Hello! I'm the owner of an old Lido 14 boat, and have become interested in upgrading to something bigger. I'm figuring that something 22 feet or less would work, I'd like something with a small galley at least and a place to stay overnight in. So on with my Question: What kind of vehicle do you tow your Macgregor 22 with? I have a V6 (3.0 liter) 2WD Ford Ranger and the boat needs to be pulled by this truck. I'll only need to tow it maybe 2 miles each way from home to the boat launch, so it's not a long trip. Ford says that I can tow 2,000 lbs with a 200 lb load on the hitch. So 21 feet would probably work, 22 might be kind of heavy, but possible with the short distance needed to launch. I've towed a 15 foot Bayliner 50hp motorboat with it just fine. Not sure the weight of that boat, but probably heavier than it should be (water under the floor). I've learned from the Bayliner/motor experiences last summer that sailing sure beats having a motor! Tom
What do you tow your Macgregor with?
- Thread starter tegwilym
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That'll work
I have towed my M25 with my 4.0 Jeep Wrangler with no problems. I used to tow a 17 ft inboard ski boat with a 2.9 litre ranger and had no problems with 400 mile tows. The only issue I could see would be if it was an automatic and you were going long distance without a tranny cooler. For the 2 miles to the ramp you could probably tow with an escort. -John
I have towed my M25 with my 4.0 Jeep Wrangler with no problems. I used to tow a 17 ft inboard ski boat with a 2.9 litre ranger and had no problems with 400 mile tows. The only issue I could see would be if it was an automatic and you were going long distance without a tranny cooler. For the 2 miles to the ramp you could probably tow with an escort. -John
Towing advice
Ok, thanks for the advice! I'm kind of new at towing things behind my vehicle. I've only towed a 15 foot Bayliner and a 14 foot Lido sailboat. So I just want to make sure I do the right thing before I go out and buy something that I'll have to upgrade my truck just to get it to the water. I'm just mainly worried about burning up something, but if it's just a 2 mile tow each way, maybe it would do ok. Sailboat just seem to get a lot heavier with each foot and extra ballast. I just want to make sure I'm doing all the correct research in my quest for a boat. Tom
Ok, thanks for the advice! I'm kind of new at towing things behind my vehicle. I've only towed a 15 foot Bayliner and a 14 foot Lido sailboat. So I just want to make sure I do the right thing before I go out and buy something that I'll have to upgrade my truck just to get it to the water. I'm just mainly worried about burning up something, but if it's just a 2 mile tow each way, maybe it would do ok. Sailboat just seem to get a lot heavier with each foot and extra ballast. I just want to make sure I'm doing all the correct research in my quest for a boat. Tom
Tom, here's my experience
Tom, I've towed some pretty big loads with smaller vehicles. I think the real secret is to not expect too much and be aware of the risks involved. I think you're truck will do this on a Mac 26S,D and probably an older 25. The things to remember are traction on the ramp (wet at that) and the time required for a safe stop at whatever speed you're traveling with the load. I would recommend you keep the truck and boat level at the hitch point. Do this with air shocks if you must but that makes it much safer towing. Keep a safe distance behind trafic so you can slow down safely. Use safety chains and a well connected hitch, I don't recommend a bumper hitch. Keep your highway speeds low as your truck is light and these Mac trailers have short wheel bases and tend to sway with higher speeds especially behind light tow vehicles. It may be the case, depending on your ramps that you'll want a hitch extension to keep your rear wheels out of the water. If you have posi-traction that's good but if not, you might want extra weight over your rear tires to increase traction on the ramp. By all means be sure to have good tires that grip when wet. If you obtain a water ballast boat, get a 12V high volume inflator to blow the ballast water out prior to putting the boat on the trailer. Getting rid of that ballast will make it much easier to pull the boat out with your truck. This technique has been discussed here time and time again and is a life saver as I've done it for years. Other than that I don't see why you can't tow a Mac two miles for a lot of good sailing. Good luck and be safe. Steve P.
Tom, I've towed some pretty big loads with smaller vehicles. I think the real secret is to not expect too much and be aware of the risks involved. I think you're truck will do this on a Mac 26S,D and probably an older 25. The things to remember are traction on the ramp (wet at that) and the time required for a safe stop at whatever speed you're traveling with the load. I would recommend you keep the truck and boat level at the hitch point. Do this with air shocks if you must but that makes it much safer towing. Keep a safe distance behind trafic so you can slow down safely. Use safety chains and a well connected hitch, I don't recommend a bumper hitch. Keep your highway speeds low as your truck is light and these Mac trailers have short wheel bases and tend to sway with higher speeds especially behind light tow vehicles. It may be the case, depending on your ramps that you'll want a hitch extension to keep your rear wheels out of the water. If you have posi-traction that's good but if not, you might want extra weight over your rear tires to increase traction on the ramp. By all means be sure to have good tires that grip when wet. If you obtain a water ballast boat, get a 12V high volume inflator to blow the ballast water out prior to putting the boat on the trailer. Getting rid of that ballast will make it much easier to pull the boat out with your truck. This technique has been discussed here time and time again and is a life saver as I've done it for years. Other than that I don't see why you can't tow a Mac two miles for a lot of good sailing. Good luck and be safe. Steve P.
Towin
Thanks Steve that's some good advice. As I mentioned, I'll just be towing from where I buy the boat to my backyard. That would most likely be the longest trip. Then just down the hill to the lake. I figure I'd take the longer way home to go up the hill a different way which is longer, but not as steep (or as much traffic). I'm definitely looking at a swing keel to keep things down low and make it easier to back into the water. Would an "under the bumper" hitch (not sure what they are called) would be better if I had one of those installed? T.
Thanks Steve that's some good advice. As I mentioned, I'll just be towing from where I buy the boat to my backyard. That would most likely be the longest trip. Then just down the hill to the lake. I figure I'd take the longer way home to go up the hill a different way which is longer, but not as steep (or as much traffic). I'm definitely looking at a swing keel to keep things down low and make it easier to back into the water. Would an "under the bumper" hitch (not sure what they are called) would be better if I had one of those installed? T.
Bumper might be ok if....
If what you have is a bumper hitch just make sure the bumper is WELL attached is all I meant. You should be fine if your bumper isn't too high in the air as well. Make sure your breaks are good too. If you have an automatic keep the fluid at normal. Have fun. Remember there are three rules to sailing: 1. Never, ever hit another boat. 2. Never, ever run aground. 3. No matter what you do wrong, always look good doing it !!!! Steve P., that's my say and I'm sticking to it.
If what you have is a bumper hitch just make sure the bumper is WELL attached is all I meant. You should be fine if your bumper isn't too high in the air as well. Make sure your breaks are good too. If you have an automatic keep the fluid at normal. Have fun. Remember there are three rules to sailing: 1. Never, ever hit another boat. 2. Never, ever run aground. 3. No matter what you do wrong, always look good doing it !!!! Steve P., that's my say and I'm sticking to it.
Bumper vs receiver hitch
Tom, If I recall correctly, my 89 Ranger was rated the same as yours (2000/200 lb) capacity. That is based both upon what the vehicle itself is capable of as well as what the hitch, in your case the bumper, can support. If you look under the truck you will see that the bumper bolts to the truck via a couple of brackets that extend back from the sides of the frame. The problem with this is a matter of leverage. The more weight you have on the hitch the more downward force on the bumper and brackets. Toss in the age of the vehicle and effects of corrosion and it is easily possible to overload the mount bolts and bend the bumper down. For what you plan to do I would just check to make sure that the bracket to frame bolts are tight and corrosion free and you should be ok. For more serious towing I would recommend a receiver hitch which bolts to both the sides and bottom of the frame. This would give you a much greater safety margin over the bumper. Stay away from the receiver that merely bolts to the bottom of the bumper itself. All this will do is allow for a quicker change of ball size using receivers and the use of bike racks, etc. As far as traction on ramps, I shared the ski boat with a friend who swore you couldn't pull the ramp with a 2WD and bought a 4WD for the purpose. I never once spun a wheel on a ramp (even wet) with a 2WD manual and an open diff. As Steve suggests, some extra weight in the rear of the bed wouldn't hurt. For what you are describing as your tow distance, I wouldn't have any worries with even a 25 or a 26. I don't think I'd do a lot of high-speed highway towing, but for what you need you should be ok. I used my 4.0 wrangler for several years with my M25 for the same 2 mile distance to the ramp. For distance towing I would borrow my sister's Durango. I finally bought a Durango and will be towing to Lake Ontario (about 450 miles) this summer. Hope some of this helps. -John
Tom, If I recall correctly, my 89 Ranger was rated the same as yours (2000/200 lb) capacity. That is based both upon what the vehicle itself is capable of as well as what the hitch, in your case the bumper, can support. If you look under the truck you will see that the bumper bolts to the truck via a couple of brackets that extend back from the sides of the frame. The problem with this is a matter of leverage. The more weight you have on the hitch the more downward force on the bumper and brackets. Toss in the age of the vehicle and effects of corrosion and it is easily possible to overload the mount bolts and bend the bumper down. For what you plan to do I would just check to make sure that the bracket to frame bolts are tight and corrosion free and you should be ok. For more serious towing I would recommend a receiver hitch which bolts to both the sides and bottom of the frame. This would give you a much greater safety margin over the bumper. Stay away from the receiver that merely bolts to the bottom of the bumper itself. All this will do is allow for a quicker change of ball size using receivers and the use of bike racks, etc. As far as traction on ramps, I shared the ski boat with a friend who swore you couldn't pull the ramp with a 2WD and bought a 4WD for the purpose. I never once spun a wheel on a ramp (even wet) with a 2WD manual and an open diff. As Steve suggests, some extra weight in the rear of the bed wouldn't hurt. For what you are describing as your tow distance, I wouldn't have any worries with even a 25 or a 26. I don't think I'd do a lot of high-speed highway towing, but for what you need you should be ok. I used my 4.0 wrangler for several years with my M25 for the same 2 mile distance to the ramp. For distance towing I would borrow my sister's Durango. I finally bought a Durango and will be towing to Lake Ontario (about 450 miles) this summer. Hope some of this helps. -John
Comment on #3
3. No matter what you do wrong, always look good doing it !!!! I like this one Steve! Last summer when my headaches with motorboats began, my girlfriend and I were trying out the 15' Bayliner that she had just inherited from her sister. It was in salt water most of the time, badly corroded and I figured "let's take it down to the lake and rinse it out with fresh water". We got out past the buoy and I put on the power. Up on plane, skipping across the waves having a great time....for about 15 seconds. To make a long story short (VERY short) - Impeller was worn out - Motor burned up - found used motor for $300 - Later realized it was about 6 inches too short - Caviation - Boat is used, but at lower speeds - back off when cavitation starts. I've been sailing my whole life (Lido 14 - Serial number 201!) and now realize that I'm more of a sailor than a motorboat guy.
I'm nearly convinced now that I'll narrow my search to a used Macgregor. This web site and the other support forums are great! It seems that the Macgregor is one of the more popular boats from what I've seen on the web? Tom
3. No matter what you do wrong, always look good doing it !!!! I like this one Steve! Last summer when my headaches with motorboats began, my girlfriend and I were trying out the 15' Bayliner that she had just inherited from her sister. It was in salt water most of the time, badly corroded and I figured "let's take it down to the lake and rinse it out with fresh water". We got out past the buoy and I put on the power. Up on plane, skipping across the waves having a great time....for about 15 seconds. To make a long story short (VERY short) - Impeller was worn out - Motor burned up - found used motor for $300 - Later realized it was about 6 inches too short - Caviation - Boat is used, but at lower speeds - back off when cavitation starts. I've been sailing my whole life (Lido 14 - Serial number 201!) and now realize that I'm more of a sailor than a motorboat guy.
I'm nearly convinced now that I'll narrow my search to a used Macgregor. This web site and the other support forums are great! It seems that the Macgregor is one of the more popular boats from what I've seen on the web? TomMacs are great
Tom, IF you do decide on a MacGregor I do not think you would be disappointed. I have had my 1982 M25 for about 4 years now and love it. I got stung a bit by not fully inspecting it before the purchase but have since fixed the problems I found. My advice to you would be 1) decide on the model(s) that you would like as your boat. This includes talking to anyone you know who owns/sails them. Take a test sail on them if you can. 2) thouroughly examine a potential purchase for issues BEFORE you buy. Nothing is insumountable if you throw enough $$$$$$ at it. These boats are plentiful enough that you should be able to find what you want at a reasonable price so don't jump at the first one you see, especially if it needs work. The various models have their little issues that may develop if not properly maintained. In my case, the mast step wasn't properly maintained and the core rotted. I knew it going in but not the extent of the damage. I ended up having the cabin top recored, nearly doubling what I paid fot the boat. 3) make sure the one you want is not missing essentials like sails. Anything can be replaced, but at a price. Some parts, like the swing keel may require a search or even the fabrication of a new one. Keep this in mind when determining value. As you have seen, this forum is a great place for advice. From time to time there may be differences of opinion but that keeps it interesting. There is always someone who has either had the problem you are having or will have it at some point. The knowledge to be gained here is amazing. Keep us posted on what you decide to get. By the way, I tried the ski boat thing for awhile and came back to my true love of sailing. How can you enjoy a day on the water with your family when you have to yell at them to make conversation over the roar of an engine? Toss in the price of gas, pollution, etc.... No thanks, I'll stick to sail. -John
Tom, IF you do decide on a MacGregor I do not think you would be disappointed. I have had my 1982 M25 for about 4 years now and love it. I got stung a bit by not fully inspecting it before the purchase but have since fixed the problems I found. My advice to you would be 1) decide on the model(s) that you would like as your boat. This includes talking to anyone you know who owns/sails them. Take a test sail on them if you can. 2) thouroughly examine a potential purchase for issues BEFORE you buy. Nothing is insumountable if you throw enough $$$$$$ at it. These boats are plentiful enough that you should be able to find what you want at a reasonable price so don't jump at the first one you see, especially if it needs work. The various models have their little issues that may develop if not properly maintained. In my case, the mast step wasn't properly maintained and the core rotted. I knew it going in but not the extent of the damage. I ended up having the cabin top recored, nearly doubling what I paid fot the boat. 3) make sure the one you want is not missing essentials like sails. Anything can be replaced, but at a price. Some parts, like the swing keel may require a search or even the fabrication of a new one. Keep this in mind when determining value. As you have seen, this forum is a great place for advice. From time to time there may be differences of opinion but that keeps it interesting. There is always someone who has either had the problem you are having or will have it at some point. The knowledge to be gained here is amazing. Keep us posted on what you decide to get. By the way, I tried the ski boat thing for awhile and came back to my true love of sailing. How can you enjoy a day on the water with your family when you have to yell at them to make conversation over the roar of an engine? Toss in the price of gas, pollution, etc.... No thanks, I'll stick to sail. -John
Mac
Yeah, I have an RSS feed on Craigslist set up so I see whenever someone posts a new boat for sail. From what I've seen the Macs seem great. If nothing else, at least there is a huge group of Mac sailors out there from the number of websites and discussion groups I've come across. I'd like something about 20', but if my truck would be ok for a short tow to the lake, I'd even go for a 22. What I would like is - something not too heavy for the truck (to stay on the thread topic!), I like how the 22 has the porta potty place, the fold down table is definitely good, as well as a simple galley. I do have a friend who has a 25 that I'll be bugging him about some more. He's had his for 22 years and he says it's part of the family. I know that feeling! That's kind of how I feel about my Lido 14. The Bayliner is just kind of like the unwelcome 2nd cousin that stopped to visit and has now moved in without helping with chores or rent! Grrrr.....I'd trade that backyard trailer queen for a sailboat anytime. Tom
Yeah, I have an RSS feed on Craigslist set up so I see whenever someone posts a new boat for sail. From what I've seen the Macs seem great. If nothing else, at least there is a huge group of Mac sailors out there from the number of websites and discussion groups I've come across. I'd like something about 20', but if my truck would be ok for a short tow to the lake, I'd even go for a 22. What I would like is - something not too heavy for the truck (to stay on the thread topic!), I like how the 22 has the porta potty place, the fold down table is definitely good, as well as a simple galley. I do have a friend who has a 25 that I'll be bugging him about some more. He's had his for 22 years and he says it's part of the family. I know that feeling! That's kind of how I feel about my Lido 14. The Bayliner is just kind of like the unwelcome 2nd cousin that stopped to visit and has now moved in without helping with chores or rent!
Grrrr.....I'd trade that backyard trailer queen for a sailboat anytime. Tom
Heavy weight for a short distance
I used to tow a 2000 pound boat and trailer combination with a VW Rabbit BUT it was only a mile and at low speed (15 to 20 mph). Speed is the critical factor. Go even slower over any bumps to keep the stress on the vehicle frame down. And be wary of sand or other traction reducers where you are stopping or turning.
I used to tow a 2000 pound boat and trailer combination with a VW Rabbit BUT it was only a mile and at low speed (15 to 20 mph). Speed is the critical factor. Go even slower over any bumps to keep the stress on the vehicle frame down. And be wary of sand or other traction reducers where you are stopping or turning.
Towing
Sounds good. I'd only tow 2 miles and I could keep the speed down to 30 no problem. No freeway, just down the hill to the park and boat launch. Going up the hill is my concern, but I guess if I go into low gear and take it easy accelerating I should be ok. (Automatic transmission on my 98 Ranger V6). I'm learning a lot in this forum, lots of good information. Thanks! Tom
Sounds good. I'd only tow 2 miles and I could keep the speed down to 30 no problem. No freeway, just down the hill to the park and boat launch. Going up the hill is my concern, but I guess if I go into low gear and take it easy accelerating I should be ok. (Automatic transmission on my 98 Ranger V6). I'm learning a lot in this forum, lots of good information. Thanks! Tom
Tongue weight
you should have no problem. I have a 22 and the person I bought it from towed it with a Subaru outback. To all the good info already, be aware of your tongue weight. The mac 22 trailer is well balanced and if you have to much weight behind the axle you could have negative tongue weight. You need some weight to keep the hitch down on the ball and to stablize the load. Mike Coons
you should have no problem. I have a 22 and the person I bought it from towed it with a Subaru outback. To all the good info already, be aware of your tongue weight. The mac 22 trailer is well balanced and if you have to much weight behind the axle you could have negative tongue weight. You need some weight to keep the hitch down on the ball and to stablize the load. Mike Coons
tow my 94 26s with a toyota tocoma 4 cylinder.
Get alot of comments...boat is way bigger than truck; but I have at least 10 thousand miles towed with no problem. I keep the speed at 65 or under and drive very defensivly, leaving plenty of space ahead.
Get alot of comments...boat is way bigger than truck; but I have at least 10 thousand miles towed with no problem. I keep the speed at 65 or under and drive very defensivly, leaving plenty of space ahead.
tongue
I've been doing a lot of studying on this lately and have learned a lot of things I didn't realize. Keep the weight positive on the tongue or you'll have a fish tailing trailer. Also, a book I've been reading "Handbook of Trailer Sailing" recommends not using a bumper mounted hitch for towing boats. If I would be towing a very short distance in most cases, would this really matter? Or should I install a more heavy-duty hitch if I go ahead with this boat thing? Would I need brakes on the trailer? The book also says it should have brakes if over 1,500 lbs. Tom
I've been doing a lot of studying on this lately and have learned a lot of things I didn't realize. Keep the weight positive on the tongue or you'll have a fish tailing trailer. Also, a book I've been reading "Handbook of Trailer Sailing" recommends not using a bumper mounted hitch for towing boats. If I would be towing a very short distance in most cases, would this really matter? Or should I install a more heavy-duty hitch if I go ahead with this boat thing? Would I need brakes on the trailer? The book also says it should have brakes if over 1,500 lbs. Tom
Tongue weight, hitches, and brakes
Tom, One of the reasons that bumper hitches are frowned upon is what I mentioned before, the bumper simply isn't as firmly attached as it could be so a frame mounted hitch is much better. For what you are planning to tow, you should be ok, if you were headed for long distance towing I'd add a receiver hitch. Tongue weight is important, you will know the first time you try to tow without it how important it is. Your trailer will begin to sway violently as speed increases. Not at all pleasant. Most of us take the outboard off and either stow it in the cabin or the tow vehicle to help with tongue weight. How much do you need? If you can barely lift it yourself that's about right. With the motor on my M25 I can lift the tongue easily with one hand, obviously too light. As far as brakes, in your case it is the same as the hitch. For what you are planning you will be fine. Head for the freeway and you may have issues. Your truck brakes are designed to stop your truck and the max load it is rated for. This includes occupants, fuel, cargo,etc. They design in a bit of a safety margin but you don't want to get to that point. Run someone over with an overloaded rig and you will do very poorly in the civil suit. Additionally, your brakes won't last long if you overload them. All in all, for the distance you need to tow I would feel comfortable towing my 25 with your set-up. I wouldn't take it out on the open road for distance trips as I don't think it is up for it. If you need to do so, borrow something bigger. -John
Tom, One of the reasons that bumper hitches are frowned upon is what I mentioned before, the bumper simply isn't as firmly attached as it could be so a frame mounted hitch is much better. For what you are planning to tow, you should be ok, if you were headed for long distance towing I'd add a receiver hitch. Tongue weight is important, you will know the first time you try to tow without it how important it is. Your trailer will begin to sway violently as speed increases. Not at all pleasant. Most of us take the outboard off and either stow it in the cabin or the tow vehicle to help with tongue weight. How much do you need? If you can barely lift it yourself that's about right. With the motor on my M25 I can lift the tongue easily with one hand, obviously too light. As far as brakes, in your case it is the same as the hitch. For what you are planning you will be fine. Head for the freeway and you may have issues. Your truck brakes are designed to stop your truck and the max load it is rated for. This includes occupants, fuel, cargo,etc. They design in a bit of a safety margin but you don't want to get to that point. Run someone over with an overloaded rig and you will do very poorly in the civil suit. Additionally, your brakes won't last long if you overload them. All in all, for the distance you need to tow I would feel comfortable towing my 25 with your set-up. I wouldn't take it out on the open road for distance trips as I don't think it is up for it. If you need to do so, borrow something bigger. -John
towing issues.
Ok, thats about what I was thinking. I'm not sure how heavy the Bayliner is that I've towed, but I can barely lift it myself on the hitch. Finally got a jack for for it so it's easy now. I only towed that one once about 30 miles and it did fine. Not sure how heavy that boat is though, but like the future sailboat it only has to go down the hill to the lake. Sounds like I'm set. Now I just have to see what boat shows up that wants to adopt me. Tom
Ok, thats about what I was thinking. I'm not sure how heavy the Bayliner is that I've towed, but I can barely lift it myself on the hitch. Finally got a jack for for it so it's easy now. I only towed that one once about 30 miles and it did fine. Not sure how heavy that boat is though, but like the future sailboat it only has to go down the hill to the lake. Sounds like I'm set. Now I just have to see what boat shows up that wants to adopt me.
Tom
You need more than just power
I originally towed my 26M with a 2-door Chevy Blazer. It had 195HP & 260 lbs/ft torque with class 3 (5000 lbs) tow rating. That little beast in 4WD could haul my boat up that ramp with full ballast - I would stop half way up and open the valve. It had all the muscle required to do the job but was still lacking in a few important areas. It only weighed about 3500 lbs which was less than my fully loaded boat and it only had a 100 inch wheel base. Suffice to say that at higher speeds the tail was wagging the dog and pushing the lighter dog around, it was a white knuckle ride. I now have upgraded to the heavier Chevy TrailBlazer EXT with the 129 inch wheelbase and it weighs 5100 lbs much heavier than my boat. It is now much more comfortable and less stressfull towing especially at speeds. I also like the 4WD for pulling up the wet slippery ramps, I rarely if ever spin my wheels. As much as other vehicles can pull the Mac one has to consider just how well they can do it and how safely, you are not the only vehicle on the road.
I originally towed my 26M with a 2-door Chevy Blazer. It had 195HP & 260 lbs/ft torque with class 3 (5000 lbs) tow rating. That little beast in 4WD could haul my boat up that ramp with full ballast - I would stop half way up and open the valve. It had all the muscle required to do the job but was still lacking in a few important areas. It only weighed about 3500 lbs which was less than my fully loaded boat and it only had a 100 inch wheel base. Suffice to say that at higher speeds the tail was wagging the dog and pushing the lighter dog around, it was a white knuckle ride. I now have upgraded to the heavier Chevy TrailBlazer EXT with the 129 inch wheelbase and it weighs 5100 lbs much heavier than my boat. It is now much more comfortable and less stressfull towing especially at speeds. I also like the 4WD for pulling up the wet slippery ramps, I rarely if ever spin my wheels. As much as other vehicles can pull the Mac one has to consider just how well they can do it and how safely, you are not the only vehicle on the road.
Tow mini-van
I tow a 1993 M26S with a Toyota Sienna averaging 200 miles with no problem. Because of front wheel drive, getting up the ram with full balast was challenging. Since then I got a Coleman air matress air pump to blow out the balast (takes 20 minutes) before retrieve her on the trailer. Without balast, the boat rises 4 inches and become very light. No problem since.
I tow a 1993 M26S with a Toyota Sienna averaging 200 miles with no problem. Because of front wheel drive, getting up the ram with full balast was challenging. Since then I got a Coleman air matress air pump to blow out the balast (takes 20 minutes) before retrieve her on the trailer. Without balast, the boat rises 4 inches and become very light. No problem since.
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