Never ending search for perfect boat

[jethro]

Do you guys have feelings about trailers?

Yeah, trailers suck to the high heavens, every single thing about them! Those are my feelings. Towing them, backing them up, parking them, paying for them, those friggin' lights, small tires that don't last long and take high pressures, greasing the hubs, replacing bearings... there isn't one good thing about trailers but they are a necessary evil. If I could teleport my boat to the water and my sleds to the trails, I would never own another damn trailer again.

 

[gnappi]

Do you guys have feelings about trailers?

Yeah, trailers suck to the high heavens, every single thing about them! Those are my feelings. Towing them, backing them up, parking them, paying for them, those friggin' lights, small tires that don't last long and take high pressures, greasing the hubs, replacing bearings... there isn't one good thing about trailers but they are a necessary evil. If I could teleport my boat to the water and my sleds to the trails, I would never own another damn trailer again.

Before reading your post, I had no idea of the breadth for my dislike of my trailer. I am enlightened and agree 100%. Oh you missed the registration fees, bunk replacement, depreciation and rust!

My option in my advancing years to minimize my problems in life was to get a full size pickup truck, downsize my boat, go all electric and hand launch. The benefits (for me) outweigh the option of needing a trailer.

I can get places I only dream of needing a ramp filled with traffic, newbies, and dolts, I generally have zero competition on the water with other vessels (other than the odd yak), there are more fish, the fish are uneducated towards lures, and it's deadly quiet... almost prehistorically so. And when I get home, I unload and I'm done. No engine flush, no gas tank filling, no engine problems.

The only real drawback is the lack of speed and maybe size. But I liken an all electric boat to owning a sailboat instead of a stinkpotter, you're not getting anywhere fast, but when you get there you're so much more relaxed. It's also like owning a small condo, you keep and store things you REALLY need, not everything you want

I have a trailer but I keep the useless POS to store the boat on in my yard.

 

[jrl5678]

Well now I asked for that ear full.

I was more asking about style, rigging, suspension type, used new are more expensive trailers worth the more money? painted AL galvanized?

But I hear that most of you like boats and hate trailers?

 

[richg99]

As far as trailers go...I've only had leaf types. I do read that some people swear by torsion axles. Our tinboats are pretty light, so the standard leaf springs seem to work well enough, at least for me.

Most of my trailers have been Galvanized, due to my use in saltwater on the Texas Gulf flats.

I like to add some PVC Gutter Downspouts (cut in half) onto the top of the bunks. Makes launching and recovery easier and you never are bothered with carpeting wearing out. Replacing the PVC ,..which, after 2 1/2 years I have yet had to do,... costs under $20.00.

Some fancy bass boats have multi-bunked; candy-apple-fleck painted trailers that cost more than my entire rig, motor and all.

To each his own.

 

[LDUBS]

"Before reading your post, I had no idea of the breadth for my dislike of my trailer"


Holy cow, now that I think about it I feel the same way. But I can't put the boat in the water without it so I guess they really are a necessary evil. I would ask my personal butler to arrange for the boat to be waiting in the water, but I need a big lottery payoff before that is going to happen. Hahaha

"I was more asking about style, rigging, suspension type, used new are more expensive trailers worth the more money? painted AL galvanized?"


Mine is galvanized. Had painted in the past too. No real feedback. Both worked well for me.

I have a torsion axle. I haven't had any problems that I can recognize and it seems OK. That is about all I can say because I really only understand the very basics of how they even work (I kind of don't even want to think about rubber cords twisting around inside the axle). Anyway, they are supposed to be smoother ride, better handling and maintenance free. On the other hand they cost more and can't really be repaired like a leaf spring suspension. Shoot, I had to go to the owner's manual to even figure out where to put the jack.

My trailer also has Knott Waterproof Hubs, which are another no maintenance item. I talked to my trailer mfg to confirm that no bearing maintenance is needed. I was told zero maintenance is required and they work well. I was also told not to open them up. I'm good with that.

I put short side bunks on my trailer so that the boat aligns and sets perfectly on the bunks when I pull it out of the water. I think it is well worth the time to tweak the bunks so the boats fits perfectly.

Rich is correct in his comments above about the bunk coverings. My carpeted bunks are less than a year old and already need replacing.

 

[ppine]

I really like trailers. It is the conveyance that makes it possible to move boats around. I have 3. They have their idiosyncrasies, but all are very functional.

The 19 foot Jetcraft has a quality galvanized trailer. It fits the boat and pulls straight. I can launch the boat with it solo.

I have a canoe trailer which is very handy for the 1951 cedar and canvas Old Town which is 18 feet and around 90 pounds dry. It is handy for hauling lumber and tipi poles also.

I have a low utility trailer that is about 5 x 10. I use it to haul my raft frame, cooler, oars and dry boxes. Everything is easy to get at and the back of the truck is not too full. It works for extended hunting trips.

My favorite trailer is the Baker made for drift boats. They are handy for hauling anything. You can easily crank a drift boat up a bank to load it. It has a roller on the aft section. Brilliant.

 

[jrl5678]

The Baker trailer looks pretty cool. I am guessing a 16 jon that is flat like one should be, would fit just fine on one and be easy ier to use on a bank over other kinds of trailer. Do you know if someone sells them in Houston?

 

[handyandy]

The Baker trailer looks pretty cool. I am guessing a 16 jon that is flat like one should be, would fit just fine on one and be easy ier to use on a bank over other kinds of trailer. Do you know if someone sells them in Houston?

While in montana this past fall I saw many of these trailers I thought the same thing

 

[richg99]

Do a Google search on the name of the trailer.

 

[jrl5678]

I googled the Baker trailer, only found one boat sized trailer for sale, lots of huge goose necks and what not. I was just wondering if someone knew a sales place in Houston.

So new kinda topic in the same vein.

If you are going to stay with tiller steering, how large an Outboard would you be willing to use? Not asking how large of one you can buy or the HP rating of a specific boat. I am wondering if people think at some point wrestling the tiller around and the motor is no longer portable size and the physics of guiding a boat with a bigger out board.

Also, I have a thing for 9.9 outboards