Trailering a 32 sedan

[AGK]

Hey all,

How does everyone feel about towing a 32 sedan with a 2024 Ram 2500 gasser? Crew cab, long bed. Is that enough truck for the job or should I have gotten the 3500? The towing capacity is north of 15,000 and I can't imagine my Marinette approaching that. (Flybridge removed, trailer about 1900lbs)
Twice a year the plan is to drive the boat from WI to FL. Until that plan is realized it will be driven twice a year to a local storage facility. (Under a 30 mile journey) What has everyone seen or done?

THANKS!

[jralbert]

Given some of the hazards of towing (it ain't for the faint of heart), asking whether you have done the math of towing vs storage? And factoring in the peace of mind and personal effort. ???

[AGK]

This isn't to save money or anything like that, it's strictly so my wife and I can use the boat in Florida during Wisconsin's off season. I'm very lucky, or unlucky depending on your perspective that my wife fell in love with this boat and wants to spend vacations living on it. So, to answer your question yes, I've done the math and it's painful.

I regularly tow heavy loads for work but it's using the company truck and trailer. (30-foot deck over and diesel 1 ton) So the pain and agony of towing ~12,000lbs for 18 hours won't deter me.

I'm more asking if anyone tows their M with a 3/4 ton. The towing math checks out. ~12,000lbs being towed with a truck that has ~15,000 of towing capacity. Things don't always translate from an engineer's pen to reality, so just looking for some real-world data.

[jralbert]

understand. good luck. enjoy the FLA waters (btw: I've never had the guts to tow an M. Did once tow an 18" boat on a small trailer from CLE to Atlantic City. That cured me of long distance trailering.

[javalin390]

If you are used to towing a large trailer, it's no big deal, but here are a few things to consider. The first Big M that I looked at (before I bought my 37') was a 32' express without a flybridge. The fella trying to sell it said a one-ton dually was the truck you need to tow it (he had an F350), his came with a steel trailer. An aluminum trailer might make it easier. Here in the state of Ohio requires you obtain, and pay for, an oversize permit and your truck has to display those big yellow "OVERSIZE LOAD" banners, front and rear. Being in Ohio, the width limit is 12 ft and a Big M 32' is 12' 4". If you were to go through with the idea, and taking off the flybridge would be part of the moving process, I'd bet that after doing it once you would not want to do it twice. I helped a fellow Marinette owner do it on a 37', it's a lot of work. Probably a better idea would be, if you're really set on having a Marinette, just buy a second one. I know that sounds wacky, but I am always looking at the boat market and you can find really nice Marinettes, 28's and 32's under 10 grand. One round trip towing, at today's gas prices would probably cost a couple thousand.
The third owner of my 37' had it trucked from Chicago to Cleveland, when he purchased it. Dry shipping weight for the 37' was 16,500 LBS. Of course a 32' will be a lot less, but that's a lot of boat and a lot of miles on your truck.
Or.... rather than risk the possibility of loosing you Big M in a Florida hurricane, maybe purchase a disposable Sea Ray or Bayliner plastic boat for use in Fla !!!

[AGK]

Great info javelin. Thanks for the help. Exactly what I was looking for.

[AGK]

Jr,
Trailering big heavy things is definitely exhausting. You gotta be locked in 24/7. We'll see how it goes just around my area first before I make the big jump. There is a possibility we leave the boat in Gulfport anyway. I've got a 27-foot sailboat as well so we might just use that in summer here. I've got all winter long to ponder....