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First Trip New Axel and Centering Bunks: Update: Continental Trailers - For Skiffs - Comments Please

Wanaflatsfish

By Wanaflatsfish
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conocean distance caster

conocean

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1 hour ago, Wanaflatsfish said:

Ugggghhhh OHHHHHH>>>>> Me thinks.......

This thread is about to spin out of control..... :):)

No way, we're just getting started here!! xD 

It's hard for me to believe a perfectionist like Ralph who treats his 16RF like an infant would have anything less than a trailer built to the footprint of his hull. He's got plenty of money! :P 

The pic of the Bluewave he posted indeed shows that Continental has stepped up their game. Trailers that are sunk to load & launch shouldn't require forward, mid, or rear rollers for any reason other than to compensate for the trailer not being made to the specs of the hull that rests on it. 

All the manufacturers' materials will be comparable but it's the fit that matters most IMO. 

The pot is stirred up almost into a froth now!!! 

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Wanaflatsfish master angler

Wanaflatsfish

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24 minutes ago, Lap it Up said:

The Rolls will be well worth the money guaranteed

I hear ya....everyone raves about them and I respect your opinion as you have owned one.............but, I have to take a day of vacation (could be used for fishing :) ) drive to plant city with the boat, then drop the boat and the trailer for a week or so, then drive back to Plant City to pick up the skiff on the new trailer, then what do I do with the Trailer in Plant City? Drive another day to get it......so, ...unfortunately, while it might be very well worth the type of product....I would prefer to not hassel.....and, any service issues, you have to drive back to Plant City....if they had a dealer...then I'd be on it.....but, the  other no "skiff" dealers for Ramblin in South Florida makes me lean more towards local MHP or Continental as you  have to get it picked up from either HB or ECC...both in Orlando...

It will either be Continental or Ameratrail at this point....

DC

 

 

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Wanaflatsfish master angler

Wanaflatsfish

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1 hour ago, justfish said:

Surprised there aren’t more recommendations for Owens. They are tanks and priced right. 

Last two times I shopped trailers ameritrail and Owens were both my end choices, but Owens was about 25% less for apples to apples built trailer 

I have heard good things about them as well...for me, I don't want to travel..

 

dc

 

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blue dolphin cane poler

blue dolphin

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Had a Continental skiff trailer under my hpx v, towed all over the country. No issues towed fine,  had plastic bunk covers, noticed white residue on contact points, hull color was yellow. Agree with carpeted bunks. At that time ( 2008 )you could get a removable tongue, not swing away, which I got to store in short garage. Construction was good.

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Wanaflatsfish master angler

Wanaflatsfish

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3 hours ago, blue dolphin said:

Had a Continental skiff trailer under my hpx v, towed all over the country. No issues towed fine,  had plastic bunk covers, noticed white residue on contact points, hull color was yellow. Agree with carpeted bunks. At that time ( 2008 )you could get a removable tongue, not swing away, which I got to store in short garage. Construction was good.

Thank you....

 

dc

 

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CaptDavis weekend warrior

CaptDavis

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It's not so much who has the better trailer.  The trailer companies don't make the tires and wheels, don't make the nuts and bolts, don't make the aluminum beams, and so on.  They put all the parts together how they see fit.  Do they weld the pieces or bolt them on?  Is there one, two, three, or more cross members?  Are the bunks 2x4's, 2x6's, or bigger?  Sure, every trailer is a little different, and some ride a little better, and some are made a little heavy duty with a little more attention to detail,  but over all, when you look at them, they all are built about the same. I think the biggest issue with every trailer out there, is how you take care of it.  All trailers will get corrosion and all of them don't like to be dipped in saltwater all the time.  If you do nothing, the trailer will soon give you problems.  If you treat it nicely, and give it the attention that it needs, it will treat you back nicely.  Sharkhide is great, and with good corrosion spray you can make the trailer last for a good amount of time.  One  important thing to do, is to treat the trailer with the items, before it even hits the water.  Makes a big difference.

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JEM distance caster

JEM

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All that is true, but I don’t think you can overestimate the importance of how the boat fits on the trailer!  IMO, a boat that fits like a glove on a trailer AND sits low BETWEEN the tires is going to give the best pull.  That describes my Ameratrail!

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Wanaflatsfish master angler

Wanaflatsfish

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9 minutes ago, whichwaysup said:

When Dino gets his answers, I would be curious about how you all spray your trailers to avoid, reduce corrosion.  I saw an MA for sale that had a pump sprayer for the purpose, what would be in it?

What I'll probably end up doing is when I'm on the way back from Choko....drop it in the water in the Everglades boat ramps in the fresh water....run the engine for a few minutes, then wash it down with Salt Away and a sprayer....some people us Vinegar and dawn liquid...

I have heard the Sharkhide works really well....and as mentioned, must be applied when new and then every year or so...

 

dc

 

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conocean distance caster

conocean

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Boats sitting on nicer newer trailers are definitely stolen more often than boats that sit on older worn trailers. Or at least that's what insurance stats show. It kinda makes sense.

Although my trailer isn't necessarily old & worn, it definitely shows usage; the important function parts such as the axle, hubs & tires are like new though. And I always use a wheel boot when my boat is stored to deter theft. I'd rather spend time at my fish camp or fishing rather than cleaning and/or waxing my trailer beams & hardware so it gleams at a boat ramp parking lot. But that's just me! 9_9 

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justfish distance caster

justfish

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As mentioned before, trailer manufacturers don’t “make” much. So if you are comparing apples to apples component and construction wise,  the manufacturer really doesn’t matter much. The difference is prob just bent the ibeams and the sticker on the side. 

 

I broke an axel earlier in year. Ended up replacing 2 axels with posi lube torsion axels, 4 new hubs and  all new LED lights for around $1600 installed  IIRC. 

If you have a single axel, you could likely  be into in for that with tires too. That’s everything on a trailer except the coupler $100?) and the ibeams. Why not look into that...then it’s a brand new trailer that doesn’t look that way....

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Wanaflatsfish master angler

Wanaflatsfish

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1 hour ago, justfish said:

As mentioned before, trailer manufacturers don’t “make” much. So if you are comparing apples to apples component and construction wise,  the manufacturer really doesn’t matter much. The difference is prob just bent the ibeams and the sticker on the side. 

 

I broke an axel earlier in year. Ended up replacing 2 axels with posi lube torsion axels, 4 new hubs and  all new LED lights for around $1600 installed  IIRC. 

If you have a single axel, you could likely  be into in for that with tires too. That’s everything on a trailer except the coupler $100?) and the ibeams. Why not look into that...then it’s a brand new trailer that doesn’t look that way....

My trailer is an original 1994 and that's why I'm in a bit concern that I need to get a new one with a decent axel.

I could change out the AXEL, add new hubs, change out the tires, and then add new hardware for the bunks, add a centering bunk for about $1200 or and 2-3 days labor....

I'm leaning towards a new trailer....for another $1K I can get all new, then sell my older trailer for $300.....it has new tires.

 

 

dc

 

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heweymagoos weekend warrior

heweymagoos

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21 hours ago, Wanaflatsfish said:

I hear ya....everyone raves about them and I respect your opinion as you have owned one.............but, I have to take a day of vacation (could be used for fishing :) ) drive to plant city with the boat, then drop the boat and the trailer for a week or so, then drive back to Plant City to pick up the skiff on the new trailer, then what do I do with the Trailer in Plant City? Drive another day to get it......so, ...unfortunately, while it might be very well worth the type of product....I would prefer to not hassel.....and, any service issues, you have to drive back to Plant City....if they had a dealer...then I'd be on it.....but, the  other no "skiff" dealers for Ramblin in South Florida makes me lean more towards local MHP or Continental as you  have to get it picked up from either HB or ECC...both in Orlando...

It will either be Continental or Ameratrail at this point....

DC

 

 

I talked with the owner at Rolls before I got my new trailer. He told me they are always out picking up and dropping off boats and they could make arrangements to pick my boat up as well as drop it off

 

may want to consider ROCKET in north Miami. They built my trailer, all stainless hardware, and then I took the boat down there and they fine tuned it with boat. Dropped bunks as low as they could get them. They've been around a long time. Right at 2800 for everything. I got quotes from ameratrail for 3800.

IMG_3635.jpg

20170924_122738.jpg

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conocean distance caster

conocean

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On ‎12‎/‎6‎/‎2017 at 7:03 AM, JEM said:

I have owned 5 or 6 trailers over the years. My current Ameratrail is absolutely best of the bunch.  I have never owned a trailer where the boat fits the trailer like a glove!

IMO, a boat that fits like a glove on a trailer AND sits low BETWEEN the tires is going to give the best pull.  That describes my Ameratrail!

Don't make the same mistakes that JEM and I have made in the past with other production trailers. If $1k impacts your life so greatly then get out of boating.....now!!

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DaveC lure plunker

DaveC

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Bob at Inshore hooked me up on a Continental, my 17' MA was sitting on an old Galvanized Continental that was beat to death, looked like crap but towed perfectly. It was a bit higher than I would've liked so we put another on under it and I am very happy with it so far.  Tows very well and then launches easily, it's an MA so it floats off a bit differently than an HPX but I am very happy with my decision and of Bobby for taking care of me!  

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DonV flats rat

DonV

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5 hours ago, heweymagoos said:

I talked with the owner at Rolls before I got my new trailer. He told me they are always out picking up and dropping off boats and they could make arrangements to pick my boat up as well as drop it off

 

may want to consider ROCKET in north Miami. They built my trailer, all stainless hardware, and then I took the boat down there and they fine tuned it with boat. Dropped bunks as low as they could get them. They've been around a long time. Right at 2800 for everything. I got quotes from ameratrail for 3800.

IMG_3635.jpg

20170924_122738.jpg

Dang Mr. Magoo, if that's a picture of your trailer.....a double bend frame with those cool wheels for $2800 and SS bolts, hardware, etc. You did real good!!! I don't care what anyone says, $1,000 is real money! Nice job!

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geeviam tournament grade

geeviam

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I have heard that the newer low-slung Continental aluminum trailers are made well and tow well.  I have an Ameratrail and I am very happy with it.  The fit is perfect and the customer service is great!  However, I have something to say about balance and ease of towing.  We all know what can happen when a single axle trailer has too much weight in the rear and not enough tongue weight - the trailer can fish-tail and become difficult to control if the tow vehicle makes a sudden change in its track.  My boat has a heavy 4-stroke outboard hanging on an Atlas jack plate - a lot of weight behind the trailer wheels.  When I first got the Ameratrail, the tongue weight was light, even with a full tank of fuel.  To be honest, towing the boat was more stressful than it should've been, and the trailer would fish-tail even when I was careful to keep the steering wheel steady.

I called Mark at Ameratrail, and told him that I wanted to move the axle back on my trailer.  This meant that the fenders and step boards would have to be moved as well.  I would also need to replace the longer rear step boards with shorter ones.  Mark was very helpful and made me some custom rear step boards (at a good price), so that I could move the axle and the other pieces back 16 inches.  Now there is plenty of tongue weight and the trailer tows like a dream.  I can swerve to miss pot holes at any speed and the boat follows my track like it's on rails.  Attached are the before and after pics of my trailer.  After the pics were taken, I added another cross member and roller for additional support under the forward bulkhead.  Once again, Ameratrail support was great and they made me a custom-sized cross member and made sure to send all the needed bolts and parts along with it.

 

 

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