Towing with small tires on trailer

[Toyelectroman]

Recently switched from fiberglass boats to a pontoon and noticed the trailers people are using, they all seem to have really small tire. I know pontoons weigh a lot less to a similar size fiberglass boat, but seems these dinky tires would be a lot less safe for long distance travel. My current trailer is a yacthclub tandem axle with 145r/12 with a load range E. Do you all think towing long distance would be a recipe for disaster or am i just worrying too much?

 

[H20Rat]

My snowmobile trailer has 215/60 R8's bias ply tires on it, can't really get a smaller DOT tire than that. (your tires are huge in comparison!) I tow hundreds/thousands of miles each winter on those, usually about 400 miles one way per trip, only stopping for fuel.

Zero issue, as long as you keep an eye on them and replace them when you see cracks show up. (I usually get 3 seasons per set) You will also want to keep up on your bearings, as those tiny tires are spinning twice as fast (or more) compared to your vehicle tires.

 

[Scott Danforth]

never had a problem towing with 12" or 8" load range E tires for 1500+ miles.

only issues the family and I ever had with tires when traveling between Florida and Wisconsin was a 6" section of re-bar come thru the tire in a stretch of road construction and an errant driver running into the side of the boat trailer in Chicago.

you are worrying too much. just keep the bearings maintained and dont let the tires get older than 10 years.

 

[Starcraft5834]

I bought a new 20 foot toon with 115 merc 4 stroke.. boat weighs 1850 lbs. the motor 370 pounds. we trailer exclusively back and forth, for that reason, I purposed to buy a galvanized tandom trailer with breaks on all 4 wheels (surge), i also purposed to buy larger 13 inch tires.. why? because it raises the whole rig up higher off the ground, no worries about trailering with the motor all the way down... the trailer has a capasity of 4500 lbs, it's got 2200 on it... i wanted no weigh issues. bigger is better in the boating world

 

[H20Rat]

, i also purposed to buy larger 13 inch tires.. why? because it raises the whole rig up higher off the ground,

It also makes it more likely to tip over in the wind, and I've seen more than 1 pontoon laying on its side in the ditch. They aren't exactly aerodynamic, and bad things happen if you have a 50+ mph wind gust from the side.

Bigger tires on a trailer also make loading/unloading more difficult, as you have to back further in and hopefully not go off the end of the ramp. (I've put smaller tires on a trailer just for that reason alone)

 

[JimS123]

Tires are rated for weight and speed. If both factors meet you're requirements, nothing to worry about.

OTOH, the smaller the tire, the higher the rpm, and the more important it is to maintain the bearings.

Some recent threads have commented about bearing disasters. It's obvious that in those cases the bearings were not serviced. Water causes rust...rust causes failure. Its really simple and cheap to just add some grease.....

 

[Starcraft5834]

It also makes it more likely to tip over in the wind, and I've seen more than 1 pontoon laying on its side in the ditch. They aren't exactly aerodynamic, and bad things happen if you have a 50+ mph wind gust from the side.

Bigger tires on a trailer also make loading/unloading more difficult, as you have to back further in and hopefully not go off the end of the ramp. (I've put smaller tires on a trailer just for that reason alone)

will take my chances with 3 inch taller rig

 

[beerman2]

Being a tandem axle trailer and 8 ply rated tires you should have no problems with the tires. Keep in mind that you are pulling a pontoon boat and not a standard boat. Most pontoon trailers are designed to put the pontoons over the top of the fender wells, very poor design. If the width of the pontoon's allow, it is much better to have a trailer where the pontoons set down inside the fender wells. This design allows for a lower center of gravity, bigger tires, and less wind affects when towing. The wider stance and the big tires give much better stability and less chance of blowing over in hard cross winds.

 

[ahicks]

Wide trailer sounds good on paper, but fender wells outside the 'toons is going to make your rig illegal in most places. Toons are mostly all 8-8.5' wide any more.

 

[JimS123]

Scissors trailers on toons are probably where you see them tipping over. IMHO, a "proper" toon trailer is one that has two sets of bunks, each cradling the tubes. Those have axles that are the full legal width, thus everything matches and the "boat" is not top heavy.

In our local lakes, scissors trailers are only used by marinas to get them to the yard for winter storage. Support the tubes on blocks and then lower the scissors to pull the trailer out.

Now i'm sure some people go the cheap route and I shudder when I see one of them passing me on the interstate.

OTOH, a typical toon on the highway with the bimini down has a much lower profile than a typical Cuddy or Express cruiser on a trailer. You don't see them tipping over, which leads me to believe that the problem is due to trailer design more than anything else.

Which brings me back to the beginning.... We go to boat shows evefry year and i haven't seen a scissors trailer in many years. Even Trackers have suitable trailers.

 

[ahicks]

It seems to be a regional thing. In Florida, people look at you like there's something wrong with you when using a scissor trailer - like they've never seen one before. Here in Michigan, they outnumber the more conventional "float on" type by 10-1.

Not going to enter a debate on which is best. They both have some pretty strong attributes.

I would add I have used the scissor type up and down the entire length of the 1-75 corridor for 30+ years, and though I've dragged the toon a little going into and out of gas stations, I've never tipped a boat over - or come close for that matter. Point being, driven in a sane manner, they are no more likely to give you a scare than the conventional types.

 

[Blind Date]

If the width of the pontoon's allow, it is much better to have a trailer where the pontoons set down inside the fender wells.

Never once have I seen a pontoon trailer designed like that & I'm skeptical they even exist. Definitely a unicorn if they do. Pontoon's as a general rule aren't towed a whole lot because they are a PITA to tow regardless of what trailer is under them. Most owners(like me) own waterfront property so they spend the summer on a lift or tied to the dock.

That said I towed my 'Toon from MN to my property in WI last summer 150 miles on a scissors trailer no problem. And back at the end of the season. If you can make a 150 miles you can make 1500!

 

[ahicks]

Though I see more and more being trailered, they pull just like a big parachute....

 

[BillP]

I towed a 20' toon a few yrs with the low profile golf cart looking tires and had no problems. The small tires let me launch on shallow ramps that large diameter tires wouldn't. Like said towing a toon is major drag and the lower the better for having the tow vehicle shield the wind. My full size American car with large V8 would hit a drag wall around 70 mph but do an easy 125 mph without the toon behind. The same car towed my 1000 lb heavier 20' Proline at 70 mph and hardly knew it was there.

 

[Silvertip]

I've used both bunk style and scissor trailers and have had no issues with either one. A scissor trailer is ideal if you have to launch in skinny water. Drive the rig instead of "aiming it" and either one works fine.