Can You Block a Pontoon From a Trailer?

[AuthorizedUser]

Gang... I do not have a trailer (nor adequate tow vehicle) for my 20SLG. I will have a slip at the marina, and will have inside storage during the winter. My problem? I will have no opportunity to maintain the boat myself. The marina says no maintenance/access to winter storage; once the boat's in there, it stays there until they put it back in the water in spring. I have a call into my marina, but no response yet so I'll ask you all. Is it possible to block a pontoon just using a trailer? I have seen how they do it with a forklift. I was hoping the marina could (for a fee) pull the boat in the fall, transport to my house, block it, and come get it in a couple weeks all with a trailer. That way, I can clean the toons, reapply Sharkhide, change lower oil, engine oil, run some Stabil through it, etc. Is it even stable enough to do engine and topside work on blocks? Thanks for your sage input!

 

[CLDave]

Yep, scissor trailer can easily drop the pontoon onto blocks. That's what the dealers use. Mine was on a scissor trailer when I first saw it in the showroom - they're hydraulically operated. Shouldn't be a problem. As for stability, once it's on blocks you could have a block party (pun intended, I guess) - it's far more stable on blocks than in the water.

 

[AuthorizedUser]

Yep, scissor trailer can easily drop the pontoon onto blocks. That's what the dealers use. Mine was on a scissor trailer when I first saw it in the showroom - they're hydraulically operated. Shouldn't be a problem.

View attachment 28471

Scissor trailer! Yes! Forgot about that. Is the boat stable enough for heavy duty work while on blocks?

 

[swiftm]

I share a scissor trailer with my neighbor (it cranks though- not hydronic) and store mine on styrofoam blocks in my yard after winterizing and having shrink wrapped. Plenty stable enough to walk on and work on, I get on for some final touchups. I got my blocks for free - some from tractor supply and some from Lowe’s. They get their utility trailers shipped with them as cushions between the trailers and just pitch them when the get deliveries. They will easily last a couple years before replacing. They are about 12”-12”-18”. I saw them In half to about 6-8” to be able to get them under the toons before lowering the trailer. Just put the blocks on the seams on the tube - NOT between the seams or the weight will cup the toons. My neighbor just lowers his onto dollies and rolls it into his garage - also stable enough to get on and work on.

 

[KC24]

I share a scissor trailer with my neighbor (it cranks though- not hydronic) and store mine on styrofoam blocks in my yard after winterizing and having shrink wrapped. Plenty stable enough to walk on and work on, I get on for some final touchups. I got my blocks for free - some from tractor supply and some from Lowe’s. They get their utility trailers shipped with them as cushions between the trailers and just pitch them when the get deliveries. They will easily last a couple years before replacing. They are about 12”-12”-18”. I saw them In half to about 6-8” to be able to get them under the toons before lowering the trailer. Just put the blocks at the seams on the tube - NOT between the seams or the weight will cup the toons. My neighbor just lowers his onto dollies and rolls it into his garage - also stable enough to get on and work on.

Swift’s, explain placing blocks at the seams. Or pics. Thanks

 

[swiftm]

If you look at the tubes there are weld seams where the sections of the tubes are attached to each other, as well as where the nose cones and rear caps attach. Different numbers of weld I would guess depending on the length of your boat. I just use blocks at the front cone and rear cap welds and they support it fine. You need to find fairly level ground to use so you don’t rack/twist the frame. The styrofoam gives slightly so it really hasn’t been difficult to do. I’m not at the boat now, but will try to take pictures when I can.

 

[GWLK]

The marina that drops off my boat uses styrofoam dock billets. My area is relatively level. It’s rock solid.

 

[swiftm]

My service person at the dealer told me about getting the blocks at tractor supply. Said that is what they use and where they get them for their ground storage.

 

[KC24]

If you look at the tubes there are weld seams where the sections of the tubes are attached to each other, as well as where the nose cones and rear caps attach. Different numbers of weld I would guess depending on the length of your boat. I just use blocks at the front cone and rear cap welds and they support it fine. You need to find fairly level ground to use so you don’t rack/twist the frame. The styrofoam gives slightly so it really hasn’t been difficult to do. I’m not at the boat now, but will try to take pictures when I can.

Thanks, I need to redo my bunks so wanted to make sure I understood correctly.

 

[FIRE UP]

Could someone please post some pics of a "Blocked" Benny? I'd like to see up close photos if possible. I've jacked out boats up in the past, to get them off the trailer while at home, so I could perform major maintenance and repairs (repaint) on the trailer(s). But, those weren't nearly as large as the Benny we have now. Jacking them up with a floor jack (and wood supports to protect the hull from the jack) and would use tall, approximate 10"x10" x 24" blocks as a form of *jack stands* for multiple points on the bottom of the boat. It was a tedious process and would take me around an hour, start to finish, to have the boat completely off the trailer and, the trailer out to where I could start work on it. Needless to say, I hope we didn't have any EARTH QUAKES while that boat was on mini-stilts. But, I'd like to see a toon on *blocks* up close.
Scott

 

[swiftm]

With a scissor trailer (like I share with my neighbor) it is an easy process to the boat get off the trailer and pull the trailer out. A bunk trailer would be a MUCH more involved process. I seem to remember a discussion about that a couple years ago. It did involve “stilts” of some sort to support the boat after jacking it up. Try using the search at the top to find it. Blocking is simply putting the styrofoam blocks (or commercial stands you can buy - search online) on the ground at the appropriate spots and lowering the trailer down until the boat is sitting on the styrofoam. I won’t be near the boat for a couple weeks but I will try to get pictures of it on the blocks if the snow isn’t too deep.

 

[SEMPERFI8387]

Just blocks under front and rear weld seams at the nose cone and rear cap. Here’s one at factory on caster stands.

 

[swiftm]

Good picture Dave. That is how mine looks - just with styrofoam blocks on the ground instead of the casters. My neighbor’s looks like that when he drops it in his driveway before he rolls it into his garage.

 

[FIRE UP]

I surely thank you for your answers, and pictures here. Very much appreciated. Now, my question would be, if you're the type that trailers your boat, such as we do, but, it's a regular bunk type trailer and not a "scissors" type (which I've not heard of seen of but, understand maybe its principle), how to you get the boat from the trailer, to the blocks, especially if it's a regular bunk type like ours?
Scott

 

[CLDave]

I surely thank you for your answers, and pictures here. Very much appreciated. Now, my question would be, if you're the type that trailers your boat, such as we do, but, it's a regular bunk type trailer and not a "scissors" type (which I've not heard of seen of but, understand maybe its principle), how to you get the boat from the trailer, to the blocks, especially if it's a regular bunk type like ours?
Scott

Best/easiest option would be to drop it in the water and load onto a scissor trailer. No way would I jack up my boat high enough to get it off the bunk trailer - way too dangerous for my tastes, and I have no idea how you'd actually drive the trailer away if the boat is on stands.

A local dealer / marina may have a large forklift - but again, that's far more work/risk than just popping into the water and loading onto a proper trailer.

 

[DaveyJ]

One thing to keep in mind, a normal scissor trailer doesn't work with a tritoon. A normal scissor trailer has crossmembers between the rails that lift the boat, so there's no room for the center toon. There are scissors trailers that work with tritoons (my dealer delivered my boat on one) but they are rare.

 

[GWLK]

I would think any marina that sold Tritoons would have the proper scissor trailer. That’s how they delivered my first Bennington Tritoon. They brought the styrofoam billets as well. I have my own trailer now.