What’s wrong with an aluminum boat trailer?

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TECHNICAL Contributor
Oct 3, 2006
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Wisconsin - Winnebago Pool chain of lakes
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What’s wrong with an aluminum boat trailer?

Our last two boats came with a steel trailer. I am in the process of shopping for our next boat now. Some of the boats I am looking at do not come with a trailer.

I noticed a significant price drop on aluminum boat trailers.

If Aluminum is so much less expensive, why doesn’t everyone use them?
:smt017
 
Are these trailers New or Used?
 
I wonder where you saw a price drop at? Aluminum has gone up, not down. A steel Galvinzied jet ski trailer cost me 1800. The same aluminum trailer was priced out at 2400. :grin:
 
no comparision between a steel box trailer and a I-beam aluminum one.

one will just about last forever, the other is rusting before you buy it
 
I bought my new aluminum trailer last year. The cost at the time was less than a galvanized steel one. What i liked is that it weighed less (several hundred pounds) than the steel one and carried the same amount of weight. The trailer shows like brand new and its been wet a LOT in the year ive had it.
 
I have an aluminum 2 axle and it is great. I would make sure it has a galvanized tongue not aluminum. That is a weak point. I bought my trailer as a totaled unit because the alum. tongue broke and rolled the boat and trailer. I completely refurbished it and used a galvanized tongue. I noticed all the good trailers have the same. The trailer is light which reduces the towing capacity required.

I also borrowed my friends 3 axle aluminum one year and that was good too.

Like mentioned earlier, buy now, ask later :grin:
 
RobF300 said:
no comparision between a steel box trailer and a I-beam aluminum one.

one will just about last forever, the other is rusting before you buy it
Click to expand...
Around here most trailers are Gavanized....(lot's of slatwater) but popularity of the aluminum seems to be increasing. I won't own one after watching one last year pull a 27 foot Grady out hit a pot hole and roll in just forward of the front axles. He still got the boat out but imagine the vertical sections of the I beam bending inward...and it didn't bend back. The Galvanized box lasts a long time and in my opinion won't allow this to happen and they hold up very well in the Saltwater.
 
I have 30 year old float ons, they would last forever

I think for larger heavier boats they like the steel as it wont flex as much.
 
Doug-
We had our 270 on a Great Lakes tripple axel Aluminum Trailer for years. We towed to Door County @ 70 MPH with a Ford F250. That trailer towed like a dream and the breaks were fantastic. The tripple axel alowed for very little tongue weight. Jim Johnon at Great Lakes trailer in Marinette contacted Searay and had the bunks and alighnment set perfectly four our 270.

Good luck.

Mike
 
I have a powder coated box steel trailer for my 31 (came with it) and a fixed-bunk aluminum I bought for my 26. Overall, I prefer the aluminum slightly for freshwater, and vastly for salt. But they do have to be engineered correctly, since aluminum is not as robust as steel. When made correctly, they are plenty strong and very light. I had to bolt lead ingots to the back to prevent it from floating.
 
Tell me more about the lead ingots? Do you have any pictures? My trailer floats as well and can be very tricky in windy/rough conditions. :thumbsup:
 
I just went to a metal supply house in town and bought two 65lb lead ingots. I used U brackets to bolt them to the rear crossmember.
 
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