Fishing Forum

I've got a new gripe for the day. I've always been amazed with what people use to tow boats and RVs with, so many times I'll see a 18'+ boat being towed with a small four cylender car. First of all that car has nowhere near the power to tow anything down the road and second it has next to none of the stopping power it takes to stop suddenly if needed.

I drive heavy hual for a local construction co. so I'm out on the roadways alot more than most people and I'm always under strict scruteny on following FHWA regulations on weight and dimentions of my load. I average once a week getting inspected by the DOT where they inspect weight, brakes, height, width. I've recieved as many as 30 citations a year for violations. (none of which I'm responsable for) but I've always been curious of what others would say about this subject. (I'm sure that everybody at some time or another has gotten behind a HUGE camper being towed by a yugo)

DZ
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I have seen a couple of them my self that turned into a big pile of aluminum and insulation, 24'trailer towed behind a Isuzu trooper or Rodeo? it passed me coming down Logan Cany.right at Beaver Creek Lodge by the time he got to the turn off to the ski resort it was swaying back and forth and then it was all over A$$ over tea kettle stuff scatterd all over the highway,lucky he didn't get killed or kill someone else!!"BIG FISH RULE"M.H.
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One thing I think people fail to realize is that even though your vehicle may have enough power to haul a fifth wheel trailer and a boat up a hill, it doesnt always have the ability to stop and trailer effevtivley.

I have seen with 3/4 ton pick ups pulling a single axle camper trailer, without the fifth wheel hookup, and a 20 ft boat behind that.

Yeah it makes it up the hill, even though the boat is swinging all over the place, and the springs on the pick up are nearly maxed out. No trailer brakes on the boat trailer.

My personal opinion is it ought to be illegal for a pick up truck to haul more than one trailer behind it. There just arent enough qualified people on the roads to haul that kind of stuff, and most of the time they are not only under expirienced, but they are over weighted for thier ability to effectivley control.

I dont know where people get off taking these kinds of risk with my family out on the road.
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I remember hearing a while ago that it was illegal in arizona to pull doubles behind a pickup. a good friend of mine lost a new camper and boat up at strawberry in 1990 when the boat tried to pass the camper and truck. he was left pretty helpless. DZ
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This didn't happen on the road but could of happened on the road . I was at the berry loading up my boat and this couple where launching their boat . As they back in to the water , they unhooked it and tried to back up the boat . The back half of the trailer ,axle and all disappeared into the water . All they had left was the front . I talk to them and ask if they wanted me to try and hook it with my anchor , but they were not to worried about it . They talk with the people at the marina , made arrangements to keep the boat there ( just got one of those kinky slips LOL), and went fishing . They told me they just bought it . It was a old boat , just needed a new trailer now . So be careful out there when buying used boats . Check out the trailer too !!
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Hey Dan,

I am still going to tow my boat with my coontour. Got it []
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Dan, Do you think my 1989 dodge shadow will pull my 19 ft yellow boat????
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I think what it all boils down to is people need to use common sense. To bad there seems to be a shortage of that sometimes. Ive seen some pretty scarry rigs going down the road myself. I tow my boat behind my fifth wheel and my father in law did it for years with no trouble. BUT we both are very safety concious and pay attention to what we are doing. Unfortunately a lot of people don't

a-b
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There's lots of idiots out there that have no business towing what they tow. They look like statistics driving down the road, just hope they don't take me with them.
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AMEN TO THAT!!!!!!!!!



a-b
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I wish I had a bigger engine in my Ford Ranger because my 16 foot boat is a little hard to pull with my 2.9 liter engine. My partner has the same brand name of boat but it is a foot shorter and it is a lot easier to pull. WH2
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wiperhunter, What kind of 16 foot boat do you own? I have a 4 cylinder toyota four runner and it pulls my Tracker Pro Angler 16 just fine and stops just fine.
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It's a 16.5 ft starcraft alumium, may truck seem to stop with it OK but it has a hard time pulling it, maybe I should give it a turn up and see if that will help. WH2
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Hey Dennis, nice pic.

On the subject of towing. Most people just don't have enough common sense when it comes to towing things around.
Even a big truck towing a small trailer can be dangerous if the weight is wrong. Usually too little weight. Makes a trailer sway all over the place. I've pulled my 26' camp trailer with a sand buggy behind it and had no problems. But when I come down the hill from Eureka to Elberta, I never get over 10M.P.H. As long as you go slow, you can keep it safe. A good rule to follow is to go down a hill one gear lower than you went up it.
By the way, I have a C.D.L. and have driven overweight trucks all over the western U.S. I've been over Rogers pass in the columbia river gorge, Wolf Creek into Colorado, Hiway88 and Donners out of California, and many more with an overweight under braked drill rig.It just takes common sense and knowing what you are capable of.
I do think that people should be required to get a special license for pullin doubles and I think senior citizens in 75' motor homes should need a special oversize license.
Arizona is the only state I know of that doesn't allow doubles of any kind. At least thats what the truck drivers I deal with every day tell me. I load double belly dumps all day every day, and they are safer than half the guys out there pulling normal sized loads with pickups.

walleyebob
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Dennis, Let me guess, this is the road by Deer Creek? Not too far from the dam, before the bouys?
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I always wondered why they require safety chains . []
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[size 2]Hey Bob,[/size]

[size 2]That weight comment brought to mind a Web site I bookmarked when I first bought my boat. It's trying to sell a scale, but is still loaded with great info...[/size]

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