NC 895 towing

[westboating]

Hey folks,

     I have a 2018 895 and I've trailered her several times to the dealer and two longer highway trips.  I'm wondering if there any other 895 or 1095 owners with much trailer experience.  I'd love to get some tips and build my perspective. 

Thank You

[cheesesteak]

Just to piggyback here...I'm considering purchasing a trailer for our 895.  Can you (or anyone) provide any feedback on makes/models that you've used with your 895?  Also, what vehicle(s) are you using for towing--we keep ours in the water, but would really be useful for periodic maintenance and hurricane avoidance--so short trips only.  Thanks!

[westboating]

I purchased the venture trailer rated for 10,500lbs.  I made the boat as light as I could and the trailer and boat weighed in at 11,500.  They say the trailer is between 1600 and 1800lbs.  So, that is barley enough trailer.  I towed it last summer with a bit more gas onboard and the trailer handled fine.  I believe having electrically controlled hydraulic brakes is key as surge brakes won't help at all on the boat ramp. 

Getting our trailer fit was more of a process than It should have been.  Our dealer, Sundance Portland, was great and very accommodating with all the trailer related challenges.  I believe several of the limitations we experienced have been solved.  One of which is the forward lateral bar on the trailer which ends up very close to the bow of the boat and makes loading tricky.  I plan on installing a roller on the trailer beam to prevent damage.

As for the towing vehicle, we've use two a 2015 F150 and a 2008 F250.  I know there are many that think the half ton F150 is too light.  I'm probably one of them now.  If you buy carefully and get all the towing features you can get an 11,500 lb towing capacity in 2015 and the newest F150 is good for 13,900.  Oddly enough that comes from a 3.5L V6, not the V8 or the diesel F150.  If you get the short bed, 4x4, 3.55 axle, max payload, and max trailer tow packages.  Your gross combined weight rating (GCWR) is 19,400 and the max vehicle weight rating is 7850.  So our 150 with people, stuff, gas, and trailer tongue weight came right to 7000 (the limit for our truck).  The trailer weighed in a little over 11,500.  All good right?  Nope, the limiting factor was the weight of everything (GCWR) which on our truck was 16,900 or 1,700 ish pounds over weight, a fact we didn't realize until we were half way down the highway.  With a balanced load and good functioning trailer breaks we had no issues.  If you got he right F150 you could do it and be underweight, but you're still hauling 12,000 ish behind 7,000lbs.  The funny part is fuel economy.  The f-150 went from 20 highway to 7.5 mpg with the boat while the f150 went from 13.4 to 12.1 with the boat. 

We had used the factory spec weight in planning and added in 700 lbs for gear and we were way off.  The spec on our boat with motors was supposed to be a dry weight of 7,700 (we double checked several times with the dealer and this was the reported weight with engines).  Now the web says 8695lb displacement (previously unreported).  If you back our boat weight out of the numbers above, we estimate she was close to 9,800 with as much water and fuel out as we could get.

[cheesesteak]

Thanks for the quick reply, westboating! The latest NC 895 website brochure I saw said 7716 (assuming that's without 2xF200 outboards at 500lbs ea).  That makes it 8700 with engines and empty. So I'm thinking full fuel and water could add 1300-1500 lbs plus 10% personal gear. So the trailer needs to handle max 11,000 lbs. for a fully loaded boat.  That's really close to your numbers, so thanks for the confirmation! If we can empty the water and burn down some fuel, the numbers get better, but worst case we're looking at around 12,800 for boat and trailer fully loaded.  As I have neither the trailer nor truck yet, I think I'm leaning toward a 3/4 ton/2500 series (diesel?) with at least 13,500 towing capacity--most in that class seem to have that at a minimum.  Hoping to find a used one that won't break the bank as it'll be mainly for occasional towing and home repair errands. I'm working with my dealer for trailer recommendations, as well, but thanks for the info on the Venture--as you mentioned this would be near the top end of that 10,500 capacity, but the next size up is around 12,500 (14,485 GVWR) which seems like overkill...

Really appreciate the detailed information--thanks again!

[fritz]

My NC 795 2020 wet weight was 6,700 lbs with little or no water and 35 gallons of fuel onboard. 

The Port of Edmonds Washington has a sling with the ability to measure weight.

-Fritz

[westboating]

My dealer has a travel lift to weigh boats, but I understand it's not accurate.  The first weight of the 895 was 14,000 or twice the published dry weight with no gas or gear, so questionable to say the least.  I ran her over several truck scales with and without the boat and came up with roughly 9,800.

I'm not going for the $70K F150 that is spec'd to handle this or the $82K F250.  I looked into rental trucks, and Enterprise may have lifted their 10K towing limit.  The web site says they'll let you tow up to 12K.  Fingers crossed, this might be a better long term solution.  Buying a secondary 3/4 truck which sits most of the time is probably a $25-$30k deal and that'll be 120k-175k miles.  A one day rental on a 3/4 truck is like $110, or I could keep it for 10 days for only $825 or so.  Compared to buying and maintaining a tow vehicle, I'd have to be towing all the time to make up that difference.  Better example: New F250 = $82k, 2018 F250 with 84K miles = $54k the difference in price/miles = loss in value of $0.32/mile.  So, my 250 mile trip would cost me $80.  We'll see if renting works.

Good luck

[westboating]

So I spoke to the folks at Enterprise truck rental today and good news.  They will let you tow up to 12,000lbs.  You have to be clear when reserving and probably worth confirming with them a few days out.  This is our plan this summer portage from the Columbia to the Sound.  Now for the extra trips to avoid a 10 day rental and a truck sitting at the marina.

[idefixsc]

Hi
I am surprised not to see in the discussion any mention of the beam of the boat. Unless mistaking it looks like at least 47 states have a max beam (including any protrusion from the trailer) of 8 1/2 feet above which a special permit is mandated foe each trip.
The 895 is reported at 9’9’’. Also I believe you can go by with up to 10’ if lucky I am wondering what is the liability in case of something happening while towing and without permit?
What is your experience and how do you manage this?
Thanks for your responses.
Idefix

[dwp]

My trailer for the 895 is right at 8 1/2 wide.  In most states you are allowed some overhang on each side of a trailer. In Washington under 10' you can self issue a permit.  The permit is an extension/add on to the tow vehicle license tabs. It is a simple fine for lacking the extension to your tabs. Given that it is simply a tab, i.e. road tax issue, I don't believe there is any extra liability in lacking the permit but I am not a lawyer. Given all of the above  1) I am not sure the permit is even required, 2) Think an officer would have a hard time finding the spot (if any) where the beam exceeds allowed overhang and 3) Don't think any officer would be inclined to look for it out unless something else caught their attention.

Having said all that I am not willing to leave my boat on the side of the highway while I track down signage and a permit so I know how to self permit on my phone and I carry wide load signs on the boat just for the unlikely event an officer pulls me over, checks it out, and demands "Wide Load" treatment. 

[westboating]

Mar 9, 2021 5:17:17 GMT idefixsc said:

Hi
I am surprised not to see in the discussion any mention of the beam of the boat. Unless mistaking it looks like at least 47 states have a max beam (including any protrusion from the trailer) of 8 1/2 feet above which a special permit is mandated foe each trip.
The 895 is reported at 9’9’’. Also I believe you can go by with up to 10’ if lucky I am wondering what is the liability in case of something happening while towing and without permit?
What is your experience and how do you manage this?
Thanks for your responses.
Idefix

So I've dragged the 895 up I5 twice, once with an F150 and once with an older F250.  The biggest challenge is the width of 10 ft between the uprights on a 12ft lane, barring construction and lane encroaching drivers.  The permitting here in WA is a meager $20/month and as stated can be self issued in the age of the black death.  I've been getting a few months at a time, because moving the trailer needs the permit.  The width makes driving way more intense, watching for overtaking trucks and room on the shoulder to evade.

As for liability, not sure if there is any, but at $20/mo, I'm not worried about it.  I'd say the $$ are going to a good cause, but it's Washington state so... mehhh...

[idefixsc]

Westboating,

Thanks for the information! Bottom line permit is just an administrative burden and a way for Uncle Ben to get some 💸 so it’s a mute point.
Only open topic is the tow truck!
Thanks again for the input.

[westboating]

One thing I did not address on the Venture trailer is the fit.  The bow thruster is covered with an insert or fairing.  The insert isn't layed up nearly as thick as the hull.  I have had interference problems with this area of the boat and the trailer.  The first time the forward bunks or target bunks were too narrow and the thruster fairing was damaged.  The next issue was with the trailer frames cross bar which caught the aft edge of the thruster fairing.  In both instances Sundance repaired the bottom and adjusted the trailer free of charge.

I'd be remiss if I (at great personal risk in our litigious society) didn't take some of the fault in both cases.  It is clear by the other's encountering the same issue, that the trailer isn't perfect for the boat.  Recovering the boat onto the trailer in deeper water would make these impact issues less likely.  The problem I've encountered in deeper recoveries is the propensity for the bow eye to get caught under the bow roller.  A level boat on the trailer results in a bow eye over the roller.  No matter what, the trailering of this rig is a process and not to be rushed.  I'm 50 50 on getting her on the trailer unscathed.  The travel lift is a great all be it expensive cheat. 

Good luck