Trailer for 18' seacraft

[rayhawk]

Hi guys, I am getting a new trailer for my 1978 18' seacraft. I had a tandem setup that I am replacing, but am unsure of the appropriate weight rating I should get on the axles. The standard tandem setup is 4000lb capacity. Does anybody see any issues with this? I figure the boat must weigh around 2500, but that is just an estimate, never had it weighed. I am running a Mercury 150hp carb V6 and a 54 gallon tank. Any idea if I am close on the weight, and either way, is this too much trailer? Should I get 1500lb springs instead (3000lb total)? I like the idea of having some extra capacity but don't want to get so carried away as to have an unsafe rig. Oh and here is a pic of my boat.

[Blue197320]

thats a nice looking boat.

[Fr. Frank]

Remember that trailers are rated by their Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, which includes the weight of the trailer. So to figure how much you can carry, you need to deduct the weight of the trailer.

My current 1992 TSBV1921-42 MagicTrail is rated for 4200 GVWR, and the trailer weighs 930 lbs, giving me a net carrying capacity of 3270 net lbs as originally equipped. However, the only difference between my trailer and the same trailer rated for 5400 lbs was the tires, and factory brakes. The 5400 lb trailer came with brakes, and load-range D tires, where mine came without brakes, and load range C tires. All other parts interchange on the parts sheet. Needless to say, I upgraded to load-range D tires.

If I were buying a new trailer, I would buy this:
Single-axle aluminum with net capacity of 3500lb, drive-on style trailer with recycled plastic bunks, hydraulic disc brakes, and auto-latching bow hook.

My 20' Seafari hull is 1800 lbs, main motor is 400lbs, kicker motor 80 lbs, fuel 200lbs (up to 400lbs for going 100 miles offshore), fishing & camping equipment up to 350lbs, two spare tires totaling 90 lbs, etcetera.

Single axle is also easier to tow, much easier to back and maneuver, costs much less for tires and maintenance over the life of the trailer, and in most states costs less on toll roads.

This Magic Trail XP2D35 H78X15D aluminum trailer costs $2200, has a GVWR of 4100lbs, but only weighs 600lbs, giving a net 3500lb capacity, and will carry hulls from 18-20'. Stainless disc-type surge brakes are a $500 option, not standard.

[Greno]

i have that magic trail trailer for my 18. it is great, but in my opinion it needs a stronger axle as it is hell on the inside of the tires

[rayhawk]

Thanks for the advice. I ended up getting a basic replacement for what I had. It is a dual 1500lb axle setup aluminum bunk style trailer. My old one was too far gone once you added up all the parts and labor to be worth fixing. The new one has all stainless hardware and aluminum structure, so it should last a very long time. $2000 for the whole deal, no brakes though. I don’t want the extra hassle. I will post some pics once I get it back.

As for the single axle, I wanted to go with a dual as in my experience it is awful nice to have that spare axle to fall back on if something breaks, as you can usually limp home on the other one. You are probably right that a single axle has some benefits but I just like the added durability. It was only $200 more than the single axle, so I went for the dual.

[rayhawk]

Here she is on the new trailer. I am very happy and hopefully don't have to think about the trailer for a long time. Lots of aluminum and stainless on this trailer, just springs tires and bunks to go bad.