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Boat launching options
As we contemplated our sailing travels in a motorhome, we faced one major dilemma... if we tow our sailboat behind us, what do we drive when we get there? And what do we use to launch the boat and pull her out again? Certainly not a massive 40' Motor Coach.
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At the right is a photo of some brave soul using his large motorhome to launch a boat. This is a less than optimal option. In the first place boat ramps are often quite narrow and turn around spots are small. It can be very challenging to try and get a large motorhome towing a 20' boat into position to back the boat down a crowded boat ramp. And typically you cannot see the boat behind the motorhome because it is not as wide, so this complicates the process tremendously.
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Click photos for enlargements
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Besides the limitations described above, boat ramps can be notoriously treacherous. Lake levels rise and fall with the rains, and often they can be quite slippery with moss, algae or other hazards. I have had a friend with a Dodge Ram pickup with 7.3L Cummins diesel try to help me out pulling my sailboat up a steep ramp. Even he was unable to do it because his rear wheels could not get traction. 4WD is the safest bet. And I have not seen too many 4x4 motorhomes. Next thing you know, you wind up like the poor sap at the right!
The advantage of towing a boat with a truck camper is that you can unload the camper at the RV park and use the 4WD pickup truck to launch the boat... a MUCH better option than a giant motorhome. Living can be a little cramped but it gives you a good vehicle for driving around town while you are there... shopping for groceries, etc. This is generally not something you want to do in a large motorhome... especially after you get all set up at the RV park... hookups, jacks, slides out, etc
Some guys will try to tow both a pickup *and* their boat. See the guy at the right. Nice idea. I mean you can use the pickup to launch the boat and drive around town. The problem is that towing two trailers is against the law in all but a few states. And then you would be exceeding the maximum length limit in all states as well... typically 65'. You might be able to get a special permit, but this is a hassle and of course driving this rig around could be very challenging indeed!
This is the way to go. This is our Chevy Tracker launching our sailboat. Although the Tracker is small and light, just 2300 lbs. & 11'9" in length, with the low range 4WD option it pulls like a tractor and has no problem pulling our Catalina sailboat on its tandem axle trailer, total 4300 pounds. Yet it fits snugly inside the garage of the Windseeker RV when on the road, allowing us to tow our sailboat behind the RV. This is the boat launch at Fernridge Shores Marina on the western shore of Fernridge Lake, near Eugene OR.
The RV industry has been remarkably short sighted with respect to the boating industry. They are missing a HUGE target market. The Gulf Stream Bounty Hunter with the ability to carry a Chevy Tracker in the garage, and tow a boat behind, was a great leap forward. But unfortunately with the challenging economic climate in the last few years, they discontinued their motorized division altogether. So you have to search far and wide to find a rig like ours. We hope that our approach to RVing with a boat will catch on and ignite interest among other motorhome manufacturers to build other options. Ideally we would like to see one with a 13.5' garage bay and a bit more load capacity, capable of carrying a late model Jeep Sahara. That would be the ideal travel companion.
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