who makes the best
- Thread starter dale1
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In my opinion, most all boat trailers are made about the same. You have either painted steel, galvanized steel, or aluminum I-beam. Then you have to choose between rollers or bunks, drum or disk brakes, surge or electric brake actuator, number of axles, leaf springs or torsion springs, manual crank or electric winch, incandescent or LED lights. Boat trailers are pretty much all regional. In this region (mid-Atlantic), Load Rite, Venture, EZ Loader, Shore Landr, and Magic Tilt seem to be pretty dominate. Other areas of the US probably have different manufacturers close to them. It's not really cost effective to buy a boat trailer that's been shipped 3,000 miles from California to Virginia. Every trailer has to be setup to fit the boat that goes on it. I don't think there's one certain trailer that fits a Grady better than another trailer. I think as long as it's galvanized steel or aluminum I-beam, and built in the good 'ole USA, you'll be just fine.
IMO they are the best and not the most expensive - Sport Trail. I had one custom made for my Marlin. It is overbuilt but a long-shot and has just about every option available. Trailer is rated for 21,000 lbs, SS brakes, custom wheels, sealed LED's, welded bunks, TFE encapsulated keel guard, etc. etc. I have posted some pics of it on (2) other threads. Let me know if you want more details.
If you are looking at roller trailers, in addition to the number of rollers, pay attention to the number of axes of motion the rollers have. To cut costs somewhere over the last 20 years or so, many manufacturers have reduced the number of roller axes from 3 to 2 and a 2-axis system will not support the hull as well as a 3-axis system. I didn't realize the change until after I bought a Venture trailer which had pairs of rollers mounted across 4 long bars. The 2 axes of motion are that the bar can rock front-to-back and the pairs of rollers can rock from side-to-side. The issue is that the rollers at the ends of the long bar aren't supporting any weight. When my boat was sitting on the trailer, I could reach under and turn them by hand.
Twenty years ago when I bought my previous trailer for a similar boat, most roller trailers had 3-axes of motion. Back then I bought a Magic Tilt which had the same 4 long bars as the 2-axis system, but across those bars are a number of shorter bars that can rock side-to-side. And finally, across those bars, are pairs of rollers that can rock front-to-back. When my boat was sitting on that trailer, I couldn't turn any of the rollers by hand.
An example 2-axis system is shown here
http://www.loadrite.com/5STARR-Galvaniz ... Tandem.php
and an example 3-axis system is shown here
http://www.loadrite.com/GalvanizedTrail ... Tandem.php
(My Sailfish didn't come with a trailer and I think my trailering days are over for a while. I can haul and launch at my yacht club for $4.75/ft which is close to what I was paying to keep my trailer on the road every year.)
-Scott
Twenty years ago when I bought my previous trailer for a similar boat, most roller trailers had 3-axes of motion. Back then I bought a Magic Tilt which had the same 4 long bars as the 2-axis system, but across those bars are a number of shorter bars that can rock side-to-side. And finally, across those bars, are pairs of rollers that can rock front-to-back. When my boat was sitting on that trailer, I couldn't turn any of the rollers by hand.
An example 2-axis system is shown here
http://www.loadrite.com/5STARR-Galvaniz ... Tandem.php
and an example 3-axis system is shown here
http://www.loadrite.com/GalvanizedTrail ... Tandem.php
(My Sailfish didn't come with a trailer and I think my trailering days are over for a while. I can haul and launch at my yacht club for $4.75/ft which is close to what I was paying to keep my trailer on the road every year.)
-Scott
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The dealer that sold me my Freedom 225 uses EZ Loader trailers. My last boat was on an EZ Loader roller trailer but for my Freedom 225 I got an aluminum bunk trailer and I like it a whole lot better then the roller trailer on my old boat. My old EZ Loader was 15 years old when I sold my old boat to my step son and I never had any problems with it. Except the drum brake retainer springs would rust out every few years and from time to time a retaining washer would rust so thin a roller would roll over the hog ring and plop in the water. That was an expensive proposition because the rollers, washers and hog rings were anything but cheap. No question bunk trailers cost less to maintain
MYCO , makes a crazy good custom trailer.
http://www.mycotrailers.com/
These will last forever .......get your wallet out.
http://www.mycotrailers.com/
These will last forever .......get your wallet out.
I bought a Venture for my 265, I went overkill and got a 12k capacity, that much I'm glad for. I got LED lights, guide posts, aluminum wheels, centering bunks and poly glide covers, all upgrade options. The one thing I'd do again is get a SS brake package and a electric over hydraulic brakes instead of surge.
I've recently converted to dual DEMAXX brakes vs the cheap triple Tiedowns (which were CRAP!!) and a Dexter electric actuator.
The difference in braking is immeasurable, so much more solid feeling and better control.
The initial led and wheel etc upgrades look nice, but if I had to do over again, I'd be sure to buy the best brake package I can afford, add the bells and whistles later.
I've recently converted to dual DEMAXX brakes vs the cheap triple Tiedowns (which were CRAP!!) and a Dexter electric actuator.
The difference in braking is immeasurable, so much more solid feeling and better control.
The initial led and wheel etc upgrades look nice, but if I had to do over again, I'd be sure to buy the best brake package I can afford, add the bells and whistles later.