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Trailer Thoughts?

Dennis T.

Dennis T.

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East Tennessee
time to consider a trailer. my benny has never been off the lake except for service. time to travel. i have read some of yalls profiles and see some trailer options. what do you think? i have a 24' SSlx with SPS toons. i pull with a 2012 5.3L silverado or possibly a 2015 Infiniti that rates more tow wt. than the truck. i have never owned a trailer so ease of use is very important to me, the getting the boat on and off the trailer is what i mean by that. thanks in advance.
 
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Definitely disc brakes on at least one axle and both if it's in your budget. LED lighting so you won't need to unplug the harness and this allows the reverse braking lockout solenoid to engage. Without a reverse signal to the trailer you have to insert a metal key to disable the surge brakes from engaging while backing up. Built in front ladder a must have. Anti slip pads where you stand on the trailer while loading (learned the hard way). Loading guides I don't have but some on this site really like them. I looked at a lot of trailers in the Michigan area and I thought the Mid-America was one of the best made but my dealer was unable to get it in time. I ended up with a Phoenix tandem that I am really happy with and they will customize the color to match your Benny. I'm sure others will chime in with other brands that are good also. I don't hit saltwater so painted is sufficient for me. My buddy has a folding tongue option on his and it's pretty slick when you have a short driveway or are trying to fit in a pole barn.
 
Mid America here. Otherwise, I agree with H2GO. I'll add three sets of bunks & steel belted radial tires, 13" minimum. Like anything else, in/out takes practice practice, practice. I don't use guides but can see where they could come in handy with wind & waves.
https://midamericatrailer.com/
 
I have a genesis with twin axles, drum brakes on one axle, 12" tires and just towed 1300 miles with no problem.
 
I'll post the OverKill-Trailer reply: We have a 2575RL with 5.0L Mercury I/O (tritoon). Big boat. Heavy Boat, especially when loaded up including 61 gal. of gas. I bought it used from my Sister-in-Law, so we had to get a trailer. We don't live on a lake, so it will be trailered 100% of the time, and the closest lake we'll go to is 1 hr. away. I wouldn't be surprised if we put 2000 miles or more per year on the boat trailer with repeated load/unload up/down boat ramps. I took to heart what I read in the Midamerica website about the difference frame structure and strength makes in trailer durability. Lots of good common-sense info on that website.

We also have a 30 ft Airstream with twin axles (8,000 lbs, 32' LOA), so we are familiar with pulling moderately large rigs, and we've learned we don't like trailer sway AT ALL (especially when my co-pilot is driving)!

So, I researched trailers a lot.

Manufacturer: Decided to get the Midamerica Heavy Duty. The Midamerica website had so much good common-sense info that I decided I could trust them - and, its one of the favorites on this forum also. Heavy duty is probably overkill for smaller boats, and for those who don't trailer far.

Wheels: I upgraded to 14" wheels. I don't like little wheels on trailers because common sense just tells you its a bad idea for long high-speed trips in hot weather. In the picture of the Airstream below, those are 14' rims with Goodyear Marathon trailer tires which I've since upgraded to 16' rims with Michelin truck tires.

Axles: I got triple axle in the hope of reducing trailer sway - we have a $3k Hensley anti-sway hitch on the Airstream that works wonders, but those won't work on a boat trailer with compression brakes. While I've only towed this boat about 500 miles so far, most of that was on highways and I can definitely say that there is absolutely no sway issue with this rig when big trucks pass us. Is it because of the triple axles? I don't know for sure. The third axle may be a little bit of overkill for this boat, and would definitely be so for smaller boats - but I'm really glad I have it given the relatively small incremental cost.

Brakes: I have disc brakes on four of the six wheels. Years ago, I converted the Airstream from magnetic drum to electric/hydraulic disc and feel much safer (especially going over 12,000 ft mountain passes!). Disc brakes is the only way to go if you're going to be travelling far and fast.

Ladder: if you will be towing most of the time, a ladder is a must, as mentioned by H2GO. Its the only way to get into the boat, unless you want to carry around a big step ladder!

Compression Hitch Coupler: I strongly recommend the electronic lock-out for backing up (5-pin hookup). Otherwise, you'll be constantly jumping in and out of your truck to install the brake lock-out key for when you are backing up.

Loading Guides: I'm new to loading/unloading a boat onto a trailer. For the very first loading on the trailer, the four guides weren't yet installed (see pics below) and I struggled to get the boat onto the trailer in calm water and a moderate side-wind. I don't know how much of that effort was due to being a newbie, but now that I've installed the guides, it seems to be a lot easier even under more difficult wind/wave situations.

Tow Vehicle: We tow with a 5.0L F150 4x4. I wouldn't use anything smaller on a rig this size. Having an appropriately sized tow vehicle will definitely impact your towing experience. As we say on the Airstream user forum, you can tow the biggest Airstream with a VW Beetle... but stopping it or controlling will be a problem!

Some other interesting info: With the boat loaded and the stern drive in trailer configuration, the rig is 36' exactly from ball to prop (my Chief Mate is wondering why she should be towing the boat when I'm towing the (shorter) Airstream....). I've also noticed that the boat tows really differently than the Airstream. The Airstream double-axles are about 60% of the way back from the hitch, while the boat axles are 75-80% of the way back. This results in the boat turning much more inside the truck than the Airstream does, so we have to swing wide and take two lanes to turn - more like 18-wheelers - otherwise we clip curbs, stop signs, pedestrian's toes, etc. :eek:

Regrets: I wish I had gotten the galvanized version, although its a lot more expensive. Maybe a couple of times per year we hope to launch in saltwater or brackish water south of Houston, and I like my equipment pristine, so I'm worried about corrosion. :( Any comments from folks who know more about this than I do?

It seems to me that most of the folks on this forum don't tow very far, often to the same lake or marina, and often just in spring and fall. As it points out on the Midamerica site, they can get away with a much less expensive trailer. The one I got cost $5250, but that's a fraction of the value of the boat its carrying!

11232 (1).jpeg
This is my Chief Mate... she's my Co-Pilot when we're driving the Airstream!

playmemoriesonline_1520367653037.jpg
Just delivered last fall... guides not yet installed

playmemoriesonline_1520367604861.jpg

Airstream in Colorado.jpg
Just to highlight the axle location I mentioned above...
 
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We don’t have a trailer, and it will probably be some time before we get one - lake cottage houses our boat. We talk of getting one when we retire to go to other lakes, take the boat on vacation, etc... Thanks for the detailed trailer post - future food for thought for us. I love the heavy duty nature and features of your trailer and set up. Looks and sounds like it is top notch quality.
 
All above is good advice. I have the MagicTilt dual axle aluminum with this one, and the MagicTilt single axle aluminum with the first boat, which was the Benny 20' pontoon.

You stated that you've never owned a trailer. I'm not sure whether that means that you've never pulled a trailer or not, but if it means you've never used a trailer, please, please, please get out and practice in an open parking lot before going to the ramp. There is a lot that can happen at the ramp to yourself and to others. You want to be able to handle with confidence.
Don't back down on top of any algae, moss, or anything else that will create a slippery slope right into the water with your tow vehicle.

Please forgive if this is not your situation, but just reading the post, that is what I came up with as a possibility.
 
Overkill not needed but a great trailer by all means. I mean really nice. What I've had for 10 years is a galvanized EZ-Loader with Reliable brand wet bearings, single axle surge brakes. Works great. Make sure brakes stay adjusted. I added UHMW plastic when I replaced the bunks. Makes loading much easier. Recently replaced original Marathons with Maxxis M8008 tires. Trailer hauls our 2577RFSi (2007)
 
Hey Tin Diesel, We keep our boat at Lake Conroe most of the time but spend a week or two in Navarre Florida with the boat in the water a full week at a time. After we load it back up on the trailer we wash it and the trailer down really good. It helps now that we do not have carpeted bunks (1/2" UHMW atop treated pine). When we get it back to the lake, we run it really good in fresh water.
 
Thanks drago! We plan to take it to Orange Beach once a year, plus occasionally down to Clear Lake and maybe a couple of places in Matagorda Bay. I figure I'll go straight to a pull-thru self-serve car wash afterward and spray it down.
 
Randy, I appreciate the advice about ramp risks! I watched a couple of good YouTube videos about ramp etiquette and how to launch & retrieve. We've done pretty well so far - with a minimum of yelling!

The YouTube videos about ramp failures with tow vehicles ending up in the water are especially worth watching!!!

We always engage 4x4 Low before going down the ramp.
 
I like Tin Diesel's advice with just one addition: torsion axles will ride smoother with less sway which means Road King Trailers will require you to buy an aluminum trailer because the torsion axle is not an option for galvanized.

Spoliedrotten's advice about practice is also wise.

Likewise, his advice about keeping your wheels on dry pavement is also PRUDENT (wrote a boater who nearly dunked his trailer mounted Zodiac dive boat in the water behind his 1976 VW Bus in Newport, Rhode Island......clutch and gas went fine, spinning wheels on a slippery slope...close call).

Nowadays, I tow with a 4X4, esp while backing and on ANY BOAT RAMP. Plus, 4X4 provides much more "ganularity" in slight movements.

Trailering means that we have boated the west coast from San Diego to Esquimalt, BC (launched in Seattle), down the Mississippi (in our first pontoon a Bass Tracker 24 circa 1990), and the east coast from Key West to Newport, Rhode Island. Thanks to the USN, we have trailered cross country 3 times and thanks to Airstream, we have trailered to Burning Man twice. Before we could afford a proper tow vehicle, I've burned up two motors and three transmissions (and that includes going thru 2 VWs, 4 Suburbans till we landed on Ford Expedition #2).

We plan to trailer this Bennington to selectively complete "The Loop."

One final recommendation: your rear view mirrow just became OBE the moment you hooked up. Go buy a wireless back up camera system so you can see behind you. Now pulling out to pass or making a quick lane change because the exit ramp requires you to be in the other lane is much safer, not to mention that backing up is now also MUCH EASIER.

I plan to mount mine on the right rear boarding guide poll and wire it to the running lights. That means you can power up the remote camera by simply turning on your head lights. Towing with them on is a good idea anyway. The receiver unit plugs into the formerly known as "cigarette lighter hole" (nowadays "accessory power?") and once "paired" you are good to go from then on.

Have trailer, will travel.
 
Dennis T. said:
time to consider a trailer. my benny has never been off the lake except for service. time to travel. i have read some of yalls profiles and see some trailer options. what do you think? i have a 24' SSlx with SPS toons. i pull with a 2012 5.3L silverado or possibly a 2015 Infiniti that rates more tow wt. than the truck. i have never owned a trailer so ease of use is very important to me, the getting the boat on and off the trailer is what i mean by that. thanks in advance.
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Like others have said...... Practice makes perfect!

The best and most valuable advice I have ever received as far as backing a boat trailer. When we got our first boat/trailer back in the early 90's I took it down to the local supermarket parking lot to practice before taking it to a real ramp. An elderly gentleman was watching me and he waved me over. He told me to put my hand at the bottom of the steering wheel at the 6:00 position. Whichever way you want the trailer to go........is the direction your hand goes. Simple, simple, simple advice that I will never forget and it made backing that trailer up so easy!
 
I’ve taught that same method to numerous people who had never backed a trailer befor ((or were just not very good at it:))
 
Great advice, thanks to all. alot to take in. not 100% new to trailers but not an every year user so i will practice. The Silverado is 4x4 so that helps on ramps per yall's advice. Thanks for all the topics, i will need to research some like the compression hitch cover. I think i get it: when backing it thinks you are braking so it locks the brakes. Right now looks like we will not move this summer but i still want to travel with the boat so more to come. again great info and pics, THANKS!!!
 
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