I am considering a Pelican Bass Raider 10'2" pontoon boat and trailer to haul it, sold at Academy stores. I will use a trolling motor to power it. My concern is getting the boat back on the trailer by myself and latching it down before pulling it out of the water. Have any of you launched one of these boats from a boat trailer and then loaded it back up with only a trolling motor? If so, I would appreciate your comments about any difficulty.

I have the same boat and load it into a pickup bed. It does take some effort. If you get a 4' X 8' flatbed trailer, you could back it up to where the lower edge of the trailer is at the waters edge and then pull the boat up onto the trailer. Then you would pull the trailer up the boat ramp and out of the way to unload it and tie it down to the trailer. With a flat trailer, it would be pretty easy to load and unload.

PowerLizard, that sounds like something an old man like myself could do. I appreciate the reply.. Thank you very much.

The 4' X 8' flat bed trailer gives you a nice stable platform to walk on. You only have to pull the Bass Raider boat up about 3 inches and then drag it on the trailer platform. It works very well in cold water as you never have to get in the water.

You can also use a power winch to pull it up the flatbed depending on age and limitations. Either mount it permanently to the front of the trailer or just hook it up like a come along. A come along would work as well if you want to manually winch it.

The winch allow you to pull it up the trailer while loaded. The less you have to remove from the boat to pull it, the faster it will be to launch and retrieve

I've been thinking along these lines and putting my old bass buggy back into action. By using a trailer with a back ramp that folds down, I can launch anywhere I can back to the water, thus avoiding the boat ramp hassle.

Harbor Freight sells a 4x8 trailer that might work great for your needs..

1195 lb. Capacity 48 in. x 96 in. Heavy Duty Folding Trailer

Haul-Master� - Item#62648
282 ReviewsWrite a Review
Space-saving, heavy-duty Utility Trailer can haul up to 1195 lb. of gear - folding trailer folds compactly when not in use
Only: $279.99

Thanks very much for the replies. You have given me some alternatives to consider.

I have a question about the trailer size. Since the width of the Pelican Bass Raider is 10'2", if I get a utility trailer won't I need to get a 5'x8' trailer, imstead of a 4'x8'?

I store my 10' Bass Raider on a rolling dolly platform that is a 4' X 8' sheet of plywood. I added 2" X 4" edge to keep the boat from sliding off when being rolled/shoved around a warehouse. The platform is the same height as my pickup bed with the tailgate down. It is easy to slide the boat from the platform into the pickup bed and back. The boat is a little longer than the 8' platform length but the hangover is not an issue.

Thanks Power Lizard. The measurement from the outside edges of the pontoons would be less than 4 feet, but at the top of the boat is where it measures 4'2". I'm thinking if a 4' wide utility trailer has a frame around it, the boat wouldn't fit in it. I guess a flatbed with no frame might work.

Here's a pic of the harbor freight trailer I got off google.. You have to add your own wood....

TC, in this picture, it looks big enough to haul a 4 x 10 boat, but the trailer frame is only 40 1/2 x 48 inches. Look at the specs on this website:

https://t.harborfreight.com/1090-lb-capacity-40-12-in-x-48-in-utility-trailer-62645.html

I use a 4x8 trailer. I keep a strap attached that will hold the boat in place once i get the lip of it lifted on the trailer. After that i just push or pull it up and strap it down. Basically what power lizard said.

Thanks guys. Appreciate it.