20' trailer recommendations

WIDGEON · #1 07-23-2018, 12:17 PM

Just purchased a 1985 20' center console project. First order of business is a new trailer so it can be moved around. Will probably keep the boat light.
Is a single axle aluminum trailer with a 3400# capacity big enough.
Thanks

DonV · #2 07-23-2018, 01:37 PM

Bushwacker had a single axle trailer under his 20' Seafari and he had no issues with it. I think he went up to 15" wheels and a heavier axle. Not positive. A single 3500# axle and 14" "D" rated tires should be fine for local use, however if you are going to tow your boat for long distances a 6000# dual axle would be the way to go!! Good luck.

Where you located?

Capt Terry · #3 07-23-2018, 03:59 PM

Like a lot of topics on here there are varied opinions. Another cosideration is bunks versus rollers. Bushwacker had an electric winch, rollers and didn’t get his trailer wheels wet on his (and now SSPBill’s) Seafari. His boat was high off the road. After almost launching my 72 Cutlass on low tide a couple times retrieving my Seafari, i opted for a tandem axle Hitchhiker with bunks and small tires to get the boat lower and the vehicle further up the ramp. Being low and with drop axles once the boat touched the trailer during retrieval, the load was fwd of the axles which loaded up the vehicle rear tires thereby improving traction. Never timed him, but bet my retrieval time was quicker than Good friend, Bushwacker. You are right to inquire to get different perspectives. Good luck.

RUSTYNTABATHA · #4 07-23-2018, 06:08 PM

i prefer trailering distance on tandem ... and i sought out and bought a tandem... i like bunks over rollers with the area we live in.. and if you hit the carpet on the bunks with dry silicone lube a couple times a year they are as slick as teflon skids without the harsh surface..

jtharmo · #5 07-23-2018, 07:47 PM

Don and Terry are both correct. Denny has tall 15” tires (75 section) and heavier axle. I was very nervous thinking about pulling a single axle trailer 1300 mile when I drove her up from Florida last year. Especialy through the W. Virginia mountains. It pulled straight as could be, the brakes worked perfect and the tongue weight felt spot on. I can’t even recall a moment where it started to wag.

I haven’t been brave enough to retrieve like Denny has (with dry feet and wheels) mostly to keep the back of my truck from lifting off the ramp. I have gotten to having the axle and hubs just above the water. But with the rollers tuned, it pulls up on-center every time. The point is, I think any trailer can be good or bad depending on how well it’s set up. That’s probably why there are so many options. I will say the rollers freak me out every time I start backing in or pulling up. I have horrible visions of the Restless Lady unintentionally dry-docked. I TRIPLE check the winch clutch, Boat Buckle and safety chain every time.

Bushwacker · #6 07-23-2018, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SSPBill

. . . I haven’t been brave enough to retrieve like Denny has (with dry feet and wheels) mostly to keep the back of my truck from lifting off the ramp. I have gotten to having the axle and hubs just above the water. But with the rollers tuned, it pulls up on-center every time. The point is, I think any trailer can be good or bad depending on how well it’s set up. That’s probably why there are so many options. I will say the rollers freak me out every time I start backing in or pulling up. I have horrible visions of the Restless Lady unintentionally dry-docked. I TRIPLE check the winch clutch, Boat Buckle and safety chain every time.

The big galvanized EZ Loader is probably the best single axle roller trailer out there. It’s rated at 4000 lbs, and the axle with 6 lug wheels is rated at 5000 lbs (the trailer itself weighs ~900 lbs.), and I believe the total tire load capacity is over 5000 lbs. More than adequate for a 20’Seafari heavily loaded with enough gear for a 2 week Bahamas cruise! The patented roller system has very little friction with nylon bushings rolling on aluminum axles that are flat on the sides; The only downside to that is that good tiedowns are required, and you need to carefully use the clutch on the Powerwinch as a brake when launching, or the boat will go screaming off the trailer as soon as the boat’s CG passes the pivoting rear cross member, which then allows the entire rack of rollers tilt about 45 degrees!

The benefit of not dunking the trailer is greatly reduced maintenance . . . I bought that trailer new in 1985 and until I sold the rig to SSP Bill last fall, it lived its entire life launching the boat in salt water, AND it still has it’s original springs, wheels and axles! The rear cross member does get dunked and I replaced it a couple years ago because it was looking pretty ugly with big flakes of rust falling off, but the original steel appeared to be about 3/16” thick, so it could lose quite a bit of thickness and still be plenty strong!

Regarding retrieval, you MUST chock all 4 wheels on the truck! Reason is that if you only back far enough into the water enough to just get the tires wet (I always got my feet wet but I wear Teeva sandels so no big deal!), the aft center roller will be just below the towing eye, so when the boat first starts coming up on the trailer, there will be enough weight/leverage on the back of the trailer that it will lift up on the hitch! If you only chocked the back wheels, it will lift the back wheels of the truck up onto the chocks! If you use wedge shaped chocks, they can start to slide! (Ask me how I know!) SO, I used 1’ long 4x4’s behind all 4 wheels when retrieving. Before I pulled up the ramp, I pulled all the chocks except the left front, and then left the door open and just reached down to grab that chock as I drove past it. It’s ok to just chock the back wheels when launching because the boat goes off the trailer fast enough that it only lifts the hitch for a few seconds, not long enough to cause a problem, especially if you use 4x4 chocks.

Bigshrimpin · #7 07-24-2018, 06:04 AM

3400 is as light as I would go for a 20. I had a 3400lb galvy single axel under my 18 and I towed it to chatham (50 miles each way) 2-3 times a week for 2 summers. I prefer bunks especially if you have windy ramps. if you are working on the boat with a single axel trailer be sure to block up the rear end.

caper · #8 07-24-2018, 11:22 AM

Had a single axle 3500 lb. Venture roller trailer and towed round trip from Cape Cod to the Keys for 4 winters with no issues. 14" GY Marathons. Loved that little trailer. Repacked wheel bearings before leaving for the Keys.

agsmoke · #9 07-24-2018, 05:11 PM

I have an aluminum single 3,500 lb axle trailer that was under my 2001 20' Seacraft.

Capt Terry · #10 07-24-2018, 07:55 PM

Like I said lots of opinions. Another consideration for a trailer is the anticipated ramps. All the Fla ramps I used had a dock alongside. Not so on SC lakes I use, which have a dock nearby, but not adjacent. So instead of guiding the boat onto the trailer with docklines, my wife had to learn to drive onto the Hitchhiker float on type trailer. I pull out about 5’ of winch strap at which point the stern is still floating and the boat load is fwd/over the trailer axles. An advantage with having the dock not next to the ramp is faster cycling of the ramp.