Boat Weight Help

[afarrens]

Ok..here?s the facts. I currently have a small 12? Smoker Craft aluminum boat with a 5hp Gamefisher motor. I guess that trailer, boat, motor, gas, beer, and fishing stuff, might put this whole rig at around 500 lbs?and that?s a stretch.
I am driving a Ford escape 05 with the V6/all wheel drive. Ford specs list my SUV tow max at 3500lbs.
I have no issues towing my little fishing rig around, but that?s no shocker, I?m pretty sure I could tow it with a bicycle if I had to.
I am looking to upgrade to a smaller 17-19ft Bayliner type with the cuddy cabin. It would be a late 80?s model. I see them everywhere online and it looks like they are an I/O or a outboard. I am assuming that both models should be similar in weight. I have attached a picture (I think) below to show you what I am after. I have searched high and low, but cannot find a reliable source to tell me what the weight of this style of boat is. I get 1500lbs from one place and 4000lbs from another.
So my question is two parts I guess. Does anyone out there have an idea of what the weight on this type of boat loaded, with trailer? And do you think I?d be able to tow it around with my rig?

P.S. not sure who?s boat this is but thanks for letting me use the picture!

 

[NYBo]

Re: Boat Weight Help

Welcome to iboats!

A 17-footer should come in at around 2300 to 2500# fully loaded with trailer, gas, and goodies for a day on the water. Maybe a little less with an outboard.

 

[NHGuy]

Re: Boat Weight Help

There is a post from last year that quotes a 19' Capri Cuddy with 90 hp outboard weighing 1490. So with trailer you'd probably be within my 80% rule for towing. I am a self appointed member of the RV.net weight police by the way!
One thing I would like to point out in case you hadn't thought of it is that you absolutely have to make sure the trailer has brakes and that they work. Even though most states don't require brakes til a trailer is more than 3000 lbs, your Escape is only rated for 3500 lbs and a 2500 or 2700 lb trailer won't stop really quick on the Escape's brakes. When you get near a vehicle's tow limits trailer brakes become more important. Plus if the Escape has to stop the trailer lots of times in a row it could very possibly warp the rotors and cause a brake pulsation.
But 1st thing yeah, get a Bayliner Cuddy. You will love the room, the ability to handle waves, maybe a spot for a porta potti. If you are mechanical they are able to be maintained and kept for a long time as long as you get one thats solid. By which I mean no soft spots. And if you ever drill into the hull it gets filled with epoxy so there can't be any core rot from water intrusion.
There are countless posts on how to inspect a boat before purchasing. Go over some of them and get a feel for what needs to be tight and right before you start.

 

[afarrens]

Re: Boat Weight Help

Thanks NYBO and NHGuy!
Excellent information! Looks like I should come in way under the Max tow rating. I was really concerned that the cuddy would tack on an additional 500lbs or more but it dosen't sound like it.
On a side note, i tried to hunt down some info from your RV.net weight police and didn't find anything!
Look's like its time to go shopping!

 

[skyking897]

Re: Boat Weight Help

Couple of things I can comment on here from experience. First, we have an '03 Escape and yes it's rated to tow 3500lbs but you will not like towing that much. In fact I won't tow anything more than my utility trailer with it. Your weight police from RV.Net should have jumped in here and said also the wheel base is TOO short to be towing that kind of weight. You havn't towed until your trailer starts pushing your tow vehicle around because the wheel base is too short to handle it. Second, I have a 20' Capri with cuddy. Can't see a 19' being that much lighter, but the 20' (info from iboats.com)comes in at 2690lbs + about 600lbs for the tailer + gas, gear, passengers etc. So it quickly becomes 4000lbs. A 17' should be quite a bit lighter but I still think you will be disappointed/frightened towing that much with your Escape.

On Edit: I agree with the above poster about brakes. The Escape does not have adaequte brakes for stopping an extra 3500lbs. Get trailer brakes.

 

[afarrens]

Re: Boat Weight Help

Well said, and like I mentioned in the original post, I get varied information when I look for the weight of the boat. I am not concerned about towing 1800-2500lbs, but anything more than that and I?ll start to use a lot of discretion. I don't want to send a 3000lb missile down the highway.
Looks like I am back where I started.
Does anyone have the actual weight of the 17.5-19.5 Bayliner Capri? lol
Already in the 4 posts here i have 3 COMPLETELY DIFFERENT weights for almost the same boat?
20' = 4000lbs
19' = 1490lbs
17 = 2500lbs
I mean those don't even make sense looking at them? Has anyone actually taken one on a scale?


I think I will install the break controller this weekend so that?s a non issue. Like a said, I have towed before and usually drive if there is anything to be towed. Just with my rig I have never pushed it and want to stay well within the limits.

 

[elkhunter338]

Re: Boat Weight Help

I know this is not a fiberglass boat, but I have a 21' starcraft cheiftain (cuddy cabin) 140hp I/O, 15hp kicker, halibut weights, downriggers, 40 gallons off fuel.
The boat and trailer weight is 4,000lbs on the axles. ODOT scales. I estimate tonge weight in at about 400lbs ish. I could take a few things out of the boat and probably take 200lbs out of the boat.

 

[eight tracker]

Re: Boat Weight Help

Couple of things I can comment on here from experience. First, we have an '03 Escape and yes it's rated to tow 3500lbs but you will not like towing that much. In fact I won't tow anything more than my utility trailer with it. Your weight police from RV.Net should have jumped in here and said also the wheel base is TOO short to be towing that kind of weight. You havn't towed until your trailer starts pushing your tow vehicle around because the wheel base is too short to handle it. Second, I have a 20' Capri with cuddy. Can't see a 19' being that much lighter, but the 20' (info from iboats.com)comes in at 2690lbs + about 600lbs for the tailer + gas, gear, passengers etc. So it quickly becomes 4000lbs. A 17' should be quite a bit lighter but I still think you will be disappointed/frightened towing that much with your Escape.

On Edit: I agree with the above poster about brakes. The Escape does not have adaequte brakes for stopping an extra 3500lbs. Get trailer brakes.

I usally leasve my passengers out of the boat when i'm towing it somewhere!

 

[dutchdog]

Re: Boat Weight Help

As for towing with a Ford escape, I wouldn't tow a empty 4x8 trailer with one. My wife has a 2010 and before 15000 miles the thing has had 2 transmissions in it. We have not towed anything with it. She just got back this week from a 800 mile round trip and said it was slipping again. Time for the lemon law to kick in I guess.

 

[109jb]

Re: Boat Weight Help

You also have to remember that a vehicle's rated towing capacity is usually for the vehicle with a driver only. No passenger weight, no luggage in there, etc. Every pound over that in the vehicle you have to take off of the allowable trailer weight.

 

[jim's capri]

Re: Boat Weight Help

Not sure if this helps but i have a 89 17.5 capri bowrider with 2.3L I/O. i just replaced the 2000lbs axle that was original to the trailer. I was rusting out. i did replace it with a 3500lb axle but only cause it was about 20.00 more. the boat is approx 1800lbs. I have not had it on a scale for an actual weight. If you look on line at the new models they are weighing about the same. I'm not sure where to line up a scale but i would weight mine if i could locate something.

 

[NYBo]

Re: Boat Weight Help

My boat is supposed to weigh 1475# dry according to iboats (Bayliner says the same), including the motor. Believe it or not, the cuddy version weighs exactly the same. The I/O versions are heavier than I thought, at 1780#. I wouldn't go any bigger with your tow vehicle, and agree that trailer brakes are advisable.

 

[Sixmark]

Re: Boat Weight Help

Just wanted to add this guys, if you really want to know what it weighs, bring it to a local truckstop that has a scale and wigh it out, it will cost from $7-$10 but you will know.

NOTE: Try to go when they are not real busy as professional drivers are working and on the clock when they are fueling and weighing out.

 

[gibletts]

Re: Boat Weight Help

Same comment as Sixmark.... weighed mine on the scales at local refuse \ recycle depot.

 

[elkhunter338]

Re: Boat Weight Help

hear in oregon any DOT scales that are not manned leaves the scales on so you can pull across and weigh for free.

 

[DonHof]

Re: Boat Weight Help

I have a 05 Escape with 6cly,4wheel drive. I tow a 1000 lb boat and would not tow much more then that!