Redco Trailer Quote

[griz066]

What do you all think of Redco trailers?

I got a quote today on a RE 1313 MO (manual overide brakes) for $1965.00 sounds ok to me,
Boat is 4.5mtr glass 90hp weight 850kg (without any gear) so trailer must have brakes.

Was going to build one but after pricing the parts decided to go with new one.

Is there any other brand that is compareable in quality and price?

Are there any brands to stay away from?

[Geoff_Atkinson]

I just recently (12 months ago) bought a Dunbier, dont know the model no. but it's a dual axle job and I park a 5.8M Quinnie Cuddy Cab on it.

The reason for buying it was that I thought it looked better built (or more solid) than other brands and the price was comparable.

I've had no problems at all with it, it rides well, the only thing I might pick is that the winch drum has gone rusty, but that is probably more my fault than anything.

Good luck,

Geoff

[boyzie]

sea raider im looking for probably the exact trailer how much did you pay for it if you dont mind me asking

[toymod]

grizz not to sure where you are from but if in the brissie area I recomend giving goldcoast trailers a call saved me over a grand when i got my new one last year, here is there web site, http://www.oceanictrailers.com/

Keep me updated on how you go

Cheers

Dave

[griz066]

Thanks Toymod,

I gave them a call and the best they could do was $2093 + rego its only $128 but thats 4 30 packs of XXXX cans so I think i will take the other one and grab the tinnies for the next fishin trip. Thanks for the info though you never know they may have been cheaper.

[Argle]

Check out Sea-Link as well, I have one under my 493F and its been great. Also have experience with Dunbier on a previous rig and they are also a very well built trailer.

Cheers and Beers

Scott

[wayne_cook]

hi griz I had a redco trailor was good but looked very ordinary after 2 years,rust wise.I contacted the agent there comments were thats acceptable.
Hence no more redco for me.
cheers

[Manjilad]

Yes. Bought myself a new top of the line Dunbier for my fiberglass 6.3m rig-$5k worth. Redco was my next best choice/price but if you add the spare wheel + keel guards (teflon protectors over all the roller struts etc) the Dunbier was cheaper as also got the full plastic guards and walk rail etc. Best price was from Bob Stevenson at Leisure Marine who gave top service but delivery was 6 weeks as mine had to come from Vic. Cheers.
PS I did come accross a rumour when researching for my trailer that Qld manufactured trailers had a MUCH THINNER gal coating and that Vic manufactured trailers were the best (Dunbier is Vic, Redco is Qld)- I was unable to confirm any truth in this rumour.
The best trailers are MacKay but were out of my budget $7k touch

[griz066]

Thanks guys looked at the Dunbier and can't see what I get for the xtra $600.00. They could have come out of the same factory they are that close in looks.
Oceanic (sea-link) are the same price as the Dunbier $2600.00 and I can't for the life of me work out why the price diference.

[krazyfisher]

dunbier would have to have the best back up service I have come across thats worth a couple of dollars to me

[Argle]

Make sure your trailer comes with things like Gal axles and gal hubs, springs etc too. Ive seen some that arent and they dont last long.

Cheers and Beers

Scott

[Geoff_Atkinson]

Hi BOY-Z,

Sorry about the delay, but I havnt looked at this thead for a few days.

I think it was about $3500

Cheers

Geoff

[Dignity]

Griz, got a redco which I hhad to rebuild due to rust. Had a look at some new ones and they had the same problem mine had - the light brackets are welded on a piece of angle iron onto main channels that run lengthwise - ACROSS the bloody opening. Damn near impossible to get a hose nozzle in there to wash out the salt. Had to make a special nozzle out of copper pipe with a bend in it to get any water in there. It was my own stupid fault as it was after I sent it to the galvanisers that I realised I forgot to simply cut the bracket off and reverse it. Also do not like the sytem for the multi rollers. Don't know which ones you looked at but most I've seen have 2 separate rollers either in a square tube or I think the newer ones are bolted down with U bolts - one facing each way. Easy to wash out the one pointing down but damn awkward for the ones pointing upwards. Maybe what you are getting is different. I'm off up the coast for the weekend but can post some pics sunday night if you wish as these items are real rust traps.


Sam

[Dignity]

OK - got the digital out and here is what I mean - the main channel covered by the light plate- bit hard to take a proper pic - apart from it being dark and a skin full of guiness

[Dignity]

ooh - looks like I better do spme maintenance on those bolts over the coming weeks

here is the rollers - if you have this system I found them awkward to clean

[Dignity]

the roller with its mouth open is easy to clean it's the other one that is a real pai which is why I made this set up from an old hose nozzle I had - am thinking of making it a bit shorter though.

[rodbender]

While chaseing around for a spare tyre &rim for my redco trailer i was told by a marine dealer that dunbier & redco come from the same factory if so why the price difference. does any one know if this is true.

cheers reg

[Dignity]

reg, they look different to me - if the y do come out of the factory maybe it's a quality difference, one made to a price and the other to a standard

sam

[mark221263]

I've got the Oceanic from gold coast trailers under my cruise craft 580 outsider. Its a dual axle with cable brakes. When I bought the boat the original redco was totally rusted as it had been used as a ramp trolley on a canal estate and had rarely seen a fresh water wash.
Any way the previous owner had already paid a deposit for the new Oceanic and it was 2/3 built so I ended up with it as part of the deal after negotiating the overall boat/motor/trailer price.

In the end it was one of the cheapest price wise only matched by the redco and a couple of others. Oceanic’s fittings are generally of good quality par from them using cheaper electro zinc bolts rather than hot dipped ones so they are starting to look a bit rusty. I’m sure most of the cheaper trailers use these fittings to save a few dollars which is a shame as it would be less than $30 added to the overall cost.

I wondered if the redco would of been better as you can order them with the tapered rear chine rollers. The cruisecraft was a pain for the first 6 months as the standard parallel rollers in the first bank of 3 pairs would catch the chine ad send the boat off to one side needed the boat to be let off and on 2~3 times before all was sweet.

I must of adjusted the rollers on the trailer 6 times all with minimal improvement.
Gold Coast trailers recommended 2 pair of additional plastic guides to help keep things square at $120. Fitted them with no improvement and a light wallet.

In the end I made up 6 need roller carriers to mount the tapered rollers at the rear of the trailer to help the chine’s walk up over the roller and keep things true.

Since then the trailer has been perfect. My only other recommendation is to fill the valleys that get pressed into the box sections on the cross members with silicone to stop salt water laying in them. I covered my whole trailer with a mix of turps and lanoline and in the past 2 years has held up very well.

Apart from my modified rear rollers the total cost was $4,200 with white mags and a spare wheel and holder.

All the best Mark

[Dignity]

Mark, any chance of a pic of your modifications as I am very interested in doing something similar

Sam

[Wear_the_fox_hat]

Griz,
Have a look at Belco trailers. I put one under my 5.2m centre console as the original trailer that came with the boat was stuffed. Have found it to be an excellent trailer. After looking at the others, it is made out of stronger/thicker materials & is a lot more practical in it's layout & configuration with no apparent shortcuts. It came with a simple & effective trailer break system for winching, submersible lights, mechanical brakes & everything appears to be hot dipped gal, not just ordinary gal. It also has parabolic springs (single leaf) so there is no rusting between multiple spring leaves you see on most trailers. Pricing was very competitive & remember, you only get what you pay for.

Have fun looking,
WTFH

[griz066]

Thanks WTFH will give them a call

WTFH reminds me of a joke I heard once about Charlie and his mum ::)can't repeat it here she might be on this site later as she is in OZ at the moment ;D

[mark221263]

Hi Dignity, here's some pics of the mods I mentioned. The 1st pic shows the original roller setv up that is now used for all rollers except the rear 3 sets pr side. Pic 2 is the modified version with the tappered rollers. Pic 3 is the valley areas I filled with silicone. My ony other complaint is that all cross members including the one near the axles, this means that axle position can not always be perfect as ther is a dead band of about 300mm for setting up tow ball loading.

[mark221263]

Tappered roller mod

[mark221263]

Welded cross member with pressing valley filled with silicone #:)

[bcb20]

Griz,

May have the solution for you.......I'm wanting to sell my trailer which is only 8 months old and in "new condition". It presently has a 5.05m plate alloy on it, but the two skids can easily be used or changed. It has mechanical overide brakes, adjustable winch post (for larger or smaller boats), fully adjustable rollers and skids, is rated to 1000kg, fully galvanised (frame, axle, springs, etc.) with white powder coated alloy wheels, rego July '06, submersible lights, etc. This trailer only seen the road from the dealer to my house, about 20klm's and has since only been used on a backyard ramp. It get's washed whenever the boat has been in the water and I am lucky that I don't have to submerge it to launch and retrieve my boat. I can launch and retrieve just by placing the tyre walls in the water. I was wanting to sell for aroung the $1750.00 mark, but to sell it quickly without the hassle of advertising I'd let it go for about $1600.00. Let me know your thoughts..........

[Dignity]

Mark, thanks for the pics - haven't looked at trailers for a while and hadn't seen those rollers around - do they make that much difference?

sorry Griz for hijacking your thread, hope you get the trailer that works for you as I can tell you it takes the joy out of boating if you are forever having trouble towing, slipping or retrieving the boat.

Sam

[CHRIS_aka_GWH]

i've got a 3 year old redco without a trace of rust - the bolts & axles on the rollers show some.

it gets flushed after the daily trips but not excessively & spends 4 weeks each xmas encrusted in salt with the only flush happening when it rains

i'd buy the brand again

chris

[boatboy50]

Hey Guys,

I've owned a trailer manufactured by every builder mentioned above. I am now in the market for another biggie for the new boat coming soon.

I have found the best was the 20ft Belco roller trailer I had. Almost five years old today, and berely showing any signs of rust or even use, excellent to drive on/off, and a pleasure to use in all circumstances. These trailers are manufactured in Brissie, but are expensive, as they say, you get what you pay for, and also get that back when you resell it.

20ft Redco is next best, beat up by previous owner but still a very good trailer about six years down the track, with minimal signs of rust. These trailers are manufactured in Brissie, and also make Tinka trailers, which are their deluxe version with all the options of the Redco.

19ft Mackay was a good trailer, excellent drive on, and held up well at five years old. In my opinion the extra money they ask you to pay for a Mackay is not worthwhile.

16ft Dunbier was good, one of the first full roller trailers they built, but did a good job. Many years down the track it started to show many signs of age. They are probably the biggest boat trailer manufacturer in Oz, built in Melbourne and only build Dunbier's. Dunbier is comparable with Redco and Sea-Link in price.

Had an 18ft Special (or Sea Link), which was good, but the roller set up doesn't suit drive on/off as well as the top brands.

Oceanic is also good, but they use old trains of thought with their roller set ups, which is not conducive to drive on at all. Mine was custom built so was good, but today they don't want to custom build, which is a pity. They are one of the cheapest around, but as always price is a good indication of quality.

As mentioned I am in the market for a 23ft Roller trailer with Breakaway Brakes at the moment. Belco is my first choice, but they price themselves out for me, as do Mackay. I've had very good prices for a Redco, and can get a Dunbier at cost through a friend, (works out the same as the Redco) which is the way I will go, unless I can find a used one within the next couple of weeks.

My advice is to shop around, because the prices are as much as $2000.00 different for the exact same trailer between dealers.

Regards

Darren

[spen175]

Diginity

[quote author=Dignity link=1141802321/0#12 date=1141990259]#It was my own stupid fault as it was after I sent it to the galvanisers that I realised I forgot to simply cut the bracket off and reverse it. #

I am also looking at rebuilding/regaling trailer and looking for some heads up info and to be aware of any pitfals

some say can not regal old gav unless sand blasted etc
what did you have to do to get it ready to regaled it and recall sort of price they were asking?
any other hints would be great

thanks
spen

[fishmad1]

Hi griz o66,
As you can see from everyone's advice, most mainstream Trailer brands (eg, Dunbier, Mackay, Redco, Rule, Sea-link ect, ect) are fairly simillar in design. They do have slight differences however as I found when I went looking for a trailer. I have bought a Dunbier Centreline 4.2m trailer which I love. Compared to other brands, it was better reinforce (stronger gussets), better welding, made out of stronger box section and overall I thought it's finish was nicer than most.

I did look at Redco and Sea-link trailers as well (and to be fair they looked like pretty good trailers) but the Dunbier won me over. The size trailer you are after will be bigger than mine so I guess the features of the trailers will change.

I have had my trailer now for 8months and it still looks like brand new. There may be a lot of good trailers out there that can do the job but from my own experiance, I would give Dundier a go.

[Sportfish_5]

So Darren - where is the US trip report :-? Bet you have some nice piccies to share from the Miami boat show.



Cheers

Greg

[mark221263]

Dignity, the rollers with the tapered edges transformed my trailer. It went from being a total pain in the ar*e 3 times out of 4 to being a hook winch on and forget about the boat unitl it arrives at the winch post.
Cruise crafts have quite a deep chine so they don't like climbing up over the parrallel edges of the standard rollers. Stick your head under any current cruise craft trailer and th are normally set up with tappered rollers which is were I got the idea.
I also think this set up would benifit any boat and as the tappered rollers are only $4 more than a standard roller ($24 difference for most trailers) I don't see why they don't make them all this way.
Cheers Mark

[Dignity]

Diginity

[quote author=Dignity link=1141802321/0#12 date=1141990259]#It was my own stupid fault as it was after I sent it to the galvanisers that I realised I forgot to simply cut the bracket off and reverse it. #

I am also looking at rebuilding/regaling trailer and looking for some heads up info and to be aware of any pitfals

some say can not regal old gav unless sand blasted etc
what did you have to do to get it ready to regaled it and recall sort of price they were asking?
any other hints would be great

thanks
spen


spen - I did mine about 18 months ago - yes you have to sand blast the old gal off, most galvanisers won't accept material with gal on it. The cost fot the sand blasting was $1200, the galv was less but I also replaced a main cross member and some other odds and ends. Also took the opportunity to gal the wheels although found that could have bought new gal rims for a the same if not cheaper at trailerworld springwood. In the end it cost me about $2500 which is a more than I had anticipated when I started. You can not regal the springs which is the only thing but they were in good condition. Write down all your problem areas before you start because like me you will forget to fix/modify it as in my case it was the simplest of jobs but got lost in the major jobs. PM me if you need more info.

sam

[boatboy50]

Hey Greg,

I had a ball, and ended up buying even though I said I wouldn't. ;) Couldn't resist.

I love the states and their boats, as you will see in an upcoming issue, with piccies to boot!

If your after some piccies PM me your email and i'll get some off to you.

I may try to make a small post tomorrow to show all, better late than never they say! The show and it's boats are so different from anything we do here. I'm in love! ;D

Regards

Darren

[griz066]

Thanks guys, I talked to the guys at Stones Corner Marine and they were very very helpfull and I have ordered a Redco 1313MO went for the spare tyre and mount option that saved $50 by getting it fitted at time of manufacture. They are also going to do a full multi roller trailer as apposed to the skid type that they quoted me. Aprox 10 days so should have it all ready for Boondooma @ Easter

[Dignity]

great stuff, griz, you've made a decision, hope it lives up to your expectations and gives you good service. have fun at Boondooma, I have to go up the sunshine coast and keep an eye on me rellies - taling the boat up just for those few days is a real pain due to the hoards at the ramp and worse still finding somewhere to park the trailer

Mark, thanks for the info - had an old cruisecraft rustler but rebuilt the trailer myself many years ago after a little accident at gladstone. mine is drive on and was wondering if anyone else used the tappered rollers

Sam

[griz066]

Picked up the trailer today, took a couple of hours to set it up but what can I say BEA utifull

[griz066]

Old trailer

[revs57]

Certainly looks the goods Griz

hope you get a good run out of it

Cheers

Rhys