25 Seafari...55mph

[seafari25]

...My Sceptre, has a dry hull weight of 2800#..

I'm affraid my old hull isn't very dry anymore

The rover is rated for pulling 7800#, 600# less than the Tahoe, but my reason for not wanting to tow that far with it is, she drinks high test like you wouldn't believe when towing something half the size I wont be going very fast, lets put it that way...

[seafari25]

I'll have to get a brake controller for the rover and take her to a scale, maybe next summer. I'll definitely let you know if I do it.

From what I gather, my trailer is a little light if I want to tow it fully loaded but I'm glad I have the 1000 or so # of play by emptying her out. My longest trip will probably be to the scale

I really appreciate the input guys
Brandon

[cdavisdb]

Old thread, but some new information. With my Owens 7000 lb bunk trailer and a 24 Seabird, I had no trailer problems and only a few tire problems in 10 years. After I switched to a 25 Seafari, same trailer, I started having tire problems, a lot. The Seafari is only a little heavier than the Seabird, but holds more gear and gas. Tire rating was above the trailer rating, so I figured to be ok. Apparently not so. I did some research and discovered that you should reduce the tire capacity rating by 10 percent for twin axles and 10 percent more for 65 mph. Put all that together and I was way under size on the tires. Went to 10,000 lb rated bias ply tires and have had no problems since.

[shana]

thanks for info boat not done yet no time george

[FishStretcher]

I just hauled a 25 foot Seafari 175 miles. I have an older F250 2WD turbo diesel with probably 700lbs in the bed to counterweight the heavy diesel on a long bed extra cab truck. It has 215 HP and 3.53 rear axle ratio and the E4OD trans. I wish it was a '99 with wastegated turbo and 4R100(?) trans. I am thinking I might need 4.11 rear gears for the boat ramp- I definitely need a limited slip. Truck is 8800lb GVWR, and it has a new 10,000 lb receiver and hitch. I would recommend at least this much power and truck to haul any long distance.

The trailer is rated at 6200 pounds net, 7975 gross- a galvanized bunk trailer with non working surge brakes on the front axle. Wheels and tires are 205 wide, D load rated on 14" rims, 6 bolt. I noticed that the previous owner who hauled maybe a mile each way declined fixing a spring on the trailer. I noticed this in the receipts after I got home...

I hauled on roads that were barely above freezing at 60-65MPH. I think one broken spring overloaded the front axle/tires a bit as they were warmish (110-120F) when I pulled over. So they were 90F above ambient, and steaming with snowmelt. Rear tires and truck tires weren't 70F. Bearings were new and stone cold.

I definitely need brakes (thinking disc/ electromagnetic, if that is an option), and have to address the axle loading issue. I want to investigate better tires as well. I think towing this in August would have resulted in a tire failure.

[Bushwacker]

Originally Posted by FishStretcher

. . . I definitely need brakes (thinking disc/ electromagnetic, if that is an option), and have to address the axle loading issue. . .

The electromechanical brakes like they use on RV type trailers are not an option if you're gonna dunk the trailer!

Surge brakes work pretty well if you use silicone fluid (DOT 5) in them, since it doesn't absorb moisture and rust the brake cylinders like conventional DOT 3 or DOT 4 fluid. The only disadvantage with them is they'll come on when you coast going down hill, so could be a problem if you towed in the mountains, but that's not a problem in Florida! Also, if you run disk instead drum brakes, (and you want SS disk brakes on a trailer that will be dunked!) they'll also come on when you back up, so you need a valve between the actuator and brake line to shut them off so you can back up! I use a manual valve since I normally get out of truck anyway to drop the tailgate when backing up so I can see the trailer tires, but they also make solenoid valves that tie into your backup lights to shut off the brakes when you hit reverse. I have enough trouble just keeping the lights working without one more wire to worry about!

There is another more expensive option (about $2-3K more than surge brakes), electric OVER hydraulic brakes, which uses an electric motor to power the hydraulic system. One advantage is it can apply the brakes when you're backing down the ramp. It requires a trailer brake controller mounted in the truck, which feeds current to the actuator as a function of how hard you're applying the truck brakes. These actuators also have a way to apply the trailer brakes alone, which could help stabilize a trailer that started to fishtail. There is a real good article on them in the winter issue of the BoatUS Trailering magazine: http://www.boatus.com/trailerclub/ma...ulicBrakes.asp
Denny

[FishStretcher]

These are all good thoughts. I just got my first trailer with brakes 2 years ago. The lockout is unreliable, but otherwise they are ok for a 20 footer on a trailer. Iuse SS safety wire to hold the reverse lockout in place.

I have a friend who likes the electromagnet brakes for use on boat trailers, as they are potted and have fewer moving parts, he says. He owned a trailer shop for a while, for whatever that is worth.

But looking at the Redneck Trailer website, I can't find electromagnet disc brakes, so I might be chasing unicorns...

Maybe I will just convert this to surge SS disc brakes an call it good. But I swear fixing a trailer costs 10x what buying one does. Hills aren't a real problem. We have them, but brakes on hills isn't a bad thing. It isn't an issue with the 20 footer.

I will have to change brake fluid. I have Castrol GT Low Moisture Absorbency now.

Originally Posted by Bushwacker

The electromechanical brakes like they use on RV type trailers are not an option if you're gonna dunk the trailer!

Surge brakes work pretty well if you use silicone fluid (DOT 5) in them, since it doesn't absorb moisture and rust the brake cylinders like conventional DOT 3 or DOT 4 fluid. The only disadvantage with them is they'll come on when you coast going down hill, so could be a problem if you towed in the mountains, but that's not a problem in Florida! Also, if you run disk instead drum brakes, (and you want SS disk brakes on a trailer that will be dunked!) they'll also come on when you back up, so you need a valve between the actuator and brake line to shut them off so you can back up! I use a manual valve since I normally get out of truck anyway to drop the tailgate when backing up so I can see the trailer tires, but they also make solenoid valves that tie into your backup lights to shut off the brakes when you hit reverse. I have enough trouble just keeping the lights working without one more wire to worry about!

There is another more expensive option (about $2-3K more than surge brakes), electric OVER hydraulic brakes, which uses an electric motor to power the hydraulic system. One advantage is it can apply the brakes when you're backing down the ramp. It requires a trailer brake controller mounted in the truck, which feeds current to the actuator as a function of how hard you're applying the truck brakes. These actuators also have a way to apply the trailer brakes alone, which could help stabilize a trailer that started to fishtail. There is a real good article on them in the winter issue of the BoatUS Trailering magazine: http://www.boatus.com/trailerclub/ma...ulicBrakes.asp
Denny

[cdavisdb]

Check the weight limit on the tires. D range is what you want, but what weight limit? If you pull the boat fast and a long way, total 10,000 lbs is a good idea. I had some C rated,1870 lb capacity (total 7480 lbs) that apparently were not enough for this boat.

Owens recommends stainless hydraulic disc brakes by Deemaxx. Given who they are, that should be good advice.

I looked at the tire placement on your boat relative to hull length. Looks to be within an inch or so of mine, maybe less, should be fine if you fix the spring issues.