? about Fiberglass boat

[Hester]

I'm am getting a boat before spring, I am going to be getting a bass boat that will more than likely be very heavy. My question is, my driveway is at a fairly steep angle, and I'm wondering if I will be able to keep a heavy boat like that on my driveway all summer? The driveway is concrete.

I know they make things to stick in front of the tires but I'm just not sure if its practicle.

What do you guys think?

thanks, Hester

[delmuts]

I use blocks in front and behind the tires of my trailer in the garage.( and my floor is faily flat!) You can buy some or, i just took a pc of old 4X4 and cut four pcs. at an angle. They don't take up much space and work well when i leave the trailer ( like our place at the Miss.it's kind of steep there) sit somewhere else.

[BassNut33]

I would be very careful with any boat being stored on a step incline, if you could make any other storage araingments I would reconmend that.

[FrankTXbassman]

My thought on this is as follows.

1. The steepness of your drive way I feel all depends on how low the boat Trailer sits , bass boat trailer are more custom drive on trailers and sit low. there are skid boards that the boat rests on and a few rollers down the middle and the trailer frame. which also comes to a V in the middle of the frame.. next how large of a motor, does it have power tilt & trim or a transom guard ,all these must be considered from the ground, and what size of tires are. as you drive up the driveway the rear of the trailer frame , which becomes the lowest spot of the trailer and the skag of the lower unit on the motor will drag the street as the tire meet the curb of the drive way. as the tires move on the drive way the rear of the boat will lift up and the you can proceed up.it would be the same way if you backed into the drive way which the the motor would hit first.

2. if at all possible can you swing wide enough to take the drive way at a angle that way 1 tire might lift the frame enough till the other makes it on the driveway.

3. as for blocking the boat on a steep drive you can buy wheel chaulks, or bricks work ,also a good chunk of cut up fire wood works also ( which i have used at times) .

4. if the boat sits for any amount of time released the tension on the winch strap on the Bow. also release the straps on the Aft of the boat if it has this strap .

5. make sure you pulled the drain plug. being on the hill ,if you do not jack or crank the front of the the boat up far enough then it will fill with rain water and that starts to really mess things up tackle and Ect....

6. there are alot of factors that plays into buy having a Bass Boat so I wish you best of luck on you choice of boat . I'll be watching for further post

[CAMAN]

If the driveway is too steep you may not even be able to back the boat up the driveway without bottoming out the lower unit or hull. I guess it will depend on how steep you consider "steep". I've seen a couple driveways that were almost impossible to walk up in the summer, don't know how they get cars into the garage in the winter.

[Hester]

Thanks for the tips guys,

Yeah, I guess its not so steep that I worry about the lower unit or the hitch hitting backing in and pulling out. I have had my small aluminum boat in the driveway the last 3 summers. I just threw a block of wood under each tire and did not worry about it because it was not heavy. To give you an idea of how steep, when I would put the tounge of my little lund on the concrete with out blocks, it would start to roll down hill slowly, plus like I said, I have had many trailers and campers in my driveway wtih out hitting the hitch or anything. So it is steep but not super steep.

Its the leaving the boat on the driveway when I'm not using it that worries me.

I never even thought about the rain water filiing it up, I plan on putting the cover on it after every outing.

I would hate to tell my wife we have to move just because the boat situation (but I would) also have 4 kids and that kind of worries me with it. But my bills are finaly paid and I have earned the right to get my boat.

Having said that what do ya think?

Hester

[FrankTXbassman]

Well as for covering the boat after every use is ok but the bad thing is if the cover isn't tight enough then, then when it does rain if there is the slightest sag in it it might start to hold water and then start to stretch and then it tends to loosen the fabric and you'll get even more stretch. if you have alot of trees around where the boat would be parked then you get debris from the tree either all over the uncovered boat, which that can ruin the carpet and seats, if you cover it then the debris could put a hole in the tarp and or also stain the cover there by over time could soften the spot and cause it to be a weak spot and then leak and then you got a hole in the cover, if you want to avoid all this can you put it in the garage?if not then if you choose to leave it out side and uncovered just have to so a little vaccuming before you go out. but the other side of this would be the the sun beats down and the heat on the carpet and seats tend to get weathered also. there are so many variables to leaving the boat covered vises uncovered.

[delmuts]

I do that with my ranger when at the trailer. The cover doesn't keep all the water out, and usually i can't get the tongue up high enough to drain it. So be sure to leave the plug out and pull it up on a hill, or if the ramp isn't busy to stop for a few minutes as you back in to let the water drain.

[Ray Esboldt]

Hester,

Maybe someone asked already, but why not use the garage? Unless, of course, you do not have one. My wife isn't real thrilled with it, but the boat gets the garage from April to October. God bless that woman.

I think if you search around on the internet, you can find some pretty good covering rigs to get you through the winter if you're going to store it outside. I know lots of people store their boats outside in the summer, but there are a certain percentage of the population that see boats as "help yourself" targets. Know what I mean?

[Hester]

Yeah, it should go in the garage and I'm still kicking that around. It is only a 2 stall but really a 1 stall. I have 4 kids, that means at least 6 bikes going in and out and usually 8 or 9 bikes when you count the extra kids we seem to aquire in the summer. Plus the riding lawn mower and you get the picture.

Hester

[Ray Esboldt]

I hear you. Same thing going for me. You can barely turnaround in my garage when the boat is in there. I'm really thinking about adding on to the back of it. Or, just getting a dumpster and starting over.

[bassNspear]

what did ya get hester

[Hester]

Well I finaly pulled the trigger and got my boat. I ended up getting a 18ft Triton with a 150 hp Yamaha. Its my first real bass boat. I have had to many kids and to many wives ( 4 kids 1 wife) to afford one before now. I was always the guy that went in the back of my buddies boat or went bass fishing in my small 14ft lund. I always brought more gear than what my friends typically had. It will be nice to put it all in my boat and leave it there.

As far as the driveway/garage situation. When I finally got the boat there was no way it was going anywhere but the garage. That means out with the wife's car and in with the boat. My dumb garage is only a little over 21ft long so I have to put the boat in and turn it a bit to get it to fit. Now I just have to pray none of the kids scratch it with there bikes.

Needless to say I can't wait.

Hester

[thatoneguy]

May-October my boat gets the garage, and one of the cars gets the driveway. Priorities doncha know

[leech~~]

Not sure if anyone mentioned this but some times when parking on a inclined there can be a lot of tension on the ball and hitch. So, if the wheels aren't blocked well and you can't get the tension off the hitch you need to watch it when you release the hitch because she can pop-up on you or the boat can lurch forward fast! I have a friend who's drive way at his cabin has a really bad incline right in the middle and once in a while the trailer and truck are in such a bind you can't even get the dang hitch off the ball!