Towing Seadoo behind boat trailer

[oldjeep]

Re: Towing Seadoo behind boat trailer

You need one of these:
SHADOW TRAILERS ? Boat and PWC Combo Trailer

 

[triscadek209]

Re: Towing Seadoo behind boat trailer

Where did you find the setup for the truck bed?

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Towing Seadoo behind boat trailer

Two carpeted 2x4's for bunks and a couple more under them sideways in front and behind the wheel wells gets it done.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Towing Seadoo behind boat trailer

You need one of these:
SHADOW TRAILERS ? Boat and PWC Combo Trailer

Would have to sink the trailer pretty deep to load the ski?

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Towing Seadoo behind boat trailer

Would have to sink the trailer pretty deep to load the ski?

And it would have to be one mighty long ramp to not run off the end.
I am not sure they thought this one completely through.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Towing Seadoo behind boat trailer

Would have to sink the trailer pretty deep to load the ski?

Sure, but it is the same as launching a huge boat.

We have guys suggesting putting 600-800lb jetskis in the back of their truck, how do you unload that

My RXP weighs 790lbs dry.

 

[midcarolina]

Re: Towing Seadoo behind boat trailer

This thread is a reminder of why we have so many laws on the books.......to protect us from *** hats that are gonna do what they wanna do regardless of the REAL possibility of putting the rest of us in danger on the highway.......

I truly hope your ill equipped set up doesnt end up killing some innocent people on the road..........

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Towing Seadoo behind boat trailer

Sure, but it is the same as launching a huge boat.

We have guys suggesting putting 600-800lb jetskis in the back of their truck, how do you unload that

My RXP weighs 790lbs dry.

No way the same as launching a large boat. That trailer has to be sunk almost to the winch.
Ya the back of the pickup is another fiasco. My VX weighs about the same. I can hardly push it off of a ski pad unless it's on one with rollers

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Towing Seadoo behind boat trailer

Treat the bunks w silicone and it will slide off on its own

i only need to get the rear tips of the bunks in the water to load n launch my skis

 

[marcoalza]

Re: Towing Seadoo behind boat trailer

How the hell do you reverse that set-up?

Just wondering

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Towing Seadoo behind boat trailer

How the hell do you reverse that set-up?

Just wondering

You don't ever back up when towing triple.

 

[midcarolina]

Re: Towing Seadoo behind boat trailer

How the hell do you reverse that set-up?

Just wondering

After about 45 minutes of watchin him back up and forward you'll know exactly how not to do it!!!!!

Although your blood pressure may be to the roof before he gets it in water.........

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Towing Seadoo behind boat trailer

My boat trailer is set up to do this. The previous owner pulled his wave runner behind it all the time. On the back crossbar is a 14" long standard square 2" receiver welded to the bottom. The draw bar was "L" shaped square tube approx. 4' long with a 1' leg welded at the ball to attach a sway damper. The sway damper pinned to a bracket on the side of the jet ski trailer. (think steering damper, but specifically engineered for trailer sway control) The trailer lights were also extended using standard 4 prong harness wiring. I followed this setup several times and never saw the jet ski trailer get a case of the wobbles. It was fabbed at a professional trailer shop using rated components. As I recall, he said it wasn't cheap to have done, but it was done right. I didn't take the hitch in the boat deal but the receiver is still welded to the bottom of my trailer. The truck, 23' boat and ski worked out to be 62' long. So to answer the OP's original question, yes it's legal and yes it works safely when professionally engineered and installed.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Towing Seadoo behind boat trailer

How the hell do you reverse that set-up?

Just wondering

with a boat and a jetski... you don't because you can't see the ski.... with my jeep behind my camper.... first I lock the steering in the jeep so the front tires stay straight and then I plan ahead and counter, counter steer... it really isn't terribly difficult.... the jeep steers exactly the same as the truck but with a pretty big delay from when I turn the wheel until the jeep reacts... of course the front tires are scrubbing the whole time and it isn't something you want to do often..... I've only had to back up twice in 5 years and about 10,000 miles of triple towing... both times were due to bad directions.


Generally when triple towing you don't go anywhere that you would have to back up... mainly because you can't see who or what you might be backing over.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Towing Seadoo behind boat trailer

When we put the jet ski in the back of the truck, we simply just back the truck into the water until the tailgate/bed was in the water and pushed it out. I've seen people use rollers as well, or just get 4 guys (2 per side) to lift it the couple of feet from the bed to the water (while backed down the ramp). Most just lay it in the bed, with no frame or structure and strap it in.

I don't see why it would be a big deal using a long boat trailer either. You may be backing it in another 8' from usual, but it's not like you have to get the winch post under water. It takes 6-8" of water depth to float most jet skis, so it's not a real big deal unless the ramp ends 20' out from the shoreline.

 

[jbetzelb]

Re: Towing Seadoo behind boat trailer

I built my jet ski in the box rig so my bunks mount to the box via the bolts in the box. I put wheels on my bunks. It is a 1 person job to put the ski in the box or take it out. I have a metal post that mounts using the front bolts in the box and it has an eye bolt on the top of the post. I have a third piece that pins to the bunks and angles to the ground. Back the jet ski trailer up to the third piece I mention and use the come along to pull the skii off the trailer and into the box. My jet ski sits in my box facing backwards. I secure it in the box with the bow hook and the ski hook to the 4 box hooks that come with any modern truck. It has never moved a inch going down the road. At the lake you basically back down till the tailgate is close to the water, unhook the tie downs, hop on, give a little push and ride it out of the truck and into the water. Recovery is slightly more effort from the lake verses the trailer but still only takes a few minutes. My boat is a 19 foot bow rider that loaded with gear, fuel, luggage weighs 3750 pounds. My jet ski weighs 800 pounds. When I built the jet ski in the box rig I had a F250 Super Duty Diesel. The load was nothing for it. Made it ride smoother with the jet ski in the box. Now I use the same rig with a 2011 F150. The truck handles the load just fine.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Towing Seadoo behind boat trailer

When we put the jet ski in the back of the truck, we simply just back the truck into the water until the tailgate/bed was in the water and pushed it out. I've seen people use rollers as well, or just get 4 guys (2 per side) to lift it the couple of feet from the bed to the water (while backed down the ramp). Most just lay it in the bed, with no frame or structure and strap it in.

Only works if you have a relatively steep ramp. On most of the shallow incline ramps I'm on, the front tires would be 3/4 to nearly fully covered and you would have water in the cab, by the time you got the tailgate wet.

 

[Cptkid570]

Re: Towing Seadoo behind boat trailer

I just want to comment on the whole trailer brakes discussion on this thread. I really think it depends on how careful the driver is as to whether or not brakes would be needed for this size boat. I've seen people tow their boats as if there were no boat attached to their vehicle -- they fly down the road, speed, tailgate, etc. I swear I can tow a 26' boat with no trailer brakes safer that I see half the people towing a 20' boat with trailer brakes. It is all in the way you drive.

I've seen people drive their boats the same way. Some people's cruising speed is 30 mph, and some, such as mine, is 22 mph. It is all in how careful the driver is. The state laws are put in place to protect the general public against idiots.

If the starter of this thread is not an idiot, and he has tried to express that to us by telling us that he is used to being careful on the roads since he maintains a CDL, then I wouldn't doubt that he would be just fine without brakes on his trailer. The main thing is to just let him know that since his boat is borderline needing trailer brakes, then to just be real careful and know that he needs to go slow and keep safe following distances. And, if he was towing both the boat and jet ski, then I'm sure he would.

Many of us come to these message boards as a means to save money by doing things ourselves instead of hiring someone to do them for us, yet the advise that we typically receive is to "spend more money".

Just my .02.

 

[midcarolina]

Re: Towing Seadoo behind boat trailer

I take exception to that.......I have no idea if the OP has the necessary skills. But what I do know is he will be surrounded by idiots on the highway........which could very well put him in a situation not of his making that ends up hurting someone.

Just about any of us can tow it with no problem with no brakes until the right idiot does something stupid and we cant stop in time.......

It's just that simple.........some things are too important to be cheap on.........

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Towing Seadoo behind boat trailer

ALSO keep in mind that the trailer brake topic only came up here because the o/p stated that he didn't have them and was perfectly legal....

AND the same O/P volunteered that he felt that it was ok to pull 90-100k lbs down the highway w half of his brakes not working because "you gotta do what you gotta do" Certainly NOT confidence inspiring to me.

We didn't beat him up for towing his boat w/o brakes.... We pointed out that he WAS required to have them by law since he brought up the law...... We also told him he'd need them to double tow which you agreed....

Last, I come from a background where I am very familiar with tandem trailers, double towing, and towing at weights up to 200k lbs and can say first hand that brakes are NOT the place to skimp.