"Portable" Jon boat

[casjoker]

Considering a "portable" configuration on a 1448 Jon boat. When by myself I have a 12' kayak with a small outboard that gets the job done well but it's just too small for 2 people. Reason for the portable part is I usually take my camper and was thinking of putting a 1448 jon boat on my ladder racks and pairing it with a 9.9hp outboard. Looks like most of the riveted boats in that size weigh about 230lbs which two guys should be able to handle and then 90lbs for a motor. Again not light but should be manageable. My thought is once I get to my location I would put the boat in the bed of the truck and once at the ramp mate the motor and boat up.

My other thought which will be way easier on the body was tandem towing a 1552 or 1652 with a 25-40hp. Not excited about the potential hasle of the "portable" option but thinking tandem towing isn't ideal either. Currently, all the states I visit for duck hunting allow double/triple towing.

Does anyone have experience with either?

 

[brass magnet]

Go with doubles, I pulled two or three for pay, for years, it's all about weight distribution. Center the battery and fuel tank, hang the trolling motor when you launch, truck stop if you need fuel. Other than being long, no difference, and so much easier once you get there. But, if you're going to state parks, most have rentals with motors that are very reasonable. :tu:

 

[casjoker]

After looking around and talking with a few people double seems pretty easy. The other product I discovered that I am considering is a self-loading boat rack. From what I can tell the biggest pain about that would be taking the motor on and off, plus being limited to something with around a 250lb hull weight. Does anyone have any experience with an auto boat loader?