Best Trailer Options

[sporty1]

Hi Guys

are there companies that make more serviceable trailers than others? or are boating distributers saving on packages by putting lower quality trailers with their boats. In everyones opinion what are the better make and style of trailers on the market? I realise this will just be persional preferrence.

[White Pointer]

G'day,

I agree with your observation that trailers are often the cheap or budgeted end of the BMT equation but not always. Quintrex and Stacer are available ex-factory with a trailer set up for the specific hull. I think they are Dunbier, but could be wrong.

Most of the major trailer manufacturers make an OE trailer for a boat manufacturer and sometimes the boat manufacturer may even create the design and own the intellectual property - for their boats.

Trailcraft also have a factory made or endorsed trailer. I think it is an "I" beam for the main rails which significantly cuts down on the number of potential rust points. There are others around like this.

Mackay trailers have an enviable reputation for quality in build and have a huge range to suit just about anything that is trailerable.

Then there are aluminium trailers that offer lower weight for corrosion resistance but I'm not sure of the long term experience.

The problem is that few vehicles that we recreational fishers use can tow more than 3.5 tonne and most are maxxed out at 1.8 to 2.3 tonne. The boat and motor is a given weight and not much can be done about it. That leaves the trailer as the compromise. So it is.

The solution is to make steel trailers out of higher grade steel (up from 250Mpa to 450Mpa or higher) and arrange the trailer frame to be totally rigid. This can be done by using "I" beams and gussets and setting outriggers for skids or rollers at angles to the main frame.

Other upsides of this design are (1) 450Mpa steel is not that much more expensive than 250Mpa (2) Using higher grade means that less may be able to be used (3) "I" beams distort less in hot dip galvanising than tube because no expanding gases have to be relieved. So it is pretty cost neutral but has to be properly engineered.

The downsides are: (1) Welding 450Mpa needs more powerful welders and higher skills (2) a completely rigid frame needs a real suspension system.

The upsides of these downsides are better weld integrity, a trailer that doesn't depend on the boat hull rigidity, and therefore less wear and tear on the boat, and the whole BMT should track straighter if the balance is right.

Today, if I had a boat and wanted to put a new trailer under it I would buy a Mackay and deal with the weight penalty at a cost. Most people won't because the cost of dealing with the weight of BMT is too expensive.

Enough!

White Pointer