Trailering 27 footers anyone?

[Hai Nhi]

Just wondering if anyone towing their 27' for long distant (1-2 hrs one way)?

In my search for boat, I like the 24' for its size. But heard about "a little bit bigger is better" and also the famous "2 footitis". So I also search and see a couple of Sea Ray, Regal and others in this size. Looks fantastic. Only problem is most, if not all, has 9' 2" beam at least.

Also, these boats weight a lot. I assume 10K lbs with trailer & fuel. With a weight distributed hitch & F250, I should be okay, right?

BTW, what you guys think of a 1999 Sundancer 270 without a trailer for $20K? Engine only has about 300 hrs.

Thanks.

Nhi

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Trailering 27 footers anyone?

do a search in the trailer section... we've covered this before... LOTS of the small boat crowd and some of the big boat guys say no way... A few of us know it's no big deal though if you plan to tow a couple of hours on a regular basis you will use a LOT of fuel... I tow my 28'er (10 1/2 wide) every weekend but I range from 20 min- 1 hr to the water...
As for your 250... forget the wdh... you shouldn't need it and if you have surge brakes finding one to work with them is tough at best... make sure you have load range E tires, PLENTY of tongue weight, working trailer brakes, and possibly air bags if she sags too much.

Check with local law enforcement about a permit if you plan to travel state highways.... Many states have recreational boat exemptions or low cost annual permits for recreational boats.

My boat and trailer is just under 10,000 lbs.

 

[Hai Nhi]

Re: Trailering 27 footers anyone?

Ok, No more!!! I'll stay with smaller one for now.

Thanks.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Trailering 27 footers anyone?

Just wondering if anyone towing their 27' for long distant (1-2 hrs one way)?

In my search for boat, I like the 24' for its size. But heard about "a little bit bigger is better" and also the famous "2 footitis". So I also search and see a couple of Sea Ray, Regal and others in this size. Looks fantastic. Only problem is most, if not all, has 9' 2" beam at least.

Also, these boats weight a lot. I assume 10K lbs with trailer & fuel. With a weight distributed hitch & F250, I should be okay, right?

BTW, what you guys think of a 1999 Sundancer 270 without a trailer for $20K? Engine only has about 300 hrs.

Thanks.

Nhi

A buddy of mine has a 1996 SeaRay 270 with a Merc 7.4 / Bravo 3. I have only seen it once to help him winterize it, but I thought that it was pretty decent. If the boat that you are considering does not have the 7.4L, then you won't like it; as it will be a turtle, not a hare. If it has the twin engine setup, then no worries.

The boat spec's at a 9'2" beam and 7500 lbs. So, figure 8500 lbs with fuel and gear. The trailering load will be around 10,000 lbs. An F250 should be able to do that, so long as it has the towing package, etc. Technically, you'll need the wide load permits.

Check the pricing on BUC, as the NADA pricing looks a bit out of whack. $20K asking price seems OK, but understandable if it has a small engine.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Trailering 27 footers anyone?

without knowing your actual F250, not sure on the tow rating. However you own the vehicle, look at the door placard.

however lets assume your truck is less than 10 years old, depending on driveline, options you should be fine.

towing something wider than 8' 6" (102") may require a permit. check local laws.

I tow my boat everywhere, however it just at 26' OAL and 8'6" in width.

 

[Hai Nhi]

Re: Trailering 27 footers anyone?

Mine is a 2012 F250 with heavy duty towing package, rated 12,500 lbs. I also have the load distributing hitch.

There's at least 2 270's: '97 has 7.4L, with trailer, no closed loop cooler, asking $26500. The '99 has a 8.1L, no trailer, asking $26000. Both of them through a broker. So I figure if buying directly should be at least 10% off, minus whatever I can bargain.

I'm just worrying it's too big for long distant towing, hard to handle. But it seems reasonable price if not cheaper comparing to some of the 24 footers and other 27 footer listings.

The Wellcrafts I was looking at were already 26 footers, but a lot lighter (5000 vs 7500).

Man, I even thought about the options to go back to just a cuddy or an open bow so we can tow it with our newly bought Highlander. Easy to maneuver, tow, launch, retrieve, everything. But would loose the option to take a vacation on it (short 2 days, long 3 days) around some nice spots around here.

Do people move up from cuddy/open bow mostly? Is there anyone move back, because it's too much to handle?

Nhi

 

[JoLin]

Re: Trailering 27 footers anyone?

Man, I even thought about the options to go back to just a cuddy or an open bow so we can tow it with our newly bought Highlander. Easy to maneuver, tow, launch, retrieve, everything. But would loose the option to take a vacation on it (short 2 days, long 3 days) around some nice spots around here.

Do people move up from cuddy/open bow mostly? Is there anyone move back, because it's too much to handle?

Nhi

I went from trailering a 21' Walk Around Cuddy to trailering a 24' express cruiser. When we decided we wanted more room for weekending, I bought the 27' Four Winns. I told my wife that moving up to the 27' (would weigh about 10K lbs with a trailer) would mean the end of my being able to tow. Her response? 'GOOD!'

Towing it wasn't that big a deal. That's easy with the right tow vehicle, and you have it. It was the launch and retrieval that was a pain in the butt. We're a bit older than you are (I'll be 60 this year) so that makes a difference. The 24' (at nearly 6000 lbs loaded without the trailer), was a handful for me to manage getting off and on the trailer.

I wouldn't worry too much about the towing part if you can handle the rest of it.

My .02

 

[Hai Nhi]

Re: Trailering 27 footers anyone?

I think a 24' is okay for us. Towing part is fine for me too, as I tow my 10000 lbs trailer (mostly overload) at least 3-4 times/month. I'm asking to see there's lot of us doing it, and see if it's too much of a chores like John said launching & retrieving.

I just want some opinions if I can get one of the 27's I mentioned above as a price similar to 24' (or only a couple of $K more), and it's not big of a deal to tow, would it be better way to go? Since it seems like over the years people always upgrade.

For a '99 270, NADAGuides lists it at around $26700-$30000, without any additional accessories selections. BUCValu lists at $24k-$26600.

Nhi

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Trailering 27 footers anyone?

State Towing Laws www.hitchemup.com/statetowinglaws.htm
http://www.towingworld.com/articles/TowingLaws.htm

Mercury Service Permits. 1-855-683-7749
Oversize Permits - Trip Permits
Overweight Permits - Fuel Permits


You have the truck to do what you want. It will depend how often you are going to do this because a permit will be required in every state you would travel in.The federal law is 8ft 6in wide 13.6 high. Some states have a variance on these numbers. Access to the launch will determine how much trouble it will be. ( parked cars and such) Your trailer will be a tri axle and it will need a lot of room to turn. If you get a boat in that size it's usually meant to stay in one area. The overall length ( a guess ) would be around 30-40ft.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Trailering 27 footers anyone?

trailer doesn't need to be a tri axle .... tandem trailers can have 5200 6000 or 7000 lb axles... the tandem in my sig has 6000 lb axles.

So far I haven't found a body of water big enough for my boat where the ramp was even slightly hard to access with my crewcab longbed dually and 30' trailer. I HAVE found people that can't stay between the lines parking and had to skip a parking spot or two.

ANSWER yes it's VERY doable but isn't for everyone.

seriously look into the permit yourself..... Depending on state it could be @ $100/year.... personally while I have towed mine for 2 years and pulled mine and another one over 1000 miles from the east coast to indiana and never bothered with a permit... never been even stopped.

 

[emilsr]

Re: Trailering 27 footers anyone?

Is there anyone move back, because it's too much to handle?

Nhi

That happens all the time. Many people "upgrade" themselves right out of boating; boating becomes more difficult and expensive, they lose interest, or some of both and they wind up playing golf or some other landlubber sport/hobby. Others (like me) downgraded from a twin engine cruiser that I didn't trailer to a 17' bowrider because it was a better fit for the type of boating that I was doing (and of course I could afford to boat more since the per mile fuel cost was about 1/4).

As for being "hard to handle", even a 27 foot cruiser can be launched and recovered alone or with minimal help. Our current boat is 28' 4" overall, dry weight is 4850, and if you're limber enough to climb over the bow it isn't all that difficult. You have to rely more upon your boat handling skills because there's no way you can "manhandle" a boat that size around the dock or boat ramp.....but even a 19' bowrider can be a handful if you can't park the thing.

I'd be more comfortable towing 10k lbs of boat and trailer behind an F-250 than I would towing 5k lbs behind a Highlander....but that's just one man's opinion. If you're not comfortable with a bigger rig then stick with what you feel comfortable with. No point in putting more stress on yourself; boating is supposed to be fun.

Bottom line here is you need to determine:

1) What kind of boating do you want to do? This will determine size and type.
2) What is your boating budget? Buying a boat is just the beginning; if you spend much time on the water there's a significant cost to this hobby, and the bigger the boat the bigger the costs. The last time I traded boats we went from a 20' bowrider, 5.0mpi power to a 26' sportboat with 496magHO power....and our fuel bill almost doubled.
3) Are you SURE you know exactly what kind of boat that you want? If so, great. No need to get too worked up about resale value down the road, but if not you want something that you can unload and not lose a fortune. Yes, for various reasons, Bayliner boats often sell at a discount compared to many other brands, but if you buy it right then that's not really a concern.

I don't remember, but is this your first boat? If so, bear in mind that you're probably going to make some mistakes while learning, and those mistakes can cost money.....and again, the bigger the boat the more money it costs to fix mistakes. I believe that bowriders in the 18-19' range offer just about as much versatility in a boat as you can get for a lake boater and are relatively inexpensive to own and operate (for a boat of course). There's a reason you see so many on the water. That said, there's no reason one couldn't learn on a larger boat....just takes more patience.

 

[Alwhite00]

Re: Trailering 27 footers anyone?

My boat on the trailer is 7,600 lbs, surge brakes on both axles, OAL of the whole shebang is around 32' - Pull it 80 miles every weekend if it's nice durring the summer. With the F250 you will be fine. Keep in mind even if you get a 27'er you may still get the twofootitis.

LK

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Trailering 27 footers anyone?

http://forums.iboats.com/trailers-t...e-boat-if-you-really-want-trailer-571074.html
http://forums.iboats.com/trailers-towing/towing-your-wide-load-regularly-542270.html
http://forums.iboats.com/trailers-towing/experience-towing-heavy-535539.html
http://forums.iboats.com/trailers-towing/max-trailering-width-420101.html
http://forums.iboats.com/trailers-towing/largest-boat-stay-trailer-368887.html
http://forums.iboats.com/trailers-towing/towing-wide-boat-356554.html

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Trailering 27 footers anyone?

We used to tow our 27' Bayliner with a 3/4T Suburban with no problem between Los Angeles and Vancouver Canada. Not a problem. We did use a weight distributing hitch but modified the trailer so that the equalizing bars were independent of the trailer's surge brakes. Had a roller system where the bars attached.

One of the reasons I use electric/hydraulic on my present boat is so that I can use equalizing hitch without worrying about a surge system.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Trailering 27 footers anyone?

and to answer your question, yes, some people downgrade their boats.

My plan is as follows. I want something bigger than my current boat, however it will probably have sails and be slip kept. Then I would pick up a 19-21' bow rider. However for the immediate next few years, I will be trailering the current boat.

 

[Hai Nhi]

Re: Trailering 27 footers anyone?

Great points everyone. I really appreciate this.

I was looking at a 26' but only 5000 lbs rating. Didn't work out, so the search brought me to 24', looks just the right size. But I just ran across a couple of 27 footers from Sea Ray. The price seems pretty reasonable compared to other listings and Nadaguides/BUCValu and stuffs. That's why I'm asking for opinion to see if there's lot of us doing the same thing to get a feeling of how hard it is, how safe to tow, minimum towing vehicle requirement and such.

I talked to my surveyor yesterday about the 27', he said it's "gonna kill you" towing it. I was kinda freak out. Hahaha. But now when checking spec on SeaRay website (from old manual), it lists a 1997 270 Sundancer to be only 8'6" (just like what the seller said) and dry weights only at 6400. Which is not bad at all, only a bit heavier than a 24 footer. This one lists for $26600, and there's a high chance of getting for close to $19-$20k, with trailer, no closed loop cooling. I'm not sure why Nadaguides lists it at 7500 lbs & 9' 2" beam.

But on the 1999, which is closer to me, no trailer, with closed loop cooling & bigger engine (8.1L). This is a 9'2" at 7500 lbs for sure. I can also get this at the same price as above.

Nadaguides and everyone else around here (mostly brokers) list these at very high price. So that's why I was curious to see if this would be an considerable option to my main 24' search.

So yeah, I definitely want an 24' express cruiser set up to possibly stay over night. But not sure if I would in the near future or not (with a 2 & 4 yrs old). Thought of getting just a cuddy (or an open bow for that matter) a number of times. I'm just thinking that I'd get bored out of a cuddy too quickly, then have to do this search again too soon.

That's why you guys been seeing me posting "cross examination" kinda questions in different posts. Hahaha. I'm just double check different scenarios before making a decision, that's all. So please bear with me.

I actually made an offer on a 24' yesterday. And plan to go check out the 1999 27' today, just to have a feeling if it's worth going all the trouble of getting it. 8.1L 415HP would probably double the fuel cost for boating, 1.5 times for towing for sure.

Nhi

 

[Quit It]

Re: Trailering 27 footers anyone?

I'd go bigger if possible. I've been on 24' EC and they're too small for us. Have you actually put every member of your family, the seller and yourself in the cockpit at the same time? Remember, kids will switch seats and you'll have "stuff" out which will make it feel more cramped. I say go as long as possible and check into the wide load requirements before making a decision.

Our first tow with the our "new" boat.

The Armada could do it, but the F250 is definitely a better choice.

 

[Hai Nhi]

Re: Trailering 27 footers anyone?

http://forums.iboats.com/trailers-t...e-boat-if-you-really-want-trailer-571074.html
http://forums.iboats.com/trailers-towing/towing-your-wide-load-regularly-542270.html
http://forums.iboats.com/trailers-towing/experience-towing-heavy-535539.html
http://forums.iboats.com/trailers-towing/max-trailering-width-420101.html
http://forums.iboats.com/trailers-towing/largest-boat-stay-trailer-368887.html
http://forums.iboats.com/trailers-towing/towing-wide-boat-356554.html

Thanks for the links Kevin.

Nhi

 

[Hai Nhi]

Re: Trailering 27 footers anyone?

I'd go bigger if possible. I've been on 24' EC and they're too small for us. Have you actually put every member of your family, the seller and yourself in the cockpit at the same time? Remember, kids will switch seats and you'll have "stuff" out which will make it feel more cramped. I say go as long as possible and check into the wide load requirements before making a decision.

Our first tow with the our "new" boat.
View attachment 180618
The Armada could do it, but the F250 is definitely a better choice.

Which one is it? What's the weight?

I've looked into some of the Sundancer 26 footers. Looks nice, but it's alot more expensive, even when compared to 270. Thought the bigger the more expensive. Or is it popularity?

Nhi

 

[Quit It]

Re: Trailering 27 footers anyone?

I haven't stopped by a scale and weighed the Monterey but I'm guessing it's around 8K. The Armada is rated for 9K and it handled it ok through Florida's flatlands (though it cost about 5MPG ) but I'm really hoping Ford brings back the Excursion diesel.