Putting a boat in the water

[bolivier]

So we have a 22' 1978 E350 based rv. Just seeing how many of you guys launch your boats with your class C? We are wanting to upgrade also. Possible around a 28-29 foot unit. Let me hear your thoughts. Thanks.
Brent

[dumboat2]

We have a 31 ft class C and pull a 16 foot jet sled. Get it in and out of the river no problem. Just takes a little practice. Also, I use orange cones so I can line up better with the boat launch since most drop down out of site for a few feet.

[bsinmich]

When I tried to launch my 18'Sea Ray from a 27' Class C my problem was a very steep ramp. When I was backing up the boat got very out of line and the rear scraped the ramp. Think the toungue being held high and the boat motor hitting the cement ramp. It worked other places but not that time. I had to go to a different ramp.

[TyroneandGladys]

Would look at using t this

[jpfx]

I've used a 23.5' E-350 phoenix cruiser to launch my sailboat (23').
It's straight forward but a big novelty for the idiots that like to watch in the hope that you get into trouble.
As the sailboat had a small keel, I would be in water all the way to the front of the rv before it was deep enough for the boat to drift off the trailer. There's no problem unless (as some one said earlier) you stall. Then you're in trouble. I never had that problem myself.

With a longer class C, the problem I can foresee is if there's a lip at the top of the slip. with the long overhang, the front of the trailer might be so high in the air that the back hits the slipway.
It really depends on what's on your trailer and is something else to eyeball at the slip before entertaining the idiots.
Putting a tow bar/ball on the front would be a viable fix for a slip with a significant lip though.

[hotbyte]

Launch and retrieve the 19' bay boat in signature with our 32' class C. Only time I've ever had an issue is at an RV park/marina on Hilton Head Island. The ramp is 90* off the main entrance driveway with an planter island right in front of the ramp. The island interferes with front end swing of MH. I've done it several times but this year had the jet ski rental guy back trailer down with his jeep for me. I think the pressure of trying to get out of the way of folks coming in driveway adds to difficulty. No problems at several Corp parks on local lakes. I think a 24-26' RV would be much easier to back trailer. As mentioned already, a backup camera with mic is very useful as well as having a second person that will handle either the MH or boat.

The only problem is if towing boat, you will not have a toad. We've not really had an issue with that, just realize we might be limited on where we can drive RV. Also, we keep camp site setup simple to make disconnecting to drive MH quick. I use a brass quick disconnect on city water and only connect sewer when dumping tanks. We don't mount fancy awning lights, etc. either. We keep inside as picked up/tidy so there isn't a lot of stuff to put away. For example, after morning coffee, we rinse out coffee pot and put back in storage cabinet. We have several baskets with non-slip feet on dinette table and galley counter to keep small items in. We can be pulling out of site in about 5 to 10 minutes if we need to go somewhere in MH. We have also learned to live we MH being a little more unlevel than most folks like. That makes it much easier to drive off.

[pnichols]

Just a few days ago we spent around 9 days at a lake and launched and retrieved our 14 foot aluminum boat with our 24 foot Class C.

The launch was at very shallow angle so we had to back Way, way out into the water to get the rear of trailer and back of the boat deep enough to float and launch the boat ... so far out that the water's edge reached to the driver's door!! This was nerve-racking, to say the least.

For the retrieve I got smart and used a feature of our trailer that we never have. The trailer tilts up starting near the front of the trailer ... just remove a pin and tilt it up so the back end of the trailer and the roller way back there is lowered into the water without backing nearly so far out. Just pull the boat up to the rear-most roller and then wrench it onto the trailer with the regular crank and strap. As you wrench, the boat moving forward with it's weight slowly and gently tips the tilted up trailer back down into place so you can replace the pin ... a piece of cake move that then allowed the motorhome to be a LOT LESS out into the water.

I would definitely recommend using a tilt-up trailer to make your launching and retrieving a whole, whole lot easier.

[Jim_Shoe]

I live close to a state park with a huge lake. Sometimes I drive down to the boat dock just to watch people put their boats in the water or take them out. Very entertaining. 🙂

[Gene_in_NE]

bolivier wrote:
So we have a 22' 1978 E350 based rv. Just seeing how many of you guys launch your boats with your class C? We are wanting to upgrade also. Possible around a 28-29 foot unit. Let me hear your thoughts. Thanks.
Brent

Some time back, I read a story that you would not want to repeat. It seems as though the husband got out of the RV to direct the wife on how to back the boat into the water down the ramp. As the directions proceeded, the engine of the RV stumbled and then stalled. The result was that the power brakes were then non-functional. The RV slowly but surely backed down the full length of the ramp and dunked the rear into the lake.

[Mich_F]

bolivier wrote:
I should have been more clear. Wanting to upgrade to a 28'-29' RV. The boat is a 17' aluminum bass boat.

I mis-understood your original post. :B
You won't have any problems with that combination.

[bolivier]

I should have been more clear. Wanting to upgrade to a 28'-29' RV. The boat is a 17' aluminum bass boat.

[Mich_F]

More than likely a 28-29' boat will be a lot more weight than you're rated to tow. Your MH is probably rated to tow 3,500-5000#. I tow a boat and trailer that weigh over 6,000# with a a 97 24' V10 powered MH. The hitch that was on the MH when I bought it was rated for 3,500# and was what Coachmen rated the MH to tow. I pulled off that hitch and had a welding shop custom make a new hitch, which ties into the main chassis frame. As far as I'm concerned I'm now good for the full GCWR of the Ford van.
Have never had any problems towing or launching/retrieving.

[Cobra21]

You can get a ball mounted on your front bumper, that works.
Also if you install a back up camara that helps alot.
Either way it isn't fun or easy.

Brian

[harold1946]

I dont have a class C, But launch my 20' bass boat with a 35' class A all the time.