Trailering

[artsboats]

I am a new SeaCraft dealer,former mechanic and I have done a limited amount of insurance investigations. I strongly recomend than anyone of you that does not know the weight of their individual boat,trailer,fuel,typical gear and trailer weight "package" drop your keyboard and go directly to a truck scale. It generally costs 8-10$ to un-hook your package and pull off the scale to determine the exact weight of the way you normally trailer. I have been involved in a couple of different insurance claims where the liability for the carrier was so high that they went as far as to weigh the entire package as it was in the accident. One case the package was 800# over the weight capacity listed by GM for that truck. The claim was denied and the vehicle/boat owner was held liable for it all. To say that this was an ugly movie is an under statement. Not all insurance companies are this hard core but I have personal experience.
The weights currently for the 2003 models are as follows:
20' Master Angler CC outboard 1600# no motor dry
23' CC outboard 3070# no motor dry
you can add 400# for a 225HP outboard
950# for a V-8 350 I/O
1100 for a V-8 454 I/o
fuel is 7.8#s per gallon and trailers weigh 500# for a dual axle aluminum and 800# for a steel galvanized. A v-6 equipped truck will do ok around town if it is with in the Mfg. capacity but will likely destroy the transmission on long trips in the summer heat. You can generally add 800# to the weight of the 23' for a Potter and 400-500# for a 20' Potter. Those hulls are all glass with no coring. i don't know everything but would love to offer advise for anyone concerned.

[23yellow]

I own a 23 and have towed it with a couple different vehicles. These boats are really heavy and if you dont want to hurt your vehicle, I wouldn't try pulling the 23 with anything less than a 3/4 ton truck. Just got a Ford 250 4X4 Diesel and she pulls her fine.

[Matt1121]

RC-

I have a 1991 Mako 231 and tow it around New England with a 1996 Ford Bronco with the 5.8L and tow package. My Mako 231 (2880lbs) with a full tank of gas (1170lbs), engine (450lbs) gear (200lbs) and trailer weight (1300lbs) weighs in the neighborhood of 6,000lbs, which is close to the limit of my Bronco. Granted, most of us usually dont tow with a full tank of gas, so you can probably shave about 500-600lbs off the equation. The problem with most towing set-up's is not so much the ability of the truck to pull the boat and trailer, but more importantly the ability to stop the whole she-bang, especially during an emergency.

I have made two cross country trips with a 17' UHAUL as my towing vehicle.....one from Corpus Christi to Boston and the other from Palm Beach to Boston and have experienced just about everything that could go wrong while towing a boat (blown tires, fried bearings & seals, flying road debris) so my advice to you is to always err on the side of caution when towing and try to upgrade to a heavier duty tow vehicle whenever possible, especially during long trips. On both occassions when I rented the UHAUL it only cost between $375 -$400...well worth the cost, plus I saved my vehicle from all of the wear and tear of towing a boat such great distances. I know certain UHAUL locations rent pickups for the day, so you might want to look at that if you need a heavier tow vehicle in a pinch.(Just dont tell UHAUL you're towing a boat and make sure you're BOAT US towing/breakdown insurance is up to snuff)