AR240 in an 8’ tall garage door?

[Rumbo]

I am remodeling my garage (on a budget) to be able to accommodate our 2018 AR240. We currently have an 8’ tall garage door that I would love to reuse. Yamaha specs the AR240 at 8’-6” tall on the trailer. Has anyone figured out a way to get their 2015 or newer AR240 in an 8’ tall door? I’m not opposed to buying a Parkit or something similar. Or is there a way to lower the tower closer to the height of the glass? I would love to flip the axles (for multiple reasons) but it doesn’t look like there would be enough suspension travel. Not upgrading to a 10’ door is going to save me $5000 or more. Thanks in advance.

 

[why_fly_high]

The listed height on trailer for the SX240 is 7’ 10”. That indicates to me you have to get the whole tower below the windshield to have a hope of getting it in an 8’ door.

 

[Bluewater272]

You can extend the cables that stop the tower to get it below the windshield, but I think the tower base would still stick up >8'. You may be left with some combination of having to do that, and deflate tires to get in/out.

 

[haknslash]

If you're remodeling the garage can you not also increase the header height of your garage? Then do a 9' or better yet 10' if you have the room.

 

[BigAbe75]

Can be done. https://jetboaters.net/threads/what...rage-door-that-is-82-x-106.19784/#post-338605

 

[Rumbo]

Can be done. https://jetboaters.net/threads/what...rage-door-that-is-82-x-106.19784/#post-338605

This is what I was looking for! This is perfect!

The only other thing that I wonder is about flipping the axles. It would be nice to have the boat ride lower mainly for launch and retrieval. But that is less of a worry of mine than being able to get it in my garage.

 

[BigAbe75]

Someone else just posted yesterday on FB about possibly sliding the trailer bunks out to another hole in the mount essentially lowering the boat a bit on the trailer. I’m not sure about that. @JetBoatPilot replied that there could be issues with a shallow launch. I’ll see if I can get the pic and post it here.

 

[BigAbe75]

Actually, a ton more posts on that thread now. But here’s the pic that was asked about.

 

[haknslash]

Actually, a ton more posts on that thread now. But here’s the pic that was asked about.

View attachment 88862

If they move it out then the hull chine will be resting (and absorbing impact) on the bunks as the trailer goes down the road. I wouldn't want it like that for long term ownership. Good way to get some stress cracks.

 

[CDENsomnia]

I use a john deer tractor to lower the tongue to the ground and I clear my ar240 below an 8ft header. I have seen a few other ways where you take the wheels off and put them on dolly's to gain 6 inches give or take. If I ever got a 242 I would try and do that.

 

[haknslash]

Taking the wheels off would get old after the first time or two. As much as I love boating there is no way I'd have the drive to do it weekend and out if it meant also having to mount 4 tires TWICE each outing. You'd end up paying for that thing to sit because you would cringe at the thought of sweating your ass of while you take the wheels on and off every time. I get tired of just hand pushing my little 19' in and out. Could not imagine a process where it took a ton of effort just to get the boat out or in the garage and it would surely affect how often I boated each season.

 

[Bluewater272]

Taking the wheels off would get old after the first time or two. As much as I love boating there is no way I'd have the drive to do it weekend and out if it meant also having to mount 4 tires TWICE each outing.

Seriously - I don't even know if I'd be willing to do that at the end of the season, let alone after each outing.

 

[ptwb]

I really hope for whatever model Yamaha has planned for the next version of the AR240, that it fit FROM THE FACTORY, through an 8' door. I don't see why the bimini part can't fold/pivot backwards (or just be EASILY removable) and the tower itself folds down flush to the hull just in front of the windshield.

In a dream world, imagine when completely folded flat that the bimini rested flush with the top of the windshield like a lid on a can. Heck, imagine the bimini is large enough and it's profile is similar to the entire main cockpit area to lower flush down and cover the entire cockpit area like a lid on a can. Excluding a cover for the bow or a more sturdy bow door, I wouldn't need to put my trailering cover on to get home! Today we always put the cover on so as to not worry about cleaning up at the boatt ramp and/or having cushions blow out. And the towing would be more fuel efficient with everything lowered!

 

[CDENsomnia]

Seriously - I don't even know if I'd be willing to do that at the end of the season, let alone after each outing.

I take my aftermarket tower and bimini off these days. Takes 4 people and a lot of patience! I agree it sux but it's better than nothing at a minimum for the offseason.