14/ Jon Boat In S10 Bed??

[adshott5]

I drive a chevy S10 with a bed thats about 7 1/2 feet with the tailgate down, and have an opportunity to purchase a 14' jon boat for $200. I am wondering if with ratchet straps and properly weighting the boat while it's loaded in the truck, if I will be able to safely transport the boat. I've seen some forums where people have gotten 12 or 14 ft boats in extended cabs succesfully, but this is like a worst case scenario it seems with the longer boat and shorter bed. But I also believe it can work, just not optimal. So tips or ideas for handling this, or warnings if its undoable would be appreciated.

[Team_Dougherty]

DO you have a hitch on your truck? If so, this will work. http://www.harborfreight.com/truck-bed-extender-69650.html

or this http://www.harborfreight.com/600-lb-capacity-boat-trailer-with-8-inch-wheels-and-tires-5002.html

does the truck have a step bumper and no hitch. http://www.harborfreight.com/5000-lb-step-bumper-receiver-69670.html

[Fishes in trees]

Do-able?   Probably. . .   Safely?   . .  That's your call, everyone as an "acceptable level of risk" for most everything they do.   Most of the time, we don't even think about it, but it is somewhere in the back of our minds.   I think that the truck bed extender, mentioned by Team Dougherty earlier would make the whole process relatively secure.   In Missouri, to be legal with the set up you're talking about, you would have to hang a "safety flag" from the overhanging boat.  Don't ask me how a dusty red rag  qualifies as a safety flag, but it does.

 

I've learned my lesson with ratchet straps, i.e. be certain that you don't leave the tail ends flopping around too much,  I was lucky, all I did was break the straps, nothing expensive fell off the trailer.

[adshott5]

It does not have a hitch so while that looks like a great idea, it's not an option for me. And I'm a student so the main reason I'm going for this deal is I can get the boat for so cheap. I can't really afford buying the trailer, but that would definitely be the safest way to go. Thanks for the help though. And I was intending to attach a red flag on it for visibility and safety so that's taken care of but of course, thanks for the info.

[wnybassman]

It does not have a hitch so while that looks like a great idea, it's not an option for me. And I'm a student so the main reason I'm going for this deal is I can get the boat for so cheap. I can't really afford buying the trailer, but that would definitely be the safest way to go. Thanks for the help though. And I was intending to attach a red flag on it for visibility and safety so that's taken care of but of course, thanks for the info.

 

 

Be sure to check out ALL those links.  They are all not just trailers.

[adshott5]

I did look at the three options he posted, but my truck is only capable of pulling the trailer. It has a ball hitch built straight on the bumber, so the extender wouldn't attach without the step bumber receiver which won't attach because of the cheap built on hitch that is already there. And again money is tight, I'm a college student that waits tables so I'm only interested in purchasing the boat at this time and maybe better equipping myself over time so the intent of this thread was to figure if the boat is capable of traveling in my truck.

[wnybassman]

I did look at the three options he posted, but my truck is only capable of pulling the trailer. It has a ball hitch built straight on the bumber, so the extender wouldn't attach without the step bumber receiver which won't attach because of the cheap built on hitch that is already there. And again money is tight, I'm a college student that waits tables so I'm only interested in purchasing the boat at this time and maybe better equipping myself over time so the intent of this thread was to figure if the boat is capable of traveling in my truck.

 

Gotcha.  Sorry about that.

[aquaholic]

My buddy does it all the time in his crew cab 3500 ( believe its 6.5' ) so with a 7.5 you should be ok. We tilt it up and have the tail gate up so it doesnt hang straight out. If you're worried use tie downs and dont go fast.

[j3m3o3]

It can be done just leave tailgate down and run your staps from the front handle and cross them over each other to the hooks in truck bed. I do it all the time with my s10 and 14x36 jon boat

[Brandon Dozier]

I also have a 14' jon that I toted on my Tacoma for awhile.  It only has a 4' bed so i'm sure you will be good.  I'd recommend leaving your tailgate up (depending on where your tie-downs are) and using two straps front-to-back crossways.  Worked great for me.  I did get pulled over once but the Law in VA is no more than 2' passed the end of the bed.  Make sure you flag it though!

[adshott5]

Thanks for all the good info. I'm definitely going to go through with this purchase, so when it comes time to strap her up I'll have a pretty good idea of how to handle it.

[bassn-larry]

For $200 even if it didn't fit you will still have a great deal on a boat!  Great find! Hope you get lots of fish with it!

[tnriverluver]

I use to do it all the time when I first got into boating and carried a 14ft flatbottom in the back of a 1979 Ford Courier which is an even smaller pickup.  Had to be very careful with tieing it in and always put the extra weight items in the boat up next to the cab to help hold it down.

[derekxec]

careful with the end of the boat hanging off mine has gotten cracks from hitting bumps in the road after a while

[james 14]

I hung a 14'er out the back of my Ranger and I even had a toolbox that took up about 2' of my bed. I installed two eye bolts to the bed and strapped it down in the back. I would also lay a big 3x8 piece of plywood in the bed first and use it as a ramp to help get the boat in and out and keep from scraping the bottom of the boat on the top edge of my tailgate. This also served to take some stress off the bottom of the boat at edge of the tailgate.

 

To take it one step further I would even back my truck down into the water and float the boat out of the bed. This was much easier than unloading the boat, pulling it out and then reloading it. Before I got a trailer I was almost to the point of loading the boat forward and power loading it into the bed of the truck. Thankfully I didn't get that far because it probably would've been disastrous.

[derekxec]

lol after reading that power loading it i pictured in my head and seen the boat going through the back window or so lol...haha and i too have a ranger

[james 14]

I fished a jon boat trail called "Pond Jumpers" and the first time I pulled and backed my truck down into the water the club pres. and a few others gasped thinking I had screwed up BIG TIME. When he saw what I was doing he freaked out "Now that's a mother -------- Pond Jumper! I hope he wins the d--- tournament!" I almost did.

[adshott5]

I got the boat out for the first time today. Me and a friend/roommate each got 4 fish in about 2 hrs on a lake that is completely unpressured around UCF, in Orlando/Oviedo, Fl. Not a bad way to christen her, today was a good day. Thanks again to all who posted, I've gotten the boat around with no worries and feel I owe some thanks to this site's community for all the tips and such.