Can You Fit A Boat In A Toy Hauler?

You've probably heard about toy haulers being able to stow a lot of recreational items; four-wheelers, motorcycles, golf carts. . .they're a great way to get your large toys across town or across the country. But are they able to carry a boat? If you're wondering about the logistics of your boat fitting inside a toy hauler, we can help with that. We researched toy haulers from numerous professional sources, so you'll know for sure.

A toy hauler can carry a boat so long as the storage space inside the toy hauler is wider and longer than the boat. You can back the boat up the hauler's ramp and inside by hand or back it inside with the aid of a separate tow vehicle.

Now that we know that some boats can be loaded into a toy hauler, we'll take a closer look at each step that needs to be taken to do it safely. You might also be wondering if you can move a boat with a trailer dolly or if you are able to place a jet ski into a toy hauler. How do you best tie down a jet ski? Can you launch a boat with your RV? For the answers to these questions and more, read ahead in this post to see what our research has uncovered.

A lime green power boat on a trailer with palm trees and water behind, Can You Fit A Boat In A Toy Hauler?

Four methods to load your boat into your toy hauler

Before you make plans to load your boat and boat trailer into your toy hauler, you'll want to make certain that the combined weight of the boat and trailer does not exceed the hauling capacity of the toy hauler.

Boats and trailers vary in size and weight by quite a bit. And since you're going to be at the mercy of the interior dimensions of the toy hauler, the type and size of boat you can haul in it are going to be limited as well.

Smaller fishing boats, paddleboats, and smaller sailboats are great examples of what could be carried by your toy hauler. But they'll still need to be able to fit inside the interior of the hauler.

So, measure both the trailered boat and the interior storage space of the hauler carefully. Once you're certain that the trailered boat will fit (and doesn't exceed the hauling capacity of the hauler), you can begin to load it. There are four ways in which this can be done:

Use a winch

Back your trailered boat into position to the toy hauler ramp and use a winch to move it up the ramp and into place inside the storage space of the hauler. A powered winch is ideal, but a hand-cranked one will also do the trick.

See this hand-crank winch on Amazon.

By hand

You can always use brute strength to get the job done. Pushing and pulling the trailered boat up the ramp can be done without the aid of machinery, but you'll need some help with this one. At least one or two other adults should assist you in getting this done.

ATV

Use an ATV to back the trailered boat into position and up the ramp. This will come in handy if the ramp doesn't have a heavy weight rating.

Tow vehicle

This is done in the same way you'd use an ATV; only you're using a tow vehicle to do it. Back it up to the ramp, and then up the ramp and into place inside the toy hauler. Just be mindful of the weight capacity of the toy hauler's ramp, so that you do not exceed it.

Can you move a boat with a trailer dolly?

Trailer dollies are a great way to move large, trailered items into spaces that cars or other tow vehicles won't fit. And they are perfect to move trailered boats.

Because of the combined weight of the trailer and boat, it would be easier to use a motorized trailer dolly. These cost a little more money, but they are worth it if you want to move a massive amount.

The motorized trailer dolly from Alphaworks allows you to move a gross vehicle weight of up to 3,600 pounds. It's quiet, portable design is a great addition to your hauling needs.

To view this Alphaworks motorized trailer dolly on Amazon, click here.

Can you put a jet ski in a toy hauler?

Toy haulers are made to move your toys, and people definitely use them to move their jet skis around. But before you load your jet ski inside, you'll want to make sure of three things:

Jet ski weight

You don't want to overload your toy hauler. Doing so will damage your vehicle and possibly lead to a highway accident from damaged axles or blown tires. So, know exactly what the jet ski and its trailer weighs before loading it up.

Toy hauler GVWR

GVWR is the gross vehicle weight rating. This is how much weight your toy hauler can safely carry inside of it. This amount will be in your owner's manual.

Familiarize yourself with this number, because it's very important. So long as the combined weight of the jet ski, its trailer, and everything else inside the toy hauler are less than the GVWR, you're ok to carry it.

Dimensions

Of course, even if the weight is safe, you need to make sure the jet ski will fit inside the toy hauler. As most toy haulers have an inside measurement of at least seven feet, this probably won't be an issue. But you'll want to be absolutely certain before you make plans.

Using a measuring tape, carefully measure the length, width, and height of the storage space of the toy hauler. Then, take the same measurements from the jet ski that is mounted onto its trailer. As long as you can fit the jet ski and trailer inside the hauler with a few inches of clearance, you're safe to haul it.

Jetski sport water bike on the trailer on the sandy beach

How do you tie down a jet ski?

As soon as you get your jet ski inside your toy hauler, you'll want to make sure that it's securely in place. After all, you don't want it to bounce around and damage it or the interior of your toy hauler.

Your toy hauler will have secure points installed along the flooring and the interior walls. Using these, along with ratchet straps, will allow you to secure your trailered jet ski into place. Bungee cords will also work in lieu of ratchet straps, just make sure that you get ones that are long enough.

You'll want the strappings to be pretty taught, with no slack. The trailered jet ski shouldn't be able to have much give, if any.

Can you launch a boat with an RV?

Some RV enthusiasts do indeed launch their boats with their RVs. The trick here is to make certain that the boat ramp isn't too steep. If the decline is too much, it can damage the transmission of the RV. So it's always a good idea to inquire about the ramp from the owner or resort manager prior to attempting this.

You can also accomplish this task by mounting a tow ball on the front of your RV and attaching the trailered boat to it. You drive the boat down the ramp in this manner and launch the boat into the water. Again, you'll want to be mindful of the ramp's steepness to avoid any damage to your RV.

Motor boat loaded on the trailer for transportation

In Closing

Toy haulers make it easy and safe to carry our smaller, fun vehicles to and from. Whether you're moving a jet ski, a boat, or a motorcycle, you'll want to be certain that the toys will fit inside the interior of the toy hauler prior to making plans. Making sure that you're aware of the toy hauler's weight limitations is also extremely important, so be sure to educate yourself on how much your toy hauler can handle, as well as how much your trailered toys weigh.

If you found this post on toy haulers to be helpful, we believe you'll enjoy reading the following posts on recreational travel vehicles:

What Size Generator Do You Need For A Toy Hauler RV?

How Much Do Toy Haulers Typically Weigh? [Inc. 11 Examples]

6 Small And Lightweight Toy Hauler RVs Under 5,000 Lbs

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