2020 Boatmate Trailer Coupler Height (Level w/2020 GS20 loaded)

[gsyogi]

In advance of driving to my regional Nautique dealership, I am trying to determine the correct rise/drop for my rig (a 2020 Tundra TRD Pro, 18" to top of 2" receiver hitch) in case I decide to purchase a 2020 GS20 that I considering. Does anyone have the correct measurement for a level loaded trailer (i.e. ground to top of the trailer coupler) for a 2020 GS20 (Boatmate lists the tire size as ST225/75R15C)? If I do the deal, I want to be able to tow our family and our new boat home safely! Thanks in advance. As an aside (I realize what follows is off-topic, but ...), any reservations of purchasing a "new" Nautique with 15.3 hrs. on it?

[Paxdad]

just a guess that you will need to be at approx 19-20 inches from ground to top of ball with that size tire.

[Phil8uga]

No reservation purchasing a new bot with hours on it. if anything it helps workout any “new boat� codes/issues. i bought mine with 10.2 hours and disnt think twice about that. on a side not can you measure your boat on the trailer with the tounge folded in and swim play form off? trying to figure out the length to see if ot fits in my garage. Both my boat amd trailer are not near me right now.

[T-Rex]

My garage is 24' deep and the GS20 fits by removing swim platform and swinging the trailer tongue. Has a little room to spare but not much.

Also my 2017 GS20 is for sale if anyone is looking. Listed in the classifieds forum here.

[Phil8uga]

Thanks for the information. I don’t think mine will fit. My garage is 21 feet 6 inches.

[bturner]

This one has always been the right one for me.....
You'll be absolutely fine with a new boat and 15 hours. Enjoy your new boat!

[gsyogi]

Thanks for all the great info and encouragement for the new GS. Although I ended up ordering a 3" rise/drop hitch from B&W, my more pressing concern has to do with the dreaded "weight distribution" hitch requirement of my 2020 TRD Tundra (9200 lb. towing capacity) ... from my Tundra's user manual: "If the gross trailer weight is over 5000 lb. (2268 kg), a weight distribution hitch with sufficient capacity is required" ... contrast that with the information on the Boatmate site: "There are many vehicles being sold today that claim larger towing capacities, but require additional accessories to properly achieve that capacity. Many of these vehicles require a WDH to achieve these higher capacities. Boatmate Trailers does not advocate the use of WDH due to the adverse effects they can have on the surge brake systems found on most of our trailers. This does not mean they cannot be used, but there are several factors across our product line that make them difficult to manage. If your vehicle does require a WDH to manage the GVWR of your Boatmate Trailer then please contact a professional regarding the installation and setup of these systems." Goodness ... I have already started searching PN ... looks like I am in for it! Anyone have a "turn key" solution if I want to keep my new Tundra (will be towing a lot with my wife and two young children) ... it has to be SAFE, SAFE, SAFE. I can't even begin to think of where I would look to find a "professional" in my area to work this out! Thanks in advance.

[bturner]

That's really hard to believe. I've pulled that weight with Suburban's, Tahoe's, F150s and Silverado's without a WDH with no problem. IMO Toyota is just doing the "void where prohibited by law" clause to protect themselves from idiots. I pulled a MasterCraft X2 on a tandem trailer that weighed in at about 5000 lbs behind a 06 F150 for 9 years without a problem. No anti-sway or any of the other features these new trucks have, still no issue.

There are a couple factors that come to play in the WDH statement. The first is that Toyota has no clue what you're pulling that weighs that much so they have to make a blanket statement. If you were pulling say a travel trailer that weighs 6000 lbs. then yes you would absolutely need a WDH because this is a completely different load than a boat. It's a big box that's going to get blown all over the road and there's a good chance the tongue weight is going to change as stuff is loaded into it with no planing as to how the weight from that stuff is going to effect the tongue weight. Manufactures of travel trailers know this so they set their rigs with up to be use with WDHs. They also use electric braking systems so there is no conflict with the WDH.

The other issue/concern I could see Toyota having is with tongue weight. With a 9200 lb. towing capacity I would expect a truck to have enough load capacity to handle that tongue weight. Suburbans and Tahoe's with the high capacity tow package have an air ride system that keeps the vehicle level to tongue weight isn't an issue with these. The neighbor's uses a Dodge RAM to pull his 5800 lb Robalo center console without issue although the tongue weight does pull the rear of the truck down about 2" from level. He was going to install a pair of air bags to address this but instead decided to buy a friend's Super Duty F350 Diesel. I went fishing with him a couple weeks back and towed the boat about an hour on the freeway at 75 MPH, never even felt the boat back there, never had an issue with tracking or braking and all this with no WHD. Probably the best towing experience I've had and I've been towing trailers for over 30 years.

All this being said I personally would go get the boat. Set the trailer tongue height correctly with the hitch under load then pull the boat home. Believe me the boat isn't going to break the ball mount, the trailer isn't going to be all over the road and unless you do something stupid, stupid, stupid you'll be safe, safe, safe. You have a very good, new truck with the proper tow rating. You're getting a really good, new trailer from a good dealer that should help you set everything up before you leave. IMO you'll be just fine with what you have. I wouldn't hesitate to drive your rig from FL to MI with it set up just as it is.

[gsyogi]

bturner ... I completely agree with you and I appreciate the encouragement—what you say about the WDH statement is absolutely correct; however, there remains no way to get around the following sentence embedded in the Tundra's manual (same goes for most 1/2 tons and SUVs): "If the gross trailer weight is over 5000 lb. (2268 kg), a weight distribution hitch with sufficient capacity is required." I am going to go "get" the boat and take an incremental approach, but I want/need to get within my vehicle's requirements (I really don't want to upgrade to a 3/4 ton truck). So, here is my initial plan: 1) install a set of AirLift sacks in the rear of my Tundra (w/wireless controller)—simply for leveling purposes NOT weight distribution, 2) use a Weight Safe hitch (so the I can accurately gauge tongue weight), 3) finally, I am going to have Boatmate build our family a custom trailer with electric over hydraulic brakes and a unit WITHOUT the folding tongue option—that way, I figure that I can install a WDH with no problem (I am going to also try to see if Boatmate will mount/weld and paint the the required pole tongue adapter when they build our new trailer—I cringe at the idea of having to bolt on the pole tongue adapter and introducing all the possible rust/scratches on a new trailer).

I want to keep this thread alive as I get this figured out (esp. in light of JGordon202T's concerns over possible Boatmate trailer issues)—I would like help from this community in configuring our new trailer to the best possible specification—I would really appreciate input on the trailer options that you would recommend (not just for safety, but also functionality/longevity i.e., decking, fenders, paint option, technology packages, etc.)—I realize that some other posts on this forum address these items!

I have included the response that I received from my initial inquiry to Boatmate below:

To follow up on your request regarding the weight distribution hitch options unfortunately we have taken the stance that we don’t really support the use of WDH devices on our trailers. This doesn’t mean they cannot be used, but there are just several factors across our product line that make them difficult to manage.
· Our trailers do not share the same A-Frame design that many of the trailers that commonly use WDH (I.E. Campers). This means to properly install you must purchase a pole adapter that clamps on to our tongue. (https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories...5-01-5950.html)
· The most critical component that can affect the trailer if the WDH system is not setup correctly is the brakes. Since your trailer is installed with surge brakes this means that the trailer must be able to compress and release against the coupler in order to compress and release the brakes. This means that the chains on the WDH must A) long enough to allow the trailer to surge forward and back 1.5” and B) chains must be completely vertical when installed properly with the actuator pulled all the way out. If the system you choose does not have chains it still must allow the actuator to slide in and out freely. We don’t have extensive experience with the WDH systems, but it is typically the sway control feature that causes a greater potential for binding. Trying to achieve these factors can be challenging when trying to install the pole bracket around the actuator housing, swing tongue, and ladder on the trailer. Failure to get this setup correctly can result in either the brakes not being able to fully apply when braking or fully release when not. You may also hear some noise about the swing tongues being an issue due to some of the slop they introduce to the system. You will need to check the tightness of the swing tongue on a periodic basis to ensure the bolt is remaining tight and not introducing more play into the system causing premature wear and adverse braking effects.
· In regards to your weights listed below I would bring a few items to your attention for consideration. We traditionally will target the tongue weights of our trailers to be in the 7-10% range when full of fuel and a modest amount of gear. I would expect the GS20 to be around 450 lbs of tongue weight on a tandem axle trailer. We find the towing characteristics to be far more desirable and forgiving with variables in fuel and gear. Also your weights below on the boat and trailer I believe are in the ballpark and I don’t think you are close enough to any limits for it to be a factor, but dry weights are typically no batteries, basic options, and no gear. With the trailer it is the same. As you add things like spare tires, bow ladders, 18” wheels, etc it will add to that 1400 lbs number. Main reason I suggest that is the unit you suggested below has a 6000 lbs tow limit and it’s pretty easy to be farther away from this than you think with the addition of a few options to the boat and trailer.
Hopefully these points will help. We have customers that tow without a WDH and the key is to make sure you get a hitch that you can get the trailer level when the weight is on the truck. We also have customers that work with local professionals to setup a WDH system properly and are very happy with that as well. I will tell you that etrailer does do a great job writing different articles and creating videos regarding their components and support. I would start there for specific information on the varying options with WDH systems.

[gsyogi]

I wanted to provide an update to my trailering considerations and upgrades. As for the tow vehicle, I switched to LT tires (Load Range E, w/ rating 123/120R, installed an Air Lift system (Load Lifter 5000 Ultimate with wireless inflation)—for leveling purposes only, and added a Weigh-Safe hitch in order to gauge accurate tongue weight. A couple of trips to the local CAT scale produced acceptable numbers (I am within GVWR, GAWR—front and rear, and GCWR using the 10% tongue weight calculation for the trailer)—at the time of my scale visits, I did not have the boat. I am having Boatmate build a new trailer with electric brakes so that I can use an appropriate WDH system to get me within the “letter of the law” or, more precisely, the “letter of the Toyota Tundra’s Owner’s Manual.” I will update as I get the new trailer and WDH system. As always, thanks for all the advice.

[mf01]

I asked about using a WDH a while back. Most trucks recommend (not require) to utilize a WDH with anything over 500/5000. Even 3/4 and 1 ton trucks seem to recommend a WDH. I believe there's an F450 that can go up to 750/7500. I have a WDH from my previous travel trailer, but I don't think it can be used on most boat trailers. It states that it works with surge brakes, but my concern is the breakaway tongues. From my towing experience, boats and travel trailers handle completely different. When you get some wind, you really notice the travel trailer. I wouldn't tow it without a WDH. I don't remember the boat trailer tugging on the truck at all. The only thing I would miss would be the electric brakes. I might look into upgrading on the next boat trailer.