1976 Trojan

[brian5921]

I was looking at buying a boat of around 26 plus feet. I wondered why most were not trailerable. Can larger boats be kept on a trailer or is there a reason not to? Another question, how many hours is alot on a boat engine. I have seen some with 500 hours. Can anyone tell me what to expect for maintance cost?

[gonzo]

There are people that trailer 25' boats. However, what salesmen usually don't tell you is that the boat is overwidht. That is, you need a special permit to go on the highway legally. Also, even though a pickup can pull the boat, it won't be able to stop safely. 500 hrs on a well maintained engine is not too much. Maintenance is about $700.00 per engine every 100hrs.

[antonfourie]

What is the width limit for trailers ?

a) In the USA
b) In Europe
c) In Australia

[gonzo]

In the USA the limit is 8'6" without a permit.

[marshmat]

I'd suggest checking with your ministry of transportation before buying a trailerable boat that might be overwidth. Especially near cities, even a slightly overwide or overheight trailer might be impossible to move around.

Safely towing a 26-plus footer requires a heavy-duty pickup truck (often a dually), separate trailer brakes (and knowledge of how to use them), and in some cases a trucker's licence (Class-A in Ontario, not sure what they're called across the pond).

[Guillermo]

What is the width limit for trailers ?

a) In the USA
b) In Europe
c) In Australia

In Europe 2.55 m, I think (At least it's so in Spain!)

[antonfourie]

Sound like if you keep the width less the 2.5 m you should be able to trailer just about anywhere.