OT: Best Used Trailerable Cruiser??
 

It's time to get back on the boat! :coolcowboy:With 2 little kids and another on the way, I'm looking at a more family oriented boat then my old 26' Sutphen. :bigbird:

Looked at a Baja 290 "Motor Yacht" yesterday, and liked her, but she'd require a dually to tow at 10,000lbs. Looked exactly like this boat: http://www.powerboatlistings.com/view/7821

I'm on a very tight budget and need to be under $25k, but would like to be closer to $15k. Boating will be split ocean and Havasu. Hauling with a Hemi Durango 4x4 to 8,900 lbs.

Any thoughts would be appreciated, but please don't bother chiming in with 26 Sonic or, Active Thunder, etc...I need a more friendly (open) cockpit layout then most sport boats can provide.

Looking for ideas here...
Thanks, Dave911

Dave, I towed mine home 2 hrs on a borrowed, underrated tandem trailer with my 250 SD V10 without a problem, towing wise. Actually towed very nice behind my truck. If the trailer was rated correctly, been so much more sweeter, less worries. I double checked my brochure and it stated 9000# dry.
I've been seeing that one on ebay over last couple months and it had a $16K Buy It Now price on it the 2nd time listed, actually it didn't get a single bid. So they have some room to come down. You'll love the layout of this boat over so many other cruisers of comparable size. The 10' beam and radar arch might be more of an issue for everyday towing. I called the IN State Police about the legality of towing it since over the width w/o permit and they said don't worry about it, just be safe. I guess that would have been alright as long as nothing happened. Then they'd been citing me. :) The water in the bilge pics needs to be looked at on this boat if you find one. Those unsealed large stringers are soaking the water up.

Added,
One thing to consider is with that one being a '93, it has no walk through w/s. A real pain to go on front. I think the walk thru was added in either '94 or '95. The dash is changes somewhat too, molded in steps to up front and a little different gauge layout, plus went to a dual control setup. Shifters on left side of wheel, throttles on right. Otherwise, boat hasn't changed 1 bit. Something to think about.

You realize you won't get many suggestions since you already knixed AT's. :)

I don't know if you are going to find a cruiser of any significant size like the Baja you mentioned.

To do some math:
8900 Tow Rating on the Durango

Subtract:
1500 lbs trailer
600 lbs fuel (figure 100 gallon at 6 lbs/gallon)
200 lbs "gear" on the boat (anchor, fenders, tools, parts, lines, etc)
100 lbs for weight distributing hitch (your SUV will require it to tow that weight)

So now you are at a 6500 lbs of boat and that is assuming you are towing with an empty SUV with no passengers or cargo (which counts against your GCWR which you also need to take into account).

You are also going to want an Electric/Hydraulic brake system on the trailer to control such a load and work at peak braking capacity with the WD hitch.

You may find a runabout/day cruiser like a Rinker or Four Winns which will best fit your bill.

Rinker makes a great boat.

Hmmm....I think a couple year old Burbs can tow up to 12,000lbs. If I swap the wife's Durango to a 2500 Suburban with an 8.1L (502ci) will it be legal and safe to tow the Baja??

Really hate to do this though, as we bought the Durango 4 months ago...Other ideas? I know this group has a TON of experience in all things with motors...

Trade the Durango in on a Dodge 2500/3500 Cummins. Now's the time prices are down...

If you are going to tow allot go get a Diesel something. (except the 6.0 ford).
You will use less fuel when towing.

02-05 2500 Suburban w/ the 8.1L 496, M32 4L85E 4spd Auto Tranny, and 4.10 GT5 rear end is rated to tow 12,000 lbs.

It will do it. I have done it (with the 2500 Avalanche which is the same truck).

But it won't do it forever, and it's not the ideal setup for that kind of weight. You can search some of my old posts on 'airbags' and 'weight distributing hitch'.

The Donzi LXC 27/29 looks like it could fit the bill, but I've found some pretty negative ownership experiences online. Mostly regarding fiberglass issues and lack of power with single screw. Anyone have experience with this boat? Thanks, Dave
Here's a couple findings:
http://marinesource.com/yacht-sales/...-100426168.cfm
I'm itching to get this done! Thanks all. Dave

I stored a 285 LXC in my backyard for about 2 years for a friend while he was overseas. I winterized it for him and kept an eye on it.

This particular boat had some goofy after factory electronics and wiring installed, but other than that it was a pretty decent setup. The engine is WAY deep in the boat, but with all the floor panels pulled up, you can work on it if you are not a big guy.

I never rode on the boat, but he loves it. His had a large bolt on swim/fish platform; and with the usable bow space and pulpit, it provided quite a bit of real estate in a 28' package. (I pressure washed it a few times. It's a LOT of boat.)

His had the 454Mag and a Bravo3 as well as a bow thruster. You will definitely want a Bravo3 or DuoProp setup to get adequate planing and running capabilities out of the boat.

He brought it home from FL to VA with an Expedition and a WD hitch setup. I towed it with my F350 CC DRW, and you definitely know it's back there. He bought an F350 CC SRW to tow it from VA to CA. I have no idea what the weight of his boat/trailer was, nor the tow capacity of the 1/2 ton Expedition.