Guidelines for choosing a boat trailer??

Mark Vanderhoof

Mark Vanderhoof

Active member
hey guys, im in the market for a new trailer for a boat i recently purchased. what guidelines should i follow so that i get the right size trailer? my boat has approx. a 76" beam and is 17' long. i want a bunk trailer with at least 13" tires and id like an extended tongue. the total weight of the rig should be approximately 900lbs. thanks alot, mark
 
Cabela's in Scarborough Maine. Worth the drive over for $579 for a Galvanized Lower built by Karavan. That's what's under my MLBBSB now
 
Mark...

My boat is about the same weight - loaded.

One item that I STRONGLY recommend is an adjustable axle. Also, get the trailer with the curved cross bar, therefore getting your boat closer to water level... it makes a big diff in those hard to reach launches.

I have too much weight forward... and I wish I could move the axle forward about 6 " but the axle on my trailer is welded.

Also, I'm a saltwater guy, but you're an ice guy which means that putting the lights high is meaningful. See if you can somehow remount the lights above the water line to get the lights out of the water... and finally, try to get LED lights, they are so much more reliable than the old bulb style. In salt water, the so-called waterproof bulb style corrodes almost instantly.

Good luck.

A>
 
Matt, what havve you heard about Mclain trailers? I'm buying a new Godevil next month and was planning on getting a Mclain aluminum trailer. I'm glad this came up. Amost all of the government agencies with boats use Mclain down here, Coast Guard, boarder patrol, customs, etc. I figured they were good.
 
hey guys, im in the market for a new trailer for a boat i recently purchased. what guidelines should i follow so that i get the right size trailer? my boat has approx. a 76" beam and is 17' long. i want a bunk trailer with at least 13" tires and id like an extended tongue. the total weight of the rig should be approximately 900lbs. thanks alot, mark
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What I would do is go to a dealer, tell them what you have and ask them what they would recommend. They are the experts at fitting trailers to boats. Don't go with a bargan basement/no name brand, get something like an EZ-loader or Shoreland'r, the quality of components and galvanization is there - you get what you pay for.

The trailer needs to have an adjustable axle, that is true, but all quality trailers will have one, so that isn't something to worry about. I don't think it is important to get a trailer with a "V" shaped rear cross piece, if the trailer fits, then it fits. I wouldn't compromise quality for one feature.
 
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I agree with Tod, you pay for what you get you would,nt scimp on boat materials so why scrimp on the trailer, get the best you can aford.
Eddie.
 
thanks guys, appreciate the help. axle adjustment is something i never thought of. best, mark
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Mark,

You must have a ton of trailer dealers in your neck of the woods. Good luck.

T
 
Mark,

First of all the best advise is to take the dealers advise on the trailer, they do it every day. One thing you will want to know so that you can take it with you when shopping is the bow eye to transom length as well as the width of the boat, you dont want a trailer so wide that the boat is "swimming" and it is also nice not to have one too narrow so that you cant use the fender (or step) to get up into the boat when on the trailer. One other thing to be aware of, if the bunks are only 4' you will most likely want to have a roller placed forward on the trailer to support the bow of the boat. Typically these days you have to get around a 1300lb capacity trailer to get: 13" wheels, wide enough body so the boat sits between the fenders (not over) and "u" shaped cross members so the boat sits lower (as andrew said).

Good luck
 
Hey Mark, I agree with Tod some what....if the marina guy seems a bit nervous or is trying to baffle you with bullshit...walk away. The only way you can size a trailer is to have your boat with you.Trying to swap a trailer after purchasing the wrong one is a real pain if your state requires registration...been there done that. Is your hull new? Sometimes on popular hulls, they have factory recommendations. Good luck bud.
 
Hey Mark, I agree with Tod some what....if the marina guy seems a bit nervous or is trying to baffle you with bullshit...walk away. The only way you can size a trailer is to have your boat with you.Trying to swap a trailer after purchasing the wrong one is a real pain if your state requires registration...been there done that. Is your hull new? Sometimes on popular hulls, they have factory recommendations. Good luck bud.
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No Lee you are exactly right, you need a dealer that wants to make you happy and you and the dealer need to agree how the boat shold fit and if you can't make it fit to what you agree on they need to make it right. For some dealers if the boat will sit on it that is good enough.

Trailers are so modular that if it fits your weight and length specs, they can be adjusted over a wide range or really modifoed by swapping out a few brackets.
 
Almost all of the mud boat company use McClain because they are the least expensive. If you search the mud motor sites you'll see all the complaints. Lots of boat dealers use McClain to keep the price down. I pull my boat from MN to LA fishing catfish tournaments and the last thing I want to worry about is the trailer cracking or breaking. make sure you have great tires and a spare for each wheel! I've blown two tires in one day and I've also seen alot of cracks in McClains welds.
 
One item that I STRONGLY recommend is an adjustable axle. Also, get the trailer with the curved cross bar, therefore getting your boat closer to water level....
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I agree with Andrew that not all trailers have adjustable axles, most seem to, but I have seen a bunch that are not and if you don't have the tongue weight adjusted properly it will suck to tow it etc... As for the curved bar, I totally agree with Andrew. I have one boat that does not have this and I sorely miss it since the launches I have access too limit it's usage and some of those really ducky areas have nothing more than a sand beach so you really might be screwed. LED's went on all my trailers last year, so tired of the old bulbs. I believe Harker talked highly of them a few years back along with others and now that I have switched I am sold.
 
Mark:

Look up Nick at Conway's Aero Marina, Cicero, 315.699.7736. They're at the boat show this week so you might wait 'til next week.

Nick has sold/found us some different trailers and helped set them up for some fairly specific applications (such as launching big boats in very shallow water where there are no ramps). He is pretty knowledgeable and has a good network of connections with his vendors, as well as some ability to operate in the used trailer market.

You didn't mention used, but my 18 Alaskan is sitting on a galvanized bunk trailer with swing bunks, 14" wheels, pipe lights, buddies, two speed winch, etc. -- I like it, especially for shallow water ops, but I have been thinking of trading up to a roller setup like all our other boats are on. If you want to take a look (whether you're interested in kicking tires, or only want to learn how it's set up)... drop me a line. I'm 40 mins. from you right off the thruway.

This isn't the same trailer but i think we violated some guidelines here...

wrongtrailerforthejob.jpg

 
One item that I STRONGLY recommend is an adjustable axle. Also, get the trailer with the curved cross bar, therefore getting your boat closer to water level....
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I agree with Andrew that not all trailers have adjustable axles, most seem to, but I have seen a bunch that are not and if you don't have the tongue weight adjusted properly it will suck to tow it etc... As for the curved bar, I totally agree with Andrew. I have one boat that does not have this and I sorely miss it since the launches I have access too limit it's usage and some of those really ducky areas have nothing more than a sand beach so you really might be screwed. LED's went on all my trailers last year, so tired of the old bulbs. I believe Harker talked highly of them a few years back along with others and now that I have switched I am sold.
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Eric,

I hope you aren't referring to my comment. I said all "quality" trailers have adjustable axles (barring custom trailers of course). If an non custom trailer in that size range doesn't have an axle that can be adjusted it is from a POS company that was too cheap to build in a bracket than can be adjusted.

Tod
 
Mark,

Until the past ten years I hated all boat trailers, probably because I had a POS trailer. Then I got my Lund 1775 with a Shorelandr roller trailer. I have had no problems with that trailer whatsoever 'except' my Lund doesn't always want to track up the trailer straight. I have messed with the rollers and the best solution for me is to watch how deep it goes in the water. I had the bearings checked a couple years ago and they were still fine after ten years.

When my BB3 was ready for a trailer I took the plans to the trailer dealer and went through the specs and the trailers on the lot with my tape measure. I am very happy with the trailer. It's a Karavan with flow through hubs and now has LED lights (highly recommended). The trailer is sized for much more weight than I will ever have on it but the boat settles inside the wheel wells just perfectly. It's a bunk trailer and for my uses it is perfect. I'd buy another in a minute. This trailer also has the curved rear support that Andrew mentioned and it does help when I have to launch in real shallow places.

Re adjustable axles, I have never had to adjust mine but I have heard that if your axle is not exactly perpendicular to your line of travel that you will get unusually high tire wear and poor handling. I think with modern trailers you shouldn't have to worry about moving the axle to balance out the tongue wt. unless you have a real heavy and unbalanced rig and then you probably should have bought a bigger tailer in the first place.

Both my Karavan and Shorelandr pull like a dream.

Your best bet is probably to find a dealer you trust.
 
Pete,

What Tolman are you building? I can't decide Widebody or Jumbo. I was thinking cabin, but for the type of fishing we do, a center console with a wheelhouse and hard top would be hard to beat.

T
 
Tod,

I think the Widebody. I haven't started yet but I was thinking along the lines of a Widebody with a center console the first year, see how it handled, etc. Then figure out if I really want a cuddy on it or not. My uses for it will be Great Lakes fishing and as a layout tender so a cabin might be a liability. I never seem to have enough room in my Lund 1775.

The other question is whether to put in a self bailing deck or not.
 
Tod,

I think the Widebody. I haven't started yet but I was thinking along the lines of a Widebody with a center console the first year, see how it handled, etc. Then figure out if I really want a cuddy on it or not. My uses for it will be Great Lakes fishing and as a layout tender so a cabin might be a liability. I never seem to have enough room in my Lund 1775.

The other question is whether to put in a self bailing deck or not.
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Widebody would be great if I don't want to gear up for offshore, Jumbo would be sweet for offshore.

For me self bailing for sure, especially without a cabin to deflect waves. If it ever gets really ugly, self bailing and big scuppers will make you real happy.

I like the idea of a cabin, but I doubt that we would do a ton of touring with it. A cabin would be great for overnighters off shore, if we get setup for offshore. Maybe we would do some touring with it, but to be able to fish out of the bow with a CC would be great, since we do a ton of drifting bait. I'm thinking a wheelhouse that I can remove from the CC for hunting if I ever wanted to do that.

I'll be impressed with myself if I start this summer.
 
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