# Trailering for long distances



## Sbishop (Jul 22, 2015)

Any thoughts on having your boat with a frame on a trailer for a long distance? I'm think a 100 plus miles. It seems like there is a lot of frame on tube rubbing. I've noticed that the couple of times I've done it there is a lot of gray on the tubes. It comes off with soap and water but just thought it would be nice to here what ya'll got to say.


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## cataraftgirl (Jun 5, 2009)

I trailer mine inflated & rigged all the time. Long & short distance trips. No problems in 4-5 years. Frame marks happen whether it's on the trailer or on the river. Inflatable boat cleaner & Mr. Clean Magic Eraser gets them off.


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## Whetstone (May 17, 2013)

I can't imagine doing it any other way. My boat is rigged and ready on the trailer when I leave home. We often travel several hundreds of miles to rivers. No problems thus far 

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## Paul7 (Aug 14, 2012)

Same here often trailer 100 plus miles one way, I have decided not to get to excited about stains. Clean them off each fall. 

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## shoenfeld13 (Aug 18, 2009)

This thread has come up a few times in the last couple years. Look them up for a historical perspective. It is similar to the pins/oarlock, GC take outs, what size boat discussions...for the most part it comes down to personal preference.


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## co_bjread (Oct 26, 2004)

In Colorado, I would just add to be mindful of your inlfation going over the passes, just remember that bag of chips in your trunck when you went over Loveland pass. I am not sure if anyone has any great ideas for how to deal with those type of pressure changes, but i would be interested to hear them.


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## Sbishop (Jul 22, 2015)

Oh cool. Thanks for everyone's responses. Sorry for wasting your time on a Sunday. shoenfeld13 ? Douche. New to the site. Sorry your so cool.


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## Paul7 (Aug 14, 2012)

Inflation on the passes is a hard one for me I never really know how much to let out. 

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## nemi west (Jun 22, 2006)

Sbishop said:


> Oh cool. Thanks for everyone's responses. Sorry for wasting your time on a Sunday. shoenfeld13 ? Douche. New to the site. Sorry your so cool.


Wow...... Unless he edited his post you are surely the douche in this case.


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## co_bjread (Oct 26, 2004)

My buddy took his raft rigged over Cameron pass (10,000' and change) and by the time he got to,the top, the boat was bulging against the straps, frame and trailer. He let out some air, and by the time he was at the bottom on the other side, some of the straps were starting to fall off. That night, the temperature dropped quite a bit, and the boat as 1/2 full or less, and all the straps were hanging off loose. It made me wonder if using a cam strap looped through the d rings would be any better than the ratchet straps.


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## Sbishop (Jul 22, 2015)

Ok. This is a research only site not a forum. Again sorry if I offended. Thanks for the cool vibes. Hope to see you on the river.


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## mattman (Jan 30, 2015)

Sbishop said:


> Oh cool. Thanks for everyone's responses. Sorry for wasting your time on a Sunday. shoenfeld13 ? Douche. New to the site. Sorry your so cool.


Trailer mine inflated all the time without major issue( just road grime), and i don't see how shoenfield is a douche, the guy merely pointed you to additional info.


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## mattman (Jan 30, 2015)

Ok, in light of your apolagy, i will not summon fire.
Best way to deal with altitude change i have found, is to try and anticipate, if your taking out and going to altitude, mush it out a bit, if your driving to the put in, and going to loose altitude, pump it up tight. Altitude will affect presure more then temperature. Don't use rachete straps that could fall off.


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## Sbishop (Jul 22, 2015)

Thanks. Again just wanted a hey man...check this out. Not a " This has been ask a thousand times search before you ask because I don't have time to answer this again." Really folks that's how some of these responses come off. Again so sorry. Thanks Matt.


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## PhilipJFry (Apr 1, 2013)

Sbishop said:


> Thanks. Again just wanted a hey man...check this out. Not a " This has been ask a thousand times search before you ask because I don't have time to answer this again." Really folks that's how some of these responses come off. Again so sorry. Thanks Matt.


I don't think he was busting your balls or anything... I believe he was merely saying that you were going to get a ton of answers for and against. and it'll boil down to personal preference. Also... this is in fact a forum, and not a "research only site"


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## Andy H. (Oct 13, 2003)

Sbishop,

Welcome to the Buzz. I leave my boat rigged on a trailer year-round. There's a tarp over the boat at home that gets folded and taken with me on trips in case I stay at a motel or leave the boat out in public, so all that shiny expensive stuff isn't on full display. When traveling over passes, or if you start on a cool morning with the boat properly inflated and drive into the heat of the day, or the desert, the air in the tubes will expand. A lot. I'm always prepared to let some air out before heading up a big hill, or top it off again at the bottom, when traveling. I did some research once (prompted by a similar thread a few years ago) and found out that going from Denver over the Continental Divide, you increase the pressure by about 2.5 psi. So if your boat is properly inflated to 2.5 or 3 psi when you leave home, and you go another mile higher, then you're boat pressure is over 5 psi at the top. This is way overinflated and probably not good for the boat or your straps.

That said, I generally like to make sure my boat's inflated fairly tight to minimize how much it and all the gear rigged on it will bounce up against the straps going over bumps. Camstraps looped around the frame to the trailer is a lot better than rigging to the D-Rings, and you should never rig to the handles. I've driven tens of thousands of miles with my boat inflated on the trailer without any problems other than a little road tar once.

And like the others said, shoenfeld13 wasn't being an asshole, I'd say he was just being helpful and pointing out that there's a ton of stuff already written on the topic and that lots of folks have personal preferences. Here's another thread with the identical subject line from last year where you may get a broader perspective.

Stick around, you'll learn a ton and meet some great folks.

-AH


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## Learch (Jul 12, 2010)

I don't mind leaving my frame, cooler, and dry box strapped in on a long drive, but I don't leave random loose things in it like dry bags, groovers, or anything heavy that could rub and cause any real damage to the boat material. I loop all of my tie down straps through D rings, typically six of them, two per side and one for the bow and stern. I have stacked boats on top for long drives too, but I pull the frame off of the bottom boat.


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