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Squeezing a round peg into a square hole


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Okay, If I can find a way to fit a 21' V-drive into my garage I think I'll pull the trigger. Around here it's $100+/mo for storage and just on principals if I can't have it in the water I'm going to have it in my garage or not at all. The marina's all have waiting lists for their slips so that's out.

Here's what I need to know:

1) What is the depth of the swim platform from the most rear point on the boat to the most rear point on the platform.

2) How wide is the V-Drive, or rather, how wide is the T/A Trailer by Dorsey it's sitting on.

3) The height of a VLX with a Titan I tower folded down while riding on a standard T/A trailer?

4) I forgot to look, but the trailer tongue isn't removeable or swingable, nor is the framework of the trailer such that it could be (if I remember right). The outside frame comes together in front of the bow instead of below it. Knowing this, what do you think the length in front of the bow is? 2 feet maybe?

Why is it always the damn trailer? Mad.gif If all the manufacturers have minimum footprint trailers why do they even sell the friggin LONG ones? Makes no sense to me.

Bryan

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If your garage is deep enough (1 or 2 car?) for the boat and a swing away tongue trailer, buy it and make it a swing away. It can't be that hard. If you can not get the pieces cut where you are, there is a shop in Phx that can cut up to 2" steel using a CNC water cutter. You should be able to find a competent welder. A pin and a bolt, a flex line for the brakes, its done.

Edited by Sunsetter95
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Yeah, the thing to do here, would be to tell us the dimensions of your garage... Since we know very little about the specific boat/trailer combo you are looking at, we can certainly provide guidance as to how it might work based on your garage dimensions (and garage door opening size)...

JZ

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Yeah, that's definitely the way to go. 2-car garage.

It fits a 19'6" boat now with a removeable tongue by a whisper and a prayer.

So 21' wide, 19.5' deep, and there is a 2.5' deep, 6' wide recess in one back corner which is currently the location of all my lawn equipment.

I thought about everything else when I built this house, but the garage totally slipped my mind.... Didn't have a boat at the time. Ah well. Jen finished residency in a year and we'll be building a new house then and you better believe the garage is going to be BIGGER than the house by the time we're done.

Hey Ronnie, want a neighbor?

Oh, and height of the door at the top of the lip is 6'8".

Here's a link to one of the boats I'm considering. Don't know if it's sold by now or not. I've been "thinking about it" for quite a while now.

Option #1

My other option is a nearly identical boat and trailer but I don't have any pictures.

Do the swim platforms come off 2002 V-Drives easily? And if not, can I make 'em that way with a little shop work?

Bryan

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Hey Ronnie, want a neighbor?

Do the swim platforms come off 2002 V-Drives easily? And if not, can I make 'em that way with a little shop work?

Bryan

Ronnie's line is..."Theres more lots available!"

The platforms come of easily by pulling 2 pins. Slides right off. You could build a bracket for it on the wall to store it.

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We would love to have ya'll as neighbors but you better hurry, there's only a few lots left on the water. Then you wouldn't have to worry about the garage, just leave it in the lift.

The platform will come off easily enough, the newer ones easier than the older ones.

Can you line up with the cut out in the back of the garage to add the 2.5' to the length?

You might contact Dorsey Trailers and ask them about putting a swing away tongue on a trailer that wasn't made for one. Does it have the upright stops on the tongue like this red trailer, or is it like the black trailer?

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We would love to have ya'll as neighbors but you better hurry, there's only a few lots left on the water. Then you wouldn't have to worry about the garage, just leave it in the lift.

The platform will come off easily enough, the newer ones easier than the older ones.

Can you line up with the cut out in the back of the garage to add the 2.5' to the length?

You might contact Dorsey Trailers and ask them about putting a swing away tongue on a trailer that wasn't made for one. Does it have the upright stops on the tongue like this red trailer, or is it like the black trailer?

Red Trailer. Both of the boats I'm looking at had a trailer like that.

Just a couple lots eh? Well, hopefully the rising interest rates will stall those lot sales a bit until we know where we're going to be. Jennifer is just starting to interview.

-Bryan

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We had the same problem. I measured once, twice, three times before I bought our VLX. The boat was going fit... I picked up the bu from dealer and started to back it in the garage; but I forgot about measuring the hieght of the tower. With the illusion tower down, it still would not fit in my garage (82" tall opening vs. 85" illusion). Talk about one Mad.gif bu owner. for now I just park it in the driveway with cover.

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Deflate the tires and put the tongue as low as it will go?

We had the same problem.  I measured once, twice, three times before I bought our VLX.  The boat was going fit...  I picked up the bu from dealer and started to back it in the garage; but I forgot about measuring the hieght of the tower.  With the illusion tower down, it still would not fit in my garage (82" tall opening vs. 85" illusion).  Talk about one  Mad.gif bu owner. for now I just park it in the driveway with cover.

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We had the same problem.  I measured once, twice, three times before I bought our VLX.  The boat was going fit...  I picked up the bu from dealer and started to back it in the garage; but I forgot about measuring the hieght of the tower.  With the illusion tower down, it still would not fit in my garage (82" tall opening vs. 85" illusion).  Talk about one  Mad.gif bu owner. for now I just park it in the driveway with cover.

Well, I can get around height if I have to. What are the measurements of YOUR garage and how tight would it have been?

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My door opening is 117" wide, the VLX trailer is 102" wide.

My garage is 26.5' deep, so would not have been a concern.

I tried deflating the tires and lowering the tounge wheel, but still needed an 1" of clearence. When winter comes and I'm ready store the bu I will try it all agian.

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My brother had made a special roller for the front of his trailer that lowered the tongue to only 3" off of the ground. The normal tongue wheel was up. He also had to remove the molding on the top of his garage door frame. He gained abut 3" total from that.

Will yours clear if your tongue is on the ground? Maybe something like that will work for you.

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If it fits, its going to be real tight. I have about a foot to spare on a 23' garage, WITH a foldaway tongue and the platform off. I have 9' of height, and if I take the pylon off on top of my Illusion, it fits. My biggest issue is width - I have a 9' door, and I have to be VERY straight when pulling it out or else the trailer guide poles hit.

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You should be able to add a swing away tongue no problem. They will reconstruct the front of your trailer to make it fit. I had one installed recently. I have a 23' deep garage, and I have to take the platform and the tower off. With the swing away tongue, I have about six inches to spare.

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I whish my garage was 23' deep. I have a 3 car, 1 car in 1, and 1 Malibu in 2. :(

My truck sits out in the heat.

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