Hauling with a Pontoon Trailer

[yooperdave]

I just bought a 20' pontoon boat that came with a tandem axle trailer rated for 2,500#.

Does anyone see a concern if I were to haul a 30' long x 2000# steel beam on top of the trailer over the interstate?

The beam is 10.5" high x 10.5" wide - very stout.

I could cantilever the front of the beam around 4' and the back would cantilever 6'.
The beam would also be 3' or so above the road so the beam should not bottom out.

I would chain the beam to the trailer, and put a red flag on the end of the beam.

Am I ok, or am I missing something here?

I have never seen pontoon trailers used for anything but hauling pontoon boats.

The trailer is pretty narrow and tall - about as high as wide.

All replies welcomed.

Yooper Dave

 

[Runner]

My only concern would be keeping the beam from sliding forward or back on the trailer. I would want to try to get some chain hooks over the ends that or something like that.

 

[biggerten]

That scares me a bit. My pontoon trailer is the wide kind, with the pontoons riding on bunks.

It sounds like you have the narrow kind, where the deck of the pontoon is supported. I see these swaying down the freeway and I just shudder. But maybe I'm just a Nervous Nelly when it comes to such things.

I agree with Runner about fastening that thing down - if you come to a sudden stop, you'll have a 2000 pound spear hitting you from behind.

Good luck.

What's a yooper doing in Green Bay? Shouldn't you be back home with the Jack Pines and black flies?

 

[Lunk]

I just bought a 20' pontoon boat that came with a tandem axle trailer rated for 2,500#.

Does anyone see a concern if I were to haul a 30' long x 2000# steel beam on top of the trailer over the interstate?

The beam is 10.5" high x 10.5" wide - very stout.

I could cantilever the front of the beam around 4' and the back would cantilever 6'.
The beam would also be 3' or so above the road so the beam should not bottom out.

I would chain the beam to the trailer, and put a red flag on the end of the beam.

Am I ok, or am I missing something here?

I have never seen pontoon trailers used for anything but hauling pontoon boats.

The trailer is pretty narrow and tall - about as high as wide.

All replies welcomed.

Yooper Dave

Along with the concern over forward / backward (mostly forward, as in sudden braking) movement, I'd be a little concerned about center of gravity(COG). With a pontoon boat, I believe that COG is relatively low, due to the mass of the pontoons and the lower unit being well below the center framework. A steel beam chained to that same framework would not benefit from that...I've seen pontoons tipped on their side just turning a corner a little too fast - I'd hate to see what It'd cost to p/u a one-ton, 30' steel beam off the road, or out of a passing vehicle.

If you do it - Be careful, and go slow until you can determine what the handling characteristics are.

 

[yooperdave]

I will offload the pontoon boat soon to get a good look at the trailer.

I am going to see if the trailer can function in the 'down' position. That would lower the center of gravity by at least 16"-18" - a very good thing.

My biggest concern as already mentioned was the high center of gravity and the potential of overturning. I plan on hauling at 5:00 in the morning to minimize traffic.

The beam has a few holes in it at each end, so I can bolt some large eyebolts to it and connect my chains accordingly.

I only need to be on the interstate for 35-40 miles. Then I can go 40 mph through the back woods.

Yooper Dave

 

[Diamondpilot]

Along with the concern over forward / backward (mostly forward, as in sudden braking) movement, I'd be a little concerned about center of gravity(COG). With a pontoon boat, I believe that COG is relatively low, due to the mass of the pontoons and the lower unit being well below the center framework. A steel beam chained to that same framework would not benefit from that...I've seen pontoons tipped on their side just turning a corner a little too fast - I'd hate to see what It'd cost to p/u a one-ton, 30' steel beam off the road, or out of a passing vehicle.

If you do it - Be careful, and go slow until you can determine what the handling characteristics are.

I second everything here. As you know I am in the marine business and I have seen my fair share of these trailers tipped by people in my parking lot going just 10 mph making a turn or even on unlevel ground. Now the type that the bunks ride on are fine to use for other purposes. We welded in cross braces on a customers trailer last spring and decked it with 5/4 deck boars so he could use it in the summer months while the boat was docked.

I would find another trailer to use.

Chris

 

[Bird]

You say it would extend 6' behind the trailer. I don't know about your state, and I would doubt that you would get caught and ticketed, even in Texas, but it would be illegal in Texas to extend more than 4'.

Sec. 621.206. MAXIMUM EXTENDED LENGTH OF LOAD. (a) A vehicle or combination of vehicles may not carry a load that extends more than three feet beyond its front or, except as permitted by other law, more than four feet beyond its rear.
(b) Subsection (a) does not apply to vehicles collecting garbage, rubbish, refuse, or recyclable materials which are equipped with front-end loading attachments and containers provided that the vehicle is actively engaged in the collection of garbage, rubbish, refuse, or recyclable materials.


Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 25, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 30.132, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 941, Sec. 18, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 19.0065, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.




Sec. 621.2061. EXCEPTION TO MAXIMUM EXTENDED LENGTH OF LOAD: CERTAIN MOTOR VEHICLES. Notwithstanding Section 621.206, a trailer may carry a load that extends more than four feet beyond the rear of the trailer if the load consists of a motor vehicle that:
(1) is designed and intended to be carried at the rear of the trailer;
(2) is used or intended to be used to load or unload a commodity on or off the trailer;
(3) does not extend more than seven feet beyond the rear of the trailer; and
(4) complies with each applicable federal motor carrier safety regulation.


Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 25, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.

 

[Duffster]

In WI it can extend up to 4' beyond the vehicle before it needs a flag or a extra light.

 

[radioman]

looks like bird beat me- i was gonna say something about the length sticking out past 4 ft as NYS is picky about that too.

 

[powerstroke444e]

till you have handled a 30 beam you have no idea how heavy it is FYI it only 2000lbs but think that your entire boat weights less and then how are you doing to load and unload with out tearing up your trailer? It should not cost much to get it delivered or have a friend with a better/bigger trailer help($150) vs on ticket @ $75 your fuel $? and bending up your trailer $100's. just my 2 cents.