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Hello everyone. I just purchased a 13' self bailer and I'm trying to figure out the best and most reasonable option for a trailer.
If anyone has a trailer builder who they recommend or has made some modifications to a utility trailer that works great, I'd love to hear what you have to say.
thanks again,
Jimmy James
im going to be in the same situation as your shortly, and most guys these days are buying the trailers from harbor freight and putting a deck on them. saves you about $500 from my estimate....
Think a little bigger. There's a 2 man Outcast pontoon on a trailer on Craigslist in Cameron Park for $700. If the boat is in good shape and it's in the Ferrari series, it might be worth.....$700. The trailer then is yours. I posted the link on this site and another, and decided to tell the guy I did and hoped it was OK. He shot back a nice thank you note and said he really needed to sell it as he is moving and has no where to store it. That should give a clue to his willingness to listen to something even less.
Look at Craigslist for a 12' boat with a trailer for $1000 or less. A 12' boat is often cartoppable. Strip the boat and any accessories off the trailer and re-sell them. You can recoup a part of your purchase and should be into a good trailer for $500 ish.
One problem with the Harbor Freight trailers is that they often have small wheels. You really need 12" minimum if you're going to travel on the freeway much distance. Take a look at Lowe's utility trailers for around $700. Also, Pacific Trailers. Or, see if you can have one built. Often they are very little if any more if you find a hungry shop.
Trailer work is pretty easy, but parts can be hard to find. I just did some mods on mine and used parts intended for something completely different. Shipwreck Marine on Folsom Blvd can be a great resource for used parts if you're willing to do some retrofitting, and can weld or have access to a decent welder.
I've only seen this one at shows, but it looks good:
http://www.trailwater.com/
I have a MS trailers raft trailer. The Guy is in Molalla OR so it is a bit of a drive for you to get one but worth it. His trailer was about a grand cheaper than anything else on the market. He does have some dealers in sothern or northern ca. So give him a call. I use to have a fish craft trailer which is basically the lowes trailer that has had some modifications done to it to convert it to a raft trailer. The lowes trailers have a spring axle on them and your boat and everything in them gets the crap beat out of them on dirt roads because what you are hauling is to light for the springs. Try to find a trailer with torsion axles.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...1/IMG_1351.jpg
Thanks everyone. I'm going to contact MS metalworks in OR right now. That's a great looking trailer Shawn.
Jimmy James
Tomco Trailers built mine for the 12' Metalhead that George just sold in another thread. They do beautiful work and were very reasonable. They are in Grass Valley. I'd get something from them to look at as well. Although the Oregon drift boat trailer builders have a great reputation as they do for frames, this is a very simple requirement without much weight or stress, unless you plan to travel on some really bad roads, and if so the Harbor Freight trailer is not an option. The premier drift boat builder in Oregon used to be Baker Trailers, I believe in Springfield. I think they may have handed the business down to the kids,not sure, but you do see their trailers around and they are first rate as well.