 25', I think it is just tad too big for my tow vehicle and too big of a jump.

I made a HUGE mistake buying my bayliner. It is just too small and the lightweight hull just pounds over the chop, splitting your spine each time you hit.

 

[RickJ6956]

Re: Moving from a 20' to a 25'. Help!!!!!!!

30 mph is about right for a 25-footer with that power. You're trading speed for amenities when you move up.

As for trailering, there had to be some reason why the SeaRay was fighting.

You're over the limit for trailering with the van. Boat alone weighs 5,500 not including the trailer. Van's capacity (stock from factory) is 5,100.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Moving from a 20' to a 25'. Help!!!!!!!

A boats ride is determined by the hull design, not its weight. A good, 20' offshore hull will run circles around a 25' "lake boat".

 

[rjlipscomb]

Re: Moving from a 20' to a 25'. Help!!!!!!!

How do you guys solve the portability issues? A big part of my boating is taking it out of my slip for a weekend, and going 100 miles to a resivoir (kinzua dam). With my 20' it is a breeze. With a 25' I can't imagine the nightmare, or isn't it really that bad?

Ford, I'm trying to understand the question here. Will you put your 25 boat in a wet slip? Or, trailer it?

Wet Slip: As long as it's big enough, handling the larger boat is like driving a bigger truck (IMHO), it's just the same but feels HUGE at first then you just get used it, No Problems. You'll love the difference.

Trailer: Pretty much same answer. Is your tow vehicle big enough? The longer trailer feels like it stretches back for along way, but its easier and you get used to quickly.

Things take a little longer, like cleaning (more boat) but well worth the little extra trouble.

 

[Fordiesel69]

Re: Moving from a 20' to a 25'. Help!!!!!!!

Ford, I'm trying to understand the question here. Will you put your 25 boat in a wet slip? Or, trailer it?

Wet Slip: As long as it's big enough, handling the larger boat is like driving a bigger truck (IMHO), it's just the same but feels HUGE at first then you just get used it, No Problems. You'll love the difference.

Trailer: Pretty much same answer. Is your tow vehicle big enough? The longer trailer feels like it stretches back for along way, but its easier and you get used to quickly.

Things take a little longer, like cleaning (more boat) but well worth the little extra trouble.

It will be wet slipped 10 miles from my house. However, certain weekends I like to pull it out, and take a 100 mile (each way) trip to Kinzua for a weekend. As of now, I cannot sleep in my boat, too small. Im am starting to think a 25' is just too big to do this. All my friends are saying keep it in the water all season as it is just too big.

Here is the specs from my van:

GVWR = 9100

Rear GVW = 6084

Boat wieghs 5200 on the registration. Trailer is best guess as I did not ask. It is a 2-5/8 ball hitch with surge brakes. The boat is a sundancer 245 on the registration.

 

[bekosh]

Re: Moving from a 20' to a 25'. Help!!!!!!!

I was going to say go for it, a 25ft pocket cruiser like that is designed for what you want to do. Then I went and looked at the towing capacity for your van.
Year Make Model Engine Tow Limit
1995 Ford E-350 Super Van 5.8 V-8 7200
Requires weight-distributing hitch.
Requires Trailer Towing Package.
Requires 3.31:1 axle ratio.

You are looking at a 5200lb (dry) boat, with close to 1500lb for the trailer, add gas, water, batteries, and all the assorted stuff that a cruiser will accumulate and you will likely be exceeding your towing limit.

I'm actually looking to do the same thing that you are, so this spring I bought a well used 1994 F250 pickup with 10k towing capacity.

 

[onthelake2010]

Re: Moving from a 20' to a 25'. Help!!!!!!!

It is a 95' Ford E350 15 passenger van w/ 351 engine and 3:54 (yuk!!!) rear gears. It has the sheer weight to handle and stop, but if you want to talk about gutless...............

The trailer in question has the front axle surge brakes the work off forward tongue pressure.

Fordiesel69

E350 with the right setup, will tow allot bigger boat than a 25'.

I tow our 2755 more than two hours each way on weekends without issue in our Avalanche. Our boat, full fuel, gear & water tips the scales at 8,000Lbs with trailer.

You will enjoy the bigger boat for sure. Everyone does.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Moving from a 20' to a 25'. Help!!!!!!!

Fordiesel69

E350 with the right setup, will tow allot bigger boat than a 25'.

I tow our 2755 more than two hours each way on weekends without issue in our Avalanche. Our boat, full fuel, gear & water tips the scales at 8,000Lbs with trailer.

Which means you are over-gross for your truck if the trailer alone weighs 8K lbs.