Why is finding a jon boat trailer so hard?

[Slord]

I am looking into getting a 14 foot jon boat for fishing small lakes and PFA's around Warner Robins - Macon Georgia. The bass pro shop has Tracker boats that look nice but they sell 750 dollar Confab trailers. Sports Academy has a Alumacraft jon boat that looks nice but their trailer looks like a toothpick and still costs 500 dollars.

The nicest trailer I have seen recently with a jon boat was a Trail Star. Unfortunately Google is very bad about telling me where near Macon I could find such a trailer. If I was in Texas I could get a Road King trailer. Or If I was in PA I could get something else that would work just as well. In middle Georgia though...

Anyone have any idea where I could get a well built, new, not 750 dollar jon boat trailer near Macon Ga? It would be best if you had a picture of the trailer as well. Or a link to the site that is selling the trailer. I dont want to drive over 100 miles. No farther than Atlanta to the north or whatever is 100 miles south of Macon on I-75.

Note: Craigslist for Macon-Warner Robins isnt giving me any luck either.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Why is finding a jon boat trailer so hard?

Welcome aboard, Slord. Hey, that rhymes! Sorry, I'm easily amused.:redface: What about this one? Looks like a dandy to me for 350 bucks. http://macon.craigslist.org/boa/3354975222.html I'm not entirely sure what you're looking for in a john boat trailer that you can't find. There's really not a whole lot to them. Anywho, I just looked through two or three days' worth of CL in your neck of the woods and saw several that I think would be fine, and that was without considering complete rigs, which you could easily part out and recoup what you spent.

 

[colbyt]

Re: Why is finding a jon boat trailer so hard?

That does look like a nice one and galvanized to boot.

Slord I have also seen people add bunks and a winch to a regular old flat bed garden trailer. Here you can new a one of those at the BORGs for about $500.

 

[Slord]

Re: Why is finding a jon boat trailer so hard?

I was thinking I could use a Harbor freight utility trailer that I would build myself, but its not for boats so I would need to unload the jon boat every time i am at the water. Anything that makes it harder to use a boat means you use the boat less. Thats something I heard anyway. When I said a nice trailer I only meant it had to look sturdy and do its job.

It would be nice if the trailer had one of those wheel things on the tounge, as well as bunks so the boat isnt damaged. Though I have heard its hard to sink a jon boat.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Why is finding a jon boat trailer so hard?

Did you look at the trailer in the link? It has everything you say you're looking for in spades and it's cheap. What am I missing?

 

[Slord]

Re: Why is finding a jon boat trailer so hard?

I saw it yes. I was just replying to the question on what I was looking for. Thank you for the link. Its a place to start.

 

[Slord]

Re: Why is finding a jon boat trailer so hard?

Wont let me edit my last reply so I will add some info.

The owner of that trailer didnt say how long it was. I never pulled a trailer before so smaller is better, as long as the boat isnt hanging off the back.

Google Earth shows the sellers town being farther than I would want to go as there is no interstate heading in that direction.

Its almost all the way to the marine dealers on the ocean. Well, not quite, but once you go that far whats another 80 miles Sorry for being picky but I am about as poor as a church mouse so I have to really love something before i spend a lot of money on it.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Why is finding a jon boat trailer so hard?

Sorry for being picky but I am about as poor as a church mouse so I have to really love something before i spend a lot of money on it.

LOL. Understood. Gotta watch those pennies. Honestly though, I think you said your limit was 100 miles, and according to Google Maps Hazelhurst is 106. Maybe you could work something out to meet the guy? That's a really nice trailer and should fit a fourteen foot john boat perfectly and it's well under $750. In any case, even if you don't buy that one, you should have no trouble finding what you need on CL. If you don't have the boat yet keep your eye open for boat and trailer combinations, and I wouldn't suggest buying and modifying a Harbor Freight type trailer. There's nothing wrong with doing that necessarily, but the end result won't be any better than what you've found at Academy and Bass Pro and will end up costing as much or more than a boat trailer off of CL. Also, FWIW, longer trailers are easier to handle than shorter trailers up to a point, and that wheel thing on the tongue is called a tongue jack. Any boat trailer you consider will most likely have one. Happy hunting.

 

[colbyt]

Re: Why is finding a jon boat trailer so hard?

I was thinking I could use a Harbor freight utility trailer that I would build myself, but its not for boats so I would need to unload the jon boat every time i am at the water. .

Have you seen this one? http://www.harborfreight.com/600-lb-capacity-boat-trailer-with-8-inch-wheels-and-tires-5002.html

Your local store may or may not stock it.

 

[sccatfish]

Re: Why is finding a jon boat trailer so hard?

Are there no boat dealers near you? Not the big chain stores but a small dealer. Go see what they have and possibly get them to order one that will fit your needs.

If you like a particular brand of trailer, go to the manufacturer's website and use their dealer locator to find the closest dealer. Not sure about the makes you posted, but Wesco seems to be the trailer of choice around here and using Zip Code 31201 and a distance of 100 miles I found 8 dealers:http://wescotrailers.net/DealerLocator/results_radius.php?s_Dealer_State=Georgia&s_Dealer_Zip=31201&s_Dealer_Radius=100

Used is also an option, but if they don't have a title be sure to ask a lot of questions. Lots of stolen trailers in states that don't require them to be tagged. If you're required to have the trailer tagged you better make sure they have the title.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Why is finding a jon boat trailer so hard?

do you not have trailer shops where you live? OUrs have new and used trailers. used boat dealers have used trailers. And nothing is easier to tow than a 14' jon, so just about any condition will do.

 

[Alwhite00]

Re: Why is finding a jon boat trailer so hard?

What exactly is your budget? That one for $350.00 looks pretty decent and 106 miles away is not that bad, Maybe the guy would knock a few bucks off for your gas. If you are looking for a $100.00 trailer around the block from you it might take a while.

LK

 

[dlngr]

Re: Why is finding a jon boat trailer so hard?

A buddy of mine got rid of his trailer,he slides his 14' Jon boat in and out of his pickup.

 

[Slord]

Re: Why is finding a jon boat trailer so hard?

There was a smaller dealer in Macon but they went out of business. There is a place in Perry but the reviews online are all bad. Might still go there and see it for myself today.

The boat trailer kit from harbor freight is 152" total. That's less than 13 feet so the boat would hang off the back by at least 1 to 3 feet. Would that kill me, probably not, but it looks funny IMO. In less than an hour I could have the trailer and boat from academy if all else fails. It really does look spindly though. And it has no tongue jack and if I remember correctly no roller either.

I have a car with 1500 towing max, so no truck to put the boat in. although its expensive the bass pro tracker and the oddly named trailer they have but I didn't look at yet is probably the best deal. I have lived long enough to know that if you go cheap on anything you will end up cursing more often than smiling. Bass pro will also have the title for the trailer since they are an authorized dealer.

And of course bass pro has the nice fish tank with the huge fish in it. Since I have never caught a fish in ga its nice to see fish do exist in this state.

 

[bigdee]

Re: Why is finding a jon boat trailer so hard?

Have you seen this one? http://www.harborfreight.com/600-lb-capacity-boat-trailer-with-8-inch-wheels-and-tires-5002.html

Your local store may or may not stock it.

That was my thoughts too. A dandy little trailer and fun to build. Clip a 20% coupon and get it for $320

 

[lncoop]

Re: Why is finding a jon boat trailer so hard?

Here's the dill, pickle. You're over-thinking this big time. It's a fourteen foot john boat. Forget about Academy, Bass Pro, Harbor Freight and local dealers. There is a plethora of john boat/trailer combos on Macon-Warner Robins CL that you could buy for $600 or less and most likely tow straight from the seller's place to the boat ramp if you were so inclined. We can even tell you what to check when you go look at one.

 

[eavega]

Re: Why is finding a jon boat trailer so hard?

The boat trailer kit from harbor freight is 152" total. That's less than 13 feet so the boat would hang off the back by at least 1 to 3 feet. Would that kill me, probably not, but it looks funny IMO.

Here is said HF trailer with a 14' Valco Aluminum V-hull on it that I used to own. Does it hang over the back of the bunks? A little (you can just see where the bunks end under the boat). Does it look funny? Meh, it looked just fine to me. On the plus side it was light (I could pick it up and re-position it myself if I had missed the ramp a little, that's with the boat on it), and cheap. You are right that it did not have a winch or a jack, but those are $30 each to add on, and not strictly necessary for a rig that is so light. It did have a keel roller towards the front, and the bow stop was adjustable forwards or back. I could've probably moved it forward another foot or so if I felt the transom was not sufficiently supported. For a small aluminum boat, it is really a perfect match, and for less than $350 shipped to your door plus an evening of assembly, it was well worth the money. For the record, I later sold the boat, trailer and a 20 HP Johnson for $800 (The trailer was the most expensive part of the rig at $350. The boat cost me $35, and the motor was $200 plus another $100 in parts to get it running again), so I more than made up the money I had put into that trailer.





Rgds

 

[yjanray]

Re: Why is finding a jon boat trailer so hard?

Eavega, How did that trailer tow on the highway? Could you get up to interstate speeds with it (55-65 mph?) Considering about buying one for my "new to me" 14'f vhull tin boat.

 

[eavega]

Re: Why is finding a jon boat trailer so hard?

Eavega, How did that trailer tow on the highway? Could you get up to interstate speeds with it (55-65 mph?) Considering about buying one for my "new to me" 14'f vhull tin boat.

I towed it a couple of times at highway speeds. Once from Raleigh, NC to Atlanta, GA, then a couple of times on more short-haul trips to the lake, around 20 miles away, but it was highway speeds (GA 400)for all but 3 or 4 miles of the trip. I never had any issues with it towing at highway speeds.

Rgds

 

[Grub54891]

Re: Why is finding a jon boat trailer so hard?

All I did was take the front stop off mine,weld it sideway's to capture the front of my John boat,it was a v hull trailer. Added a couple bunks toward the front and adjusted the middle rollers to fit.Done deal,easy to find one that can be modified cheaply.I towed that thing to Canada a couple times and to southern Wisconsin,and many other trips,no problems.
Grub