Trailer Help - Tandeem Axel vs Triple Axel

MH663

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Indian Lake, OH is where the boat resides.
Okay folks. Really need some "real" life help with this one. My dealer has their opinion but I am looking for help from the old farts so to speak. Yes, that was a joke! That is, opinions from you with multiple years of trailering experience and not necessarily older in age.


He's what I need help with. We have a 2550 GSR w/250 SHO coming in at approx. 3800 lbs. including the motor. If its full of fuel and misc. tubes, skis, etc.... I will probably be in the 4300 lbs. to 4500 lbs. range. A tandem axel comes in with a max load cap of approx. 5400 lbs. with 13" tires. A triple axel is 8500 lbs. with 14" Tires. So here's my problem; We live in Ohio and could be trailering this boat anywhere in the country...as far as AZ or FL. I am more concerned about the 13" tires than the max weight capacity. I would like to buy the brand trailer I decided on but just found out I can't get the tandem axel w/14" tires and wheels. I think the triple axel is overkill but like the 14" tires. I believe the tandem axel is built solid and will hold up just fine with the weight on it. My only issue at this time is tire/wheel sizing.


I prefer to hear opinions based on your more recent experiences. I have experience but I've been out of boating the last 20 yrs. I would like to hear some opinions on the newer trailers if you can. The thought of 13" wheels going on a 2000 mile drive one way just has me wondering. It will have brakes on two axels regardless of which one I get.


Thank you all in advance!
 
Well, the triple axle is probably overkill but if that's the only way you can get to your safe weight limit than your options are limited.  For reference, I just went and checked my trailer.  Mine is a two axle trailer, weight limit 7400 lbs. with 14" wheels/tires.  I'm sure people tow all over the place with 13" tires so in that regard I think your fine as long as they fall within the acceptable weight limits.
 
Thank you for the info Randy.
 
Little boat trailer has 10" tires on a Hoosier trailer but they are E rated.  Tow 1,200 miles to Canada yearly. Never had a tire or trailer problem for 15 years

Little boat scaled out at 3,500lb.  What I really like about the short fat tire is that the trailer has no sway.  I tow through MI at 80-85 mph for hours and it tows really well. 

Personally, I would not worry about tire size.  The load rating is the safety issue.

I would look at the Hoosiers trailers.  5,000lb capacity  dual torsion axles, I would never get a trailer with springs.  If you get disc brakes, they come with taller tires than my 10".  If I was going to tow cross county I would get E rated radial trailer tires and balance them.  

The big boat came with an under capacity trailer.    14' tires but the wheel bearing wear out, the tires rub in turns and the bunk supports are bending.  If it went any farther then storage and the 1/2 mile to the ramp, I would have to replace it.  It is dangerous on the road. 
 
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As was said earlier, the difference between 13" and 14" tires is immaterial if they are E rated trailer tires.

I might be concerned with 8", 10" or 12" tires.

A tandem with proper tires will do you just fine.
 
I have been told that rating systems for trailers has been a loosely based for decades.

Rather be at low end of scale vs the upper end and worrying.

Also, I question that a 25 ft triton is coming in that light. The motor has to be over 500lbs and yes esp spec weight may be 3298, every option on top of it adds quick.

Plus, if it's big enough, I have been looking for a trailer to rent once a year.
 
He's what I need help with. We have a 2550 GSR w/250 SHO coming in at approx. 3800 lbs. including the motor. If its full of fuel and misc. tubes, skis, etc.... I will probably be in the 4300 lbs. to 4500 lbs. range. 

My 2275 GCW with ESP and a F200XA weighed in around 5000 full of gas. You've gotta be more than that. I recently got my trailer swapped out under warranty. It was only rated for 3800 and EZ Loader gave me one rated to 5500. It's beefy and much taller with the bigger wheels. So much so that some vehicles might have issues with how far you have to put it into the water. More info on all that here: http://club.benningtonmarine.com/index.php?/topic/5515-ez-loader-customer-service-is-awesome/
 
I have been told that rating systems for trailers has been a loosely based for decades.

Rather be at low end of scale vs the upper end and worrying.

Also, I question that a 25 ft triton is coming in that light. The motor has to be over 500lbs and yes esp spec weight may be 3298, every option on top of it adds quick.

Plus, if it's big enough, I have been looking for a trailer to rent once a year.
The motor is 505 lbs. I am making an assumption that the weight listed on the build specs is based on having seats, helm, bimini etc.... Perhaps a call to B is in order.  I believe fuel is a little lighter than water but using 400 lbs. for calculating purpose.  Might be more close to 5000 lbs. than 4500 with additional accessories. 

Has anyone compared their actual boat weight to the listed weight on the website?
 
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My 2275 GCW with ESP and a F200XA weighed in around 5000 full of gas. You've gotta be more than that. I recently got my trailer swapped out under warranty. It was only rated for 3800 and EZ Loader gave me one rated to 5500. It's beefy and much taller with the bigger wheels. So much so that some vehicles might have issues with how far you have to put it into the water. More info on all that here: http://club.benningtonmarine.com/index.php?/topic/5515-ez-loader-customer-service-is-awesome/
I remember reading this a while back.  I guess the only way to be sure is to get it weighed. 
 
Thanks again for all of the input.
 
I have been told that rating systems for trailers has been a loosely based for decades.


Rather be at low end of scale vs the upper end and worrying.


Also, I question that a 25 ft triton is coming in that light. The motor has to be over 500lbs and yes esp spec weight may be 3298, every option on top of it adds quick.


Plus, if it's big enough, I have been looking for a trailer to rent once a year.
Willb, hope to see you on the lake soon since we kept playing phone tag a few months ago.
 
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Here is the reply I received from B regarding weight.

Marlon,

The approximate hull weight of a 2016 2550GSR with the ESP package is 3,298 lbs (excluding: engine, battery, fuel, water and options). Please let me know if you have additional questions. Thanks,

Yeah, I might have to reconsider the overall weight. 
 
 
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We have a 2575RCWCP with the 250 SHO. Actual total weight (with ~30 gal fuel, dual batteries, gear, etc. and including a heavy duty 2 axle trailer) is 6400 lbs. It adds up quick!
 
Keep in mind when people weigh their boat at a truck scale, it normally would include the weight of the trailer. 

The specs from Bennington do not.

So, comparing your own boat with Bennington's specs would mean unloading your boat onto the concrete scale (which no one would do) or coming back to the scale a second time after putting your boat in the water to weigh the empty trailer and do the math.

Just something to keep in mind.  Not sure everyone posting weights are stating with or without trailer.  My numbers (5100 lbs) included the trailer.
 
Mine at roughly ~5k lbs loaded was without the trailer. I didn't actually measure it separately, I just took out the listed weight of the trailer. 
 
I had a 23' GCW with a 505 lb 250 SHO. With 1/4 tank of gas (55 gal tank) my boat weight was 4680 lbs.

Truck and trailer weight was 7220.

Total weight was 11900.
 
I tow 320 miles to upstate NY almost every weekend or every other weekend in the summer/winter. I'm using a Karvan trailer with tandem axles and 14" wheels/tires. (I did that same trip for years on 10" wheels on the my snowmobile trailer). The trailer is rated at 5500lbs. You can have issues with any size tire if you don't maintain them..... air pressure, odd wear patterns, dry rot. The biggest PIA is finding a tire at midnight in the middle of nowhere. keep a spare!! tire technology has come a long way and towing on the 13" tires/wheels shouldn't be an issue. The tri-axle trailer may look cool but it's one more axle to maintain, one more set of tires to replace, one more set of tires to drag while making a U-turn, etc, plus the additional weight of the overall trailer depending on you tow vehicle. I'd stick with the tandem and worst case do some research and buy yourself a good set of tires and keep the factory ones for spares.. PS: we have 6 different trailers we tow constantly from 3000lbs to 14,000lbs. all tandems, no issues. My buddy with the tri- axle 6 place sled trailer does nothing but replace tires and work on that darn trailer!!
 
Make sure that max 'load' capacity of 5400 lbs is above the weight of the trailer itself. If not, it is too light a trailer for your boat as the boat will be close to that (loaded) itself. For the amount of trailering you plan to do, I would go heavier (we did for that same reason) but would never consider a 3 axle due to the extra potential problems and costs of that extra axle. That's just me though...

Now with 13" vs. 14", also think bearing RPMs of the smaller tires, considering the weight that will be on the bearings (you aren't hauling a couple snowmobiles)... Not saying it can't be done but wouldn't be my preference. Very weird you can't get a tandem pontoon trailer with 14" tires. Didn't think they were uncommon at all.
 
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Now with 13" vs. 14", also think bearing RPMs of the smaller tires, considering the weight that will be on the bearings (you aren't hauling a couple snowmobiles)... Not saying it can't be done but wouldn't be my preference. Very weird you can't get a tandem pontoon trailer with 14" tires. Didn't think they were uncommon at all.
I must have missed that from the OP. My new trailer is a tandem on 14's. It's most definitely an option, at least with EZ Loader. 
 
You're not going to find any E rated tires on any 13 or 14 inch tires.  It's even tough to find a heavy rated tire in 15" tires.  Go to 15" on a pontoon trailer, and the trailer frame and boat will be too high in the water to easily get the boat launched.

The problem with the trailer business, both marine and recreational vehicles, is that just about every one sold comes with inferior Chinese built ST tires.  Not one is decent quality--even the Goodyear Marathons that are junk.

In the old days, you might use a high quality 13 or 14 inch auto/truck radial tire.  But such tires are difficult to find now that no new cars/trucks use such sizes.

My favorite tire for boats remains the Maxxis M8008's (Korean) or the Kumho 857's (14" only).
 
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