Trailer shopping

[Capt Chuck]

Now if you want to make that trailer Gucci and keep it long time, get yourself some "Tef-Gel". Back off all the stainless bolts and hardware that touch the aluminum frame and apply the gel as instructed

[uncleboo]

I bought a Road King aluminum float on last June. It had the stainless fasteners and torsion axle, but, wood bunks. I had to get the factory to send me some longer brackets to get it set up properly, but, after getting everything adjusted, I love it. It has the Vortec spindle/hub assemblies which carry a 100,000 mile warranty and no maintenance.

[bumpdraft]

While I agree that different ramps can make a difference on which trailer to choose and that a good roller trailer does not require immersion into the water, I don't see the need to have a second person with the float-on. Many times, I have launched and loaded both my old 18 and my current 23 by myself. I used to just hop off the boat and onto the dock, after powering the boat on the trailer. I don't "hop" as well anymore, but I think I could still load the boat without having someone drive the truck out.
As far as dealing with cross winds and current, I would think the roller trailer would be harder without someone pulling on a stern line to keep the boat straight.
When I have someone with me that knows how to back a trailer, I am moving the boat towards the trailer as it gets to the water. It then generally takes less than a minute to have the boat out of the water.
I watched three guys take about 15 minutes getting their boat loaded on a roller trailer that they used as a float-on type. After taking all that time, the boat was crooked on the trailer.

[gofastsandman]

Originally Posted by uncleboo

I bought a Road King aluminum float on last June. It had the stainless fasteners and torsion axle, but, wood bunks. I had to get the factory to send me some longer brackets to get it set up properly, but, after getting everything adjusted, I love it. It has the Vortec spindle/hub assemblies which carry a 100,000 mile warranty and no maintenance.

Whaaaat? 100K on a salt water trailer?

[Bushwacker]

Originally Posted by bumpdraft

. . . As far as dealing with cross winds and current, I would think the roller trailer would be harder without someone pulling on a stern line to keep the boat straight. . .

It depends how well you have the trailer set up. I added a couple of keel rollers to the aft X-member which have a notch in the center that keep the boat centered until the 16 rollers on the back contact the hull and start lifting it off the keel rollers. If you look closely at the outer rollers in the second picture in previous post of boat coming on trailer, the outer rollers are right next to the outer step, so they do a very good job of guiding the boat on straight every time regardless of wind or current.

I used to have some side rollers (shown below) to force it on straight and even had 'em raised about 12" to contact the rub rail, but I took 'em off after discovering I didn't need 'em once I got the outer rollers adjusted correctly. However I still have those side rollers, so if anybody wants them let me know!

[uncleboo]

Originally Posted by gofastsandman

Whaaaat? 100K on a salt water trailer?

That's what I said!
That's the hubs mind you.

[Bushwacker]

Originally Posted by gofastsandman

Whaaaat? 100K on a salt water trailer?

FYI - to understand Sandy's reply, you have to understand that he's used to only getting about 100 miles on his hubs before they overheat and the Bearing Buddys fall off!

[bumpdraft]

Wow! I didn't even know boat trailers came with odometers. They have come a long way since I last bought a trailer twenty four years ago. Really, its not the mileage that gets you as much as the age. If the warranty says 100,000 miles, or three years, it will probably be the three years, unless your traveling long distance every weekend.

[FLexpat]

100,000 mi or 6 years
http://www.discountmarinesupplies.co...cwIaAppS8P8HAQ

[gofastsandman]

Originally Posted by Bushwacker

FYI - to understand Sandy's reply, you have to understand that he's used to only getting about 100 miles on his hubs before they overheat and the Bearing Buddys fall off!

Hahaha

Glad I didn't hit anyone!

I gots me some new 4500 lb torsion axles w posi lubes

They are sandy proof.
Rides like a magic carpet