400SS Hardtop Trailer height


A

Alindquist

New member
Still looking around for a 400SS hardtop with diesels. Does anyone happen to know how tall this is when it's on a trailer? In FL I can't tow anything over 14'4". Website says bridge clearance is 12'6" but is with the mast light & sat TV. Anyone have one that they trailer? Also I see weight is 18,100, once it's on the trailer your well over 20K, what are you towing with?
Note that the boat will live lift on a lift in the Florida Panhandle, but once a year I would like to drag it over the east coast to go the Bahamas. If I have to drive it around i might as well go way bigger, like a 48 yacht or a mid to high 40's searay. Seems like either can be had for similar money.
Aaron
 
I do not know the exact height, but my 37 PC with hardtop was well over 15 foot high, so trailering a 40 with the top on is not feasible.
 
Don't know for sure but most 40 footers are not designed to load-and-tow. As you found the bridge clearance is 12'6", then take the draft of 3'. Figuring the boat will drive on to the trailer with drives mostly down, so all together were starting at 15'6". Note the stern sits a tad lower in the water, so take back 6" and I see your still over the limit at 15 feet. If anything else has been mounted to the arch, just add more.

I would look into adding a hinge to the arch if you plan to tow very often.
 
I have seen plenty on trailers but I can not remember seeing a hardtop on a trailer... I know that could get away with towing a 400 with a arch without much problem. I'm curious how much height the hardtop adds. I would assume that the radar and the sat tv and mast would have to come down.
 
Not sure the hard top would fit, especially with radar and TV systems installed. Never seen a 400 trailered so not sure it's possible.
 
I stand corrected...just saw a 400SS trailer ad (4-2016) on the "trailering" forum. You may want to contact that member and see if he can tell you the approximate height.
 
Got my 400ss hardtop with diesels delivered from NJ to RI last summer with the hardtop on. But everything on top off! I cannot imagine the overhieght restrictions in the NE are easier than in FL. We have an older infrastructure and a lot less boat traffic on the hwys than you do. For that matter I shipped a 47 Sundancer that is far taller than my 400ss is from NH to the great lakes with the top on. generally when a low clearance bridge is involved they route around it or get off the exit and re enter on the other side. It definitely can be done but you have to pull over height and over width permits.

Your much bigger issue is what the hell do you intend to tow it with??? Have to be an F650 or something. I know 1 tons are starting to approach that kind of towing capacity but I can't imagine it will be fun.

Why not just float it down and cross the Okechobee? Come out in Stuart and run! That is what the 400ss is made for....
 
boatweiser said:
Got my 400ss hardtop with diesels delivered from NJ to RI last summer with the hardtop on. But everything on top off! I cannot imagine the overhieght restrictions in the NE are easier than in FL. We have an older infrastructure and a lot less boat traffic on the hwys than you do. For that matter I shipped a 47 Sundancer that is far taller than my 400ss is from NH to the great lakes with the top on. generally when a low clearance bridge is involved they route around it or get off the exit and re enter on the other side. It definitely can be done but you have to pull over height and over width permits.

Your much bigger issue is what the hell do you intend to tow it with??? Have to be an F650 or something. I know 1 tons are starting to approach that kind of towing capacity but I can't imagine it will be fun.

Why not just float it down and cross the Okechobee? Come out in Stuart and run! That is what the 400ss is made for....
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Thanks for the Info... If I do decide to tow it a goose neck trailer and an F650 or a sport chassis is what I was thinking. The problem is between a trailer and a truck I'm sure I'm looking at close to $40K for something cheap and very used that I would use once or twice a year. I think I could ship it down & back for around $3000, which is probably more realistic... The new Dodge's will pull 30K with a 5th wheel but I don't want to spend $70K on a truck and I don't want a dully as a daily driver...

Driving it down would be the best option but that means burning a lot of extra fuel and spending 3-4 days each way on top of the time I spend on vacation. Right now getting away for 2 weeks at a time is hard, anymore currently is impossibly. Sucks being the president and janitor of a small construction company in that regard. At least now I know that it is doable but I need to find the right boat before I get to carried away.
 
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Found this. Yea it sounds like you can ship it way easier than you can buy a very used truck/trailer combo with reliability issues. Not too mention that's gotta be a bit nerve wracking. Just my $.02 worth - I bet it is even cheaper to transient dock somewhere. So take a weekend to get to the east coast by water. Put her away. Come back a couple weeks later and run her for vaca. Transient again and come back to run her home. Win-win as you will save money and get some great boating in. As for using fuel - cost of fuel on your boat or fuel for the truck hauling you there - either way you are paying! Good luck!
 

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Is that one yours? I like the colors... You are right, dealing with all the extra stuff (truck / trailer) would be a PIA, especially the used crap that I would buy...
 
sorry I was hibernating. Yes that is mine, thanks! I love the color as well - actually I pretty much love every Formula, esp SS. I got lucky and found this one hanging around last year when I wasn't looking. This was the day they dropped her off and picked up my 370. Pretty cool process to watch happen.

I gotta think you can get it over to the left coast by water or asphalt hiring someone for the next 5 years cheaper than you would find it to buy a trailer (20k+) and a 650 (50-100k). Find a skip to take and join him when you can - the experience is why we have boats!
 
Suggest you contact the factory. I had to have my 350CBR with hardtop and Radar and TV antenna moved from Iowa to Calif in October 2015. I needed to know the keel to hardtop height--the factory has a chart with all the critical dimensions. I gave the dimensions to the shipping company. I also estimated a higher weight than what the factory had told me since I shipped mine full of water, etc. It made it easier to mark the water line at the Boatyard for it's first bottom paint before my boat's entry into year round salt water. I did remove the radar dome and the TV Antenna and covered my boat with the original shipping cover which I had retained for the one week journey out West.
 
Formula Shipping on a Trailer

Alec A said:
Suggest you contact the factory. I had to have my 350CBR with hardtop and Radar and TV antenna moved from Iowa to Calif in October 2015. I needed to know the keel to hardtop height--the factory has a chart with all the critical dimensions. I gave the dimensions to the shipping company. I also estimated a higher weight than what the factory had told me since I shipped mine full of water, etc. It made it easier to mark the water line at the Boatyard for it's first bottom paint before my boat's entry into year round salt water. I did remove the radar dome and the TV Antenna and covered my boat with the original shipping cover which I had retained for the one week journey out West.
Click to expand...

And here's a photo loaded on the trailer in Iowa.
 

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thanks for the follow up. I'm going to stop worrying about the trailer deal and plan to have it shipped or drive it around when we want to do the islands... i was just quoted $25K for a lift. Seems expensive but probably not too far off base. Hell a lift, trailer and a truck I would be in around $100K and that's before I bought the boat... I better get back to work.:p
 
I used the U Ship app to find a shipping company. I read all of the reviews on each shipper as we got close to agreeing on a price---and then I called the one with the price that seemed best--and I asked him about the only 2 negative reviews. He had nothing but positive reviews. He showed up on the day indicated. I had prepped my boat as he needed---and I had all my stuff stored inside---I did use blue painters tape to ensure that things like the door under the sick panel wouldn't come open if there were excessive vibrations etc. As I said previously I did have my original shipping cover from the factory (because I knew when I bought the boat I would eventually ship it to CA from IA. Also, I did make sure I estimated "heavy" (water, fuel, gear, etc) as I didn't want an "excess charge" when he went through a scale. I knew it would be an oversize load (beam of 10'9") but wouldn't require a pilot car etc. So, he got the permits and I had provided all the dimensions from Formula. The driver took a week to go from IA to CA. It didn't bother me. I had arranged with the boat yard in San Diego prior and had a slot so they lifted me from the truck, dipped it in the water with the travel hoist to mark the water line and then brought me to the hard stand. (Then I had the bottom painted since I had been in a dry stack previously). But, the U Ship app saved me a lot of money. I had found some local guys in San Diego who were boat movers as well as some national guys and the quotes were $5000 more to ship my boat. I made sure I got the insurance certificate from my shipper so I figured if he screwed it up, I was covered. All went well. Hope that helps.
 
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