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View Full Version : Continental Trailers on the West Canada side



Lenny
05-02-2009, 12:19 AM
Anyone with any info would be greatly appreciated. I "want" to start/research a dealership here. If I have enough reserves $$$$$ . Where do they actually come from? FLA or MidEast or what.

There is a huge market for aluminum whereas no one here has one YET and Galvanized is all we offer, ... PERIOD...

We are all salt hounds regardless of the boating preference...

Poodle ?

yeller
05-02-2009, 12:47 AM
Go for it Lenny!

Since getting my boat I've always wondered why there are no aluminum trailers here. Until I got mine, I didn't even know aluminum boat trailers were even made.

gcarter
05-02-2009, 05:46 AM
Made in Fla. Freight will eat you alive.. I can put you in touch with them, but...

Lenny, I'm sure what Scott says is true.
However, It doesn't take much equipment or space to build them.
About all it takes is a hydraulic press to shape frame and crossmembers, a saw, and a bunch of off the shelf hardware.
All you fabricate is the two frame members, the crossmembers, and everything else is purchased and assembled.
Then we could all watch and see how good of a marketer you are........
After all, that's the key, isn't it?.

BUIZILLA
05-02-2009, 09:00 AM
from DIRECT experience and OBSERVATION I can tell you there is NOTHING to it for a BOLT together frame

stupid easy

you can order the beams precut and prebent

then it's just drilling some holes, screwing together with fasteners, and running some wires

it's just an erector set on wheels, you built those in grade school right?

once you find/figure out the weight bias per length, which is a no brainer, it's all downhill

there are parts warehouses all over the country

SS fastener suppliers are a dime a dozen, BUT be carefull on the source for that hardware, VERY carefull

your biggest problem is torsion axle quality, they all look good on the pallet, put some weight on them for a few miles and it's a crap shoot there.. I may have to replace one after this next trip...

invest in a quality pendulum scale to check tongue weights :shades:

invest in 2 killer sets of heavy duty a-frames :yes:

insist on USA Timken bearings in the hubs, and pray the hubs are machined correct.. there is still a Chinese hub and bearing problem, my brother just had a new one go bad, day one, a few weeks ago... :lobster: out of round tires and wobble welded galvanized wheels are also the norm (he had two of these too).. aluminum wheels with cadmium plated hubs, stainless calipers, stainless studs, cadmium rotors, and stainless lugs, create strange corrosion and heat soak patterns...

at the risk of discussion, initially look at the AmeriTrail line for hints or dealership, but freight is a b!tch... if *I* needed a local aluminum affordable trailer today, that's where i'd go. Your opinion may vary.

most of the trailer clowns down here build them 2 foot too short :shocking: or use too thin beams, then hang 4' of untreated wood off the back end to save $$$ at your expense and sell them from the wood length ie; 26' catalog trailer is really 22' alum beams and 4' wood hangover... :lifeprese:

just because it's says galvanized on the label doesn't mean the metal beneath it isn't crap..

don't assume that if the word QUALITY is in the suppliers name that it imply's such.. :nilly: :nilly: it WILL be just the opposite

main hints >>> make damm sure everyone in your building uses the same make and model measuring tape (NO excuses here), center punches are key friends, and throw away any magic markers in the 'hood... lay every pair of beam pairs on top of each other and make SURE they are exact lengths... own stock in a drill bit company... buy the best band saw you can buy... make damm sure all your jackstands/jigs are the same make and model... get a GOOD side shift forklift... :boat:

market hint >>> don't buy a trailer from any builder company who's owner doesn't actually own/can't afford a boat... or who can't pronounce cadmium or aluminum clearly, or spell stainless correctly...

offer a lifetime warranty on framework materials and fasteners, and why not? aluminum and stainless should outlast your a$$ right?

take a hint from the HUGE paint booth AmeriTrail uses for their powdercoating, you'll have other business come out of the woods for other stuff to do than trailers...

I could go on, and on, and on, and on..... :wrench:

gcarter
05-02-2009, 09:18 AM
market hint >>> don't buy a trailer from any builder company who's owner doesn't actually own/can't afford a boat... or who can't pronounce cadmium or aluminum clearly, or spell stainless correctly...

Well Jim......you know Canadians cant spell or pronounce ALUMINUM correctly, so that leaves all of them out.:wink:

Lenny
05-02-2009, 09:19 AM
Thanx folks. :yes:

zelatore
05-02-2009, 09:25 AM
Buiz....so you haven't put any thought into the trailer business, have you?

Actually Lenny, my first thoughts were about like everybody else - shipping will kill you. That's why we see so many regional brands. Anybody can throw together a basic trailer. Like Buiz said, it's pretty much an erector set. Getting the details right is the hard part.

You know, kinda like just about everything else in life....:bonk:

yeller
05-03-2009, 02:54 AM
most of the trailer clowns down here build them 2 foot too shortThat part I never understood. I've never seen a trailer here :canada: built that way. Not saying it hasn't been done, just never seen one.

BUIZILLA
05-03-2009, 05:18 AM
That part I never understood. I've never seen a trailer here :canada: built that way. Not saying it hasn't been done, just never seen one. I'll post a few proof pic's as we go along here... :bonk:

boxy
05-03-2009, 10:08 PM
Well Jim......you know Canadians cant spell or pronounce ALUMINUM correctly, so that leaves all of them out.:wink:

but we can spell DUMBASS correct every time ..... :shades:

gcarter
05-03-2009, 10:32 PM
but we can spell DUMBASS correct every time ..... :shades:

Two things....

1) It's good that you learned to spell something in all those years at school Steve.

B) I'm surprised it took you a day and a half to find my statement and comment on it.

But I knew you would!:yes:

boxy
05-03-2009, 10:46 PM
Two things....

1) It's good that you learned to spell something in all those years at school Steve.

B) I'm surprised it took you a day and a half to find my statement and comment on it.

But I knew you would!:yes:

George, I know a baited hook when I see it ... :D
I would have bit sooner, but I just got home from a weekend in Toronto. Saw Shea on the way up. Spent most of the weekend between the John Bassett Centre and the Hotel. Just catching up now.