The good news is, we got a free pontoon

[Hollyt]

The bad news ... we don't have a trailer.

The pontoon comes with a lake house we're buying and we've never owned a pontoon before. We're more the rowboat type, but are definitely looking forward to many summers with our new toy.

But as this summer is coming to a close, we're beginning to wonder what the heck we do now. We have a place to store it - but no trailer. If we rented a trailer to get it to our main house - that's no help, because it needs to winter on the trailer ... right? (I mean, there's no way to get it back ON the trailer from dry land, yes?)

I'd hate to pay someone to store it over the winter, since we have enough room.

Are we going to need to purchase a trailer?

(I'm sure this is an easy question for the experienced owners ... go easy on a new pontoon owner please!)

[OldePharte]

No, you have to own a trailer. We have friends in Minnesota that hire a company to take out their dock and store their boat over the winter. The company using a scissor jack to lower the boat on a set of foam blocks and shrink wrap it.

You will need to see if their is a similar company in your neck of the woods.

It would help if we knew were you are.

[Hollyt]

Thanks for the quick response!

And you're right location would probably help ... the pontoon is in southwest Michigan - near Paw Paw.

I guess we should probably start looking for a used trailer.

[Eric]

Rent a crank up trailer and you can put the boat on blocks thats what we do each winter we rent one for 25$ a day

[mike]

sounds like a nice deal, buy the house and get the pontoon boat free!! What kind of pontoon did they give you? I agree with everyone else, just rent a scissor trailer twice a year.. Welcome to the site!

[Hollyt]

Hmmm ... on blocks. Didn't think of that! Going to text my husband that info right now.

And as for what it is ... I don't have a clue. I'll be there this weekend to take some pics and figure out what the heck it is ... because I'm quite positive I'll have more questions for the pontoon experts.

I really appreciate the quick & kind responses.

Thanks!

[jafo9]

we were in the same boat (ha, ha) as you. we bought our lake house at the beginning of the year and got them to "throw in" the pontoon. no trailer for us either. fortunately, we live in alabama so the water shouldn't freeze so we plan to leave it in the water for the winter. congrats.

[badmoonrising]

Welcome Holly and Eric

[dockholiday]

If the toon is not covered, might want to do that. It doesn't take long for the vinyl to get in pretty bad shape. Even a tarp is better than nothing.
Oooops welcome Holly and Eric

[fishmor]

There should be plenty of scissors trailers in your area and some one to move the boat for you. Use foam blocks to support the boat and put them under the very backend and at the point where the nose cones join the logs otherwise you can mash in the logs from the bottom.

[mikeherb]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new toon. You can use these to store your toon if you want to purchase jacks to set the boat on:

http://www.pontoonstuff.com/pontoon-boa ... blocks.asp

[GXPWeasel]

Maybe it's just me, or because I have never had a boat with now trailer, but I personally would prefer to own a trailer. You should be able to pick up a good used one for $1,000 or so. That is all that my trailer is supposedly worth according to the state of Kansas, and I think it is a very nice one. You have the added convenience of being able to take the boat in or out of the water whenever you want be it for winter or for maitenance, and you have it already if you want to sell the boat to upgrade later. Plus I think that the boat would store better on a trailer. The only downside I see to your situation would be storage of said trailer during the sumer when your boat is in the slip or at your dock.