Trouble With Trailers...

[Magicallbill]

I have purchased two boats with trailers included in the package price.
One was my 22ft Grady-White which i had for 10 years,the other my current boat the 18 Ft. Scorpion Donzi.
In both cases, the trailers were underbuilt for the boat,and consequently,problems showed up in the form of blown tailites,blown seals,grease splattering everywhere,and in the case of the Grady,a bent axle from the weight of the boat pushing down on it over bumps,etc.The tires started wearing prematurely,as the bent axle messed up the camber.Plus,the surge brakes clunk everytime I take off from a stop on both trailers.
The dealers said the trailers would be great;they were not,and in both cases, I've had to have custom work done to beef up the trailer so I can use it without worry.
They had the trailers built barely good enough so they could offer an attractive package price,and I wasn't smart enough to realize that if you do any kind of long-distance trailering,a trailer on the edge of it's capacity will cause trouble sooner or later.
So...Anybody purchasing a new Donzi should invest some time in making sure the trailer is overbuilt for the boat.It doesn't cost that much more,and it'll go a long way toward trouble-free towing when you guys make your summer gatherings.
I know this for a fact:It's happened to me twice;Never again

MB

[Formula Jr]

welcome the marginal world of ... the future. :wavey:

[MOP]

Bill I believe in getting a trailer with 1/3 or more capacity then the weight of the boat, my 3400 pounder sits on a 6000 pound trailer. Saving a buck on a trailer just is not worth trashing your toy, the differential in price is not as great as most think.

Phil

[Cuda]

Nothing ruins my day like trailer trouble. I'd much rather the boat break down, at least then you can get home to where the tools are.

My Minx sits on a #5200 trailer. The coupler is rated for #20,000!

[gcarter]

How do surge brakes not "clunk"?
They have to move, don't they?

[Cuda]

How do surge brakes not "clunk"?
They have to move, don't they?
All of them I ever had clunked.

[Reedy]

All of them I ever had clunked.What say ye Farmer? Did you replace your trailer yet? Heading to Midland this Friday if you need a drop off.

[Bigbroadjumper]

I upgraded my trailer after a long trip to AOTH III. We lost a wheel and hub on I 65 outside on Indianapolis. It took us about 4 hours to repair and we were very lucky no one was hurt, and we were able to find a hub. When we got home I also noticed that the frame was bowing from the weight over the axles.
I found an Eagle trailer on Ebay in NY and I have redone most everything. I switched to Electric / Hydrolic brakes with a controler in the truck. 3 6500# axles, 16.5" wheels, 8 lugs per wheel. OVERKILL every where. The one problem I have is the bunks are not right. I have shimmed them but that looks kind of 3rd rate. I talked to Eagle to get new bunk supports and I may have new ones welded on this fall.

Here are a few photos.

[Magicallbill]

Hey all,
Thanks for the replies;Well said on all counts.
I see y'all are ahead of me&have done the necessary "super-sizing."
GCarter;
When I got my trailer for my 18 Scorp,You could feel the surge brakes bump a little,but it wasn't objectionable.After a year-and-a-half or so the clunk started getting worse as the underbuilt trailer took more and more stress.Now you can feel it&hear it inside with all the windows up.
Broadjumper,pics look good...
What size is your boat?How much does the rig weigh?

[boldts]

Is it possible that clunk is the coupler moving on the hitch ball? My 22 used to do that badly after a trip to Eufala and having to lock everything up hard outside Atlanta, GA. Turned out that hard stop blew out a seal in the brake resavour. Later on a weekend trip locally, I had a complete brake shoe come apart inside the hub. Ended up having to pull the wheel and tie the axle up running on 3 tires. Thank God for a dual axle trailer! Moral to this story, do a complete check of the trailer braking system every year and look things over before every trip to the water. An ounce of prevention goes a long way! One other thing, have a tow vechicle big enough to handle the job. Size is a good thing!

[Bigbroadjumper]

I have a Magnum Maltese "28" and I am not sure of the weight, but it must be around 6K.

[MOP]

An important tip for owners of aluminum trailers is to make sure the bow is pulled down tight, I use a small rachet strap. If you can see the bow bobbing up and down while towing you WILL crack the I beams from the flexing at the radiuses where it started to go straight back, the trailer and boat must be one to support each other. Yes they can be welded but success is questionable, I bring this up again as a close friend just cracked his one year old trailer. He only tows about 3 miles to the ramp and has never done a long tow!

Phil

[Cuda]

An important tip for owners of aluminum trailers is to make sure the bow is pulled down tight, I use a small rachet strap. If you can see the bow bobbing up and down while towing you WILL crack the I beams from the flexing at the radiuses where it started to go straight back, the trailer and boat must be one to support each other. Yes they can be welded but success is questionable, I bring this up again as a close friend just cracked his one year old trailer. He only tows about 3 miles to the ramp and has never done a long tow!

Phil
Not only that, the bobbing can cause the winch strap to get cut. Happened to me pulling a 25 foot aft cabin up the Skyway Bridge. :eek:

[Masterson]

Repairing trailers is not cost effective. Best to start fresh. www.techsuntrailers.com (http://www.techsuntrailers.com) makes a great product.

[joseph m. hahnl]

Here are a few photos.[/QUOTE]



wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! now that's a trailer.

[Magicallbill]

My Scorpion&Trailer are at the shop now. They've been busy,and haven't got to analyzing my situation yet.
Do you all think as Masterson does that I should just get a new trailer rather than beef up my existing one? I'll have to tell my trailer guy soon,as he'll get me into his lineup before long.
My trailer would need
1.)Electric Brakes(I hear they make 'em now so they work on trailers that get dunked.)
2.)A bigger axle,or maybe tandem???
3.)LED lights(More reliable, I'm told.)
4.)I'd like a bigger tire,but there's no room under the wheel well for any more height.)
Maybe I'm trying to make my current trailer into something it isn't. It creaks&groans&squeaks as I tow it now.
What would you all do,given my circumstance?Obviously,upgrades need to be done,but Masterson raised a point that I've thought about.
MOP,Mad P.,Cuda? Matty?Lenny,anyone?

[Cuda]

I'm with Poodle.

[Tidbart]

I will say this, Masterson made a very broad statement. If you have a well-built trailer to start with there is nothing wrong with maintaining it or for that matter upgrading it. Cost-effectiveness, if that's a word, is unique to each situation and trailer, depending on its original construction, material, and quality. Only the owner can make that decision.

I would say that the 'cost-effective' comment is most likely true to trailers that haven't been serviced and maintained since the day they left the showroom. A lot of boat owners look at their trailer differently than their boat, IMO. My trailer is 10 years old and should last at least another 10 or more with proper care.

Bob

[RickR]

I use LEDs with bare crimp connectors and adhesive lined heat shrink. :smash:

[Woodsy]

Poodle pretty much hits the nail on the head....

BUT... I have a problem with a 6000 lb trailer being under a 3500LB boat. The springs on that trailer will carry a 6000lb boat with a pretty large safety margin for overweight scenarios. You gotta avoid the lawyers ya know!

Anyway, the suspension for that trailer is not compressing properly for a good ride. Every jolt on the road will get transmitted directly to your pride & joy.... rollers will be the worst. At least a bunk transmits the energy over a larger area. Think empty 1 ton truck on a dirt road.... NOT A GOOD RIDE!!

Go with Torsion Axles, its almost like independent suspension for your trailer. your 18 can get away with a single axle, but a dual axle wouldn't be a bad thing just don't overkill the weight rating. Surge brakes are great, the new inline actuators are awesome. The clunking is probably from slop in your reciever & hitch, not the actuator (assuming that your acutaor and brakes are working properly). They do make a rubber hubbed reciever to help solve this issue.

Proper trailer setup is key to tires not wearing or failing prematurely. The Axles need to be aligned properly, the tongue weight has to be correct, and you have to have the correct size load rated tires. The larger the diameter tire, the less rpm it will spin going down the road... less RPM = longer hub & bearing life.

The bow does need to be tight, however, you should also secure the nose with the proper cable & hook. Its not so much to keep your boat on the trailer, but to keep the trailer under the boat... a 3500lb boat will ditch its 700lb trailer in a heartbeat when secured only by a rachet tie downs...


Woodsy Von Outboard

[RickR]

While hooking up the reverse lock-out solonoid (for disc brakes) and wiring your lights, you might want to install a back-up light http://www.overtons.com

[Magicallbill]

Thanks again all
I have enough info here to make the right moves..
I'll buy the 1st round if I can ever make a gathering...

MB

[Donzigo]

I remember CUDA telling me that a bad day boating is still an OK day; but, a bad day trailering can make you mad enough to kick your hound dog.

So, I spend quite a bit of time making sure my trailer is in great shape.

CUDA speaks the truth !