texaslawdog Posted January 27, 2020 Posted January 27, 2020 Does anybody tow their boat in the bed of their pickup? How big and what weight is too much for this? I am thinking that with supports it could be done like with a support in the rear coming out of the hitch. Any other innovations to help with this? Quote
Super User MN Fisher Posted January 27, 2020 Super User Posted January 27, 2020 What type of boat are you talking about? My first year back fishing, I carted my canoe in the back of my Silverado with a bed-extender...but quickly came to the conclusion that launching/landing was a pain. So got a PWC trailer, modded it and now I trailer my canoe...much easier. Quote
texaslawdog Posted January 27, 2020 Author Posted January 27, 2020 I don't have a boat yet so I'm just seeing if a trailer is not necessary with its upkeep and cost of licensing. And, if you can launch your boat without having to use a launch ramp it could allow you to fish where other boats might not be able to have access? I watched a video of Roland Martin where he hauled a 15 ft boat weighing over 200 lbs in the back of his truck and he just put it in from shore at a place where he said other boats can't access because they are trailered and are too heavy and too big. Quote
Super User MN Fisher Posted January 27, 2020 Super User Posted January 27, 2020 2 minutes ago, texaslawdog said: I don't have a boat yet so I'm just seeing if a trailer is not necessary with its upkeep and cost of licensing. Long as you do regular maintenance, that cost is minimal I don't know about MD, but here in MN we can get a lifetime tag for any trailer rated under 3000# capacity. Cost me about $50...never have to buy tags again. Quote
Global Moderator Bluebasser86 Posted January 27, 2020 Global Moderator Posted January 27, 2020 I've done that with 2 man boats and johnboats up to 14', but it gets to be difficult when they're that size if you're by yourself. Some of the lakes here we're also not allowed to launch from anywhere other than designated boat launches or risk a ticket, so it kind of defeats the purpose. Trailers can be a headache, but being able to hookup to it, and then just dump it when you get to the lake is sure nice. Quote
texaslawdog Posted January 27, 2020 Author Posted January 27, 2020 Hey Blue, thanks for the input and you make a good point I will take into consideration before I decide. Thank you MN F, I'm not sure about trailering so I will have to look into that. Quote
Dirtyeggroll Posted January 27, 2020 Posted January 27, 2020 A kayak is probably a better option for toting around. 2 Quote
lo n slo Posted January 27, 2020 Posted January 27, 2020 7 hours ago, texaslawdog said: I don't have a boat yet so I'm just seeing if a trailer is not necessary with its upkeep and cost of licensing. And, if you can launch your boat without having to use a launch ramp it could allow you to fish where other boats might not be able to have access? I watched a video of Roland Martin where he hauled a 15 ft boat weighing over 200 lbs in the back of his truck and he just put it in from shore at a place where he said other boats can't access because they are trailered and are too heavy and too big. i did that for a few years when i was a younger man. a 12’ johnny, clamp-on trolling motor, and a battery fit perfectly in the bed of my 66 Chevy pick up truck. i slid the boat in transom first with all the gear detached, secured the boat with a rope tied to the handle on the front and the rest is history. i stowed the boat upside down on two saw bucks at the house, flipped it over, and it slid perfectly in and out of the truck. git r done ? 1 Quote
PourMyOwn Posted January 27, 2020 Posted January 27, 2020 I still toss a 10 and a 12 foot jon boat in the back of my truck for really small ponds. It isn't ideal, but it works. I don't know that I'd want to do that with a 15' like ol Roland, but if you really don't want to trailer, I think you'll be fine. 2 Quote
Goldstar225 Posted January 27, 2020 Posted January 27, 2020 Back in the 60's and early 70's I never saw anyone down home with a boat trailer. Everyone hauled their 12'-14' jon boats in the back of their trucks that had 8' beds. It was a pain to drag it out, load the motors and gear then reverse the process. There's a good reason to trailer your boat if you have a launch site were you can launch from a trailer. 1 Quote
texaslawdog Posted January 27, 2020 Author Posted January 27, 2020 Thank you MN F, I'm not sure about trailering so I will have to look into that. Hey PMO, thanks for the pep talk, appreciate it. And yeah, Roland did this by himself. Then he said because he is able to launch where other boats can't, he catches some hawgs noone else even knows about!!! 1 Quote
texaslawdog Posted January 27, 2020 Author Posted January 27, 2020 8 minutes ago, Goldstar225 said: Back in the 60's and early 70's I never saw anyone down home with a boat trailer. Everyone hauled their 12'-14' jon boats in the back of their trucks that had 8' beds. It was a pain to drag it out, load the motors and gear then reverse the process. There's a good reason to trailer your boat if you have a launch site were you can launch from a trailer. to Gs225, I agree with your post but I don't have a problem with loading your gear in and out each time you take the boat fishing. Maybe in time it might be more of a problem, who knows. Quote
Super User Way2slow Posted January 27, 2020 Super User Posted January 27, 2020 I have a 12 foot jon that weighs 88 pounds I use for small ponds and places it would be almost impossible to get a trailer into just for that purpose. I tried using my 1436 Lowe and at 140 pounds, add battery, TM and tackle, it was way too heave for one old fart to drag and load. I could do it, but though of doing it made me not want to go. Even with two people it got old real quick. I found this old used jon and it's perfect, still stable with two people and gear, and easy to drag and load. I guess I should have mentioned, I use a 6 1/2' short bed pickup and even with a 14', if you throw the battery in the back of the boat, (naturally the back is going to be up toward the cab) TM near the back and the rest of your gear in the middle but toward the back of the boat, one rope around the front to keep it from sliding and it hauls fine. However, you will find after doing this a while, it gets very old handling all the gear several times and lugging that battery in and out and carrying it. You will find yourself looking for a trailer to use other than those places where you can't get a trailer in. Then again, you will find yourself backing a trailer into places you would have never dreamed you would after you get tired of handling that stuff. Quote
Super User the reel ess Posted January 27, 2020 Super User Posted January 27, 2020 18 minutes ago, Way2slow said: I have a 12 foot jon that weighs 88 pounds I use for small ponds and places it would be almost impossible to get a trailer into just for that purpose. I tried using my 1436 Lowe and at 140 pounds, add battery, TM and tackle, it was way too heave for one old fart to drag and load. I could do it, but though of doing it made me not want to go. Even with two people it got old real quick. I found this old used jon and it's perfect, still stable with two people and gear, and easy to drag and load. Your 12 footer weighs less than my big kayak. But I also have a trolling motor and batter on it. Quote
Super User gim Posted January 27, 2020 Super User Posted January 27, 2020 I have a 12 foot aluminum jon boat that goes in the bed of the truck when we use it for floating the river and duck hunting. Its a 2 man job. Like others have mentioned, it gets me on smaller waters that normal size rigs can't access. We use it to float a small river for smallmouths regularly in the summer. 2 Quote
texaslawdog Posted January 27, 2020 Author Posted January 27, 2020 Hey, all great info that I will remember, I guess as I get further along with this, it should all come together. Wow gimruis! For a largemouth guy that's one awesome Smallie! Quote
gnappi Posted January 30, 2020 Posted January 30, 2020 My bed is short at 6' and my 10' Lowe is light and short enough to bring where only a yak could generally go... no ramp needed. Quote
texaslawdog Posted January 30, 2020 Author Posted January 30, 2020 40 minutes ago, gnappi said: My bed is short at 6' and my 10' Lowe is light and short enough to bring where only a yak could generally go... no ramp needed. Now that's what I'm looking for! I'm looking at a 14' Lowe V1458. It's a bit longer but with a support fitting in the rear hitch I think it will work. I just don't like the idea of using a trailer when I can slide it right out the truck bed and with a set of wheels take it right down to the water(putting equipment right inside the boat as I wheel it to the water while not having to make several more trips back to the truck for equipment. It will take up less space for storing fitting in the garage where it won't fit if on a trailer. Quote
gnappi Posted January 30, 2020 Posted January 30, 2020 6 hours ago, texaslawdog said: Now that's what I'm looking for! I'm looking at a 14' Lowe V1458. It's a bit longer but with a support fitting in the rear hitch I think it will work. I just don't like the idea of using a trailer when I can slide it right out the truck bed and with a set of wheels take it right down to the water(putting equipment right inside the boat as I wheel it to the water while not having to make several more trips back to the truck for equipment. It will take up less space for storing fitting in the garage where it won't fit if on a trailer. My cables go to the bed tie downs and the boat rear handles have motorcycle tie down straps with winching type tie down straps to secure it. Good for a flat nose Jon, not so good for a deep V. Just bear in mind that all states have overhang limits and if you go beyond them, supplemental lighting and flags are required. There are also max overhang limits where you cannot overhang at all and you need a trailer. My boat is just under four feet overhang and in Florida I do not need lighting or flags. I've considered making up a pair of lights that I can connect to my trailer light coupling just so some texting yahoo can't say they did not see the boat. Anyway: Under the Federal Size Regulations law, the DOT allows trucks to overhang a cargo by: 3 feet in front 4 feet in the rear 4 inches by the sides Quote
texaslawdog Posted January 30, 2020 Author Posted January 30, 2020 On 1/30/2020 at 5:23 AM, gnappi said: My cables go to the bed tie downs and the boat rear handles have motorcycle tie down straps with winching type tie down straps to secure it. Good for a flat nose Jon, not so good for a deep V. Just bear in mind that all states have overhang limits and if you go beyond them, supplemental lighting and flags are required. There are also max overhang limits where you cannot overhang at all and you need a trailer. My boat is just under four feet overhang and in Florida I do not need lighting or flags. I've considered making up a pair of lights that I can connect to my trailer light coupling just so some texting yahoo can't say they did not see the boat. Anyway: Under the Federal Size Regulations law, the DOT allows trucks to overhang a cargo by: 3 feet in front 4 feet in the rear 4 inches by the sides Hey gnappi, great info there, I'll have to look at regs concerning all that, thanks! I found this: Laws applying to commercial motor vehicles also apply to passenger vehicles, including pickup trucks. If a load overhangs the front of your truck by 3 feet, the side by 4 inches or the rear by 4 feet, you will need to properly mark the overhang at its maximum width and length with warning flags, reflectors and lights for driving after dark. Dec 9 2018 Quote
NELABassguy Posted January 31, 2020 Posted January 31, 2020 Just from my personal experience, I found 12' to be the max length to haul comfortably in the back of my 6.5' bed. I have hauled 14' jons back there, but it sticks way out. I rarely do it anymore though, because I got tired of having to lug the battery and trolling motor to and from the water to the truck. Now if its a real small pond, a naked jon boat with a skulling paddle is pretty handy or a jointed kayak paddle that you can take down to use as a skulling paddle and make whole for "running" from one end to the other. Quote
texaslawdog Posted January 31, 2020 Author Posted January 31, 2020 6 hours ago, NELABassguy said: Just from my personal experience, I found 12' to be the max length to haul comfortably in the back of my 6.5' bed. I have hauled 14' jons back there, but it sticks way out. I rarely do it anymore though, because I got tired of having to lug the battery and trolling motor to and from the water to the truck. Now if its a real small pond, a naked jon boat with a skulling paddle is pretty handy or a jointed kayak paddle that you can take down to use as a skulling paddle and make whole for "running" from one end to the other. Hey NBguy, I'm ok with an overhang-it will be sturdy with support slid into the receiver hitch. I am just anti-trailer at this point. I am going to get a set of wheels to attach on and off the boat in order to put all equipment in the boat after sliding it out of the truck thus eliminating separate trips for equipment and such. Now, time will tell if this method is going to be doable, maybe at some point I will change up. But till then, not having to use a trailer is more desireable to me. Quote
kjfishman Posted January 31, 2020 Posted January 31, 2020 If you decide to go with hauling in your truck bed with a bed extender you can easily add lights to the bed extender. I have hauled my old 14 foot yak on a 5' 3" bed and and never pulled over for having a load extending to far out 1 Quote
texaslawdog Posted February 1, 2020 Author Posted February 1, 2020 2 hours ago, kjfishman said: If you decide to go with hauling in your truck bed with a bed extender you can easily add lights to the bed extender. I have hauled my old 14 foot yak on a 5' 3" bed and and never pulled over for having a load extending to far out Wow, that is something like what I'm considering. And yes it looks easy to attach lights. Thanks for the pic, helps me visualize mine! Quote
NELABassguy Posted February 1, 2020 Posted February 1, 2020 2 hours ago, kjfishman said: If you decide to go with hauling in your truck bed with a bed extender you can easily add lights to the bed extender. I have hauled my old 14 foot yak on a 5' 3" bed and and never pulled over for having a load extending to far out Nice setup. Quote
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