Trailer for R31

[CocoaBella]

I am potentially acquiring an R31 Sedan and am searching for a trailer. I have located a used 40 foot, 18,000 GVWR trailer. Can anyone tell me how high the bunks and the keel V may be off of the ground to insure that the boat stays under 13' 6"? Also, if the bunks extend past the stern. are there any potential interference problems with the stern thruster? Any towing issues for PA or MD that anyone is aware of? The drivers license and registration requirements for trailers over 10,000 lb GVWR seem to get quite complicated and there is lots of confliting info out there. If anyone has a suitable Aluminum trailer between MD and FL, let me know.

 

[walldog]

I am potentially acquiring an R31 Sedan and am searching for a trailer. I have located a used 40 foot, 18,000 GVWR trailer. Can anyone tell me how high the bunks and the keel V may be off of the ground to insure that the boat stays under 13' 6"? Also, if the bunks extend past the stern. are there any potential interference problems with the stern thruster? Any towing issues for PA or MD that anyone is aware of? The drivers license and registration requirements for trailers over 10,000 lb GVWR seem to get quite complicated and there is lots of confliting info out there. If anyone has a suitable Aluminum trailer between MD and FL, let me know.

A boat is considered as an RV you should be able to go up to 26K lbs before you need a Class B license. Class B is the license under a Class A. Class C is for personal vehicles under 26K. Unless you are using it commercially, which I assume you are not.

My motor home is over 26K GVWR, so I need a Class B license. Years ago I got a class A CDL used it in my business, dropped the CDL a couple of years ago, they wanted me drug test and other things. Do not do drugs, but did not want the hassles.

Do not trust me, I did not even stay in Holiday Inn last night.

 

[Boatdreamer]

Hi CocoaBella. Congrats on buying an R31, that will be our moveup boat someday. A friend of mine just got a rather large ticket from the Florida Highway Patrol for exceding the 26000 lb GVW limit. As it turns out, you will need a CDL in Florida for anything over that GVW. The officer looked at the GVW of the triple axle trailer and the GVW of his F350, it was way over 26000 lbs. so he wrote the ticket. I would check the Florida regs before towing. I know others that tow over that GVW and over the 8'6" beam all the time without any problem (or permits) so it's just hit and miss enforcement.

Tim
Gratitude

 

[walldog]

Hi CocoaBella. Congrats on buying an R31, that will be our moveup boat someday. A friend of mine just got a rather large ticket from the Florida Highway Patrol for exceding the 26000 lb GVW limit. As it turns out, you will need a CDL in Florida for anything over that GVW. The officer looked at the GVW of the triple axle trailer and the GVW of his F350, it was way over 26000 lbs. so he wrote the ticket. I would check the Florida regs before towing. I know others that tow over that GVW and over the 8'6" beam all the time without any problem (or permits) so it's just hit and miss enforcement.

Tim
Gratitude

Same thing in Texas Tim, That is why I had to get a Class A CDL. The trailer I had was rated at 20,000 and the truck was rated at 10,000 which put me over the 26,000. It did not matter to the officer that the Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating GCVWR of the truck was much less that 26,000. A work around on a future rig was to have the trailer manufacturer derate the trailer to 14,500. I was hauling a small crane and needed the heavy duty platform of the trailer for stability and support at the job site (Off Road). Total rate of the rig was less than 10,000 so that worked in this case. Check the manufacturers's label on the trailer, if it is over 16,000 you will be over with a one ton or even a 3/4 ton truck.

 

[Irish Mist]

After I crossed the border into Canada I got stopped by the dot and he told me that the boat and trailer was not an RV as far as he was concerned and told me I need a higher license... I think I could argue that in court... He was very nice and very helpful and acknowledged the information avalible was hard to interpret.. No ticket issued. When talking to the powers that be in the USA I was told I was an RV so do not need any DOT numbers... Stopped at a lot of scales and never any hassle in fact I had issues two years ago because then I had DOT numbers which just confused the issue because I was not hauling for $$.