Boat Trailer Question

fowlplay'n

Twelve Pointer
I'm looking at a used aluminum trailer to put under my 19' Maycraft. It's a really good deal but the trailer will need some work to be up to par. The leafsprings will need to be replaced which shouldn't be any problem but the crossmembers are badly corroded and will need to be replaced before I can load my boat onto the trailer. I did some searches and have found both galvanized and aluminum crossmembers that will fit this trailer. The aluminum crossmembers are cheaper by about $100 total and should prevent this issue in the future but i'm worried about the strength. I tow my boat quite often and don't want any malfunctions on the highway.

Does anybody have any knowledge on this topic and can enlighten me on which crossmembers are the better choice for both strength and longevity? Don't mind paying more for the better product but don't want to waste money either.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
Hope the deal is real good if you need to replace the springs, crossmembers and maybe more it will take time and money.
Pending on the trailers and needs you can get a nice aluminum trailer for 1500 to 2000.
If you want tandom they run 22 to 2500.

Having rebuilt a few I with I would have just replaced it with the time and money into them.

.
 

Wildlifer

Old Mossy Horns
prob want to stick with aluminum to prevent any galvanic corrosion. I had an aluminum trailer with galvanized cross members and the aluminum at every cross member joint had corrosion around it. If you have to rebuild the trailer and tow it a lot I would try to either refit with torsion axles or find one with them already.
 

fowlplay'n

Twelve Pointer
Thanks guys! The trailer currently has galvanized cross members and that's why I am considering using galvanized but if aluminum will offer the same strength with less worry of corrosion and lower cost it's a no-brainer.

Mr. Gadget, I can buy and repair this trailer for less than $800 then sell my current trailer and recoup half that cost so it's well worth it to put a few hours of labor versus buying new. At least to me it is.
 

ridenismo

Six Pointer
Go aluminum as stated before. The two metals will corrode badly at their joint as stated above.

One another note:
My wells torsion axle trailer floats, which i found out yesterday at the ramp, and makes for an interesting time loading the boat. My old steel trailer sunk like a rock, little things like that have to be looked at too.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
Never seen a trailer that floats.
They are lighter and can wash in river or sound with water flow.

You may need to add some lead to it.
Is it because of the bunks being real big or what? Tube or I beam?

Most the boats i have looked at were I beam trailers and i was worried with current waching it due to the size of the I beams.
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Go aluminum as stated before. The two metals will corrode badly at their joint as stated above.

One another note:
My wells torsion axle trailer floats, which i found out yesterday at the ramp, and makes for an interesting time loading the boat. My old steel trailer sunk like a rock, little things like that have to be looked at too.
Yep, on my first Sea Ark I ordered an aluminum trailer. 90% of my launches are in rivers with pretty strong current. I found out about the floating thing and it was back to the dealer for trade in for galvanized. That was a real PITA.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
Yep, on my first Sea Ark I ordered an aluminum trailer. 90% of my launches are in rivers with pretty strong current. I found out about the floating thing and it was back to the dealer for trade in for galvanized. That was a real PITA.
I remember you saying something about it.
What brand and type?
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I don't remember the brand, pretty sure it was a FastLoad. It was an I beam trailer, tandem axle.
 

Markfromflorida

Eight Pointer
Go alum. You can add weight easily to the bunks if any trailer floats. Thru-bolt in the back of bunks.

Do some research on isolating the alum & ss bolts tho. They can corrode due to diff metals.
 

Wanchese

Twelve Pointer
Never seen a trailer that floats.
Pretty much every double or triple axle trailer aluminum I beam trailer I've had have floated and have seen a few singles that belonged to other people float. My single axle trailers are galvanized so don't have a problem with them. On the aluminum I beam trailers, adding lead will sink them.
 

Wildlifer

Old Mossy Horns
I have a triple with 2 wood bunks that floats like a cork. You have to put the trailer in the water nose the boat up on it then back it down as the boat is being pushed on it. Not a bad job with 2 people. With a small duck boat the floatations of the trailer should be a non issue. The boat should be light enough to wench up if you cant back it down any further due to it floating.
 

fowlplay'n

Twelve Pointer
Never heard of an aluminum trailer floating. Never owned a large multi-axle trailer myself, but have fished from several boats that rest on them and don't ever remember one of them floating when we launched or loaded the boat.

Again, thanks for the input on the crossmembers. Using aluminum will save me money and hopefully avoid any corrosion issues. Now it spring will just hurry up and get here so I can slide the boat off the new trailer and go after some spaniards!
 

darenative

Twelve Pointer
My tandem with wood bunks floats just enough that if you have any wave action at the ramp it will drift on ya and make loading a PITA solo.
 

bigten

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
My tandem aluminum trailer has never attempted to float. I have to get it in pretty deep to load and unload the boat in fresh and salt water, sometimes with strong currents to deal with. Guess I should feel blessed to not have that problem. I've waited and watched as many boats were put in and out of many ramps and have yet to witness a floating trailer...
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
My tandem aluminum trailer has never attempted to float. I have to get it in pretty deep to load and unload the boat in fresh and salt water, sometimes with strong currents to deal with. Guess I should feel blessed to not have that problem. I've waited and watched as many boats were put in and out of many ramps and have yet to witness a floating trailer...
Imagine my surprise when I am watching in the mirrors backing mine in. I noticed it was at 3/4 of the tire when the boat floated off so was looking in the mirrors and right at 3/4 covered I stopped. Got out of the truck and I couldn't see the trailer. I thought WTF? I ran to the back of the truck and the trailer was setting 45 degrees or better to the truck. It had fetched up on some rip rap off the side of the ramp or it would have floated even more.

I knew right then and there changes was going to have to be made. I seldom if ever frequent saltwater so I went with aluminum on a whim anyway so it was back to the dealer and traded out for galvanized.
 

Bailey Boat

Twelve Pointer
If you combine double or triple axles and big fat wooden bunks, it may float. The easy answer is to replace the wooden bunks with composite material. When I ordered my new trailer last spring that was the first thing I had the dealer do, the second was to add 2 additional bunks and the first day home I swapped the bulb powered lights and went all LED. Trailer issues solved, before they became an issue.... The boat itself is now the center of attention, completely changing interior configuration....
 

ridenismo

Six Pointer
Yup my wells is a dual axle I beam trailer, with small fat tires and two BIG 4x8in bunks covered in a plastic material. It floats with the bunks about 2 inches above water. Im on the hunt for some lead to bolt to that sucker as we speak...
 

bigten

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Imagine my surprise when I am watching in the mirrors backing mine in. I noticed it was at 3/4 of the tire when the boat floated off so was looking in the mirrors and right at 3/4 covered I stopped. Got out of the truck and I couldn't see the trailer. I thought WTF? I ran to the back of the truck and the trailer was setting 45 degrees or better to the truck. It had fetched up on some rip rap off the side of the ramp or it would have floated even more.

I knew right then and there changes was going to have to be made. I seldom if ever frequent saltwater so I went with aluminum on a whim anyway so it was back to the dealer and traded out for galvanized.

I would have been surprised also. Mine is a formed I beam tandem with aluminum tubular bunks with riveted rubber runners and a couple galvanized risers/guides at the rear. 14" tires and the heft of the thing is pretty much. Guess it has to be for the weight of the boat that can exceed 4000#'s fully loaded with equipment, fuel load and water tanks. That may very well be why mine stays on the tires at all times without any appearance of attempting to float. But, I've still not seen one that did. Just not at the ramps at the right time I guess....
 

fowlplay'n

Twelve Pointer
To follow up on my original question it turns out I can only get the crossmembers with the welded flange in galvanized. To help with corrosion I can place a small piece of aluminum channel under the u-bolts so they don't directly contact the trailer and then there's an aluminum plate that goes between the cross members and the trailer beams.

I took this project on because i thought it would be a quick easy fix and I'd have an aluminum bunk trailer to replace my current trailer for only a few hundred dollars. Well I'm $800 into this deal and I still have to replace the axle!! So it looks like I bit off more than I could chew but now I'm so invested into it that I have to finish it. On the plus side I'll have a basically brand new trailer when I'm finished.
 

Markfromflorida

Eight Pointer
I'm not sure if you already priced out axles; but I replaced mine a few years back with a torsion. It was only a few dollars more than a traditional axle/springs. Plus it adds a little more strength to my trailer. (My welded tubular crossmember is rusted bad)
 

fowlplay'n

Twelve Pointer
Yeah I'm planning to go with a torsion axle but it's more than a few dollars difference. I can replace my current axle and leaf springs for around $250 but a torsion axle is gonna be north of $400 plus another $150 for shipping for either one I choose. I'm starting to remember why I sold the last boat.
 

2boyz

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Three of us (that have too many boats) rebuild 1 or 2 trailers a year. Thoughts that may help somebody:

Aluminum to galvanized contact. Use a thin piece of plastic or teflon between the contact points. Appears to work.

Put waterproof bearing grease on lug nuts. Monitor torque. We trailer to several states and deal with tire issues. Again, monitor torque.

On ANY galvanized bolt/nut/washer on boat trailers, coat the threads with waterproof grease prior to installation.

Redneck option: When we use springs, we thoroughly coat the springs with waterproof grease and then drive/bounce the trailer down a sand/clay dirt road. Not sure that this prolongs spring life but the resulting coating is somewhat permanent.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
I thought this would turn out this way. There is alwasy more to it and that was what I found doing the same type projects.

Have you tried Eastern Marine I think it is called.
I had two axles for a camper shipped 50$ for both. They had lots better prices and easy to deal with. They are in NJ have a bunch of the factory spec parts.
 

fowlplay'n

Twelve Pointer
I thought this would turn out this way. There is alwasy more to it and that was what I found doing the same type projects.

Have you tried Eastern Marine I think it is called.
I had two axles for a camper shipped 50$ for both. They had lots better prices and easy to deal with. They are in NJ have a bunch of the factory spec parts.

Eastern marine is where I got the above price. Not much difference between them and everybody else on the axle I need. Just ordered all my hardware and that was another $150. Pretty sure my wife is gonna kill me when she see how much all this cost!
 

Dan Apple

Old Mossy Horns
. I'm starting to remember why I sold the last boat.

:) When I converted that trailer over to bunks it seemed like it was going to be a cheap deal too..... I never added up how much I spent because I didn't want to know.... one thing leads to another and before you know it.... it's probably cheaper to just buy a new trailer...
 
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