Telstar T2 in Jacksonville FL?

[MarkH]

Looking for a Telstar 28 anywhere near Jacksonville Florida. Interested in purchasing but have never been abroad one so would love to get a tour to see if it would meet my needs.
Thanks - Mark

[Hull52]

Mark,

If you don't hook up with anyone in the Jacksonville area, I seriously recommend that you see if you can meet up with the moderator of this site Ron. He is a great resource on the Telstar and he lives in Florida full time.

Lou G.

[MarkH]

Andrew on Firefly - got your PM but I am not authorized to use the PM feature or even reply to yours. Boat looks great and would definitely be taking a look if you were closer.
Have you ever weighed the boat/trailer combination? My jeep has a 5,000 lbs towing limit and was wondering if that would work or if I would need a bigger truck.
Thanks,
Mark

[Ron]

You should use a bigger truck if you intend to pull it more than a few miles, especially at higher speeds. Depending on options, the boat/trailer combo weighs between 6500 and 6800 pounds. A weight distributing hitch should be used on almost every tow vehicle, and is definitely required if the load is that heavy or the tongue weight is above 500 pounds. That said, I've heard that some people have towed this with vehicles that can't even do 5,000 pounds.

[Mangodoc]

I keep Trinity in Pensacola if you want to road trip to take a ride.

I’ve towed her behind my 04 F150 V6 with a 5k tow rating without problems but I don’t love it. I will feel much safer when I replace the truck with an electric with >10k capacity. I’ve also upgraded the trailer to a 7900lb GWVR with 4 15” D rated tires, so that makes me feel a little safer.

[BoarX]

Hi Mangodoc, just curious, is it entirely new trailer or still an old Venture, but with bigger wheels?
Thanks,
Alex

[Mangodoc]

It is an entirely new trailer but still a Venture. The stock trailer is a VBT5800 with 4x13” C-rated tires, a gross underrating of what these boats REALLY weigh. I replaced it with a VBT7900 with 4x15” D-rated tires. I scavenged all the custom parts off the old trailer, easily put them on the new one, put the straight bunks from the new trailer on the old one and donated it to charity for a tax write-off. Having the new trailer has been great. I’m no longer afraid to tow the boat, even with my underrated truck.

BTW, putting bigger tires on the 5800 is a questionable endeavor. To get tires that total the real weight rating of this boat really requires 15” tires, and there’s not enough clearance to put 15s on. 14s are an option, but they really won’t give you enough weight rating.

[BoarX]

Thanks! Did anyone ever entertained the idea to add a 3rd axle with 13" tires to solve the underrating problem of the original trailer? Pardon my never ending curiosity
Alex

[Mangodoc]

I kicked the idea around, but trip axles make sharp turns hard. By the time I spent that much on a trailer that was old to start with, I was better off upgrading to the 7900.

[Hull52]

mangadoc

Could you be do kind as to post a picture or two of your venture trailer? I am going to be replacing the rusted mess that my boat is sitting on at the moment. The VBT 7900 looks like the right move with 15" tires. I have a Mark 1 T-26 and was wondering what I would need to customize to make the trailer functional.

Lou Giansante
Hull #52