Motorhome and sailboat in tow

[Billnpr]

I pull 2 horses, 2000 pounds, with my Winnebago Warrior and don't know that they are back there. That is the same as some cars or trucks that you see them tow. I had a flat tire once on the trailer and only knew it because I was paying attention. Motor home or towing anything you have to pay attention.

I tow a Magregor 26S to the local boat ramp with my 4 cylinder Ford Ranger. Pulling it out, I have to have weight in the back of the bed or the wheels spin as it is only 2 wheel drive.

I plan to put a recever on the front of the Winnebago to put a Compact 18 in the water. The rear wheels will stay on the upper dry part of the ramp. I doubt that the front wheels will get wet.

[FlyingScot]

Class C is typically a van front with the house on the back of the extended frame and usually have an overcab bunk above the driver. I have a 31' class C motorhome built on Ford E450 van. Plenty of power to tow (6.8L V10 300+ HP). It tows a 4000 pound jeep without much trouble other than about 1 mpg loss of fuel economy. The issue I see with any boat ramp is the steep entry on some. Class C's have low ground clearance.

You can buy Super C's built on F550 or other front engine diesels.

Issues other than ground clearance could be crowded boat ramps, hard to turn around, bigger than most other vehicles for parking, stuff like that.

Class B's based upon van but no extended chassis and generally no overcab bunk. These would work well for smaller boats. Limited towing capability.

Slick ramps would be an issue with any rear wheel drive vehicle.

[gittist]

Thank you for all of the replies. The thinking was a sailboat between 16 and 22 feet... nothng too big. But I can see that a slippery steep ramp could be troublesome.

If we were near a large enough body of water to go sailing it would be nice, but not at the expense of getting towed out of the lake although it does seem that some of you have been successful with doing what I was asking about.

[CaptainJohn49]

Originally Posted by laid

If your boat has a toilet,sink,galley and bed, do you really need the rv?
We just camp in the boat when we are on the road

That's a good idea except at my age I have to use the head more often than most and I find the motorhome really useful for that. Second I carry an 8' ladder chained to the trailer just for the purpose of getting in the boat while on the road if I have to. I really don't want to stop at a Wal*Mart for the night and put a ladder up in the parking lot. Third but not least I once fell from the ladder while getting off the boat because of unstable footing for the ladder. Accidents do happen. I laid there for 30 seconds making sure nothing was broken.

I have thought about sleeping on the boat when towing but it didn't work for me. Everybody's different. Thanks for your comment.

[LLCoolDave]

I full time in a 22ft RV. I'm planning on buying a Hobie adventure island sailing kayak. Videos on YouTube look like a lot of fun. Saw one video where guys went from Long Beach to Catalina so they are very capable. I plan on buying a 20ft enclosed trailer to keep it in with a motorcycle and a couple surf boards.

[friz]

I have some experience with this. In the '90's we had Winnebago LeSharo, about 22' class A with a Renault 4 banger diesel 4 speed. With it we towed a 21' Seacraft Cuddy Cabin. Many times we pulled it from Tidewater VA to Smith Mountain Lake. Next here in Florida we had a 11.5' Coachmen slide in on a F-350 diesel dually. With that we towed a 22' Landau pontoon - 80 hp Yamaha. Did it work? Yes! If I went back to RVing I would definitely do it again. Camping and boating with one rig! Never got stuck on a ramp. Look at them before you use them. There were a few I shied away from over the years.

[friz]

Originally Posted by somanyboats

If your boat has a toilet,sink,galley and bed, do you really need the rv?
We just camp in the boat when we are on the road

Interesting idea. We have a 28' Cargile Cutter on a trailer. Have you tried going into a campground and sleep on the boat? I would be interested with how campgrounds treat this? There are plenty of places I would like to tow the boat to that require more than a days travel over land. The easy answer is just pull into a motel but if I have my floating RV with me why not use it?

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by CaptainJohn49

That's a good idea except at my age I have to use the head more often than most and I find the motorhome really useful for that. ...

I have thought about sleeping on the boat when towing but it didn't work for me. Everybody's different. Thanks for your comment.

Sounds like a job for a class B van? Something that provides the basic living amenities for on the road, but acceptable fuel mileage and could launch/retrieve the boat.

***

I have a related question - the whole RV-boat setup sounds idyllic to us; we're already avid trailer-sailors and have towed our little sailboat to many fantastic and unique sailing locations. But are there really enough spots in North America where there's an RV park on water with docks or mooring, or where the docks/mooring are an easy walk or bike-ride from the RV park?

If so, it would be fun to compile a list of all the possible destinations that offer this opportunity. Links welcome.

[brownoarsman]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

But are there really enough spots in North America where there's an RV park on water with docks or mooring, or where the docks/mooring are an easy walk or bike-ride from the RV park?

If so, it would be fun to compile a list of all the possible destinations that offer this opportunity. Links welcome.

Bahia Honda in the keys is one such. Met quite a few people who have been road tripping down with camper and boat for years.

[oldjags]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Sounds like a job for a class B van?
I have a related question - the whole RV-boat setup sounds idyllic to us; we're already avid trailer-sailors and have towed our little sailboat to many fantastic and unique sailing locations. But are there really enough spots in North America where there's an RV park on water with docks or mooring, or where the docks/mooring are an easy walk or bike-ride from the RV park?

If so, it would be fun to compile a list of all the possible destinations that offer this opportunity. Links welcome.

Wind Creek State Park on Lake Martin in Alabama has a very nice RV campground right next to the marina with a very wide launching ramp. Plenty of space for us to use the 32' motor home to launch the boat.

[Fence Man]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Sounds like a job for a class B van? Something that provides the basic living amenities for on the road, but acceptable fuel mileage and could launch/retrieve the boat.

***

I have a related question - the whole RV-boat setup sounds idyllic to us; we're already avid trailer-sailors and have towed our little sailboat to many fantastic and unique sailing locations. But are there really enough spots in North America where there's an RV park on water with docks or mooring, or where the docks/mooring are an easy walk or bike-ride from the RV park?

If so, it would be fun to compile a list of all the possible destinations that offer this opportunity. Links welcome.

There are RV hookups at the end of our dock.....maybe 30 big steps from the water. Dale Hollow isn't really known for it's sailing, but we see a few sailboats out and about.

[HankOnthewater]

Like others I wondered about the category "Class C" motorhome.
Is this an explanation?
What is the Difference Between Class A, B & C Motorhomes? | Expedition MotorHomes

Like others I have a campervan as well, not sure which category it falls in. I guess 'A' for heavy duty, 'B' for small, not 'C'. (loaded 6 tonnes, 4WD).
I played with the idea to have a largish trailerable yacht like the NIS range (by Bruce Kirby), in particular the NIS 31. Could only find one closeby, but pricetag was far too high without even road trailer, and weight was borderline. Could not find a smaller NIS boat ie 27 or 29 ft in good condition. So gave up on that idea.

As far as the question in the first post: By the looks of it, power to the wheels and lack of ground clearance might be limiting factors for boats that can be launched on some ramps.

[CaptainJohn49]

We all know what class A motorhome is, basically a bus. Most have multiple slide-outs. Milage is 5 to 7 miles per gallon and after parking in an RV park you have to tow a car to get around town. Prices are from $60k to several million, $250k is average for a diesel pusher. Everything you could ever need is there in a class A but difficult for most to get used to driving. Some trucking experience is helpful.

Class B is a converted van, gets 16 to 22 miles per gallon and you can go almost anywhere a car or pickup can go. There are 4 x 4 and expedition types from $60k to well over $450k. Expect to pay $70 to $90k for a nice one with diesel.

Class C is a van chassis with a purpose built motorhome on the back. Millage is 12 to 16 miles per gallon with prices from $80k to $125k. These can sleep 4 to 6 people and provide all of the basic comforts, bathroom w/ shower, frig & freezer, closets, under floor storage compartments, heat, AC and generators. Most have slide-outs that increase the interior space. They can be self sufficient but may be cramped for more than 2 or 3 people.

Any of these (A, B or C) could transport a boat in tow but really only the class B or maybe a class C could launch a boat. Retrieving a boat could require the help of a pickup. Nothing like 4 wheel drive and a granny low to pull up the ramp. Give the guy a six pack.

Hope this helps.

[jeepbluetj]

I tow my jeep often with my beat up old ford E450 class C. (4K lbs wheels down, 6K or so on a trailer) I wouldn't even bat an eye at towing a mac 26 or something similar. Other than the weight back there, the long wheelbase of the MH makes towing easy. Getting down the ramp could be tough due to maneuverability, but a front hitch and/or a good spotter would solve that. A very slippery ramp would be tough, but for a typical ramp I'd be pretty confident I could get back up. Got plenty of power, dual rear wheels, and lots of weight.

I've launched smaller powerboats with my 2wd 4cyl ranger, worked out well. Heck, years ago I used to tow a ski boat with my Subaru Brat. (wasn't a very big boat). 4wd _was_ necessary there because the brat didn't weigh anything and had tiny tires.

It's completely doable. I see MHs towing boats all the time. Class Cs actually have a bit of an advantage because of the typical long overhang. It's a long way from the rear wheels to the hitch.

[Cormorant]

Here's someone who gave it a try.

(The article does mention the boat had just been purchased, so I'm sure this was an avoidable operator error.)

https://www.wwaytv3.com/2017/09/25/b...he-erie-canal/