What would be your recommendations as to the proper trailer for a new Tournament 225? Aluminum or galvanized? Bunk or roller? Which manufacturer? All suggestions and experiences would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help.
Trailer for a Tournament 225
- Thread starter capt chris
- Start date
I have a Loadmaster 2224 aluminum under a T-225, bunks fore and aft, stainless Kodiak disc brakes, stainless hardware all around (including lugs), side guides, mounted spare, less than $4000 delivered last year. Best of seven trailers I've owned. Check with East Coast Trailers, a The Hull Truth vendor ... :wink:
Parthery
GreatGrady Captain
I second Curmudgeon. I've had Loadmasters from East Coast under 3 of my last 4 Gradys. Been satisfied every time, and the pricing was far and away the best.
You can reach East Coast at http://www.newboattrailer.com
You can reach East Coast at http://www.newboattrailer.com
I agree with these guys as well....on one count. Steve at ECT is great to work with. I got a lot of info. from him prior to purchasing a used '05 LoadMaster, and he sold me my current '06 Hi-Tech trailer new. He's top notch when it comes to customer service and knowing his product. 
That being said, neither of those AL bunk trailers could hold a candle to the '92 glavanized Load Rite that I used to have. That's both in terms of ease of use and build quality.
The only reason I went AL bunk was cost. If I had to do it over, I'de fork out the extra couple thousand for a new Load Rite galvanized roller.
That being said, neither of those AL bunk trailers could hold a candle to the '92 glavanized Load Rite that I used to have. That's both in terms of ease of use and build quality.
The only reason I went AL bunk was cost. If I had to do it over, I'de fork out the extra couple thousand for a new Load Rite galvanized roller.
Thanks for the referral. I've E-Mailed East Coast for a quote. Have you ever felt the need, or is it even possible, for a transom saver on the 225? Also are your disc brakes surge or electric on the trailer?Curmudgeon said:
Thanks again for all your help!
I use an m-ywedge http://www.m-ywedge.com/ on a Honda 225. Brakes are surge and function well with this boat/trailer combo. It got a little sporty originally when backing down a steep ramp with my 2wd truck; thought I had to be in reverse the whole time for the back-up lights and solinoid. Eventually figured out to go back to neutral or drive once the trailer crossed the ramp break and have full truck braking. :wink:
Does anyone have any experience with LOADMASTER trailers from Port Clinton, OH? These are bunk only galvanized. Also what is the general opinion about electric brakes vs surge brakes and also drum vs disc? Thanks everybody!
Okay, since no one seems to have any experience with Loadmaster in OH, how about Eagle Trailers out of Michigan or Load Rite out of Pennsylvania? Thanks
Got the M-Y wedge today. It's quite a piece of equipment. I don't really understand how it works because it still looks like the load is on the transom as opposed to transferring it to the trailer but we'll see how it works since there doesn't look like anybody makes a traditional transom saver for a 225. Thanks for the referral.Curmudgeon said:
You'll probably not find a transom saver unless custom made if you have a bracket (I do). After 40 years, I've come to believe adverse pressure on the trim cylinders far outweighs what is "transferred" to the transom unless the motor is trimmed all the way out. The wedge only requires the motor to be trimmed up slightly, so the fulcrum affect of the motor is minimal. I'm of the opinion the torque effect of a high powered motor in operation far outweighs what is generated in trailer transit ... :wink:
Thanks for the explanation. Everything your saying sounds reasonable. I showed it to a client of mine yesterday who is a manufacturing engineer with Jefferson Yachts and he thought it would have a beneficial function as well. It will get its first test when I tow the boat home from Beaver Park which is about 350 miles. We've got snow and freezing rain here today so I'm glad the boat's not ready to be picked up for a while yet. Thanks for all your help with this.
capt chris said:
I bought my boat and trailer (new) from Beaver Park. Do not assume they will set it up properly. I gave them explicit instructions on how to set it up and they still got it wrong. In 2004, I purchased a new leftover Grady 226 from them. It was stated up front that it did not come with a trailer, so I purchased a 5,800 lb capacity galvanized EZ Loader from them (the trailer had to be ordered). I opt'd for that trailer because at the time, my choices (through Beaver Park) were EZ Loader, Loadrite, and an aluminum manufactorer which I can't remember the brand. They incorrectly told me that Eagle had gone out of business and Eagle is the brand I would have preferred. I chose the EZ Loader because I wanted galvanized, and because it had 4 full length bunks to support the hull. Both trailer and boat were to be ready when I took delivery in November of '04. My instructions regarding trailer setup were: 1) the boat was to sit as low as possible in the trailer. 2) The bunks were to support the transom. Protruding rearward beyond the transom was fine. 3) If possible, an inside edge of one of the bunks, should be just to the outside edge of the strakes. This helps a boat self center when loading.
When I show up to take delivery, the bunks where adjusted higher than the lowest adjustable setting (even Bill, the owner pointed that out), and unnecessarily so. The edge of the one of the bunks was right next to the intake strainer. I knew that the first time I loaded the boat back on the trailer that there was a good chance it would be sitting on the strainer. They lowered the bunks for me (but I had already requested that and was ticked I had to wait several hours for them to do it). Had they talked to EZ Loader (which I did after the fact), they would've known there was an optional bunk spreader for this trailer that would've posititioned the bunks in the right location (and away from the strainer) on the hull. I talked to EZ Loader and obtained the necessary parts myself. They did not check the tire pressure on the trailer. I was getting ready to pull out of the lot when I remembered to check the tire pressure and lug nut tightness. The tire pressure was low and the lugs needed tightening. I just spend $50k there and they couldn't do something so rudimentary as verify tire pressure and lug nut tightness? They also managed to forget to tighten the bolts that held a metal tab which keeps the cross member positioned correctly. I pointed that out to the tech (Tommy is his name), and he says "oh yeah, we didn't have bolts long enough to tighten those." So he knew about it, said nothing, and was ok with letting me drive off like that. They also didn't even bother to check the tongue weight.
Bill did agree for me to bring my boat up the following spring and use the hoist and one of his techs (Tommy again) to set the trailer up right. I towed my boat there, took the optional parts I had purchased myself from EZ Loader, and showed up there on the agreed upon date. Tommy hoisted the boat off the trailer, and redid the setup using the optional bunk spreaders. The boat loads perfectly on the trailer. Don't even need side bunks. While I was there, I had (as also previously agreed) Tommy replace the throttle linkage on my Yamaha F225 per the safety recall. Also, over the winter, I had noticed some lower unit lube leaking (they had winterized it prior to my taking delivery). So Tommy changes the lower unit lube. Once it was all done, I leave and tow my boat to where I store it in Erie, PA. When I get to my destination, I walk around the back ot the boat and see something streaming down the lower unit. Sure enough, it's lower unit lube. Tommy neglected to tighten the drain plug enough. Lucky I didn't lose the drain plug though. So I call Beaver Park and tell them about it. I say it's good enough if they just send me the drain plug seals and lower unit lube. They couldn't get that right either. They forgot to send the seals. Later that year, on a separate occaision, I ordered a replacement prop thrust washer from them. They send me three. I now purchase all my Yamaha supplies from Shipyard Island Marina. Oh yeah, and I told the salesman (Bob "Useless" Wolfe) when I ordered the trailer back in '04 that I wanted disc brakes on the trailer. Guess what, the trailer shows up with drums. I was so tired of Bob bungling everything he could bungle that I didn't even haggle with them about that.
I found out about the recall on my Yamaha via a post on THT, three months after I took delivery. I had never received the notification from Yamaha of the recall. When I found out about the recall, I contacted Yamaha and asked them why they did not send me a recall notice. They explained that was because according to their records, the motor was owned by Beaver Park. Turns out that's because Beaver Park didn't send the paperwork into them. They never contacted me about the recall (for which the notice went to them). They finally sent the paper work in after I called them about it. If it wasn't for my monitoring THT and seeing the post about the recall, I don't know if I ever would've been the wiser.
Sorry about the long rant, but my experience with Beaver Park was so horrific, I can't see myself ever buying another Grady White, unless a new Grady Dealer springs up within 150 miles of my house.
I found out after the fact that Beaver Park was on "probation" with Grady White when I bought my boat from them. When I learned of that, it all added up.
I genuinely hope your experience is better than mine.
Thanks for sharing your experience with me. It sounds like a truly miserable string of events. I bought an Eagle trailer in 2002 for my Boston Whaler and they did go out of business after that. They have been resurrected and are part of Yacht Club trailers now. They were in Wyandotte, MI then and are now in Homer, MI. The good news is that I spec'd my trailer and the Eagle trailer is custom and welded so there are very few adjustments possible. I spoke directly with the technical guys at Eagle to make sure the bunks do not cover raw water intakes and that all my specs are being built. That being said, I will still have to inspect it carefully @ delivery. I have been dealing w/ Pat Grasso who is their sales manager and so far he has done everything as agreed. I have been to their store last September for the Sandusky show so I am not going into this completely blind, but I will take your comments seriously. I am the type of person who verifies, checks, and re-checks everything so they will have to do what they promised. I just hope it goes a little smoother than your encounter. I will keep you posted and let you know the final outcome. Again thank you for making me aware of your experience. Knowledge is power!
I don't think you can go wrong that Eagle trailer. Everyone of them I had seen seems to fit the hull perfectly.
Yeah, after my whole dealing with Beaver Park was such a fiasco, Bill Jeancola called me after the fact to tell me I'd be dealing with him from now on. Now he seemed like a decent guy at first. But when it was coming time for me to complete my survey, he contacted me a couple times and asked me to give them high marks on the survey, despite my actual experiences. In other words, he was asking me to lie. That seemed pretty sleazy to me and I don't work that way. I completed the survey based on my actual experiences. Funny, after that, I never received another invite to any of the Grady owner tournaments they host. Go figure. Since then, I saw in one of the Grady White news letters that Beaver Park received an award. It was right there I realized I'm reading propoganda.
Sorry to through a dark cloud on your thread. Just reading that dealershop name resurfaced the bitter experience I had. Outside of my house, buying my Grady White was the largest purchase I ever made. And they treated me with total disregard.
Yeah, after my whole dealing with Beaver Park was such a fiasco, Bill Jeancola called me after the fact to tell me I'd be dealing with him from now on. Now he seemed like a decent guy at first. But when it was coming time for me to complete my survey, he contacted me a couple times and asked me to give them high marks on the survey, despite my actual experiences. In other words, he was asking me to lie. That seemed pretty sleazy to me and I don't work that way. I completed the survey based on my actual experiences. Funny, after that, I never received another invite to any of the Grady owner tournaments they host. Go figure. Since then, I saw in one of the Grady White news letters that Beaver Park received an award. It was right there I realized I'm reading propoganda.
Sorry to through a dark cloud on your thread. Just reading that dealershop name resurfaced the bitter experience I had. Outside of my house, buying my Grady White was the largest purchase I ever made. And they treated me with total disregard.
Brad,
I don't blame you a bit. If I had been treated that way you can bet the ranch I would go out of my way to let everybody know. Having been in retail myself for 32 years I know these things happen from time to time, and with some customers it just seems to go from bad to worse. It sounds like your situation was one of those. Hoepfully I won't experience that, but if I do I will certainly post it on this site. I'll be sure and let you know how things go. I probably won't be picking up the boat for a while yet. The trailer is being built and they have electronics to install. Thanks again and take care!
I don't blame you a bit. If I had been treated that way you can bet the ranch I would go out of my way to let everybody know. Having been in retail myself for 32 years I know these things happen from time to time, and with some customers it just seems to go from bad to worse. It sounds like your situation was one of those. Hoepfully I won't experience that, but if I do I will certainly post it on this site. I'll be sure and let you know how things go. I probably won't be picking up the boat for a while yet. The trailer is being built and they have electronics to install. Thanks again and take care!
capt chris said:
I have the "Aluminum I-Beam" Load Rite..... Bought the 5800lb(?) tandem so I could pull my bay boat or 22 Tournament that I had.
The only things aluminum are the I-beams and fenders. NOT the crossmembers or brackets, which are galvanized... Shame on me for buying from the spec sheet.... NONE of the bolts are galvanized or stainless, they are all cad plated, shame on Load Rite. Trailer is 4 years old and all the hardware has been solid rust for 2 years... That said, so far the trailer has given me zero trouble. Would I buy one again? NOT A PRAYER, it looks like sh!t already.