1998 Sailfish - Which trailer?

[whalerron]

My brother just bought a 1998 Sailfish and he needs a trailer for it! The Loadrite 9000 and the Venture 9200 trailers were recommended. The Loadrite uses torsion bar suspension and the Venture uses leaf springs. Other than that, the 2 trailers are very similar. How well do the torsion bar suspensions hold up? How long do they last? It seems to me that they would let water into the axle tubes and cause the tubes to rust out. Has any ever had to replace the torsion bars or axle tubes on a trailer with torsion bar suspension?
We have much experience with leaf spring suspensions on boat trailers and our current trailers' leaf spring suspensions have lasted 20 years and are still going strong? Will the torsion bar suspensions last like that?

Thanks,
Ron

 

[JUMPNJACK]

Vote for leaf springs!

whaleron, My Saifish rides on a 2004 Venture RT-7200 with the roller bunks. I love this trailer. My Sailfish is probably a little lighter than the '98 model. The data plate on the trailer indicates that it is actually for a 272. I love the leaf spring setup as the trailer pulls very well. I live 97 miles from Appalachicola and tow to there 10-12 times during the season. No problems with the trailer. The 9200 would probably do even better. 8)

 

[ahill]

I have a loadmaster tandem 10000# capacity factory set up for my GW Sailfish.
Torsion axles, bronze disc brakes. Handles the boat great.
Don't go lite on capacity

 

[HaleNalu]

I just sold my 1992 Sailfish 252G and I had purchased a Loadmaster 10k tandem axle aluminum I-beam trailer for it. It towed very, very well. Kodiak disc brakes stopped it excellent.

Now, on the last tow home from the coast before selling it I pulled across truck scales to weigh each axle. Weight came in at 4900 front, and 4900 rear. This was with a little less than 1/2 tank of fuel- so about 90 gallons left between both tanks. Torsion axles worked great.

I ran the boat as a charter boat so it had full complement of gear, rods, life raft, 4 batteries, full safety gear, etc. It was completely loaded as it would be for an operational charter trip- and the trailer was right at the rated capacity.

I believe the 1998 is a little heavier boat as mine had the Grady bracket, not integrated like the 272. The lightest I would go is a 10k, and preferably a 12k. Double axle is fine, tri-axle fine as well.

The replacement boat is a 2005 282 and it is getting a 15k I-beam trailer with triple torsion axles.

If you plan on towing a lot, do yourself a favor and get Kodiak disc brakes- they are a little more than the Tie Down, but last much, much longer, both on pads as well as the calipers themselves..

 

[CJBROWN]

Did you try search? Many discussions on same topic here.
Perhaps your brother would be interested in logging into the forum?