scissor type pontoon trailer

daveywonder

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Feb 21, 2012
Messages
38
I am towing a 20 ft pontoon on a older hoosier scissor type trailer with new tires and wheels...single axle...about 400 miles, and will strap the boat to the trailer in afew places......Is this a safe way to hall this outfit. plan to get a drive-up trailer later.
 

MH Hawker

Vice Admiral
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
5,516
it should work fine with the exception of sharp turns, those have a habit of tipping over but on a straight pull it works fine
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
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Jul 23, 2011
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47,297
Just take corners slow. I love scissor trailers as they basically print money around lakes in the north?
 

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
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Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,758
I've used both styles of pontoon trailers and never come even close to an issue with a scissor style. Is it my trailer of choice? No. But that should not prevent anyone from using one if they are reasonably responsible drivers and have ever towed a trailer more than a mile. Take a 35 MPH curve at 45 - 50 MPH and you will be looking for someone to patch the hole in the tube.They are especially nice if the ramps one uses most often happen to be shallow.and they also work well to unload the boat on dry land.
 

WaterDR

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
May 8, 2012
Messages
730
I have owned both. Cantilever trailers are so much more versatile when launching in shallow water. You can launch without ever getting your tow vehicle tires in the water. Also, they sit lower which I think makes them easier to tow. They are also easier to store when empty. Take up a lot less space.

Downsides? Narrow wheel base and thus need to be careful in turns. My wife actual hates it because it's "mechanical". Also, need to watch curbs and strapping down boat is less intuitive than a bunk trailer.
 

H20Rat

Vice Admiral
Joined
Mar 8, 2009
Messages
5,199
I have owned both. Cantilever trailers are so much more versatile when launching in shallow water. You can launch without ever getting your tow vehicle tires in the water. Also, they sit lower which I think makes them easier to tow. They are also easier to store when empty. Take up a lot less space.

Downsides? Narrow wheel base and thus need to be careful in turns. My wife actual hates it because it's "mechanical". Also, need to watch curbs and strapping down boat is less intuitive than a bunk trailer.


First time I've ever heard of a scissor trailer as being easier to tow! I personally hated towing mine more than a couple miles to the ramp. Despite the obvious problem that you could tip the whole thing over with a gust of wind, you also have to watch out for dragging the tubes on the ground. My scissor trailer, like many of them, did not have a walking beam axle either. So it had to be perfectly level, and even then it would abuse the tires. (was always painful to watch the front set of tires when someone backed over the top transition of the ramp. 100% of the weight would be on only 1 set of tires, well past their rated load.)
 

WaterDR

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
May 8, 2012
Messages
730
First time I've ever heard of a scissor trailer as being easier to tow! I personally hated towing mine more than a couple miles to the ramp. Despite the obvious problem that you could tip the whole thing over with a gust of wind, you also have to watch out for dragging the tubes on the ground. My scissor trailer, like many of them, did not have a walking beam axle either. So it had to be perfectly level, and even then it would abuse the tires. (was always painful to watch the front set of tires when someone backed over the top transition of the ramp. 100% of the weight would be on only 1 set of tires, well past their rated load.)

Yea....that's not what I really meant. Was thinking that it sits lower so may have less wind resistance. But yes...bunk trailers are easier to tow.

That said, I do t worry about my cantilever trailer much. I just tow and go.
 
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