Forum Discussion

mtnbbud's avatar
mtnbbud
Explorer II
Mar 27, 2016

Porta Bote under trailer?

I picked up an older 10' Porta Bote on CL for practically nothing last week. I already have a 10' aluminum boat and didn't really need it, but the price was very low.

In order to bring my aluminum boat, I have to put it above the cab of my Toyota Tacoma on a homemade rack I build for it. I'm trying to decide whether to keep the Porta Bote or flip it at a profit.

I still need to try it out to see how I like it compared to my other boat, but another consideration is how small it packs. I don't really want to put holes in the top of my trailer to make a rack to store it up there, but I saw some pictures of people storing it under their trailer. How feasible would this be? Seems like ground clearance might be an issue? My trailer is only 18' long so would the axles force me to hang it too low, or would it would squeeze in the space between the axles and the bottom of the trailer? Any thoughts or ideas?
Seeking Advice
  • TucsonJim's avatar
    TucsonJim
    Explorer II
    Mar 27, 2016
    I considered the same thing one time, but when I looked at the possible axle movement, there was not enough clearance between the frame and the axle. However, with that said, you could raise the frame higher above the axles using these:

    Trailer Lift Blocks

    If you raised the trailer 3" from it's current position, would you be able to mount the PortaBote over the axles and still have enough clearance if you hit a pothole or something else that caused the axle springs to fully compress?

    Jim
  • scbwr's avatar
    scbwr
    Explorer II
    Mar 27, 2016
    Porta Bote makes brackets that could be installed on the side of your trailer, but it would require drilling some holes in the sides of your trailer.
  • hypoxia's avatar
    hypoxia
    Explorer
    Mar 27, 2016
    I put a 14' Porta Bote under a Jayco 5th Wheel camper I had. The Jayco had an open frame which made it easy. I made brackets with 1/2" EMT conduit and slid the bote in from the front. The Bote now resides under my motorhome.
  • Bobbo's avatar
    Bobbo
    Explorer II
    Mar 27, 2016
    scbwr wrote:
    Porta Bote makes brackets that could be installed on the side of your trailer, but it would require drilling some holes in the sides of your trailer.

    Measure the width of the trailer before doing this. The maximum width, excluding mirrors, is 102 inches.(8' 6")

    We cheat. We carry our PortaBote on a surf board carrier on the roof rack of the car we tow.

  • dewey02's avatar
    dewey02
    Explorer II
    Mar 27, 2016
    Bobbo wrote:
    scbwr wrote:
    Porta Bote makes brackets that could be installed on the side of your trailer, but it would require drilling some holes in the sides of your trailer.

    Measure the width of the trailer before doing this. The maximum width, excluding mirrors, is 102 inches.(8' 6")


    It was close on mine, but still legal. The boat when harnessed in the bracket only adds 5 inches. 2012 Starcraft 235fb = 96" with Portabote = 101' I have it on there for 3 years now, have done a lot of travelling in a lot of states and have been passed by many state troopers. Never got a question about width.

  • seaeagle2's avatar
    seaeagle2
    Explorer
    Mar 27, 2016
    I don't want to hijack this thread, but how do you guys like your porta botes ?
  • dewey02's avatar
    dewey02
    Explorer II
    Mar 27, 2016
    seaeagle2 wrote:
    I don't want to hijack this thread, but how do you guys like your porta botes ?

    Great. Let's us fish and get out on the water when we camp, where before we always had to fish from the shore. Easy to put together (about 10-15 minutes to assemble and fully load). Weighs about 75 lbs when folded. Seats, transom, trolling motor and all fishing gear go in a big duffel when travelling.
  • mtnbbud's avatar
    mtnbbud
    Explorer II
    Mar 27, 2016
    TucsonJim wrote:
    I considered the same thing one time, but when I looked at the possible axle movement, there was not enough clearance between the frame and the axle. However, with that said, you could raise the frame higher above the axles using these:
    Jim


    Thanks Jim,

    I didn't consider the axles compressing. The boat would do that.

    After looking under the trailer and taking some measurements, I might be able to fit the boat in front of the axles if I extend the boat to just behind the tongue jack. There is an electrical pipe conduit under the trailer that will prevent me from tucking the boat up as far as possible, but it might be possible.

    It's been raining lately and I'm backed up on other projects, but am going to look into it when I have more time.

    Thanks everyone for your input,

    Jeff
  • Dick_B's avatar
    Dick_B
    Explorer
    Mar 27, 2016
    Is it out of the question to just put the PB INSIDE the camper while traveling and set it on the ground at the site?

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