Scary trailer... thank goodness it's not mine

Was cruising thru Ebay and saw this 2001 Crownline REPO. She's in pretty sad shape. This trailer makes me scared to buy anything along the coast.

Re: Scary trailer... thank goodness it's not mine

Wow!

Re: Scary trailer... thank goodness it's not mine

Just needs a little JB Weld and some duct tape and it'll be good as new.
Seriously though, that salt water and air eat the metal. My family had a '69 Chevy pickup they used to load boats in/out at the coast for 30 years. Sold it with 26,000 original miles and 6 months later both motor mounts snapped when the motor was started and it spun a 180 in the engine bay.

Re: Scary trailer... thank goodness it's not mine

looks like the hulled it down the road in michigans winter season for a few years salt kills everything nasty stuff.

Re: Scary trailer... thank goodness it's not mine

a picture of why dunking a trailer in salt water is a bad idea, and why a steel trailer is even worse!

I had a galvanized cross member collapse. This was a 22 year old trailer that was never ever dunked except that cross member. But I could live with a $100 part every 22 years!

I have also had a galvanized tilt trailer lose the last 4 feet of side rail, both sides--that was the only part that got dunked, too, in high salt content, though.

Re: Scary trailer... thank goodness it's not mine

I have an aluminum EZ Loader trailer. That does not mean the entire trailer is not going to rust. This year I replaced the piece that runs from the trailer to the hitch. It was made of galvanized as is the stand and a few other parts. I thought this was rare but found in the same week the shop I use had replaced two others. I had seen rust on top near the hitch and when thinking of cutting that part off found the underside much worse and far enough back to replace the entire part. I am about to order plastic fenders as the metal ones with steps are -- may as well say gone!

Re: Scary trailer... thank goodness it's not mine

I hope the reserve is not set too high.

Re: Scary trailer... thank goodness it's not mine

Painted steel trailers should be outlawed. Why a boat trailer would not be either galvanized or aluminum is beyond comprehension.

Re: Scary trailer... thank goodness it's not mine

Ad probably reads, "needs a little cleaning, but we used it all last summer ..."

Re: Scary trailer... thank goodness it's not mine

Lou C said:

Painted steel trailers should be outlawed. Why a boat trailer would not be either galvanized or aluminum is beyond comprehension.

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Outlawed??? Steel trailers in salt water are probably not the best, but painted steel trailers in fresh water can last a long long time and do. A neglected trailer of any material is a bad deal and the responsibility for the fitness for road duty is the driver's. I do at least a walk around inspection of any trailer I haul and annually do a more thorough inspection.The trailer in the first post has obviously been neglected and was probably used in salt water.

My previous boat was a 1976 Starcraft and the trailer under it was also a 1976. When I sold the boat 2 years ago the trailer was still in great shape. This boat was a midwest fresh water boat. My father's Starcraft is I believe a 1972 and it's steel trailer is in great shape too. Mine was a c-channel trailer and my fathers is a combination of c-channel and I-beam construction.

I am not a fan of closed section frames for any boat trailer and those are the ones I see the most problems with. A c-channel or I-beam frame steel trailer has the steel totally exposed and visible whereas a closed box often times rusts from the inside out. This is true for an aluminum trailer too. I've seen square tongue aluminum snowmobile trailers with the tongues corroded from the inside out due to the salt spray on the winter roads. The closed box frame can be a bit lighter, but the C-channel/I-beam has the advantage of being able to easily see any problems before they become a problem and also being able to rinse. Having said that, my current boat has a trailer with steel box tube structure and I was worried about it enough to buy a video inspection camera to check the condition of the inside of the frame. It looks good right now, but my plan is to build a new steel C-channel trailer for the boat in the next year or two.

Steel trailers are also easy to repair and finding someone who can do a weld repair on a steel trailer is a snap. Not so much for an aluminum trailer.

The bottom line is that your statement that all steel boat trailers should be outlawed is a bit ridiculous.

Re: Scary trailer... thank goodness it's not mine

I had steel trailers when living up north. No problem dunking in Lake Erie. Steel would never be considered here along the NC coast. My experience with the aluminum trailer is as you described- why does an aluminum trailer have a galvanized tongue? Had I not been preventative the extent of the damage would not have been known. Those that are not concerned of a little visable rust on any trailer may be shocked as will those 'saving a few dollars'.

Re: Scary trailer... thank goodness it's not mine

the same reason why, automotive frame members should be galvanized or electrocoated, because there is no way the inside of a plain steel trailer frame can really be protected from rust. And unlike fvehicles, boat trailers are SUPPOSED to be dipped in the water every time you use em. Painted trailers are to me in the same category as bowriders with carpet over plywood decks, cheap, low cost, short lived construction....

Re: Scary trailer... thank goodness it's not mine

All my boat trailers have been painted steel except for one that was galvanized. No problems with the rust here in Kansas as all our lakes are fresh water and we park them for the winter.

Re: Scary trailer... thank goodness it's not mine

Lou C said:

the same reason why, automotive frame members should be galvanized or electrocoated, because there is no way the inside of a plain steel trailer frame can really be protected from rust. And unlike fvehicles, boat trailers are SUPPOSED to be dipped in the water every time you use em. Painted trailers are to me in the same category as bowriders with carpet over plywood decks, cheap, low cost, short lived construction....

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Which is why i said that I don't like box construction for any trailer. A C-channel or an I-beam can absolutely be protected and inspected. You are entitled to your opinion, but there are plenty of painted steel boat trailers here in the midwest that prove they can be long lived and trouble free.