Can I buy a trailer online?

[Country Dirt Kid]

Sure I could buy a trailer from my local dealer, Teds Boatarama, but i'm just going to be paying Ted for clicking the mouse. Is there a place to buy trailers online? I do this with everything. I tap the screen and it shows up at the door. Then again Ted knows who in the business can actually build a trailer. He also knows who to complain to when its not right. What would you do? By the way, never buy a Samsung fridge.

 

[Horigan]

I buy local whenever I can.

 

[Earl Cordova]

It is worth the money to have Ted be responsible for any problems.

 

[redneck joe]

It is worth the money to have Ted be responsible for any problems.

This

 

[tpenfield]

Since I am Ted . . . I'd say make sure the person/company that you are buying from is legitimate and not the type of scam that just takes your money.

According to Google . . .
"Online trailer sales scams are common, primarily on platforms like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. Scammers often use low prices and fake listings to trick buyers into sending money via irreversible payment methods for items that do not exist."

Often, you can buy trailers from local dealers online, or at least start the process.

I bought my tri-axle trailer online, followed up with a phone call or 2. Paid the deposit with a CC and the rest in cold hard cash when I picked the trailer up. (3 week build/ship cycle)

 

[aspeck]

I will agree with others, buy local when possible. Make sure you are buying a real trailer from a real person. It is worth the $100 extra you might pay. If the online is cheaper than $100 then you really have to wonder if it is real …

 

[tphoyt]

I also buy local when I can and hope to support my local community and help Ted feed his family into the future so Ted Jr can have a future.
Ted will also be just a phone call away if you should have any problems in the future.
If you were Ted would you prefer that people shopped online and put you and your family out in the cold?

 

[dingbat]

Had the part number of the exact trailer I wanted.
Shopped price on-line and locally.
Local dealer had to order the trailer.
Found the trailer in stock at an Out of State dealer, 1.5 hours away
Saved $400 and 3 weeks driving 3 hrs. to pick it up.

 

[rolmops]

Had the part number of the exact trailer I wanted.
Shopped price on-line and locally.
Local dealer had to order the trailer.
Found the trailer in stock at an Out of State dealer, 1.5 hours away
Saved $400 and 3 weeks driving 3 hrs. to pick it up.

That was still Fred.
The good thing about going very local is that you can drive up to, sit down with him and explain exactly what your needs are. If your local guy knows his business he might suggest something that fits your needs better and help you get what best fits your needs. It always helps.

 

[dingbat]

T

That was still Fred.
The good thing about going very local is that you can drive up to, sit down with him and explain exactly what your needs are. If your local guy knows his business he might suggest something that fits your needs better and help you get what best fits your needs. It always helps.

Have patronized the local business 30 years now. A parts supply house second to none, but they where trying to sell me what they had, not what I wanted. Wanted another $225 to fit the boat to the trailer.

Turns out, the out of State dealer sold my boat/trailer combo when new.
Nice guys....
Had a copy of the trailer setup for the boat in the files. Through in the bunk alignment for N/C

 

[Scott Danforth]

You can buy anything you want on-line.

I prefer to put my hands on things before I spend money

Plus the local guy will set the trailer up for you

 

[airshot]

What is the definition of local ? A weekend getaway is local for me, no problem driving a few hundred miles to get what I want. When you buy online....is it assembled ? Shipping costs can be a deal killer. Years back, I did buy a small boat trailer kit on line. All galvanized, 1000# capacity, did not include a winch, but a nice little trailer for my rowboat. Spent a whole day putting it together....would want to do that at my age today !

 

[Jeff J]

Some of the dealers are scammers. I had a boat trailer stolen at the boat ramp while out fishing. I spent the next day looking for a new trailer. One boat dealer wanted $2500 for a new trailer. Another offered the same trailer to me for $1500 if I didn’t mind picking it up at the factory. $1750 if they went and got it and I could wait a couple of days. I was kind of in a hurry so I spent a day on the road.

 

[Jeff J]

Oh yeah, The dealer I bought the boat from set up the trailer wrong (boat was sitting on the floor when I bought it). The bunks weren’t supporting the transom and the straps and the transom saver wouldn’t fit right. I didn’t figure it out until I had to rig the new trailer.

The same dealership told me there wasn’t a torque value for installing the propeller.

 

[matt167]

I bought a trailer from a local marine shop cheaper new than I could have refurbished a used one into shape. He discounted it heavily for me. It was well below MSRP and anything comparable too.

 

[Grub54891]

Buy local. A friend bought one online and it arrived looking ok. After a month it was surface rust all over it. He inquired about that and they said it comes with primer paint only, you have to paint it the color you prefer! I bought mine from the local L&M fleet, powder coated and it’s been fine for six years.

 

[Jeff J]

Definitely worth shopping around different dealers. The two I talked to about buying a trailer were about an hour and a half drive from me in different directions. The dealer I bought the boat from is about 10 hours away (local for me when I bought it).

Bear built my trailer but wouldn’t sell one direct to me forcing the sale through a boat dealer. Other trailer manufacturers may have different policies. Other boat manufacturers may have trailers that would fit your boat. I know Bear supplies trailers to more than one boat manufacturer.

I prefer local purchase so I can look at what I am buying. I think more diligence is required If shopping online. Read descriptions closely, read reviews and ask questions if you have some.

 

[Scott06]

Sure I could buy a trailer from my local dealer, Teds Boatarama, but i'm just going to be paying Ted for clicking the mouse. Is there a place to buy trailers online? I do this with everything. I tap the screen and it shows up at the door. Then again Ted knows who in the business can actually build a trailer. He also knows who to complain to when its not right. What would you do? By the way, never buy a Samsung fridge.

PArt of this might depend on what the trailer is for?

the size / size boat or PWC- and what's the intended use /amount of towing.

I have a pretty decent aluminum magic tilt trailer for my 21 ft bowrider, its a great trailer but a bit overkill for my twice a year 4 mile haul to the local boat launch. If I were towing regularly and longer distances I might want something a little more robust or at least having better brakes than the entry level tie down units that are on it (kodiak or similar) especially if you dunk in salt

 

[Country Dirt Kid]

Ted recommends the Yacht club 1g12fg which cost 1,832 plus tax. Decent deal? It fits my 15 foot aluminum jon boat.

 

[JimS123]

My first boat was a plywood runabout that I built in my Grandpa's garage. Local dealers wanted to sell me a package, but were not too interested in selling me a trailer by itself. Those that did inflated the price.

I ended up buying a "Kit" all roller trailer direct from Holsclaw. It was a fun project to build it. There were very detailed instructions on how to set it up, plus I went to the library and found the "Trailer Boater's Handbook". It came in several crates, and the only part fully assembled was the axle / hubs.

I must admit that it was one of the best trailers I have owned. It was a joy to launch and load. I learned so much from that endeavor. All the "rules" the books provided were spot on back then and still work today. Since then I have modified / re-adjusted every subsequent trailer I have owned. It seems that nobody knows what they are doing these days.