I am thinking of stepping up from my float tube to a pontoon that is 9' or 10'. I have a full sized pickup with a canopy on it, so I am wondering how others transport theirs to the water. Putting a fully inflated pontoon in the back would be tight as far as width, but I could just inflate it when I get there. I've considered putting a rack on the truck and putting it up there, but the thought kind of scares me. I have also looked at catarafts and that would take a trailer. Anyway, just curious what others do.
I haul my 8' pontoon on top of a Scion Xd. I think Even Burke hauls his 2 man pontoon on top of Scion Xb. What scares you about putting it on top of the canopy? M
I partially deflate the bags and throw them in the back of truck on top of a pram when I head over to Kelowna. When my brother and I go fishing we'll throw 2 pontoons (Skykomish Sunrise) partially deflated in the back of the truck and strap them down. Be forewarned make sure you deflate them generously going over the Coquihalla (Pennask Summit) as you get pretty high up. Always found using a trailer would hinder you getting into some spots ie. Prosser. I have a 6' 4" box on my truck and couple of years back we had 3 pontoons in the back of the truck strapped down and no problems. If I had a canopy I would remove the toons from the frame throw the frame in with the toons on top partially deflated. Once you get the hang of setting up you should find it takes only a couple of minutes.
An 8-9' pontoon will ride fine on a pair of Yakima-style racks. I carry a 10'-6" long x 60" Scadden on mine.
I have carried my 9 foot Renegade pontoon on top of my truck for very short distances of a half mile or so. I worry though that if I take it on a highway and travel at 55-65 mph, the wind will carry it away. Is this a legitimate concern?
On the roof rack. Sure makes things simple. Three or four good bungees and you're ready to rip @ freeway speeds; at least I do...
I've put 10's of thousands of miles on my trucks with an assortment of inflatables on crossbars attached to the canopy. 8' Buck's to an Aire Puma. What is there to be afraid of? 80 mph on the highway isn't a big deal unless you're using dental floss to tie it down. Answer to your poll question is E.
Looks like I'm in the minority transporting mine by trailer. I guess I have always been the odd guy out.
I've been transporting my 9' Bucs bronco on the roof racks of my 4-Runner for almost a decade. I use 4 straps, one at each corner, that run around the supports of the roof racks and the frame of the boat. I cinch they down pretty tight. When heading up to altitude from Olympia, the air expands and they do get tighter. When heading down from the mountains, the change in pressure causes them to soften and the boat slides a bit back, but it is still held in place by the 4 straps. The only trick, if there is a trick, is lifting the boat onto the roof when I'm by myself. I keep my pontoon fully inflated in my garage. My thought is that I am more likely to use it if I don't have to go to too much effort to prepare it for the trip. Steve
Just the idea of it flying off at 60 or 70mph. But it sounds like that is not much of a problem and that may be the easiest way to go. I often go alone, but the pontoons I am looking at are not that heavy. I can just lean it against the back of the truck and then push it up. Thanks everyone!
Dale, if you have tubular racks like Yakimas on the shell, I've an easier way that won't scratch up your shell. I can load my Scadden 10' er by myself or with help, load it with 2 frames doubled up on the tubes (about 110 lbs.). Cut some tubing that'll slide inside your rack tubes (in my case I used 1/2" PVC, EMT or copper would work also) about 24" long. When loading/unloading remove the end cap on the racks and slide the short tubing inside about 1/3 of total length (18" in my case). This extends the rack rails away from truck/shell. Solo, I stand pontoon on side, grab by the middle or balance point and lift sraight up, top bladder going over the extended tubing. While it hangs there, grab the bottom bladder and rotate upwards, sliding upper bladder onto rack. Remove tubing extensions and apply hold-down straps. Attached picture shows my Skykomish frame doubled up for stillwaters or Class I & II waters.
22H? I am very happy with mine. Wife loves the large Bathroom/shower & tub and storage. Now that I have a 14' cat & trailer, I need a 5th-wheel. AF made a 23' that I might have to start looking for, seen a few fer sale in the past.
Mine goes inside a Wells Cargo trailer, so there are a couple of trailer guys in the poll. I had the trailer before the pontoon boats so might as well use it. Plus it gives me a change room when the skies open up as they do in the Caribou, Kamloops and Chilcoton in the spring.
The 14' CAT goes on this, with aluminum floors, drybox it weighs close to 300 lbs. trailer pulls nice and the winch makes self-loading easy
We have the 22GQ outfitted for spending a week or more at USFS sites for fishing with solar and a generator. We also love ours. That was a big concern of mine if everyone said they were hauling their pontoons in the back of the truck or using a trailer. I want to bring mine when we take the Fox to places, and the back of the truck is full of dog kennels. So a rack is in my future and I will haul it on top.
