We have just travelled in caravan for a couple of years. Now the van is up for sale and we are going to take off again with a trailer boat and a tent/swag. Im looking for people thoughts on what boat, size, what trailer ect
My currently thinking something like Reneagde 420 or 440 with a Mackay/belco off road Trailer. Im inexperienced with boats, Ive only owned a port-a-bote folding boat with 6hp so don't have much to go on!
We will be using it mainly Northern half of Australia and often remote areas, so need something small enough to be nimble on the tracks and easy to launch anywhere. There are 3 of us, 2 adults and an 8 year old. We want to fish river/creek and get out to off shore islands and reef when the weather is good.
I would like the trailer to have a decent payload to carry additional fuel, water, gas ect and ideally run on 16" rims.
Keen to hear any tips from people who with experience, what to look out for, what not to get ect
Cheers
boat and trailer advice
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- Jedi Seadog
- Posts: 988
- Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2012 9:26 pm
Re: boat and trailer advice
I would have a look at the 1450 stabicraft. It’s a big little boat. And would handle a calm off shore day better then most smaller boats.
I rate a dual Axle trailer for off tossing. But if it’s only a small boat it may be too small for dual axle.
I rate a dual Axle trailer for off tossing. But if it’s only a small boat it may be too small for dual axle.
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- Jedi Seadog
- Posts: 888
- Joined: Sun Aug 27, 2017 8:20 am
- Location: Darwin
Re: boat and trailer advice
Dual axle can go with any size boat and is good for carrying the extra weight for camping gear but can contribute to cracking a draw bar and busted springs if you’re going up and over steep short steep creeks banks etc. and contributes to bogging down (Wet & dry) as you can’t bounce them through or over some terrain as much. Dual axle trailers can also be too rigid and you’ll bust the boat up some how unless you let the tyres right down so basically, no easy pivoting points with dual axle.
16” rims will make for high launching which is easy enough but the retrieval... get a good winch!
I know there are locking/pivoting draw bars out there which add to cost but could be worth looking into or tipping hydraulics if you’re serious enough.
Hundreds of options but one thing for sure, I’d be fitting the trailer with rear side slide rails with rollers middle and front over a full roller trailer for better support.
16” rims will make for high launching which is easy enough but the retrieval... get a good winch!
I know there are locking/pivoting draw bars out there which add to cost but could be worth looking into or tipping hydraulics if you’re serious enough.
Hundreds of options but one thing for sure, I’d be fitting the trailer with rear side slide rails with rollers middle and front over a full roller trailer for better support.
- theodosius
- Jedi Seadog
- Posts: 3274
- Joined: Mon May 18, 2009 10:46 pm
Re: boat and trailer advice
I wouldn't store too much in the boat/on the trailer
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- New Member
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- Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2020 10:20 am
Re: boat and trailer advice
Ill check them out. cheers
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- New Member
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2020 10:20 am
Re: boat and trailer advice
Not thought about the high launch, was thinking of the option of interchangeable sparesNinjaFish wrote: ↑Wed Apr 29, 2020 3:23 pm Dual axle can go with any size boat and is good for carrying the extra weight for camping gear but can contribute to cracking a draw bar and busted springs if you’re going up and over steep short steep creeks banks etc. and contributes to bogging down (Wet & dry) as you can’t bounce them through or over some terrain as much. Dual axle trailers can also be too rigid and you’ll bust the boat up some how unless you let the tyres right down so basically, no easy pivoting points with dual axle.
16” rims will make for high launching which is easy enough but the retrieval... get a good winch!
I know there are locking/pivoting draw bars out there which add to cost but could be worth looking into or tipping hydraulics if you’re serious enough.
Hundreds of options but one thing for sure, I’d be fitting the trailer with rear side slide rails with rollers middle and front over a full roller trailer for better support.
- gammo42
- Platinum Member
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- Location: Townsville
- Contact:
Re: boat and trailer advice
I saw a wonderful setup at Limmen Bight 5 years ago. 420 Renegade on a Mackay off-road trailer, it was awesome. They had a slightly longer trailer which allowed the boat to sit to the rear more. Had fuel jerries, spare tyre, spare spring, extension arm on the front half of the boat trailer. The Mackay trailer, even though it sits high, has the pivoting rear end that helps with launch and retrieve. No photos sorry.
- Matt Flynn
- Site Administrator
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Re: boat and trailer advice
It depends a lot on what you want to do. But the trailer setup is critical, the corrugated roads are killer.
The bigger boat is better unless you plan to tackle gnarly tracks, and if you are doing gnarly tracks then a cartopper is better.
A bigger boat with long range tanks is better for exploring the coast, especially if you have a auxiliary motor stowed for insurance.
As someone mentioned, store nothing heavy in the boat, and get a good dust cover and motor cover, some people even clingwrap the outboard for the long unsealed stretches.
I crossed the north twice with a cartopper and getting it down and setting it up was a pain when staying only a short time at any one place, I soon changed to a trailer so I could have the boat semi ready to go, for hit and run fishing
The bigger boat is better unless you plan to tackle gnarly tracks, and if you are doing gnarly tracks then a cartopper is better.
A bigger boat with long range tanks is better for exploring the coast, especially if you have a auxiliary motor stowed for insurance.
As someone mentioned, store nothing heavy in the boat, and get a good dust cover and motor cover, some people even clingwrap the outboard for the long unsealed stretches.
I crossed the north twice with a cartopper and getting it down and setting it up was a pain when staying only a short time at any one place, I soon changed to a trailer so I could have the boat semi ready to go, for hit and run fishing
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