265 express trailer help!

Stormhawk

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Hi guys new to the forum! I have owned my Grady since late June this year. I live in northern Michigan so it's time to put her away unfortunately!! I bought a brand new trailer to "custom fit" the boat.. turns out it wasn't so custom! It's not even close unfortunately so I feel like I got the short end of the stick on this one... but winter is right around the corner I don't have time to deal with them so I need to make the askusfmanets myself. Anybody have pointers or even measurements on their trailers for the 265??? Any help would be great even if it's just general how I should start this process... thank you for help in advance!!
 

DennisG01

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Welcome aboard!

If you bought a custom trailer, then there will be no adjustments to make since everything is set (and usually welded) at the factory. Or, at least very little adjustments. In that case, I would go right back to the local dealer that you bought it from and they'll take care of it no charge.

If, instead, this is a "bolt-together" trailer that you bought from a distance then I see your point about just wanting to "get 'er done". In that case, it's very normal to have to adjust these trailers when they arrive as a "bolt-together" company usually doesn't have the correct information from the boat manufacturer to set it up properly, nor the experience in doing so. But then, you pay much less for these trailers, too.

You can take some measurements on the bottom of your boat - distance between strakes, distance from garboard drain plug to bow eye, for example. You can then setup the trailer pretty close to what you'll need. Grady may be able to provide you with some of these distances, too, if you contact them.
 

Harpoon

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What sort of problems are you having with the fit of your trailer?

Its usually a case of just needing to move the post forward or back, or moving bunks (or rollers) in or out. In some cases you may need to move the axles forward/back. Borrow an impact gun if you don't have one and its a pretty quick project.

good luck.
 

Stormhawk

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It is a bolt together type trailer. The main back bunks want to sit right on the trim tabs.. I moved the winch as far back as I could. Should I cut down the bunks so they won't hit the tabs? Or try and adjust the bunks so they are on the inside of them? But I feel like that would be too close! Thanks again!!
 

DennisG01

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Depending on how much adjustability you have with your axles, be careful about pushing the winch stand too far back for fear of too little tongue weight. You still want somewhere around 7%. But, yes, you can cut the bunks off so they fall an inch or two shy of the transom.
 

dale1

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Stormhawk, greetings and welcome. I"m pretty new to the 256 also. 2 years.

I trailer my boat alot. i pulled it 900 miles last weekend. no issues so far. I lost a tire, and did a road side change. not the trailers fault, i hit something in the road.

I ordered the trailer from loadmaster. they had the specks on the 265 and everything seems like perfect fit. It was around 9k?, i think, look at the post of "new paint job". I'm pleased.

i really like the torsion axles, and sealed hubs. I added a EOH brake control which is the best 800 bucks spent.

dale
 

Stormhawk

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thanks for the help guys! I got the boat on the trailer it isn't perfect but she's good for the winter! I plan on doing the final adjustments to make her fit perfect!
 

SALTY

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+1 on EOH braking for long hauls at speed.

As to the OP's question, I echo the concern about shifting the boat aft to clear the trim tabs; less tongue weight (to a point) results in less towing stability.

Moving the bunks out or cutting them seem like a better option IMHO.
 

dale1

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yea, mine sits on the tabs. Ive been concerned about. I installed the Bennett trim tab auto retract module it brings them up automatically. I need all the auto crap i can get. usually the woman is talking to me about superfluous crap, and i cant think about important stuff like beer levels or crashing the boat into the dock. dale