New to me Grady

[blindmullet]

Hey all, I'm sure I will be hanging out over here a lot in the future. I had a 3 year build over on Classicmako.com and have recently got a 24 Explorer. 2 owner boat that was always in a high/dry. Has only been used once or twice a year over the last decade. Looking at trailers right now to go pick it up. Checking the used market, but I'm sure I will end up getting a Owens after being frustrated. If anyone has any leads on a quality used trailer send them my way.

 

[blindmullet]

Got my quote for the Owens trailer today. Haven't seen much worth looking at in the area.

I have 2 options. Both are 7k pound trailers but for an extra $500 I get bigger ibeams. Doesn't seem like it's needed.

 

[Parthery]

As someone who has owned several Owens trailers, I'd defer to Jeff. If he says you don't need it, then you don't need it.

The one option I would request though, is the heavier winch stand and 2 speed winch. If you ever have to crank it on, the 2 speed winch will save your life. I learned the hard way on one of my 225s.

Beyond that, spec it how you like it. I always get mine with brakes on both axles, a spare, and the LED lights with the neat aluminum boxes to protect them.

Welcome to the forum.....

 

[magicalbill]

Congrats on the Explorer. It's always fun getting a boat.

I don't know about the advantages of bigger beams in your situation. I will comment on things I do know about after 40 years of trailering boats big & small.

1.) Listen to Parthery; He has a wealth of experience also.

2.) 7K is borderline for the weight of your boat & trailer. My 22 Seafarer & trailer weighed 5800 lbs, loaded & fueled, and yours will be heavier than that. It's always good to have some cushion for your trailer. That alone will save bearings, brakes, and other wear/tear items on your rig.
Borderline is bad. trust me, you'll hit bumps in the road, the boat will be flexing and/or bouncing up and down, putting pressure on the springs axles, etc. and over miles and time, you'll wear out the aforementioned bearings & other parts. I was putting in bearings once per season and sometimes more if I went a long way.

One extra thing here..If you just plan on pulling short distances back-and-forth to the local ramp, a 7K trailer should be fine. if you plan on going any significant distance, I would upgrade to a 10K trailer, 2 5000lb axles. I know, I didn't think I needed it either until I spent hundreds of dollars I shouldn't have on repairs. I learned the hard way.

Dealers, and sometimes individuals, will sell a boat/trailer package that is marginal for the boat to keep the price point down. They say, "You'll be fine, it's plenty of trailer." Maybe, if you just go a few miles per year. Again, I learned that more is always better.

3.) Parth is right about the 2-speed winch. It changed my life when I got my current 232 Gulfstream.

4.) Get trailer tires if not already equipped. Car tires do not have the inner sidewall strength of trailer tires. (Parthery and I had a talk on this; I still believe Goodyear Marathons are good, although there are other choices out there.)

5.) Consider a fresh water flush kit that employs clear tubing that gets freshwater to the axles & brakes via a garden hose hookup installed on the fender above the wheels. That is, if you boat in saltwater..

Luck to 'ya,

 

[Parthery]

I thought the weight might be light too, so I pulled up a 1994 brochure just to see. The 244 Explorer weighs 3400 dry or 3600 if it's got the bracket...add 500 for the motor and worst case another 1000 for fuel if it has both tanks. Even with a hardtop and gear you are probably in the 5800-6000 range, so a 7000 lb trailer is about right. I learned long time ago that the Owens brothers know far more than I will ever know.

Thanks for the compliment....I know just enough to be dangerous. :mrgreen:

 

[magicalbill]

Your welcome, always enjoy your perspective on stuff.

I used the 10K figure as an offshoot of my own experience.

My 2007 Gulfstream with twin 200 4-strokes weighs in at 10,100 lbs including the trailer. The trailer was supplied to me with 2- 5000 lb axles and I broke a weld, went thru more bearings than I can remember and had brake problems. The boat, fueled & loaded weighed approx. 8200 lbs. A 10,000K trailer on paper should've been enough. I should say that I am not a maniacal driver. I pull at or around 60 mph, but the roads up North, (In/MI/WI/KY) are horrendous. You and I don't have these problems, living in the South. It certainly took it's toll on the rig, but upgrading the cap of the trailer solved it.

Went to two 7000 lb axles and the trouble stopped, plus it pulled better. Now it just gets a check up once a year. I still replace any questionable bearings but now my hubs aren't burning after a long trip.

Chances are blindmullet will be fine, again, depending on how far he goes. In all fairness too, if he is in the South, the wear & tear factor will go way down too. I just overkill everything nowadays and it's worked well.

Crap; Got long-winded again.

 

[blindmullet]

Owens is local for me. He went to high school with my brother and brother in law. They have always done a great job and have created an amazing reputation. My boat will sit on a trailer at a marina with a ramp, but I will make trips to the keys. Maybe one to two times per year.

I have a 8 hour trip to go get the boat. That's what is scaring me away from the used market.

The boat has the original 2-smoke on it, but it has very low hours. I would like to run it for awhile will I tackle some of the projects. Im going to make a hardtop for it most likely and freshen it up a bit.

Hope to go in to see Jeff this week. :hmm

 

[Parthery]

It still amazes me the way the Owens family does business:

1.) They hire labor from the work release programs in the Tampa Bay area. Yet they still are able to maintain their quality standards.

2.) They shut down from 12-1 every day for lunch. Literally, lock the gates. No phones, no nothing. That's an uninterrupted hour for every employee to eat and/or do what they need to do.

3.) They will build you a trailer on a handshake. No deposit needed. No "pay in full" before production begins.

4.) When something does go wrong, they make it right. I've had a couple of warranty issues...not big deals but both times they took care of it with a smile - and I'm 500 miles away from them.

The Tampa/St Pete area is probably the epicenter of aluminum trailer manufacturing. In addition to Owens, you have Peterson, Loadmaster, Rolls Axle, Fastload/Quickload, Magic Tilt and Continental. Jeff, Doug and Kim have done an outstanding job of building their product, maintaining their standards, and keeping folks happy. Can't ask for much more than that.

 

[blindmullet]

Had some calipers freeze up down in the keys. They sent them down on our vacation. Can't beat Owens!

 

[Parthery]

Had some calipers freeze up down in the keys. They sent them down on our vacation. Can't beat Owens!

On your brand new trailer? You may have something else going on....time to take it back and disassemble them....

 

[blindmullet]

No, it was a couple summers ago. Brakes started sticking and heated up the tire enough to blow the valve stem out. Took the brakes off and drove the rest of the way down. They shipped parts for the return trip.

I tested the used market and it sucks. I don't mind a project but people want good money for junk. Should put my order in this week.

 

[blindmullet]

Sat down with Jeff and ordered my trailer today. I would like to pick the boat up the week of thanksgiving.

 

[Parthery]

Sat down with Jeff and ordered my trailer today. I would like to pick the boat up the week of thanksgiving.

How many hours did you spend there? They loooooooove to talk :mrgreen:

Great people to deal with....

 

[blindmullet]

I hung out in the barbers chair for awhile. They are so honest. He could have upsold me on the bigger ibeams. I went with the 7k# trailer. Should be done next week.

Need to start gathering some items to clean this ride up. I know I'll be doing a vinegar flush on the yami for sure.

 

[blindmullet]

One step closer! Owens family is still the best. Nice to see people that love what they do!

 

[blindmullet]

Loading it up for the long drive home.

Sat here overnight and got it down to the Marina before the HOA complained. :-|

New Home for now!

Yep, this thing is like new. Would like to get some hours out of the old motor before upgrading.

 

[Parthery]

Congrats - great looking boat and trailer. Might want to adjust the winch stand though....it should hit the bow eye pretty close to horizontal. Right now it appears the strap is pulling the boat "up".