I am in the process of purchasing a 2003 25' C-Dory with a single engine; this boat will be purchased on the West Coast and I plan on pulling to the East Coast as well as making other trips on a frequent basis. I need to purchase a new trailer that will comfortably handle this boat--I figure I need a dual wheel trailer w/brakes and having a load capacity of 7,000 pounds. Is there a dedicated trailer for this boat? Am I missing anything I need and where might I get a new one meeting these specs in the LA area?
New Trailer for a 25' C-Dory
- Thread starter mrsnow
- Start date
I would recommend Pacific Trailers...they are in Chino just east of LA. They have built a bunch of trailers for C-dorys and build a good trailer. I have had good luck with their trailers.
http://www.pacifictrailers.com/
http://www.pacifictrailers.com/
beermanPDX
New member
Whatever you do, don't let any trailer dealers talk you out of the weight carrying capacity you really need. As someone who purchased a used CD-25 that came with an under-spec' trailer (EZ Loader #5700 capacity), I wish I had the opportunity you have to do it right the first time.
Is your username Mr. Snow or Mrs. Now?
Is your username Mr. Snow or Mrs. Now?
I would second the vote for "Pacific". They are great, sturdy and well put together. I am on my second one. Changed only to go from a single axle to a tandem. Mine have both been steel galvanized. Bunked.
They have real (as in metal) fenders that you can actually stand on and use to get into and out of the boat instead of fake (plastic) that will shake themselves to pieces even if you don't stand on them. I have had excellent customer service from them, and doubt I would even consider anything else.
For a 25 I would not consider a single axle.
Good luck and you are going to love that boat.
Harvey
SleepyC:moon
They have real (as in metal) fenders that you can actually stand on and use to get into and out of the boat instead of fake (plastic) that will shake themselves to pieces even if you don't stand on them. I have had excellent customer service from them, and doubt I would even consider anything else.
For a 25 I would not consider a single axle.
Good luck and you are going to love that boat.
Harvey
SleepyC:moon
beermanPDX":352kdx82 said:
Heh, I had the same thought. I couldn't decide which way to "see" it.
To the OP: Welcome to C-Brats and congrats on your soon-to-be new 25 :thup I too, bought my C-Dory (22) on one coast and took a maiden trailering voyage to the opposite one. Good times
My boat came with a trailer that was too good to simply replace, so I "had" to put effort and money into improving it. Starting from scratch will have advantages! Again, welcome - I'm fairly new here too, and I've found it to be a great group.
Sunbeam :hot
I would tend to go with a 7500 weight trailer--in that many of the boats on the trailer come very close to that.
The electric over hydraulic only if you are going to do a lot of mountain driving. We had surge brakes and went across country (Pensacola to N J, NJ to Pensacola, to Calif, Powell, several times, to BC several times and then to AK, with the standard surge brakes.
Aluminum trailers are more popular on the East Coast--and the weight is less. Well built aluminum trailers will last as long or longer than galvanized trailers (look for SS fittings).
The trailer is not going to be cheap, but worth the cost. Be sure it is set up for the relitatively flat bottom C Dory. Many are for "V" hulls, and that is actually not the type of trailer you want for the C Dory.
The electric over hydraulic only if you are going to do a lot of mountain driving. We had surge brakes and went across country (Pensacola to N J, NJ to Pensacola, to Calif, Powell, several times, to BC several times and then to AK, with the standard surge brakes.
Aluminum trailers are more popular on the East Coast--and the weight is less. Well built aluminum trailers will last as long or longer than galvanized trailers (look for SS fittings).
The trailer is not going to be cheap, but worth the cost. Be sure it is set up for the relitatively flat bottom C Dory. Many are for "V" hulls, and that is actually not the type of trailer you want for the C Dory.
Pacific or EZ Loader they are both good trailers I whole heartly recomend that you get disc brakes on all four wheels And as for plastic fenders I have had mine for over six years no problem I climb all over them and I am by no means petite. Someone took a corner to close and clipped one of my fenders, and instead of peeling it back I came out with about an inch and a half tear. I also like the torsion bar suspendtion over leaf spring
Thanks to all for "weighing in"--sounds like I need a 7,500 lb dual axle trailer (Aluminum or Galvinized) with electric disc brakes on all four wheels--if I go to the Pacific dealership they can provide a trailer that will fit the flat bottomed C-Dory. What is "bunked" in trailer talk?
Molly Brown
Member
I'd reconsider the 7500#. I have a 24'TomCat and was stunned to learn I was running close to 9000# loaded up. Granted, that is with all gear, fuel, water, plus the trailer itself. I am in the process of building a new custom aluminum trailer for 12000# capacity, torsion axles, stainless disc on all wheels w/oil bath hubs. I know it's overkill,l but I have also been broken down on the side of the road many times over the years. Heavier axles/ bearings and 16 inch tires should give me peace of mind, as I dread trailering long distance with my current galvanized trailer, rated to 7500#, 10 years old. Best to have your boat weighed, add the expected weight of the trailer and gear and see how you come out. Best quote I ever read was "You have a 70K boat, and you tow with a 50K truck on a 2500 dollar trailer".
Jack in Alaska
New member
"Bunked" means it has boards(bunks) arranged to fit the contour of the bottom as opposed to a roller set-up.
Make sure that the bunks extend all the way back to the transom so they can pickup the weight of the engine.
The bunks are attached to the trailer frame but are adjustable to raise/lower as required.
Good luck.
Make sure that the bunks extend all the way back to the transom so they can pickup the weight of the engine.
The bunks are attached to the trailer frame but are adjustable to raise/lower as required.
Good luck.
mrsnow":2pp0g1ff said:
Boat trailers come in two basic forms - bunk and rollers. Bunk trailers have flat or angled boards that are covered with carpet and are what the boat sit's upon. Rollers are round rubber or plastic wheels on bearings onto which the boat is loaded. Bunk trailers typically have the boat sitting a bit lower and (depending on material) hold the boat on fairly tightly by friction (in addition to the winch at the boat and the strap(s) at the stern). Rollers count on the straps at the stern and bow to keep the boat on the trailer and the boat sits higher. Bunks have a disadvantage at a sling launch as one typically needs a cutout in the bunks to get the sling webbing under the boat. Different people prefer different types of trailers. I like a bunk trailer as I feel it holds the boat more securely and the boat sits a bit lower on the trailer. Others prefer rollers since they often self center the boat a bit more easily and are easier from which to unload the boat.
I like bunks for the reasons Roger gives plus the way they support the hull. A roller bunk can permanently deform a fiberglass hull ... although this may not be true for a C-Dory with its balsa core. The stress and the "EZ-Unloader" threat of full roller trailers never appealed to me even when I owned one. The times I saw boats accidentally unloaded on the concrete ramp, operators were always in error ... nevertheless the boat was dumped. I appreciate equipment that forgives a little human stupidity. But it was feeling the depressions in the bottom of my new 1986 Century that turned me off on the rollers in spite of their advantages. As I said, probably not an issue with a C-Dory hull.
Greg
Greg
srbaum
Member
I too have enjoyed my Pacific trailer and it is one of the best trailers that I currently own. The Pacific is a bunk trailer used for my trimaran sailboat. I have two EZ-Loader trailers (one for the 22 C-Dory and one for the Parker) and find that the advantage is that they load and unload more easily on shallow ramps, but with all of the moving parts, they do require a lot more general maintenance. I also have a Load Rite bunk trailer for a small sailboat and an aluminum bunk trailer for my RIB. Hands down, the bunk trailers do a great job of supporting the boat and have less maintenance requirements.
This year I have purchased about a dozen trailers for various work boats (at work). I try to push the aluminum bunk trailers (with torsion axles), as the annual maintenance and breakdowns are considerably less. My boat operators have often pushed this issue aside in favor of the roller trailers, so that they are not restricted to only good ramps.
Lastly if given a choice I specify 4 wheel disk (stainless brakes and stainless brake lines with electric over hydraulic brake systems. Yes it cost more, but is the only thing that both has less maintenance and also works when rolling down a hill over the long haul. Check state regs, as a lot of states are moving towards electric over hydraulic brakes as the new mandate.
This year I have purchased about a dozen trailers for various work boats (at work). I try to push the aluminum bunk trailers (with torsion axles), as the annual maintenance and breakdowns are considerably less. My boat operators have often pushed this issue aside in favor of the roller trailers, so that they are not restricted to only good ramps.
Lastly if given a choice I specify 4 wheel disk (stainless brakes and stainless brake lines with electric over hydraulic brake systems. Yes it cost more, but is the only thing that both has less maintenance and also works when rolling down a hill over the long haul. Check state regs, as a lot of states are moving towards electric over hydraulic brakes as the new mandate.
Steve, your comment that states are "moving toward electric over hydraulic as the new mandate" puzzles me. Are states enforcing separate breaking systems?
I just reviewed the trailering laws on a number of sites. The best seems to be AAA: http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/laws/trailer-brakes/
I don't see any mandating electric over hydraulic. A few have the wording such as this: In any combination of motor vehicles, means shall be provided for applying the trailer or semitrailer brakes in approximate synchronism with the brakes on the towing vehicles and creating the required braking effort on the wheels of the rear-most vehicle at the fastest rate, or means shall be provided for applying the braking effort first on the rearmost vehicle equipped with brakes.
or
Every trailer of a GVW of 3,000 lbs. or more must be equipped with a separate, auxiliary means of applying the brakes on the trailer from the cab of the towing vehicle. (Iowa)
Then there are rules such as "Every trailer must have parking brakes adequate to hold the vehicle on any grade it is operated, under all conditions of loading and on a surface free from snow, ice, or loose material."
Rather than assuming that electric over hydraulic is mandated, it appears that a few jurisdictions are requiring that the trailer brakes can be applied separately from the tow vehicle brakes--in the case cited, more rapidly or applying breaking effort on the rear most vehicle. Unless there is a separate braking system for the semi trailers from the tractor, that would seem to create a problem for most over the road commercial 53 foot trailers and trailers in tow such as triple towed rigs.
It also will create a major issue for autos which are towed behind RV's and treated as trailers in many states. There are tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of boat trailers which do not have this type of system.
I think that electric over hydraulic is great--but it does substantially increase the cost of the braking system, and assumes that the tow vehicle is set up for that type of rig, and is not necessary for the lighter boats such as a C Dory 16, 19 or even the 22's.
I guess I'll just stay in Florida, where I only have to have brakes on both axels if the trailer is over 3000 lbs. No parking brake on the boat trailer, and no separate way to apply the brakes, or apply the rear most brakes first.
I just reviewed the trailering laws on a number of sites. The best seems to be AAA: http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/laws/trailer-brakes/
I don't see any mandating electric over hydraulic. A few have the wording such as this: In any combination of motor vehicles, means shall be provided for applying the trailer or semitrailer brakes in approximate synchronism with the brakes on the towing vehicles and creating the required braking effort on the wheels of the rear-most vehicle at the fastest rate, or means shall be provided for applying the braking effort first on the rearmost vehicle equipped with brakes.
or
Every trailer of a GVW of 3,000 lbs. or more must be equipped with a separate, auxiliary means of applying the brakes on the trailer from the cab of the towing vehicle. (Iowa)
Then there are rules such as "Every trailer must have parking brakes adequate to hold the vehicle on any grade it is operated, under all conditions of loading and on a surface free from snow, ice, or loose material."
Rather than assuming that electric over hydraulic is mandated, it appears that a few jurisdictions are requiring that the trailer brakes can be applied separately from the tow vehicle brakes--in the case cited, more rapidly or applying breaking effort on the rear most vehicle. Unless there is a separate braking system for the semi trailers from the tractor, that would seem to create a problem for most over the road commercial 53 foot trailers and trailers in tow such as triple towed rigs.
It also will create a major issue for autos which are towed behind RV's and treated as trailers in many states. There are tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of boat trailers which do not have this type of system.
I think that electric over hydraulic is great--but it does substantially increase the cost of the braking system, and assumes that the tow vehicle is set up for that type of rig, and is not necessary for the lighter boats such as a C Dory 16, 19 or even the 22's.
I guess I'll just stay in Florida, where I only have to have brakes on both axels if the trailer is over 3000 lbs. No parking brake on the boat trailer, and no separate way to apply the brakes, or apply the rear most brakes first.