What do I need to tow ............
 

Considering purchasing a truck and trailer for my new 37 Midnight.

Not sure on the weight. It is being laid up with Mantex foam core and Vinyelster resin.

My older Midnight was the traditional heavy lay up and was approx 12000 lbs. I expect this to be around 9000.

I would only be using it once in a while to take trips to the Annapois area (approx 2 hours). But is lift kept at my house.

Therefore, I would want a truck or SUV that I could use as a secondary vehicle. Have an Expedition but I don't think that will do it.

Also thought about a part time local transport buisness as there appears to be no one that does it for larger boats where I live........ Any CONSTRUCTIVE comments or suggestions?

Minimum: 3/4-ton truck. (Excursion can be prepped to do the job.)
Perfect: 1-ton dually.
Overkill: Anything bigger.

You can't have too much truck.

Before you do or buy anything you need to get a factual number on the total package you'll be towing. That's everything- the way you'll be towing it. That includes the trailer, fuel, all the junk that you carry in the boat, etc. It's astonishing how far over the real weight can be over the manufacturer's "guesstimates" that they publish.

Remember that the trailer is going to do about half the job of towing. Buying a cheap, bouncy trailer with surge-actuated drum brakes is just going to make everything harder. A solid name-brand trailer with electric/hydraulic discs on all axles is going to pay for itself just in comfort and ease of towing.

It's tough to swallow owning a dually for two tows a year. Yet, if that's what the numbers add up to, then that's what you'll need. The professional mover sounds like a much more affordable, simpler solution.

As far as a truck or SUV, the Excursion is going to be about it. The diesel will tow 10K on a weight-distributing setup. WD is a good idea for any heavy towing regardless of the vehicle doing the towing. Firestone Airbags too. That combination will give you a nice, level, no-bounce ride.

Thanks guys, maybe I can talk the wife into trading the Expedition for an Excursion. And Chris you are exactly right. Only a few trips a year is definelty a hard thing to justify.

do you guys have maximum lengths for towing boats on roads with suv's?

Federal DOT regulations limit overall non-permitted length to 65'. It's mostly overlooked on non-collercial rigs unless it's egregious. There was a guy in PB Mag some years back that was towing a Fountain 12 meter with a 40' motor coach. That might draw attention. The thing is, you may get by for a long time. But, all it takes is one cop with a hard-on for you and you're leaving your boat on the side of the road while it waits for transport.

Chris you're right about that. They seldom enforce anything that doesn't have commercial implications, but they can make a case at anytime on dimensions and weight. I had a friend towing 2 motorcycles in a small enclosed trailer with a single cab pickup truck from WV to Myrtle Beach for bike week. The DOT pulled him over in NC and gave him a ticket for overweight. About 99% of all the private pickup trucks in the U.S. are licensed as an automobile and can legally gross 8000 pounds. He was at 8900. Charged him $150.00. Said the guy was steady pulling over others and charging them for the same thing. Anyone who is pulling anything very large, very often should consider licensing their vehicle for something under 26,000# to avoid something like this. They charge you for the license based on the weight but it might be insurance down the road. Either way the man is going to get your money if he's out to make a name for himself as this guy was.

you need my 07 F350, 27k miles.:D 08 will be here in Jan.

Enforcement can be very selectively applied.

On the 26K registration- there's another edge to that one. Now you're limited to a max 10K trailer unless you have a CDL.

It's always something. If you go by the strictest interpretations and consider all the laws, most likely we're all towing illegally- technically.

[QUOTE=

It's always something. If you go by the strictest interpretations and consider all the laws, most likely we're all towing illegally- technically.[/QUOTE]

Yes you are right again. Odds are in favor of the recreationalist not being bothered, but not guaranteed. I'm sure some do gooder is working on that as we speak.