Trailer for a 5 x 18-foot flat-bottomed skiff?

[spirit]

I'd welcome advice as to a suitable trailer (and dealer near Boston) for my five-foot wide and 18-foot long plywood flat-bottomed skiff. Boat and outboard engine weigh about 600 pounds, and my vehicle is a Subaru Forester with a towing capacity of 2000 pounds. The boat will be used in both fresh and salt water.

[Thorne]

Towing how far, how often, and what's the budget?

Unless it will only be moved a few times a year over short distances, I do NOT recommend going the cheap route with the Harbor Freight / Northern Tool utility or boat trailers -=- the bearings and steel are junk and often fail within a season or two.

Far better to buy a galvanized trailer new or used -- "Don't ask me how I know this...."

[John A. Campbell]

I'd welcome advice as to a suitable trailer (and dealer near Boston) for my five-foot wide and 18-foot long plywood flat-bottomed skiff. Boat and outboard engine weigh about 600 pounds, and my vehicle is a Subaru Forester with a towing capacity of 2000 pounds. The boat will be used in both fresh and salt water.

I am also in need of the same kind of trailer advice for my 16'4" X 5'0" flat bottom "Victor Slocum" electric inboard launch. This boat will weigh (complete w/ six 70-lb. AGM 6-volt batteries) approximately 800 pounds and will be used (in fresh water only) very infrequently during winter months but approximately 12 times during the period of April through October and the trailering distance each time will be approximately 40 miles. Towing will be with a 2004 Ford F150 Supercab. I am told that a "custom trailer" in galvanized steel would run around $1800. Any advice on this will be appreciated..........many thanks !

[SMARTINSEN]

Lots of trailers for sale on Craig's List
Check under items for sale-boats

[Saltiguy]

My experience has been that it is very hard to find a used trailer suitable for your particular purpose and if you find one, it's either junk or it's priced only slightly less than new.
I buy new, but I shop around. I just bought a brand new top quality all aluminum 4800# pound rig, with brakes, jackstand and guide-ons for $1600. The dealer had it on floor plan and was hot to sell.
I can use it for 5 years and get most of my money back.

[Thorne]

You should be able to get a stock single-axle marine trailer with galvanized steel frame and parts, oil bath bearings, and marine-grade swing-away jack for around $1000 new or $600-800 used.

Then plan on spending another $200-400 on customizing the bunks, rollers, and supports -- all depending on the hull shape and support needs of the individual boat.

[JimD]

I have a Karavan, no complaints: http://www.karavantrailers.com/boat.cfm

http://www.karavantrailers.com/images/line_drawings/images/spacer.gif

[boylesboats]

JimD,
Whats up with swing tongue? That something new to me...

[The Bigfella]

Hmmm - wish I could get those prices. We built my new trailer and the galvanizing alone cost me $1434.

I know I could've bought a cheapie trailer for $1500 though... but my newie does both my boats and can carry plywood, etc.

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff112/igatenby/trailer.jpg

[Tom Lathrop]

A trailer for a boat with a motor on the transom needs support all the way to the transom. That usually means a trailer that big for a boat of your size and weight will have load capacity much greater than you need so any trailer that fits the boat will have enough capacity. Some relief can be had in trailer length if adequate sized bunks or roller supports extend beyond the frame to under the transom. Rollers or plastic strips on the bunks can allow easier winching at the ramp which may keep the wheel bearings out of the water at some ramps. Some kind of bearing "buddy" is mandatory.

$1000 or a little more should be enough to get one though, if you shop around. By all means get galvanized, not painted steel. Aluminum can be OK but more pricey and all the running gear and fittings are still usually just steel and maybe not even galvanized. You might find a used trailer but it is difficult.

Make sure that the trailer supports (bunks or whatever) fit under some part of the boat that will not deform in time. Lots of boats ruined that way. That means chines, keel, stringers and/or, preferably, bulkheads.

One outfit I learned to stay away from is Magic Tilt.

[openboater]

like this one ?? I added a longer tongue and winch to my flatbed

boat is 18' long, 5' wide at chine, 6'wide at shear, 8hp Yammy HiThrust w/ tilt and el start

<http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww119/openboater/boats/boat2.jpg>

Just realized this is an older pic before I put the winch on a post and guides for the boat, but you get the idea.