trailer pricing question

[mattttt25]

well, i have a good handle on how to price a boat, which includes an awful lot of comparision shopping. with very few used trailers for sale, it's hard to get a feel for the market.<br /><br />looking for a trailer for a 20' cc. full load is approx 3000lbs. i want galvanized, rollers, dual axles, and surge brakes. not looking for new, just something that will handle a handful of trips each season for a few years.<br /><br />any idea what my price range will be?

 

[DJ]

Re: trailer pricing question

mattttt25,<br /><br />Unfortunately, trailers of the description you have, are hard to come by. You will find that your best places to look are insurance salvage, or ebay.

 

[roscoe]

Re: trailer pricing question

If you look at new, I think they will be in the $2200 bracket. A few hundred less for bunks.<br /><br />Used trailers seem to bring top dollar everywhere, so don't expect any bargains.

 

[ndemge]

Re: trailer pricing question

bargins are there... but you have to be REALLY patient to find it. I bought my boat a year ago july. I needed a trailer FAST, and found a dual axel galv no brakes, bunk, 15" tires at Lake of the ozarks for $750. Got it home and realized I was WAY overweight for this trailer, the trailer was very unhappy. On went my search for a new trailer. Checking the paper and ebay every week, about 5 months later I finally got my brake. Found a trailer in AK 7 hours away on ebay. He had a 25' boat and the trailer was too small, perfect for my 21'. bunk trailer, not galv, but well maintained paint. It needed 4 tires and a new coupler. Paid $750 for that trailer, $400 for 5 16" trailer tires and $75 for a new coupler.<br /><br />Best price I could find new was over $2,000.<br /><br />I put a lot of labor into this trailer, and I'm still not done.

 

[mattttt25]

Re: trailer pricing question

thanks fellas. i know the more effort i put into this, the better i'll be. the thing is, the trailer will only be used a few times each year and if things go as planned, i'll be upgrading the boat in a few years. my problem is my trips are all >150 miles and i get a bit nervous with my current trailer. i do about 40 mph and **** off everyone on the road, but i make it in one piece. my best bet is to probably suck it up and deal with the current trailer as is. but it would be nice for those few trips to feel confident in my rig.

 

[roscoe]

Re: trailer pricing question

I understand what you are saying, and I certainly believe in getting a bargain when I can. But if you end up getting a new or near new trailer, you will get your money out of it when you sell it.<br />I also like the safe feeling of knowing I have a decent trailer and new brake system behind me.<br />Good Luck on your quest.

 

[BillP]

Re: trailer pricing question

mattttt25,<br />I was in the same situation once with a 20 3500lbs rig on a 3500lbs max load trailer. The boat was kept in a boat lift and only trailered once or twice a year on 200 mile trips. It flexed a little and maxed the tires out. The trailer was a leftover from another boat. Instead of buying a new trailer, I had additional supports and gussets welded on, including an 18" tongue extension so I could have more adjustability. It took about 3 hrs to do the welding and another hour to do paint touchup. That took care of frame flex. The existing axle and bearing were capable of handling more load so I increased wheel, tire and spring sizes. Total cost to upgrade the trailer was approx 20-25% of buying a new one.

 

[Knightgang]

Re: trailer pricing question

Matt,<br /><br />If you plan on upgrading the boat in a few years, I would suggest a new trailer. Go ahead and buy a trailer for the size boat you will be upgrading to. You can always adjust the trailer down to the boat you have, and I always suggest a trailer one size over the size of the boat. This way, you get confidence in your rig now, and will save a couple thousand bucks when the new boat time comes. If you buy a used boat when you upgrade. Put the boat on your trailer, and sell your old boat with the trailer that came with your purchase.<br /><br />Knightgang

 

[Solittle]

Re: trailer pricing question

mattttt25 - You need to pick up Boat Trader if it is available in your area. If not do a search on the web for it. There are used trailers of the type you are looking for from time to time. I would think you can find one in reasonably good condition for $1,200-1,500.<br /><br />If you have to submerge your trailer I cannot recommend highly enough that you get disk brakes - almost a must if you have to dunk in salt water.