Just joined the club! 2004 180 Sportsman, Some Advice Please!

[Recoil Rob]

Easing in easy here, I'll try not to be a nuisance with the questions....

2004 180 Sportsman with Honda 155 4 stroke, hull and engine are clean, usual annoying things to do like replace livewell pump, bow light, etc.

This boat has always been trailer, the hull is clean, never painted.

I spoke GW last week and the tell me this hull with the 150 and a full gas tank are around 3100# and I will need a trailer with a minimum of 3500# rating. The Sea Lion trailer it comes needs new hubs and is only rated for 2450# so I figured a new trailer into my offer and we made the deal, I get to keep the old trailer anyway which I'll sell or trade on the new one.

First question, bunk or rollers with this hull? And since I need brakes in NY with a trailer gross weight over 3000 any recommendations for a trailer that will facilitate ease of launch and recovery? Is an electric winch worth it on this size hull (I tend to carry a lot of gear and ice)?

More to questions to follow I'm sure but don't want to overstay the welcome...

Requisite pics....

 

[Fishtales]

She looks clean. Don't see many Hondas on a GW. Good luck with her....

 

[DennisG01]

Bunk vs roller is very much an opinion. Rather than rehash something that has been talked about numerous times, try searching through the forum for old posts. The info hasn't changed.

Electric winch... Do you need it for a small boat? Absolutely not. I've used manual winches on boats 3 times that weight. Is it nice to have, though? Sure is!

 

[Recoil Rob]

I'd still like to hear what trailer brand/models other 180 owners are using, OK, figured one might be better than the other for this specific hull, but will search, thank you.

It seems this model is right at the cusp of having to go to twin axles. I've looked through a few catalogs and single axle trailers seem to top out right around 3100-3300 lbs.

 

[SkunkBoat]

You are over estimating the weight. By the specs your are 1800+360+500= 2660 plus gear.

My trailer opinions...
Trailer depends on what you are using it for and how far and what is the ramp and tide like.
Are you traveling far often= tandem or to the local ramp =single
Where I am at tide is 4 ft, ramps are short and steep = rollers
If you have long flatter ramps near you= bunks.


Load Rite makes decent trailers. IMHO You can get away with a 3100 with brakes for local use.


2004 180 SPORTSMAN SPECIFICATIONS

BEAM-AMIDSHIP..................................................................................................................... 7’ 5”
CENTERLINE LENGTH............................................................................................................. 17’ 10”
FRESH WATER CAPACITY ...................................................................................................... 10 GALLONS
FUEL CAPACITY ..................................................................................................................... 60 GALLONs (60x6=360pounds)
TRANSOM WIDTH................................................................................................................... 7’ 2”
DRY WEIGHT.......................................................................................................................... 1800 LBS
MAXIMUM CAPACITES
PERSONS ......................................................................................................................... 7 (OR 1020 LBS.)
WEIGHT (PERSONS, MOTOR, GEAR) ............................................................................... 1750 LBS.
OUTBOARD MAX. HP...................................................................................................... 150 HP (honda BF150= 485 lets call it 500 pounds)

 

[wrxhoon]

Where I am in Australia , most boats have roller trailers under them, as I did in the past. I used my first bunk trailer USA made a number of years ago and I will never go to rollers again. They both have advantages and disadvantages . If you always launch on very shallow ramps or beach rollers are better on the other hand if you tow long way especially on motorways at high speed you can't go past bunks they are much more stable at speed because they don't move at all.
If you use a bunk trailer you can get it with bunk slides like these : http://www.surfixinc.com/surfix_trailer_bunkslides.html
The boat slides off almost like rollers.
Electric winch not required, I have one in my garage that I used years ago, I haven't used one for many years , I just drive on , my buddy will tell me when to stop and he may have to winch a few inches, 2 speed winch very easy and quick. My boat weighs around the 6000 lb with full tank and the gear we curry and I have an aluminum I beam trailer , 7000 lb with electric over hydraulic brakes.
As for single or dual axle trailer depends on the distances you want to tow, I would go for a lightweight aluminum dual axle 5000 lb trailer with surge brakes on all four wheels. If you use it in salt water Kodiak Stainless steel disc brakes will last a long time , still no rust on my 7 yo trailer and she dunked in salt almost every week.
By the way , nice little boat.

 

[Recoil Rob]

Thank you Gentlemen, I discovered about 30 min. ago that I was overestimating. I pulled the 2004 brochure from the GW sight and came up 2675 with gas, then add gear, so I am well under 3000 with a +10% factor.
Also, I'll only be traveling about 15 miles to the dock and then back 2-3 times/week.

I'm in Norwalk, CT where we get at least 8-10 ft of tide so sounds like bunks may be OK.

I'm even considering just seeing if swapping out the leaf springs on the existing trailer to boost capacity from 2450 to 300 is a viable option. And those Surfix slides look nice!

Thanks for the help!

 

[SkunkBoat]

I had a 20 footer for 18 years. On steep ramps, bunks don't work because the trailer is not level enough for the boat to float onto.
Roller trailers let you put the first roller at the waterline and pull the boat up. With a big tide, a less steep ramp has to be very long to reach the water at low tide. A steep ramp can be much shorter.
At ramps in Manasquan River I've seen guys with bunks not able to pull their boat at low tide because the trailer falls of the end of the ramp.

I had a tandem EZ LOADER for many years. Awesome trailer really for over the road hauling. When I needed to replace tires, brakes, springs, hubs, and various u-bolts it was more cost effective to buy a brand new 3100 load rite single. I had a seasonal slip so I only launched & recovered a few times a year and never went 15 miles..

 

[DennisG01]

figured one might be better than the other for this specific hull,

That is incorrect thinking. It's just a v-hull boat. When it comes to this question, there is nothing special about the hull that would dictate one or the other. Either one can work as well as the other. As mentioned, it comes down to personal preference (and how you will use the rig at the ramps you go to).

Brand discussion is another highly personal opinion thing. I have my own opinons on good/bad trailers, but they are just that - opinions. From experience in the marine industry, though, I would caution against 'value' trailers such as Venture and 5-Star (made by Load Rite). Sea Lion is only slightly better.

Contact the manufacturer of your trailer and see what you will/may need to upgrade to get the proper rating (ideally, about 10-20% in reserve)... frame, axle, suspension, tires...

 

[Recoil Rob]

Will do, thanks Dennis.

Would you care to offer your opinion on quality trailer manufacturers?

 

[Parthery]

My 180 had a 3500 lb axle under it. The trailer weighed just over 500 lbs (it was aluminum) so my net capacity was right around 3000. It was plenty of trailer.

In the NE, you don’t see the same number of aluminum trailer manufacturers that we see down south. You see a lot of Ventures (made in BALTIMORE) and Load Rite (made in Philadelphia).

Diamond Marine is near you and they sell a lot of trailers. If you go Venture, take a look at their Commander series. It’s got a number of upgrades (torsion, radials, as hardware, LEDs) that are worthwhile.

 

[DennisG01]

I just went to Grady's (and Honda's) website to double check numbers:

Boat: 1,800
150HP: 485
Fuel 60g: 400
Water 10g: 80
(2) Batt's: 120
Gear - est: 300

Total: 3,185

I'm hesitant to offer suggestions of trailers since it sometimes turns into a "what's the best oil to use" type of discussion on a car forum, when there is no "best". But here goes - and although this is coming from 30+ years of working in the industry and working on/selling/repairing/etc trailers, it is still an OPINION......

Most importantly, buy from a local dealer. If you need warranty work or help with service down the road, a local dealer can be invaluable. Since you're not too far from me, I'll base my thoughts on you being able to find local dealers that would have roughly the same access to certain brands as I would. You can get a single axle with the proper weight rating, by the way.

Venture... the reason I'm specifically NOT recommending them is our history with them. It's a roll of a dice with them. We've had a VERY disproportionate number of MAJOR warranty issues with them. We stopped carrying them as a brand. "It's always an adventure with a Venture". Years ago, we had some issues with Load Rite, as well - I hear they have gotten better, though - but we haven't found a need to go back to them, unless a customer specifically wants one. But, enough 'bad' talk - here's a couple recommendations (not including any full custom trailers here)...

Tidewater... Been using them as an inexpensive trailer for close to 15 years, now. Not high end, but they do the job. They adjust easily enough to fit most boats and they have been reliable. They offer Galv and Al.

Shoreland'r... Have had experience with them for an even longer time. For what it's worth, Sea Ray boats come packaged with a Shoreland'r - and Sea Ray doesn't skimp on things. They'll be a more expensive trailer, but they are definitely overbuilt. Their frames are welded, as well, as opposed to an "erector set" type trailer, for example. Galv and Al, as well.

Loadmaster... While I don't have the same history with them as the others, I've seen a few of these come through the shop over the years and they seem to be well built. Al, only, I believe.

 

[Parthery]

Just FYI - there are 2 Loadmasters out there. The aluminum ones are built in Tampa. I've owned several...they make a nice trailer and stand behind it. The galvanized Loadmaster comes out of OH. I have no experience with them.

 

[jasgator5220]

Email GW customer service . . . they will provide you with a trailer spec sheet, which sets forth all of the information you need (including bunk spacing). According to GW, the 2004 Sportsman 180 has a maximum weight of 3100 LBS. Maximum weight is defined as dry weight + engine + fuel + water + options.

 

[RussGW270]

I asked about trailers and got answers from "you will be fine" to "the world will implode if you try that... so...

These folks here will steer you in the right way, but one thing... the numbers, any way you add them, in a perfect world.. will keep you at 3000lbs or just under. The world will not fall apart if you try to get a 3000lb max trailer, but as in anything in life.. expecting to get the bare minimum, while accounting for the bare minimum, affords the bare minimum in protection.

That being said, I think a standard 3500lb spring single axle trailer will be pahlenty for that boat.

Me.. I would get a tandem, but that is because I tow a LOT further than you... lol.. and over-compensate.. but, that low of trailering, probably be just fine.

Down here in Texas.. not sure they do 3000 lb trailers, I think the standard is like 3500.. and I would not worry about getting that...

Looking forward to pictures

R