Trailer for safarrer 226 with hardtop and Yamaha 225
- Thread starter mmiela
- Start date
Are you sure it's "over the hill"? What about it is making you think about getting a new one? Maybe it's not as bad as you think.
However, TideWater is a fine brand to stay with. By no means are they top of the line, but it's a decent trailer for the money. There's a less expensive brand called Venture, but they can be hit or miss. Sometimes the axles aren't aligned correctly or the suspension components aren't installed right and you end up wearing through a tire in 500 miles. But they are less expensive. Load Rite is always a name that is thrown into the mix - they're OK. Without going "full custom", a much more robust trailer would be ShoreLand'r, but they come at a price. Lot's of components are upgraded and pretty much everything is just "beefier".
The best suggestion I can give you regarding a trailer, though, is to buy local. Check around at various boat dealerships. If you have an issue with a trailer, you want a reputable dealership as your advocate regarding warranty claims.
However, TideWater is a fine brand to stay with. By no means are they top of the line, but it's a decent trailer for the money. There's a less expensive brand called Venture, but they can be hit or miss. Sometimes the axles aren't aligned correctly or the suspension components aren't installed right and you end up wearing through a tire in 500 miles. But they are less expensive. Load Rite is always a name that is thrown into the mix - they're OK. Without going "full custom", a much more robust trailer would be ShoreLand'r, but they come at a price. Lot's of components are upgraded and pretty much everything is just "beefier".
The best suggestion I can give you regarding a trailer, though, is to buy local. Check around at various boat dealerships. If you have an issue with a trailer, you want a reputable dealership as your advocate regarding warranty claims.
Make sure you shop around. I just bought a Load Rite 8800lbs trailer and could not be happier. Saved $1000 by shopping I looked at used but by the time i did a little work on a older trailer i would have been close to the $4100 i paid... Trailer has every option. I would post photos but for some reason the site is not letting us upload new photos.....
Two years ago I was prepping for my trip to the Florida Keys. I took my trailer to my local trailer /rv guy here in the Smokies to get the wheel bearings replaced and packed. I did this in late April early May for a late June departure. Well, my trailer work gt put on the back burner and about 3 days before I was scheduled to leave, they called me and informed me I had issues with my breaks as in the calipers were not working due to corrosion. Long story short, I ended up getting a new trailer because the breaks I ordered did not fit the mountinng holes on the hanger. Magic Trail uses some breaks that are mounted with 1/2 inch bolts and the stainless steel Kodiak breaks I bought mount with a 3/4 bolt.
So with my family summer trip on the line I called a number of Grady dealers on the coast from SC to NE FL to get a new trailer for my 228. I found one in Charleston, SC and it was a Venture which Seel's Outboard (Grady dealer) uses for their boats. It is not the trailer I would necessarily buy had I had time to do so. Meaning if I had to do it over again, I would have posted a question here like you did and shopped it. Parthery here uses a company out of west coast of Florida that more or less does custom build welded aluminum trailers which are rock solid as he puts it.
The Venture is not a bad trailer. Mine appears to be aligned and all properly and I trailer from the hills of NC to Florida once to three times a year - anywhere from 1,200 to 1,800 mile round trip. Rubber is wearing normally and so forth. Breaks and hubs are stainless Tie Down G5 components. The lights were crap though. I replaced those after a season.
If you are honestly only trailering a short distance then the Venture would be fine. However, if you plan to sell your boat in the next 3 to 5 years, I would get the best trailer your budget allows. Beause you never know what the next buyer will need and want in a trailer and having a nice trailer will only help the sell the boat quicker I would think.
So with my family summer trip on the line I called a number of Grady dealers on the coast from SC to NE FL to get a new trailer for my 228. I found one in Charleston, SC and it was a Venture which Seel's Outboard (Grady dealer) uses for their boats. It is not the trailer I would necessarily buy had I had time to do so. Meaning if I had to do it over again, I would have posted a question here like you did and shopped it. Parthery here uses a company out of west coast of Florida that more or less does custom build welded aluminum trailers which are rock solid as he puts it.
The Venture is not a bad trailer. Mine appears to be aligned and all properly and I trailer from the hills of NC to Florida once to three times a year - anywhere from 1,200 to 1,800 mile round trip. Rubber is wearing normally and so forth. Breaks and hubs are stainless Tie Down G5 components. The lights were crap though. I replaced those after a season.
If you are honestly only trailering a short distance then the Venture would be fine. However, if you plan to sell your boat in the next 3 to 5 years, I would get the best trailer your budget allows. Beause you never know what the next buyer will need and want in a trailer and having a nice trailer will only help the sell the boat quicker I would think.
mmiela said:
Could you post a few pictures of this? Both of the rust and the "shortness". What brand and year trailer is it? What's the load capacity and is it correct for the weight of your boat? How long has your boat been using this trailer?
Especially given the short hauling you're dealing with (although a case could be made for "miles don't matter - towing is towing"), it's possible you might be able to save yourself a few thousand dollars. Without knowing you or your experience in this matter, it could be that you're over-worrying. I'd rather see that than the opposite, though, as that leads to major accidents. Or... you could be dead-on correct - but if you have the time to check things out a little more, it might be worth your time.
Edit: Forgot to ask... when you say "axle", do you mean the axle "tube"?