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Posts: 393
Location: Hopefully on the water | How hard is it to move a fiberglass or aluminum boat around in the garage with a tandem axle trailer? Are they more or less straight back and hook up or easy to move around in the garage and hook up to the vehicle. Now i realize that Aluminum will be easier then fiberglass but looking for opinions on both. Looking at 19 and 20 foot boats but just thought about this issue and what I should be looking for. Thanks for the input on this. |
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Posts: 32954
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Why would aluminum be easier than glass, they are about the same weight these days. Tandems move forward and backwards fine, but don't turn real easy. Need to jack up the tongue and take the weight off one set of wheels, but not anywhere as easy as a single axle. |
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Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | Like Steve said, but it's doable. You'll hear the axles creaking and popping a bit if you turn sharp, but it's part of it. But it's not so bad I can't turn mine with a hand dolly. I have to disconnect my trailer (tandem with a big Ranger on it) from my truck and push it by hand into my garage to avoid hitting the house and the fence...it's a pain, and I sometimes have to make a 3 point turn, but I get it in there by hand. |
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Posts: 968
Location: N.FIB | a buddy of mine just bought a 620 ranger 250 ho and it`s a pain to get it in his garage and make it fit,can`t push that boat by hand.he has a half of inch of clearence from the garage door when he gets it in,if your gonna buy a boat 19-20ft make sure you have plenty of room,he thought he did but forgot about the engine mount trolling motor sticking out. |
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Posts: 393
Location: Hopefully on the water | I have the space to do it by going through the double overhead door but have to jockey it into the third stall. That is why I thought about the question last night. Outside storage is not a option at all...very steep driveway. Thanks for the info. Any other thoughts would be appreciated.
Steve, sorry but just assumed the aluminum would be lighter but I see your point. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | consider putting a ball on the front of your garden tractor or atv if you have one and then a small battery to connect with clips to the wiring harness to engage the brake ... then it's pretty easy to move them around for storage. my tractor has a cup-holder so i can sit, take my time and have a beer when i'm doin' it and not get so stressed. |
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Posts: 1086
| These here, can make life a whole lot easier when needing to maneuver a boat around in a tight space within a garage.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/big-red-1000-lbs-car-dolly-1161639 |
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Posts: 1460
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | I have a 619 and had problems turning it to fit it in my garage. I tried the tire dollies shown above, but that rig is just to heavy and those did not help one bit, so I returned them. I even tried using 'come-alongs' aka tie down straps and tied off one end to an exposed joist to the side of the boat to try to pull it to the side with limited results. I finally posted the issue on MH site and Steve H. suggested I keep the boat attached to the truck and SLOWLY turn the rig with my truck. That worked. I have to SLOWLY angle it in still hooked up to truck until the tongue is right up to the garage door jamb (which now resembles ground chuck). Then CHOCK the tires BEFORE cranking it off the ball. Pull truck out, then unlock swing-away tongue. Took me a while to get this procedure down, but now I can do it 1st try each time.
When removing from garage, I relock the swing out tongue, then place my feet on the tongue and my back against the wall and push the rig to a straight position. Important note here is that the rig is easier to move sideways when it is cranked ALL the way DOWN. Then I pull out onto driveway and hook up.
Bottom line, tandem axels under a heavy boat are very hard to move sideways, but if the rig will fit in the space at an angle, it can be done. Just make sure it WILL fit before purchasing. |
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