Ken668

I think typically, the longer the boat, the wider the width. So they kind of go hand-in-hand. That's probably what most people refer to. As zerfivenismo said, the width is ultimately what makes the boat stable. I've yet to see a boat "roll" length wise. That's not to say you can't submerge an end though. From the reading I've been doing, even a couple more inches in width can make a huge difference in the stability of the boat.

Thanks a ton! And what a great price too. I'll have to give my local HF a call to see if they have one in stock. -Ken

Zerofivenismo, could you provide a link to a hitch receiver support bracket like you mentioned above? I've been looking for something along these lines, but haven't come across anything. I need it for exactly the reason you stated, to help support my 12' Jon in the bed of my truck. Thanks! -Ken

Thanks for the feedback buzzcatcher and CFFF. It sounds like there could be a fair safety margin build into the weight capacities. I guess the true test is to load it up and find out! How is the paint job on your boats? It's ridiculous how crappy mine is. Almost the whole front of my boat has peeled off, and it hasn't even seen water yet! It looks like I might have to strip the whole thing and apply my own paint job. Does this sound right? Thanks again. -Ken

Hi everyone. I'm new to the forums. It looks like a good group of friendly and helpful people here. I just picked up a 1232 Topper 12' Jon boat over the weekend. I'm fairly new to Jon boats, other than a couple rentals from when I was younger. I haven't been out in it yet, but I love fishing and there are plenty of small lakes and ponds in my area. I wanted something I could toss in the bed of my truck and go. I don't plan on putting a motor on it, aside from a small 30lb thrust trolling motor. I'm curious to know about the weight capacities of these boats. It seems that they are not even rated to hold two grown men, but then I read on the forums about people adding all kinds of decking, seats, etc to smaller flat bottom boats and going out with two 200lb+ guys. Is there a fairly large safety margin in these max capacities? Are the newer boats less rigid than the older boats, therefore they can't support the additional weight? Does anyone have experience with this boat in particular and can shed some light? Also, it looks like the paint job from the factory is absolute crap. All the boats at the dealer had chipped paint all over. You can literally lightly scrape it off with your fingernail. Is this typical for the factory paint, or did they have a bum batch? Sorry for all the questions and thanks for your time! -Ken