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Buying a Used Boat Trailer

ChumpChange

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So how hard would it be to fit a used trailer to a used boat. Boat they are looking at is an Ebbtide Deckboat and the trailer is a 24 footer. Unfortunately the boat doesn’t currently have a trailer.

And what kind of braking system is this?
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warpt71

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That looks like an old Atwood unit like I had on my first boat trailer.
 

warpt71

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The ratchet is a parking/emergency brake. It activates the master cylinder either by hand or when the chain is pulled
 

ChumpChange

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That looks like an old Atwood unit like I had on my first boat trailer.

It says RoadRunner Trailers out of San Dimas. I know it’s an old company because the number still has a 714 area code.
 

ChumpChange

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The ratchet is a parking/emergency brake. It activates the master cylinder either by hand or when the chain is pulled

Reliable setup? It may be going up and down Arrowhead.
 

warpt71

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Reliable setup? It may be going up and down Arrowhead.

Mine never worked lol We tried to rebuild the master only to find that the hard line to the brake axle was plugged somewhere. I towed it with out brakes for quite a few years though. The biggest problem that trailer has was its Hadco axles, couldnt find inner seals for the bearings
 

NicPaus

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Saw this one last night when cl shopping. Might need to adjust bunk height and locations.
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lbhsbz

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Is the boat in the water in a slip or on a dolly/stand?

If outta the water, I usually get my bunk wood and a bunch of brick/blocks/other shit to stack under them and fit to the bottom of the boat...with an inch or so hanging past the back of the boat...then screw some scrap into the end grain to tie all 2 or 4 bunks together. Do something similar on the front with scraps...doesn’t have to be pretty...just needs to hold them in orientation temporarily.

Then knock the blocks out, remove the bunks/scrap tie-assembly and set the whole thing on the new trailer frame...usually on a couple of 8’ 2x4s across the frame...very height, shim acordingly, measur to get everything centered, then make some bunk brackets in CAD (cardboard aided design)...torch/plasma/bandsaw then out, add a 1/2” hole with a piece of angle to allow the bunk to match the angle of the hull perfectly, and start welding.

Or, you can get rose clamp on bunk brackets and use those, but they’re kinda ghetto.


If it’s in a slip...find someone else with the same boat on a trailer...show up with a tape measure, square (real square, not a speed square) an angle finder, and some pushpins. Eyeball center of each bunk and stock a pushpin in the ends, then measure your spacing and your angles, and make a sketch of each end. Also measure height from the ground.

Alternatively, you could probably call ebbtide and they’ll give you a diagram of how to set the trailer up.
 

coolchange

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Roadrunner was a bottom of the line jet boat trailer back in the day. would want to be pretty sure of hauling something up and down that Hill.
 

ChumpChange

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Is the boat in the water in a slip or on a dolly/stand?

If outta the water, I usually get my bunk wood and a bunch of brick/blocks/other shit to stack under them and fit to the bottom of the boat...with an inch or so hanging past the back of the boat...then screw some scrap into the end grain to tie all 2 or 4 bunks together. Do something similar on the front with scraps...doesn’t have to be pretty...just needs to hold them in orientation temporarily.

Then knock the blocks out, remove the bunks/scrap tie-assembly and set the whole thing on the new trailer frame...usually on a couple of 8’ 2x4s across the frame...very height, shim acordingly, measur to get everything centered, then make some bunk brackets in CAD (cardboard aided design)...torch/plasma/bandsaw then out, add a 1/2” hole with a piece of angle to allow the bunk to match the angle of the hull perfectly, and start welding.

Or, you can get rose clamp on bunk brackets and use those, but they’re kinda ghetto.


If it’s in a slip...find someone else with the same boat on a trailer...show up with a tape measure, square (real square, not a speed square) an angle finder, and some pushpins. Eyeball center of each bunk and stock a pushpin in the ends, then measure your spacing and your angles, and make a sketch of each end. Also measure height from the ground.

Alternatively, you could probably call ebbtide and they’ll give you a diagram of how to set the trailer up.

Boat is on a temporary trailer right now that does not come with the boat.
 

SOCALCRICKETT

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Reliable setup? It may be going up and down Arrowhead.
With whatever brand you end up with, it would be a good idea to look into the electric over hydraulic brakes. Surge brakes get hot coming down that hill causing brake fade.

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gqchris

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Put it this way, I just bought a "newer" used trailer, and I ended up dropping $1300 on a repair bill my first trip out to Havasu. Needed new Actuator, Brake Lines, Backing Plates, Bearings and Brakes. The only things that were good were the Bunks and the tires he recently replaced.

Just assume its all junk, because normally they are.
 

braindead

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Run from that trailer, unless it's free!

Pops had that same setup for his 19" jet bote, even the road runner trailer, they stopped making parts for that system at least 6 -8 years ago.

I tow up and down to Arrowhead also and I would suggest switching to electric brakes! That hill will eat up hydraulic brakes like nobodies buisness, then when you need the brakes after the longer high speed downhill sections, they've been fried by the slower winding sections up top.
 

Carlson-jet

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Buy new and don't look back.
The scrap price for trailers doesn't even pay for the gas and time to junk them.
 
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