Help with towing a boat on a flat bed trailer

(pf728) · (pf728) **Join Date: Aug 2005** 02-10-2008, 6:59 PM

I found a shipper that is going to tow my boat on a flat bed trailer. The trailer if 40' x 102". Im worried about loading the boat on there and straping it down. Here are my questions:

1st Is there places on the trailer to hook chains up to for straping it down?

2nd Do you have to use a loading dock or can you just back the boat with a truck? The trailer does have ramps.

3rd Is 102" wide enough for a MC x2 boat and trailer? Thanks for you help and any advise on this! Any tips and suggestions are greatly appreciated!

(tinytdubb) · (tinytdubb) **Join Date: Jul 2007** 02-10-2008, 7:21 PM

Soooo they are going to put a boat and a trailer..... on a trailer?

(pf728) · (pf728) **Join Date: Aug 2005** 02-10-2008, 7:44 PM

Ya... i would rather do it that way... if its a bad idea let me know. Its going to be 1300 miles so i just feel better about it that way.

(bill_airjunky) · (bill_airjunky) **Join Date: Apr 2002** 02-10-2008, 7:52 PM

Should work fine. I have no idea of the X2 trailer measurements, and there might be different trailers available for that boat. But assuming the truck trailer is wide enough to put the boat trailer on it safely, it should be fine.
I highly doubt there are hookups on the boat trailer to tie it down but imagine they will have a way to do that with conventional trailer chains / tie downs. I would just made sure they use some kind of protection between the strap or chain & your trailer, ie; wood, rubber, etc.

Also make sure the boat cover is either removed or secured really well.

(nick_in_ssp) · (nick_in_ssp) **Join Date: Aug 2006** 02-10-2008, 8:15 PM

I wondered that same thing when I bought my boat and used Uship. You will have to ask the truck driver. I talked to one and he said it would have to be lifted on and off. That's extra money to have it done at both places. In the end I just went with a guy that pulled it behind his F-350 from So. Cal to Minnesota. I was worried about it but if you think about it, it shouldn't be that big of a deal as long as you picked a guy with good feed back. They want your bussiness and also want to get the positive feedback from everyone they drive for.

(johnsvt) · (johnsvt) **Join Date: Dec 2006** 02-10-2008, 8:21 PM

I would tie off around wheels and somewhere near the bow(on trailer.) I would imagine transport with tower down might be beneficial.

(rallyart) · (rallyart) **Join Date: Nov 2006** 02-10-2008, 8:21 PM

Straps around the axles to the sides of the trailer that's hauling it. Make sure there are straps going back from the axles to tie downs aft to take braking loads. Strap around the tongue beams where they join together that go forward and to the sides. It'll be fine.
Let the suspension on the trailer work.

(tinytdubb) · (tinytdubb) **Join Date: Jul 2007** 02-10-2008, 11:38 PM

Art hit it on the head.

(pf728) · (pf728) **Join Date: Aug 2005** 02-11-2008, 8:59 AM

Thanks alot guys! Now getting it on the trailer is the scary part...

(denverd1)

art said it.
#2 depends on the trailer. dove tail, ramp angle, all that good stuff. a dock would be easier...

(jon4pres) · (jon4pres) **Join Date: May 2004** 02-11-2008, 11:21 AM

If it is that big of a trailer he might have a winch on the front that he can just hook to the tongue and pull it up on the trailer. If he doesn't have a winch I would guess that you could just back it up the ramps

(denverd1)

and hope the prop cage clears