Got the benny through a 7 ft tall garage door!!

[skipperbill]

I planned and prepared and measured and did it all again prior to buying this new boat.  Then, my hopes were shattered when the marina owner told me that their scissor-type trailer would not go low enough to get my boat through my 7 ft tall garage door.  WELL, I am living proof that it IS possible.  The plan was to have the marina deliver the boat after winterizing to my cottage, attempt to fit it in the garage and, if it didn't fit, put it under the carport.  As we backed up, I thought no way in hell is this beast going to fit.  They were able to lower the toons to almost scraping the concrete and IT MADE IT IN!!  I am so excited that my new toy will be safely tucked away in the garage for the Winters.  Sorry for the excitement but just wanted to share for any other anal planners out there.  I'm not sure what the brand was of the trailer but it was a beauty...the rails slipped carefully on each side of the center toon and lowered hydraulically like you wouldn't believe is possible.  I would buy one myself but it would only serve the purpose of put-in and take-out as they are not all that safe for distance travel.  Also, I shamefully left this boat in the water all Summer and the water line on the toons was nasty by the end.  I had the marina pressure wash the toons and they look like new.  It was only $75.  All they used was pressure and toon-brite.  I'll go back over it with sharkhide in the Spring.  So, all good news here and I will definitely rest easy over this Michigan Winter.

 

[cwag911]

Sounds good, where's the pics of it in the garage? Must be tight.

 

[Bamaman]

Glad you were able to get your toon out of the weather.

Yea, these things are huge.  Mine sitting on the trailer with the top down is over 8' high.  And with it in my driveway, a car would barely fit.  From the nose of my truck to the propeller must be 45' long.  They're almost as long a tractor trailer truck when parked together.

Now you can clean up that monster for the Spring thaw.

 

[SEMPERFI8387]

Sounds like it all worked out just as planned ...  

Now it's safe and sound and out of the elements. Cool thing is you can climb in, sit down, turn on the stereo, close your eyes, and imagine you're on the water (minus the rocking)

Oh yeah as Carl said ..... PICS !!!!!  

 

[skipperbill]

Unfortunately, the camera on my Iphone is dead.  I'll have to remember to bring the Ipad and take some...it's impressive and cartoonish.  Again, not to brag, just excited that it was able to work out and also to alert others with the same question that it is possible with the right trailer. 

 

[BigKahuna]

Skipperbill..........

Good job getting the toon to fit.........but if it didn't fit..........could you have raised the door of the garage to an 8 footer?????? Back in 2000 we bought a high top conversion van. it was killing us to spend all that money on it and park it in the driveway because it wouldn't fit in the garage so..............we put in an 8 ft. door to accommodate it. Well, we had that van for 10 years. Sold it because it struggled pulling our Benny. People ask us all the time when they come to our house why we have a 8 ft. double door and a 7 ft. door. This is why...............

 

[skipperbill]

I spoke with a contractor to see about possibly raising it.  Believe me, if I had to store this boat in my carport because of a few inches, I would be willing to spend a fair amount of money to do just that.  The contractor was concerned about there not being quite enough header present so not sure it would have worked out.  Now it's a non-issue.

 

[sunnyside360]

....... and IT MADE IT IN!!  I am so excited that my new toy will be safely tucked away in the garage for the Winters.  Sorry for the excitement but just wanted to share for any other anal planners out there.  I'm not sure what the brand was of the trailer but it was a beauty...the rails slipped carefully on each side of the center toon and lowered hydraulically like you wouldn't believe is possible. 

I know exactly how you felt as I just went thru this a few days ago with the new Bennington.  My door is 120" high but the boat is on a regular Shorelandr pontoon bunk trailer which makes it sit up pretty high plus the approach slope to the door entrance elevates the front going in.  It all worked out --- thank goodness.