What trailer should I buy?

[Marcus]

Hi,
I have a 1984 sailfish 255. (Twin 150 OBs, trim tabs, hard top, bow sprit w/ anchor). I’ve attached the hull specs in a photo. I’m hoping to buy a used, inexpensive trailer to get the boat out of the ocean for the winter. It will sit on the trailer for six months and then she’ll head back to the sea. They’ll be some highway driving. I’m towing it with an F350.

Can anyone recommend trailer length, features, rollers vs. bunks, axels? Etc?

thank you
Marcus

 

[Ekea]

bunks typically provide better support. you can probably get away without brakes given the size of the boat and truck, but i still always recommend brakes. your state may even require them

 

[seasick]

Good and inexpensive are mutually exclusive terms for trailers
There are three pieces of info that you need to select a model; The total weight of the boat, motors, fuel, water and gear. The length of the hull from the transom to the bow eye. That is not the same as the model length number (25) or the actual overall length which is often longer than the model length. The bow eye length is around 2 feet less than the overall length, give or take. Trailer usually have a range of lengths that they can be adjusted between.
The third piece of data is the trailer type, roller or bunk. Often the choice is personal but the type of launch ramp you use can lean you towards one type. Bunks are generally easier to use on steeper ramps. Bunks may be better for shallow less steep ramps. Both types have advantages and disadvantages.
There are other things that you might opt for if you were buying new like stainless disk brakes, fenders, aluminum frame, stainless hardware, torsion springs, etc.

 

[Coastboater]

Need the weight. Quick search showed hull @ 5,300 lbs + motors + fuel + gear + accessories + trailer itself.
My guess is you’re approaching 10,000 lbs., triple axle territory.
For long term storage, bunks, assuming saltwater use, aluminum.

 

[Ekea]

Need the weight. Quick search showed hull @ 5,300 lbs + motors + fuel + gear + accessories + trailer itself.
My guess is you’re approaching 10,000 lbs., triple axle territory.
For long term storage, bunks, assuming saltwater use, aluminum.

tripple axle for a 25 seems excessive. i get it is a heavy 25

my boat which is 27' sits on a two axle trailer with a GVWR of 10,160 and it pulls very nicely. tri axles can be a pain in tight areas as you get more tire scrub. also more maintenance

 

[RayBlackman]

I highly recommend bunks and torsion axles. 2 axles.

 

[family affair]

I'm starting to sound like a broken record (round discs that played music -for the younger crowd), but stay away from any trailer with a proprietary axle and brake system like Knott. If you ever want to swap parts to a different brand, you are SOL. Wish someone had told me before my purchase.

 

[Marcus]

Thank you everyone!

 

[Mustang65fbk]

I'd honestly spend the extra money up front and get something new or that's a couple years old from a dealership. Most used trailers, especially around here, tend to be pretty neglected because they only get used a few times a year and they aren't cared for all that well. On top of that, finding a used trailer that fits your boat exactly will very likely be a tall order, as well as likely not save you very much money in the long run over buying brand new. With a new trailer, I imagine most dealers will adjust it for your specific boat, and again in the long run I can't imagine a used trailer would save you more than $1,500-$2,000 at the most. In terms of trailer preference, I've owned both bunk as well as roller trailers and I definitely much prefer bunks. They typically disperse the weight a bit more, they don't leave indentations in the boat like rollers can, they're much cheaper to replace as opposed to rollers and the boat isn't likely to accidentally roll off the trailer like it can with rollers. I've also owned both galvanized as well as aluminum, and aluminum wins hands down for me in that they don't rust like galvanized steel does.

 

[Mustang65fbk]

Need the weight. Quick search showed hull @ 5,300 lbs + motors + fuel + gear + accessories + trailer itself.
My guess is you’re approaching 10,000 lbs., triple axle territory.
For long term storage, bunks, assuming saltwater use, aluminum.

In regards to the dry weight of the boat... per the 1984 brochure, it shows a 255 Sailfish as weighing in at 4,075 lbs. I think you're looking at the 252 Sailfish, which has a dry weight of just over 5,100 lbs. Of which I can't imagine that everything else is going to add another 6k lbs to the dry weight of the boat. As the others have mentioned, that can definitely be handled by a tandem axle trailer.

https://gradywhite.blob.core.windows.net/media/21339/1984.pdf

 

[Marcus]

I'd honestly spend the extra money up front and get something new or that's a couple years old from a dealership. Most used trailers, especially around here, tend to be pretty neglected because they only get used a few times a year and they aren't cared for all that well. On top of that, finding a used trailer that fits your boat exactly will very likely be a tall order, as well as likely not save you very much money in the long run over buying brand new. With a new trailer, I imagine most dealers will adjust it for your specific boat, and again in the long run I can't imagine a used trailer would save you more than $1,500-$2,000 at the most. In terms of trailer preference, I've owned both bunk as well as roller trailers and I definitely much prefer bunks. They typically disperse the weight a bit more, they don't leave indentations in the boat like rollers can, they're much cheaper to replace as opposed to rollers and the boat isn't likely to accidentally roll off the trailer like it can with rollers. I've also owned both galvanized as well as aluminum, and aluminum wins hands down for me in that they don't rust like galvanized steel does.

Thanks!

 

[DennisG01]

Coastal is right - you're getting close to that 10,000lb mark. Which means you ARE in triple territory. But as noted above, you don't NEED that. There are manufacturers that build 10K trailers in dual axle form. I had a Shoreland'r like that - beautiful trailer - one time we lost a tire at 70MPH and I BARELY even knew it... till I saw the smoke Everyone else in the truck was wondering why I was pulling over!

Personally, I'd get a dual axle. Backing up a triple is not THAT big of a deal as the truck will push through it and scuff the tires. No big deal. But you're adding another set of brakes/tires/bearings/etc for maintenance and replacement.

But make sure to get a quality trailer. You'll find Venture's out there for cheap - and some have had good luck with them - but we no longer sell them as there was just too many issues. "It's always an adventure with a Venture"

 

[Mustang65fbk]

Coastal is right - you're getting close to that 10,000lb mark. Which means you ARE in triple territory.

Coastal is incorrect about the dry weight of the boat itself and the figure that he quoted is 1,300 lbs heavier than what it really is. As mentioned above, the dry weight of a 1984 Grady White 255 Sailfish is 4,075 lbs, not "5,300 lbs" like it is for the 252 Sailfish... even though it's actually only 5,130 lbs per the brochure. Either way, with the OP's boat having a dry weight of 4,075 lbs, I can't imagine that he's going to gain over 6k lbs, or more than 2.5 times the weight of his boat just from the engines, a trailer, fuel, gear and so forth.

 

[Marcus]

Thank you everyone.