TOPIC: trailer for 1967 16 foot larson

Greetings, I am about to purchase a 1967 Larson 16' with a 120 I/o. it does not come with a trailer and I want to make sure to get the correct one. I do have a small fishing boat trailer just to get it home so I can see if it runs. I would have to travel about 5 miles. I don't want to invest in a trailer if it does not run. I am a mechanic by trade so I am going to empty the gas tank, and flush the lines. If there is anything bad with the engine the price comes down. For the most part it is in really good shape and avocado green. Very cool vintage boat. I have read about bunks vs rollers not sure which way to go. I just want to make sure it is supported correctly. Does anyone know the weight? I will post pictures when I get it. Thanks in advance. Avocado

I would suggest a 2000 lb trailer, the out board version with a 650 merc and 1 person shows 1450 lbs.

I'd guess that the boat/engine is at the 1800 - 2000 range also. Add 18 gallons of fuel, battery & misc accessories and 2200 happens quickly. That is based on the assumption you don't have a lot of "water weight" under the floor.

Thanks for the replies. Turns out my nephew has a 18' bunk and a 18' roller now to decide which way to go. Very curious about the term "water weight" and where is the water coming from and is this normal?

water weight as referred to here is from all the water trapped under the floor and soaked into rotted wood that you can't see. If the boat's been sitting outside for long there's probably at least a little water in there.

Is it supposed to be that way? No. Is it the normal state for old boats? Yes.

Unless you've got some serious issues it won't be much weight Jim's statement is kind of funny because of the condition of most of these old boats. When you get where you can, pull the transom plug on the boat and tilt the front WAY up. Any collected water should drain out. If you have rotted stringers or floors they will hold water (but not much weight-wise) until you tear them out and replace them.

Some boats collect more than others and that even holds true, brand to brand and model to model with the same brand.

The type of foam floatation (some used billets that looked like 2x4s, others the pour or foam in place type). I assume but am no expert that even different brands of foam may have different properties regarding long term absorption. I have seen where the foam (pour in) is applied a bit conservatively so the lower parts of the hull sections adjacent to the stringer inboard are void of foam.

Some boat builders had additional drain plugs in the forward and/or side bulkheads of the bilge that could be pulled to allow rogue water to be drained. I would look under the forward motor mount of that 4 cylinder.

At 7 lbs/gal, it doesn't take long to collect 100 lbs.