Howdy from Wyoming

[annapearl]

I'm going to jump in and introduce myself.  My husband and I are about 5 years away from retirement and are planning to be part timers after we retire,  We live in big, beautiful Wyoming where the summer and fall are absolutely amazing.  We own a little log cabin that we plan on enjoying the summer months in.  The winters in this part of Wyoming are harsh, to say the least.  We are planning on doing some traveling in the winter months down south. 

We are looking at Class C motor homes right now.  We are hoping to have it paid off by the time we retire.  We also have a pontoon boat (required by my dear husband's obsession with fishing).  The trailer on the boat was designed to have lots of clearance. Much of our camping will be boondocking at lakes. 

Here's my question for you all.... Is 31 feet too long to pull a 20 foot pontoon into lake areas that might not have developed roads and such?  I know that each condition will be different...just in general, what do you think?

Anna Pearl

 

[tx2sturgis]

You need to be aware that the long overhang on the back of that motorhome can make boat ramps a tricky situation.

It can be done, but things can also go wrong in a hurry.

Consider a shorter motorhome, with a shorter rear overhang, if boating will be a big part of your adventures.

Oh, and yeah, Wyoming is a wonderful place to be...except in the winter...unless you like ice-fishing....and then you wont need that pontoon boat!

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums Anna Pearl! Summer in Wyoming and winter in the south sounds great! Keep us updated on your plans. I sent you a PM. Look for the notification at the top of the page.

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started.

Most of our rules boil down to two simple over-riding principles: 1) What you post should provide good information (like your introductory post), and 2) Any response to someone else's post should make them feel glad they are part of this forum community.

We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[RoamerRV428]

yea it is dicey cause of the boat ramps you will be using.....they aren't some uniform situation ever.
we pulled a 20 ft Lund fishing boat with our truck and big truck camper on top and could easily put in without taking the TC off the truck at many ramps....but a few we SO steep we could not. But these were well maintained entrances to those ramps and easy drive in.

plus you are talking 'bad roads' to get to these boat ramps, your clearance and turn radius around sharp corners is a big concern.

if you are 'doing' more populated, used, easy access kinda ramps then you should be ok.....if you are going off road to hit ramps etc you could get stuck very easily.

if is a maybe situation on what ramps you choose for sure. one way to find out is go out and do it you will learn real fast what you can handle and can't thru trial and error

the bigger you are and the longer you are the more problems are encountered. always be that way when driving long big rigs

 

[annapearl]

Very good advice! I did not think about that big old overhang back there on a 31 foot MH. Maybe a 24 foot would be better or perhaps we should look at a truck and camper. I have always worried about getting into a truck camper when we are older. However, I have noticed that they have really beefed up the steps going into them. Can you buy Beefier (is that a word?) steps off market?

 

[RoamerRV428]

truck camper nowadays are fab, some even come with a slide out now

but for me, being older I can't do the bed. It is crawl up and then it is a sideways bed where one partner must crawl over the other to get out. Being an old gal now I ain't doing it but when younger and we had our TC it was a fab way to travel! wet bath was great also cause you still had it all, shower, toilet and tanks and all self contained. Now older we wanted something diff.

but yea the longer you are the harder the turn radius on tight trees, bad roads so....keep all that in mind

it is truly kinda hard to have the toys you want, the rig ya want, length being a killer and 'want boondocking' off road type situations. they kinda don't go together if the terrain says no but there are a lot of 'put together' what you want options out there for ya, just take your time on thinking how you want it to roll. You will make it work

 

[ckelly78z]

With a 31' MH, your tow hitch will be all the way at the end of your rear hangover. When you start down the boat ramp, your boat trailer will be going downhill while still trying to hang onto the hitch ball which still has to go back level until the rear wheels of the MH start heading down the ramp. I fear that the front of your trailer will be lifted so high, that the rear (motor end might drag the pavement)/ At the very least, you will "lose" your vision of the boat/trailer during this transition, which can be dicey with other boats/rigs nearby, and a busy walking ramp on one side.

I would also always have a helper who is outside of the MH as you start backing (to help with directions, and to hold the bow lines).

 

[Jake]

If launching the boat is the major issue you might consider a front hitch. I have one on my motorhome the previous owner had installed for launching his boat. Seems to me it would be safer and easier.

 

[B and C]

Or just get a much smaller boat. People even fish out of kayaks and get some exercise at the same time.

 

[Buster1903]

 Beefier (is that a word?) 

I didn't think Beefier was a word. But google it, it's the comparative adjective form of Beefy just as you used it. (we so need a geek emoji right here)
 
I live on a very popular lake in NJ and have driven many boat towing rigs and the advice here all seems good. A 31ft. MH will be (not impossible but) difficult in all but ideal conditions. In most cases the shorter the tow vehicle the easier it is to back up any trailer. A front mounted hitch suggested by Jake is something I've seen but never used. But it is worth looking into for your situation. 
Good Luck 
Buster