Last year we deflated and transported our 14' trib in the back of a pickup for every trip (12 or so) and laid the frame on the bedrails. It added an hour to both sides of the trip to inflate/rig than deflate/unrig. TBH it was a pain in the ass but we didn't have any other options so we dealt with it.

I picked up a trailer last fall and now its 10 min to load and top off and we are floating, even faster to take out. Don't think I'd ever go without a trailer again.

 

You don't says anything about the vehicle you are using which would be good to know. That said, I had a 16ft hyside that I transported in a Jeep Cherokee for about 5 seasons. No problem.

Hypalon boats are good for that type of deal and as long as you don't do sloppy taco rolls before and after trips then they will get smaller than you'd think.

Get a good roof rack for the frame and be ready to strap dry bags up there when you've got other folks in the truck.

Sounds like you are already a lightweight packer so that helps.

Big trucks vs. a Prius helps allot, of course. I've migrated towards Suburbans these days as they are comfortable people and roomy gear haulers. Even with 3 people and a cooler, nothing needs to up top beside the frame and shitter( for obvious reasons other than space).

I completely get why folks trailer but doubt I ever will. A little organization, a good sized truck, hypalon raft and practice...not a big deal. Makes life easier for those frequent 4wd access points, too.

A well practiced guy with a trailer is always going to be faster than a well practiced guy rigging ground up. That said, can't tell you how many times I've been on the water faster than folks with trailers, too.

Less crap and a good system works wonders. Good luck with it.

 

I have been rafting a long time. I had trailers only when I worked for someone but as a private boater no one had a trailer. Now, everyone seems to have a trailer. I did have trucks throughout however. Suburbans are awesome. Now I have a 1 ton with 4 doors and a shell on the back with a roof rack. At home for the winter, I keep the boat very loosely rolled as I don't have the space to keep it inflated. I definitely can beat many people who have trailers at put in. These days put in roads are better. Before, there were a lot of places where you couldn't take a trailer.

 

I have a few buddies without a trailer and really I can't imagine doing it. Even if you have room for a rolled raft and frame, what about all the coolers, dryboxes ext. My recommendation is to buy a trailer when you buy a raft, and better just get a good trailer too, bc a shitty trailer is worse than no trailer. Dont be that guy on the ramp....

 

don't be that guy on the side of the highway who bought a shitty trailer who never made it to the put in due to shitty trailer.

 

I thought I could run my 156D without a trailer when I started out. I lasted exactly one float before I rigged up a cheap trailer. It's exhausting maybe okay for a multi day but it seemed completely absurd amount of work for a short float.

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I did it for 2 seasons, and then my dad said he'd build me a trailer because it was taking a long time to get on the water. Have enjoyed that trailer way more than I can ever express to him.

The bottom line is that you can definitely do it without a trailer, but plan for more rig and de-rig time. And also plan for less space in your vehicle for other stuff.

And as Tres eluded to, don't be the dude putting his boat together in the middle of the boat ramp with piles of boats waiting to launch. Save yourself from the dirty looks and disgruntled boaters.

 

Might I also suggest getting a tray if your vehicle has a hitch. I was able to regain some valuable indoor storage by throwing dry box and cooler on a tray.

 

I went from a mini-max to a 16 footer. I have a trailer but sometimes just put the boat in my Safari van with the frame on the roof if I don't want to deal with towing or if I will be travelling multiple days and don't want my boat vulnerable. That said, I almost always regret not having my trailer when I am spending two hours derigging at the take out.

Advice for packing it, super deflate it. As was mentioned hypalon boats can roll up small. I have a cheapo intex electric pump that has a deflate setting. After sucking all air out the hyside 16 XT can roll up tight enough to fit in a carolls-royce (not easily though).

 

I've got a 14' hypalon boat that I store and travel with rolled. It's fine. It's a lot of work but it's what I do. For multiday trips I use a small utility trailer that I carry the dry boxes and the cooler on.

Yes a trailer with a fully rigged boat would be much more convenient. However there are advantages of rolling the boat up.

 

i take a 16 foot boat to multiday trips in a subaru legacy. a pickup should be more than enough. if there is a will than there is a way!

 

I rolled and carried two boats to Lees Ferry in 2010. Rigged on the ramp. Never left my house unrigged since then. Now if transporting two boats the bottom one is fully rigged and the top one has frame on only so two of us can load and unload fast. Top boat 15 minutes till launch, bottom boat 5 minutes. Only hassle is adding dry ice to the frozen cooler on the bottom boat if traveling for multiple days. I have carried two boats stacked for 1200 miles with 0 issues more than once. One boat is a piece of cake. I found a place to store my trailer for $25 a month (I don't have enough room myself) and it is worth every penny.

 

I did it for 6 or 7 years with a 16' Maravia Williwaw2.
Not a great plan for a big, stiff urethane-coated Maravia, but I did it.

Much easier with a hypalon boat.

 

How much wear and tear on the boat from the constant rolling and unrolling? I may not be able to get around it for a year or two

 

First of all, a cat needs a trailer period. I know that's not what we're really talking about but, just sayin'.
Last year I got a a paddlecat so that I could ditch the trailer on occasion. It lives rolled up in the back of my truck just in case I'm driving past a piece of water that needs to be slayed.
The 16' on the trailer is dragged out for river trips. Just like skis, gotta have a quiver.

 

Get a 6” Carlson.

 

To top off yer LVM

 

Nearly all my commercial years doing multi days, we rigged from ground up at put in. Drove from Boulder Co to Boundary Creek (put in for MF salmon, in Idaho) everything in pickup except frame which was on roof. That was 2013, and I'm still cleaning the bugs off my frame. For day trips, sure...but I would never drive my raft inflated on a trailer on interstate for 300+ miles!

 

Why not?

 

Matt, I have a 160e NRS that I’ve rolled and transported in back of a short bed Tacoma (5 ft bed) for last 5ish years. 46” custom drybox and yeti 125 plus gear all fit. Bighorn frame is light and rides on roof rack. I don’t have space for trailer. I’d def do it again. (6 ft bed if I were buying the truck again though). The raft is heavy getting in. I’d say go for it -

 

New boat, probably fine. Older boat, you’re probably going to start developing pinholes along the floor seam. Would not recommend it at all.
Couple times a year, go for it. Every trip? Really not worth it.

 

Thanks, my hypalon boat got stolen in Portland. trying to decide if i can at least raft before i buy a house outside of the city. Ive been enjoying your dory build thread btw

 

You paddling that boat? Air it up with a battery powered leaf blower, top off with a pump and go to town.

You rowing with a frame? Trailer all the way. From the beginning. There is a huge difference in tossing a small frame for a 12ft raft on the roof and a frame for a 16ft raft.

 

As a data point, I often go without a trailer in my Toyota Sequoia. This year we had 4 people comfortably seated with a 15'8' PVC Saturn Triton raft, NRS frame, 4 oars, two dry boxes, bimini, etc etc. If we roll with a big cooler, it goes on the back on a hitch carrier, no need for anything on the roof. We did a partial self shuttle due to the Wild River Shuttles issues so we had a motorcycle on the back and relied on the other boats for a cooler. Driving long distances without a trailer is really great and with 8 hands the raft goes together just fine. Shorter travel distance, fewer hands, and fewer days on the river are all factors that put my boat on a trailer.

The welded seam PVC boats are hard to roll, especially when cold. The PVC 15.8 with big tubes rolls larger than an 18' Hypalon in my experience and is twice as frustrating. PVC fights back, Hypalon doesn't, just depends on your budget and use case.

Whatever gets you on the water!

Cheers,

-Thomas

 

As a data point, I often go without a trailer in my Toyota Sequoia. This year we had 4 people comfortably seated with a 15'8' PVC Saturn Triton raft, NRS frame, 4 oars, two dry boxes, bimini, etc etc. If we roll with a big cooler, it goes on the back on a hitch carrier, no need for anything on the roof. We did a partial self shuttle due to the Wild River Shuttles issues so we had a motorcycle on the back and relied on the other boats for a cooler. Driving long distances without a trailer is really great and with 8 hands the raft goes together just fine. Shorter travel distance, fewer hands, and fewer days on the river are all factors that put my boat on a trailer.

The welded seam PVC boats are hard to roll, especially when cold. The PVC 15.8 with big tubes rolls larger than an 18' Hypalon in my experience and is twice as frustrating. PVC fights back, Hypalon doesn't, just depends on your budget and use case.

Whatever gets you on the water!

Cheers,

-Thomas

The boat I had was an NRS and even if as a company their a little lame the boat tracked amazing and was built great. It was heavy but easy to transport especially in our truck. Even with rigging from a rolled boat me and my lady would knock it out and be in the water before most of our friends. I’m turned off by the pvc on aire boats and the floors, I’m worried how their sealed floor tracks but I know people like them. It’s funny no boat has a combination of everything I want.