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Any of you full-timers also bring a separate car along?

jim1521
Explorer
Explorer
Hello all,

1st post here. My wife and I are in our early/mid 60's. We've always been in love with boating and have had plans to go full-time liveaboard on a trawler within the next 4 years, and to try it for 3 years. If after 3 years we still feel healthy enough, we continue.
If not, we come back to Terra Firma. Neither one of us likes planting roots; we love to travel, and CAN'T WAIT until I hit retirement (4 years). We're avid boaters, both SCUBA dive, and she has her own jet ski. We can't imagine not living near the water, or not playing on/in it. The problem is, we can't take it all with us. We're also starting to be concerned about knees, shoulders, etc. - all the aches and pains that come with our ages. I haven't really brought up the idea to her that we may not be able to physically do the trawler in 4 years (she'll be 71, I'll be 66). So I'm working on Plan B, which would involve a travel trailer.

We have two new vehicles: I have a 2016 Nissan Titan XD diesel, and she has a 2017 Jeep Cherokee. She also has a 2016 Sea Doo GTi 155 SE PWC, that we're going to want to bring along with us.

So there are a few ways to skin this cat, none of which are really easy.

OPTION ONE
The most comfortable one (I think) would be to get a nice TT or 5W, hook it on to the back of the Nissan, and she hooks the PWC to the back of her Jeep. This way we can have a smaller trailer (i.e. 28') to live very comfortably with. The problem there is obvious - double the miles driven, more maintenance on the PWC trailer, additional cost for wherever we stay (two vehicles, etc.).

OPTION TWO
Option Two is to get a toy hauler, and stick the PWC in the back of it and away we go. Get rid of the Jeep. The problem (as I see it) is that we now have a 38'-40' trailer behind us. I think I'd rather have Option One, but I have no real-world experience to base that on.

OPTION THREE
We get a toy hauler, stick the PWC in it to travel from point-to-point, drive the Jeep along with us, then use the Jeep to launch/recover the PWC, run around town, etc.

Does anybody here do Option One or Three? Is there an option that I'm not considering? Thanks.
16 REPLIES 16

jim1521
Explorer
Explorer
arhayes wrote:
The other option not mentioned is to get a Class A DP and tow a larger trailer (24') that you could get the PWC and another vehicle in. We have friends that have a motorcycle trike and carry it and a Nissan Rogue in the trailer behind their MH. I don't believe you'd need a keep to tow a pwc, so maybe a change in vehicles needs to be considered?


I hadn't really considered getting rid of the Titan. I love it, and it's served as a great tow vehicle for our boat (6,000 lbs). The other thing is I'm not sure we're ready to commit beyond 3 years for the RV lifestyle.

arhayes
Explorer
Explorer
The other option not mentioned is to get a Class A DP and tow a larger trailer (24') that you could get the PWC and another vehicle in. We have friends that have a motorcycle trike and carry it and a Nissan Rogue in the trailer behind their MH. I don't believe you'd need a keep to tow a pwc, so maybe a change in vehicles needs to be considered?
Alan and Kathleen
2015 Grand Design Momentum 380TH (RVD2)
2014 F350 6.7L Diesel DRW (Stormtrooper)
2012 Honda Goldwing NAVI/ABS (Land Speeder)