How Should You Choose The Right Boat Trailer?

If you own a boat or plan to buy one, then it is a very wise decision to invest in a boat trailer. The best of boats could get damaged if loaded on a bad trailer. After all, you use the trailer to get the boat to the water and back.

Boat trailers are available in a wide range. The wide variety can often make it difficult for you to choose the right one. If you are looking for boat trailers for sale or jet ski trailers for sale, follow these tips to pick the right one.

    • Check the length: The length of the trailer should be sufficient to hold your boat. As a rule of thumb, buy a boat trailer that is at least 2 feet longer than your boat.

    • Check the weight: Your trailer must be able to support the weight of your boat. However, when you check the weight capacity, check for the wet weight of the boat and not just the dry weight. Dry weight is the weight of the hull and motor of the boat. On the other hand, wet weights also include fuel, water, oil, anchor, waster, safety equipment and others. Wet weight can be hundreds of pounds more than the dry weight. When you buy a boat trailer, buy one that has the capacity to carry more than the wet weight of your boat.

    • Bunks or Rollers: There are two types of support systems available in boat trailers- Rollers or Bunks. Bunks are nothing but padded rails that support the hull of the boat during transport. They offer more support than rollers, but loading and unloading the boat is not very convenient. Rollers make loading and unloading the boat easy but do not support the hull that well.

    • Brakes: If your boat is small, you can still make do if your trailer does not have a braking system in itself. However, if your boat is medium-sized or bigger, then you must have braking capacity on your trailer to make towing safer. When buying a multi-axle trailer, make sure that all axles have their own brakes. Boat trailers can have two types of brakes-surge and electric. It is easier to maintain electric brakes, and they let you brake the trailer before the towing vehicle. But they are not very efficient in salt-water conditions. Surge breaks work well in salt-water conditions and hence, should be bought by those who take their boat out to the coast.

    • Lights: Boat trailers can come with LED lights or incandescent ones. LED lights are more efficient as they can be dipped in the water when lowering the boat into the water. They are also brighter and last longer. LED lights, however, are costlier than incandescent lights. If you buy a boat trailer with incandescent lights, be sure to unplug them before you lower the trailer into the water. If not cooled, incandescent light can blow up when in contact with cold water.

    • Metal: You can buy boat trailers in steel, galvanised steel and aluminium variant. Steel trailers are great for freshwater use but may corrode if used in saltwater. Galvanised steel trailers come with a zinc coating. It does prevent corrosion, but the zinc eventually will wear out. Aluminium trailers are rust-proof and work great in marine environments. These trailers are also lighter than steel ones making them more fuel-efficient.

Boat trailer maintenance tips

Whether you buy a steel trailer or an aluminium trailer, it will need maintenance. Here are some tips to increase the life and performance of your boat trailer:

1. Use fresh water to rinse your trailer after every use. Make sure to wash it with soap and water from time to time.

2. Keep a can of paint or galvanising spray at hand. You can use these to cover up any scratches or rust spots as soon as you see one.

3. If your trailer has incandescent lights, use dielectric grease on the sockets. This will help prevent corrosion.

4. Do not expose your trailer tyres to direct sunlight for a prolonged duration. Direct sunlight can degrade your boat trailer tyres. You can use tyre covers or just a piece of tarp to cover them.

5. Make sure you grease the shafts and roller assemblies of your trailer yearly

Are you looking for boat trailers in Brisbane? Visit us at Century Trailers. We have the best boat trailers on sale. For the best deals in boat trailers, you may visit our website www.centurytrailers.com.au

Century Trailers is the best trailer making company in Australia. We offer a wide variety of trailers at good deals. All parts of the trailers come with the guarantee of the highest quality. Visit us, and we would be happy to help you pick out the best boat trailer for you.