Is my trailer long enough/worth fixing up/safe?

[lakelover]

This is the trailer that my boat came on. I've been pondering it and wondering if it's even worth fixing up or should I look for another one. It needs a lot of work and fixing up, and I also wonder about the integrity of the construction. I wonder especially about the way the length has been extended by adding two welded pipes, if it is as strong as it needs to be...and is it really big enough for the boat. It's just about 17' long, the boat is a 15'.

What do the experts think?

Overall

Needs new rollers...lots of rust

Bunks are too short

Springs & axle

Looks like home made mod

 

[lakelover]

Re: Is my trailer long enough/worth fixing up/safe?

Two more photos:

Welded pipes

 

[truckermatt]

Re: Is my trailer long enough/worth fixing up/safe?

i would look for a used $400 trailer and junk the old one..... Unless of course you dont trailer very far (under 1 mile to launch)

 

[jcupo6]

Re: Is my trailer long enough/worth fixing up/safe?

I would be a bit nervous with that.

 

[lakelover]

Re: Is my trailer long enough/worth fixing up/safe?

It really is a train wreck, isn't it?

 

[dwco5051]

Re: Is my trailer long enough/worth fixing up/safe?

Got to agree with truckermatt. Just looking at some of the welds is enough to scare the bejabbers out of me if I had to tow it on the highway at high speed. The trailer does not appear to be made for that size boat, the alterations are poorly done, a lot of rust on everything including the running gear, but the fenders look to be in fairly good shape

 

[lakelover]

Re: Is my trailer long enough/worth fixing up/safe?

but the fenders look to be in fairly good shape

Well, my utility trailer needs new fenders...

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Is my trailer long enough/worth fixing up/safe?

That one needs to go. There are decent used ones on CL all the time.

 

[mla2ofus]

Re: Is my trailer long enough/worth fixing up/safe?

I bet you'd never, ever find who did that welding job!!! I've seen stuff on the ground in a chicken pen that looked better than that!!
Mike

 

[lakelover]

Re: Is my trailer long enough/worth fixing up/safe?

Thanks, guys, I'm swayed.

When I arranged to look at the boat/trailer last year, the guy said the trailer was "road ready". I got there, decided to buy the boat and we had to unstick it from the mud, & put air in the tires (that he assured me were fine despite the cracks in the rubber because they had inner tubes in them). The lights wouldn't work, but to his credit, he spent about half an hour working on them and did get them working. I admit I was pretty nervous towing it the 30 miles home.

The more I've looked at it during the past year, the more doubtful I got.

 

[Lion hunter]

Re: Is my trailer long enough/worth fixing up/safe?

Even if you did fix it properly, as in cut that pipe off and weld a new tube sleeve an coupler on it, that trailer is not long enough. I assume your boat will have about a 40-50 horse motor. That trailer is nothing more than a dolly and wouldn't balance properly. Looks like the one I have for my 12' utility. I'd bet you could get a 100 for that one to someone with a 12' and put the money toward a good one.

 

[Lion hunter]

Re: Is my trailer long enough/worth fixing up/safe?

Forgot to mention. I'd take that coupler off, cut the pipe off and rebolt the coupler to the tube. It would make a great tin boat trailer. Mine is 15 1/2' and work great.

 

[olefisherman]

Re: Is my trailer long enough/worth fixing up/safe?

well iv never lost a boat however ---lost a dog trailer , broke tounge the dogs survived with no injuries . had we met anyone it would have been a diffrent story . im sure those dogs,all four would have turned into purebred world champ pointers in a heartbeat. the day you pull that mess out of some poor joes windshield ????