Re: What length trailer for a 24' pontoon boat?
The best site for pontoon boats is Pontoon and Deckboat Magazine's forums at:
http://www.pontoon.net/fusetalk/forum/index.cfm?forumid=3
The type of trailer you want kind of depends on your circumstances. I prefer the bunk style as I feel it gives better structural support to the boat. The lift (or scissors) style supports the boat on the crossmembers and leaves the logs hanging. I just don't feel good about that for trailering the boat any great distance. On the other hand the lift will let you set the boat down on blocks or even directly to the ground while a bunk will not.
(There is a company called Grov'lander (
http://www.grovlander.com/index.htm
) which will let you sit your pontoon directly to the ground if need be, kind of a roll-on roll-off sort of arrangement. It's a bunk/roller tilting type trailer)
You will want a trailer built for a 24' pontoon. The ends of the logs should be supported by the ends of the bunks anything else is too short. If the trailer is too long you can also run into trouble on some ramps.
I've got a 24' pontoon that sits on a 24' trailer by Hoosier trailers (
http://www.hoosiertrailer.com/). The actual trailer length is closer to 30' or 32'. When I'm up against the stops the bunks are just a couple inches past the logs.
You will definitely want a dual axle trailer and you will want brakes, preferably on both axles. I've got surge brakes on mine and they seem to work great. My trailer tows and stops easily. A pontoon tows heavier than it really is as there is a lot of sail area on that big front fence. Not too much side to side movement on mine but I can feel the wind up front.
Unless you have a cover specifically designed for towing plan on towing the boat uncovered. It's almost impossible to stop air leakage under the covers of pontoon boats. And the wind will shred a standard mooring cover in short order.
Unfortunately I don't have access to PDM forums from here but do a search for trailer types. Also in the general discussion area there is a FAQ topic that has three or four trailer entries. Lots of good info and lots of good people there specializing in pontoons.
I've not checked iboats for pontoon rebuild stuff as I bought a new boat before I found this site but I do know that Pontoon Stuff (
http://www.pontoonstuff.com/) has a complete selection of everything you'd ever need to do a rebuild.
