Roughly what's a new trailer cost

[Crunchy]

Roughly what's a trailer cost? Single axle, mech brakes, ATM 1.4MT, 5.8M boat length. Steel & alu, Just trying to decide repair or replace.

[robothefisho]

Roughly what's a trailer cost? Single axle, mech brakes, ATM 1.4MT, 5.8M boat length. Steel & alu, Just trying to decide repair or replace.

3500 for a cheapy to 4500 for a good one.

[copie]

Not too many 5.8 m boats will be legal on a single axle trailer.

[seashawgal]

I paid approx $6000 for a mackay single axle with a mesh V at the front and a walkway. It has good quality wheels and is an open channel steel build so you can see any rust if it is starting to form. Better than the box steel ones I think. Open channel actually weighs a bit more than box steel because the cross bars are thicker and wider. It has a fixed winch with no removable handle. I ordered it from Victoria where they are made because my Whittley boat 5.3 m had one on it previously and it suited my boat well. I considered all the brands but none measured up to the mackay except belco but that was going to be over $7000. Mackay are now owned by Dunbier not sure how that will pan out.

[Crunchy]

^ great thanks, appreciate the thoughtful reply.

[Crunchy]

Not too many 5.8 m boats will be legal on a single axle trailer.

True? Can you give me some details? I'm not familiar with the regs but when it was put together single was OK. I THINK BM weight about 750kg

[DaveR]

5.8m glass boats are still being sold with single axle trailers.

[ranmar850]

5.8m glass boats are still being sold with single axle trailers Yes, and if you run that boat over a weighbridge fuelled and ready for fishing, bet you it will exceed the trailers rating . Using a weighbridge for the first time is a shock for most boat owners.

[The Black Unicorn]

Pretty sure redco do a single axle that's good to 2t? Anyhoo to answer your question about 5k should get you out of trouble and onto a good one.

[Moonlighter]

Crunchy, it would be well worth running your existing BMT over a weighbridge. Then you will know what ATM rating you will need the new one to meet.

It would be interesting to know what she ways now!

[stevej]

True? Can you give me some details? I'm not familiar with the regs but when it was put together single was OK. I THINK BM weight about 750kg

i doubt that weight very much

trailer will be 350-400 kg (the ally trailer for my 4.2m tinny is 235kg the steel dunbier for my 520 cruisecraft was 350kg)
hull will be 500kg plus i dont know your boat but again my 4.2m ally tinny is 300kg bare hull
outboard 140+

theres a tonne plus
100l of fuel
saftey gear
30-40kg in batteries
30kg in anchor and rope
eleectrics
Bimini stainless work
and everything else

[Moonlighter]

Redco make a SA trailer rated at 2T?????

Well if they do, I can't see it listed on their website. Could you post a link please?

The main issue with this "single axle trailer rated 2 tonnes" concept is finding tyres that are rated to carry 1 ton each. And to a lesser extent, axles, although that is possible.

That's why single axle trailers are rarely rated at more than 1500kgs. I couldn't see any SA trailers on the Redco site rated at more than that. But I didn't do a comprehensive search...

Crunchy, really, check your rig over a weigh bridge. Most Council tips have one and will let you run the boat ove to get a weight, without charge if you don't want an official certificate.

You might get a surprise. I did. My Surtees 5.5 Workmate, with a full tank of fuel and the usual anchors etc weighs in around 1250kg, and that's without any tackle, Eskies, and other fishing gear. And it is really a 5.3m hull with pod to get the 5.5. My trailer was originally rated to 1300kg, I had it upgraded to 1490kg, so now I've got a reasonable margin for those days when I get a bag limit up at 1770 😜

So, most 5.8m boats are going to hit very close to or over 1500kg when very lightly loaded, leaving you none, or virtually no margin for extra gear at all.

[DaveR]

Yes, and if you run that boat over a weighbridge fuelled and ready for fishing, bet you it will exceed the trailers rating . Using a weighbridge for the first time is a shock for most boat owners.

Yeah I was just pointing out that they still do sell them like that. I ordered my 5.85 with the tandem axle option, even though the dealer kept saying it wasn't necessary but for an extra $800 why skimp? Their numbers for the single axle were 1.8t rating, hull 900kg, motor 200kg, 140kg fuel, leaving half a tonne for other items. Tandem axle gives me a couple hundred more kg to play with. But the numbers still add up for single axle, according to them. I never really looked into it further as I was optioning tandem anyway.

[Crunchy]

Theoretically

Boat 600Kg
Motor 120Kg
Trailer 290Kg
Fuel Max 125Kg
Anchor / chain 10Kg
Batts 30Kg
Gear 30Kg
Esky / ice 15Kg
Ancilory - margin for error 180Kg

Trailer rated fo 1400Kg

Perfect!

[Moonlighter]

Theoretically

Boat 600Kg
Motor 120Kg
Trailer 290Kg
Fuel Max 125Kg
Anchor / chain 10Kg
Batts 30Kg
Gear 30Kg
Esky / ice 15Kg
Ancilory - margin for error 180Kg

Trailer rated fo 1400Kg

Perfect!

Key word : "theoretically". A good word, that one!

What actual boat/motor make have you got?

Manufacturers hull weights often are the bare hull, with no allowance for steering, safety gear, wiring, electronics, etc and trailer tare weight doesn't include spare tyre/wheel, plus add your tackle box and sinkers (at least 20kgs alone!) etc etc etc. Those weights can't be trusted.

It all adds up!

Every few years, Qld Transport has a blitz on boat trailers. Down our way, they set up in the entrance road to Raby Bay boat ramp, and pull people in to check:

- trailer weight actually (not theoretically) is within trailer ratings
- towball download is within car's limits
- tow bar is rated sufficiently for trailer being towed
- trailer tyres are rated to carry actual weight on BMT combo and are in a roadworthy condition
- trailer coupling is rated correctly
- lights comply and are working

The number of people who find out this way that their combo is not legal is a sight to behold. We listened to it one time from the boat club side of the fence and nearly everyone was saying to the Cops "mate the dealer said it would be plenty". Fact is, lots of dealers put trailers just barely rated to carry the boat weight as it is towed out of the dealership. After that .... It's not their problem. Even the Commodore of the Club got caught out.

Just sayin - it only takes a short time to get across a weigh bridge and then you'll know for sure. As opposed to theoretically😳

[Crunchy]

There's one not too far away so I'll do that....

[ranmar850]

As Moonlighter said, theorize all you want, but weighbridges don't lie. I'm a believer since I ran my old Quintrex 600 Navigator over one. 6 metre pressed hull, ply deck, alloy console with a little alloy hardtop. 90HP Yamaha 2-stroke. It had 200 metres of 12 mm rope, two anchors and chains plus 100 litres of fuel in the 170 litre tank, no eskies or any other fishing gear. I guessed maybe 1250Kg, trailer was tandem on 1500Kg springs. It went 1500Kg even.:-[ So when I loaded it up for our annual pilgrimage north, it would have been well over 2 tonnes.And it had 50-odd k's of hideous station track at the end of 700 k's of bitumen to do. A lot of the weight was in the trailer,, probably, as I had built it myself to handle the rough stuff, really should have had 2 tonne springs under it in retrospect. Dealers are always trying to put the cheapest package together when selling new, and most of them WILL skimp on the trailer. My current boat, A Swiftcraft Dominator (5,65m)on a fully rollered tandem Roadmaster, weighs 1550 with no fuel aboard. It came on a single axle trailer rated for 1200KG--luckily it was in excellent condition, and the manufacturer supplied bolt-on parts to convert to a tandem, and re-issue a compliance plate. It still cost me about $1600 to convert it, and ended up with a rating of 1800kg, which still doesn't give me much margin.