Karavan Trailer vs. LoadRight decision

mickms

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Sep 30, 2011
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I am about to give up looking for a DECENT used trailer. I found two options NEW that are pretty close in price to what people seem to expect for used.

For under $2000, I have two options. I can get a galvanized steel Loadrite Elite, single axle, no breaks. It's rated just at my est. load weight with fuel but the place selling it -- Pirate Marine -- tells me it can hold more, it's just that they rate is <3000 because that way it doesn't need brakes. Or, choice 2, an aluminum Karavan single axle with surge breaks already installed, rated to carry 3100 lbs.

Anyway, I'm leaning toward the galvanized LoadRite Elite because of it being nearby, but does anyone here have experience / opinion on these manufactures? Both trailers look like pretty bare-bones setups.
 

tpenfield

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Jul 18, 2011
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18,110
Re: Karavan Trailer vs. LoadRight decision

The Load-rite is a 'better' brand than the Karavan. I have always thought the frame on the Karavans 'looked' under spec'd.

The thing is that you are getting more with the Karavan than the Load-Rite; brakes in particular. I'd buy the K because of the brakes and the higher rating.
 

Home Cookin'

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May 26, 2009
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Re: Karavan Trailer vs. LoadRight decision

I like load rites and I would prefer not to have brakes if you don't need them. Keep it simple.
 

roscoe

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Oct 30, 2002
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21,747
Re: Karavan Trailer vs. LoadRight decision

I like the Karavans, currently own 2, bought one for the parents also.

A lot of this would depend on your tow vehicle.

If you are towing 3000#, I would get the trailer with brakes.

Many tow vehicles rated to tow say 5000#, also say you need trailer brakes if towing over 1500#.

You in Ohio?

Want to drive to the north side of Chicago?

You can get a NEW, 2006 Karavan 3100# painted, with brakes pretty cheap.
They were selling them for $950 about 5 months ago. They had a mountain of them.
I see they are still on their web site.
Site says galvanized, but they are painted, white.

http://newboattrailers.ahlstrand-marine.com/Karavan 3100/karavan-3100-painted-trailer.html


They have some pretty nice used trailers there also.
 

kemer1

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Sep 13, 2011
Messages
122
Re: Karavan Trailer vs. LoadRight decision

Add me to the Karavan camp. My boat came standard with one and I didn't see any issue with it. Nor did I have any problems with it. In your case I would certainly take the one with the brakes. Plus aluminium is going to be lighter and from what I've read, it will not start corroding as fast as a galvanized one.
 

gtochris

Senior Chief Petty Officer
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Aug 4, 2010
Messages
742
Re: Karavan Trailer vs. LoadRight decision

For my 19ft Stingray I bought a 2010 "5 Star" which is a division of Load Rite I believe, I think the capacity is 3,100lbs.
I paid $1,850. It has disc brakes, torson axle, diamond plate fenders, bunks.

They offered a non brake model for $300 less but after much debate I ponied up the extra and bought the brake equiped model, glad I did for extra measure!

Where are you located? I drove 2+ hours to get mine from the shore, it was worth the drive as anyone local was substantially more.
 

mickms

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Joined
Sep 30, 2011
Messages
27
Re: Karavan Trailer vs. LoadRight decision

Just a quick update... I went up to Ahlstrand Marine and bought the Trailmaster "Rinker" repo trailer that he had on that website. It's basically the same trailer the boat is now sitting on, maybe a little bigger with disc instead of drum breaks. Much like the guy whose kid had to pee, however, I showed up after driving 4 hours needing to eat, pee and also get home before Chicago rush hour!

And suffice to say after I paid and got it hooked up my truck, I noticed a couple of issues which I am still trying to work through. One involves the nearly identical jack failure that the original 14 year old trailer suffers from.... Ironically, I didn't want to invest $150 in a new jack for a trailer that is probably worth about $300. Now I am out $1500 bucks on a new trailer and I still have to buy that same new jack.
 
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