Montauk Trailer

[1skier]

I have a great [1987 always use four digits for year] 17" [you probably mean 17-feet not 17-inches] Montauk.

[I plan] to get new a trailer.

[Give me advice about the] proper trailer size.

[Give me a recommendation for a trailer] manufacturer and [trailer] dealer in the central New Jersey area.

[frontier]

An E-Z-Loader galvanized EZB 14-17 2000-lbs model trailer will be great.

Mine has the swing tongue option for easy garage storage.

[jimh]

Advice about a trailer can be found in the owner’s manual for a MONTAUK 17. If you don’t have a printed copy I have reproduced the owner’s manual in HTML. See

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/refere ... trailering

Also in the REFERENCE section is a multipart article on proper trailer rigging:

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/trailering/

The E-Z-LOADER brand is nationally distributed and is likely to be available in your area. Another good national brand boat trailer is SHORELANDR.

In areas where trailer boating is popular there may be a local manufacturer of boat trailers. If you can buy directly from a local manufacturer you may be able to save money by eliminating delivery charges and dealer markup. A good indicator of what trailer brands are popular in your area can be deduced by visiting a busy launch ramp and surveying the trailers in use.

The better trailer rigging for Boston Whaler boats uses a combination of keel rollers and bunks to support the hull.

[jimh]

Regarding buying a boat trailer from an established national brand compared to a locally made boat trailer:

The national brand trailer manufacturer will be likely to have been making boat trailers for decades. They will be likely to still be in business for another decade. They will have spare parts available. Their designs are generally well tested. They are likely to be fabricating their own custom tubing components.

A local boat trailer manufacturer may not have been in business very long; they may drop boat trailers from their product line. I see many local trailer manufacturers making open utility trailers or enclosed utility trailers now as their major product line instead of small boat trailers. A local boat trailer manufacturer will probably use mostly consumer-off-the-shelf products in the boat trailer.

Boat trailers are much different than utility trailers. Boat trailers are expected to tolerate immersion into water as a routine operation. If a boat trailer is to be used in saltwater then even more attention must be paid to preventing corrosion.

[jimh]

Do you want a steel or aluminum trailer?

If steel, do you want painted or galvanized?

Do you want brakes on the trailer?

What is the tow rating of your tow vehicle?

[CapeDave]

If you plan on using the trailer and keeping it, buy an aluminum trailer.

[Phil T]

Trailers are regional. Shop brands in your area.

Shop dealers hard, prices vary WIDELY for the same model.

Galvanized trailers will give you a shorter total length with boat loaded.

LoadRite has 2 decent choices (aluminum or galvanized) and a decent dealer network in NJ.

Galvanized model - http://www.loadrite.com/spec-sheet-generation/?sheet_id=2841&sheet_model=17220090VT
Aluminum - http://www.loadrite.com/spec-sheet-generation/?sheet_id=2868&sheet_model=LR-AS18220090TSS

Dealer locator - http://www.loadrite.com/find-a-loadrite-dealer/

[MarkCz]

I have a galvanized loadrite 17220090 that is 5 years old and is holding up well but I wash it after each trip to the salt and only fish less than 10 times a year. While they use heat shrink connectors on the wiring some connectors have 2 wires jammed in one side of the crimp and this prevents the heat shrink from sealing properly. I used liquid electrical tape over those crimps to better seal. One of my keel rollers broke so I replaced most of them with Stolz rollers which are less likely to fail. Overall pleased with the trailer it's a little tight getting through an 8 ft wide door.