Picking your brains....

Ed L.

Ed L.

Well-known member
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This past winter I purchased a Lowe 1440M flat bottom and thought I'd just pull it around on a little flat trailer I have. Well the trailer is a drop axle and doesn't really work well if I want to keep the motor on the boat. I've been to all my local boat shops and everybody wants to sell me a 1000lb, $1000 trailer to haul my 200lb boat on. Does anyone know of a kit trailer reasonably priced for a small boat. I have looked online at the trailers Harbor freight and Northern Tools advertise. They are probably fine but they're not a stock item so I can't see the quaility (or lack of). If anyone has had one of these in the past I'd like to hear your recommendations.

Thanks,

Ed L.
 
Maybe think outside the box a bit....a lot of times there are small boats with trailers for sale that you can buy cheaper than even a "new" "cheap" trailer..then sell the boat and keep the trailer. I think a few here have gotten those Harbor freight kits.
 
When I bought the galvanized trailer for my 1440 back in '97, it was $450.00, have they gone up that much?
I would take Lee's advice, look for a used boat & trailer deal in the paper or keep shopping.
 
If you look at the lower end trailers you can get much better prices. Like Carl, I got my last two trailers for a more reasonable price. I want to say I paid under $600 for my last galvanized single axle trailer with 12" wheels.

Check around for a Venture or Karavan dealer. I've had good luck with both of them.

Also, if your boat is small enough there is a UPSable kit out there from e-z loader that might fit the bill for you. $599 including UPS shipping. Go to http://www.ezloader.com/pdefault.asp and click on UPS Kit Trailer.

Charlie

PS. Ed, don't forget that your 200 lb boat is a lot heavier when you add up the motor, gas tank, guns, shells, blind, all your gear, etc. You might want to make sure you have a good safety margin too.
 
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A new Karavan galvanized 1250 lb bunk trailer here on the east coast is $500. Easy decison for me when used stuff runs $2-400, and needs something or another. What I have seen of those kits, I was not impressed. Don't forget the boat maybe 200 lbs but add motor and gear the wieght starts rising, BTW 12" tires are a must.
 
Ed

I bought a new trailer last fall for my Canvasback. I paid just under 600.00 dollars for it and could not find used at a price that would compete (given the extra expenses needed in most cases). trailer link

When you get on that page click on the model # SLB10TM for the specs. on this trailer. I can get you the dealer info where I bought from if you need.
 
Charlie and Bills,

Low and behold I located a Karavan dealer just a couple of miles away. I'll be checking with them tomorrow.

Charlie,

That ups ez-loader kit is worth looking into. That's tle I found that's the only one in that style and price range I've found that's galvanized.

Thanks,

Ed
 
Dave,

There's two shops here that handle that brand but it's not the brand they normally stock. I actually priced the bunk trailer and the quoted cost $688. Not a bad price until they wanted $300 for shipping and handling for a special order. Where did you get yours and why did you pick a roller over a bunk?

I found a used yacht club tonight in Muscatine, IA thats a perfect fit but the dealer isn't sure he's interested in selling.

Thanks,

Ed
 
Ed

This is the trailer model I bought; [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]model # SLB10TM. It is a bunk trailer, the "B" denotes bunk, not sure why you thought I got a roller model.

The dealer I purchased thru is; Central Iowa Marine, 1300 East 5th St., Tama, IA 52339 PH (614)484-2201

I bought it last September and paid $550.00
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one other thing is find a high volume dealer, they tend to have the cheapest prices. not sure how far Starks in Pairie du Chein,WI is for you, but they are high volume, they also have lots of used stuff.
 
BillS,

Starks is around 2.5 hours from me. It would be worth the drive for the right price. I'll give them a call.

Thanks,

Ed
 
Bill,

That trailer isn't a stock item any longer. I was at my local store night before last and I'd have to pay before they'd order it. This boat won't travel often or far so it just may be the ticket. I just hate buying sight unseen.

Thanks,

Ed
 
Hmmmm..brainfart..why don't you make some removeable bunks for your flat trailer...high enough for clearance?
 
Lee,

Here's a picture of my flat trailer. The problem is the length is 10ft so 4ft of boat will hang out. I did attach roof racks to the side boards and pulled the boat up on top but's it's hard to get the boat up on them while being on a slope of a ramp.

flat_trailer.JPG


lowe1.jpg

This is how I got the boat home. I didn't have the fenders and side boards on. You can see how close the motor is to the ground. Something will come along. I recieved an email from a guy that uses one of the Harbor Freight trailers and claims they are a better quality than he had expected.

Thanks,

Ed

lowe1.jpg
 
Ed

After reading Harkers suggestion, I thought that might be a doable solution BUT,,,,,,,,,, after seeing you pics and text I have second thoughts. My concern with hauling a 14ft. boat on your 10ft.trailer is the wheel location in relation to center of load. I'd bet that you would not have sufficient tongue weight.

Now if you were to remove your trailer sides and front, then mount the raised bunks such that the boat would ride further forward than the actual bed of the trailer.......... then you might be in business. This could get too close to the tow vehicle for tight turns. Guess you would have to experiment to see if it would work out.

As far as getting the boat slide up the bunks at the ramp,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Thats what they sell winches for!!
 
That motor a longshaft??? Looks like it is WAYY below the transom. In the pic with the boat on the trailer, it doesn't look to be hanging 4' off the back end. What I envisioned was no side racks..just a frame maybe 1' high with bunks C clamped to the trailer with a winch on the tongue end.
 
Ed, It has been suggested before to find the whole package used boat, motor, trailer. I was looking for a larger motor and I heard about someone who wanted to get rid of a boat and motor for free. 50 hr motor. I didn't need the boat. The fellow even hauled the boat and motor 25 mi to my place. When talking with the gentleman he was wanted a flat bed trailer like yours and was going to convert the boat trailer to a flat bed. I asked him how much he wanted for the trailer. He paused and I said it would be worth 500 to me. He thought for a second and said deal. It's a three year old trailer. There are a lot of boats, motors, trailers out there especially big fiberglas ones for little or nothing.

Boat & trailer 002 e.JPG
 
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