Marlin 300 Trailer Input

TortugaBob

TortugaBob

GreatGrady Captain
Joined
Nov 16, 2018
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Location
South Texas
Model
Marlin
Excited to finalize deal on a used 300, good survey, hours, etc. It does have fresh bottom paint and will sit in the slip most of the time. Any suggestions on finding a decent trailer to haul out occasionally? Prefer used but new is OK too.
 
Loadmaster built me a nice one for my 228. Might want to check with a local dealer to see what they can do for you.

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Do you have the spot and want to store it? The problem I had is the 30 is a big boat out of the water and you need the space to store it. If you slip it, then your storing the trailer all the time. It might just be easier to have a hauler take it back and forth if you are just doing a winter layup. In the end, I opted to have the dealer wrap and store each year. I don't have to worry about a big boat in the yard or trailering it (wide load, special permit required). Always pros and cons of any decision I guess.
 
Thanks FT, no problem in the south, no freeze or wrap needed. Understand the size issue, and do have a large yard. I guess it is more peace of mind to Trailer as needed. There are no haul out lifts near me. We have Hurricane Season etc, whereby you have to make it happen quickly. As I was told, the only used Marlin Trailers around usually have a used boat on them. Guess I will have to catch one right or order a new.
 
Try looking on craiglist in locations where folks tend to keep the boat at their house slip. For some reason the dealerships still "package" a trailer with the boat and then folks will dump them. For example FL Keys, or Western Basin of Lake Erie are two that I am familiar with. Obviously you would want to look locally / regionally in your area - unless you are willing to travel. I would imagine based on the price for my tri-axle aluminum with 3-axle brakes (electric over hydraulic) - you are looking at the $12+k range new trailer for a boat that size (10-12,000-lbs). So a used deal with some travel involved may not be too bad.
 
Thanks, will do that. You are right 10-12K new, so would travel within reason, but will check Craigslist, etc.
 
Check out Pirate Marine in Ohio. He is on boat trader, sells Loadrites, and ships nationally. 15k lb tri axle new for $7600. His prices are tough to beat and he knows his product well.
Bought mine from him 4 years ago.
 
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Appreciated, I will check them out. That is worth the savings to drive up.
 
Drive up? He will ship it to you for less than it would cost you in fuel... As long as you aren't in too remote of an area.
 
TortugaBob said:
Appreciated, I will check them out. That is worth the savings to drive up.
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I'll add one more thing to Family Affairs reply: I would opt for a minimum of 18k Cap. I have a 2018 Marlin that comes in around 12,500 lbs. I am getting a trailer for it here in Fla this spring and am going with three 7000 lb axles with Electric Over Hydraulic brakes, giving me a 21000 Cap rating.

Assuming your Marlin weighs, say, 11K; add a 3000 lb trailer and that puts you at 14K. That's not a lot of cushion if you have a 15K trailer. Even if you don't transport it very far, if your spending the money on a new trailer, I think it's a good idea to equip it to handle the weight of the boat with a comfortable capacity margin. (Of course it's not me springing for it either...)

I have towed my previous boats on marginal trailers over the years. They were sold to me as a package deal and were on the edge of capacity, I guess to keep the total boat & trailer cost down. I continually paid for it with premature bearing wear, bent axles on one particular trailer and broken welds on another. Granted, I trailered 9000 miles a year, so my situation may not compare with yours. That said, over building a trailer is never a bad idea.

Good Luck, and enjoy your Marlin! What a great boat...
 
Gents, agreed with New and Bigger. I am leaning that way. Also, thinking of having dealer sell me a new and hauling the boat back home since the shipping cost pays for more than half the new Trailer. Just dread the 3 days of travel, but all the vessels I look at are on the east coast, and I am gulf south, TX.
 
family affair said:
Check out Pirate Marine in Ohio. He is on boat trader, sells Loadrites, and ships nationally. 15k lb tri axle new for $7600. His prices are tough to beat and he knows his product well.
Bought mine from him 4 years ago.
Click to expand...

this is where mine came from back in 2010. i picked up a new trailer for better than i could find used.

another issue with used is tires. depending on where that trailer is sitting, you may have to replace all tires even if lots of tread - sunlight degrades to point of dangerous in about 5-years if further south than Kentuckey. North of KY - check carefully as compound will still become hard.
 
May be worth a call to Sealion trailers in Bellmawr, NJ. Mine has been good. good luck!
 
Thanks, Bread. I sent them a request for quote, to compare with the Loadmaster recommended by others.
 
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