Trailers

[bonefish]

I'm considering buying a boat so I've started looking at some used boats that are on the market. One thing that really seems to vary from boat to boat is the trailer. Some just "seem" to look small, and some have tires much smaller than others. Is there a rule of thumb for how heavy of a trailer you should have? I'm looking at aluminum 17' boats, so weight isn't too extreme, but I do plan to trailer to vermillion 1-2x/ month. Is there a brand of trailer that's better than others?

[john.wells]

You don't want to skimp on a trailer. A lot of people will upgrade a boat, but use an old trailer that is too small. Tires can be deceiving, as a small tire could potentially have a better weight and speed rating than a bigger one, but generally not the case. You need to look at the weight rating. There is really no rule of thumb to follow. It all depends on how the boat is rigged, and boils down to weight. Also consider how much stuff you will put in the boat when you travel. I would assume on a long trip, you will have a lot more stuff than a night after work. Most trailer failures are a result of overloading. Any good marina will match the trailer to the boat. I would suspect you will find any given properly matched combo with a 17 footer to have anywhere from a 2000 to 3000 pound trailer. I don't know if this really answers your question, but I hope it helps a little.

[2 pounder]

A simple fishing boat 17 feet in length should be supported by at least 13"tires. Heavier 17 footers,14",And for a heavy weight one like I have,15 ".I have learned over the years,no tire troubles are the best policy.Don't forget about the wheel bearing grease.keeping the bearings well lubed will keep you off the side of the road doing repairs instead of fishing.