Trailers

H

hank schneider

New member
GOOD MORNING
Anybody have any words of wisdom about trailers for the C-Dory (brands - features - value - etc)? One of the boats I am considering (23' Cruiser) does not have a trailer and the boat would mostly live on the trailer.
Any models/styles to avoid?
Thanks
Hank
 
hank schneider":1wd3pagh said:
GOOD MORNING
Anybody have any words of wisdom about trailers for the C-Dory (brands - features - value - etc)? One of the boats I am considering (23' Cruiser) does not have a trailer and the boat would mostly live on the trailer.
Any models/styles to avoid?
Thanks
Hank
Click to expand...

Any tandem axle galvanized trailer of the correct length & weight rating. Ezloader is what I have used for years W/O problems. King makes a nice trailer also. Any trailer you purchase will most likely have to be adjusted to fit your boat.
Have a good one :mrgreen: :beer
 
Hank,

As TSturm said, both EZ loader and King trailers are fine, just ensure that you have one that is load rated for your boat. I don't think that a tandem axle trailer is necessary, but that said, I wish I had one. I believe they give you a little more security on the road. Another consideration is welded vs bolted. If you are going to be on really rough terrain, you may want to look at a welded trailer. I believe there was an earlier thread on this topic, so you might cruise through the forum.

Constant Craving has an EZ Loader under her, and I have received good customer service from the company on the one time (led lights) that I had a warranty issue.

Steve
 
Hank, I agree with tsturm. Since you're in North Carolina, it's probably best to go with a trailer that's manufactured within striking distance of your location and of the type most suited for your area. Out here in SoCal, we're bunker trailer types. In the midwest there's a lot of roller types, due (IMHO) to the relatively flat short lakefront launch ramps. Out on your coast there's a real mix. A tandem is, as everyone agrees, the better choice.

Don
 
Sneaks":3w1w5cwk said:
Hank, I agree with tsturm. Since you're in North Carolina, it's probably best to go with a trailer that's manufactured within striking distance of your location and of the type most suited for your area. Out here in SoCal, we're bunker trailer types. In the midwest there's a lot of roller types, due (IMHO) to the relatively flat short lakefront launch ramps. Out on your coast there's a real mix. A tandem is, as everyone agrees, the better choice.

Don
Click to expand...
tHANKS TO TSRUM, STEVE & DON - I WILL GET A TANDEM FOR SURE - EVERYWHERE I WILL USE IT WILL REQUIRE A ROAD TRIP - GETTING SOME BRAND NAMES TO LOOK AT HELPS
HANK
 
The majority of East Coast (at least Florida) trailers are made with Aluminum frames. This will save a number of hundred of pounds in weight which you tow, and they hold up better with the salt water. Consider Kodiac disc brakes on both axles, (stopping is more critical than starting!).

You can probably find a locally made trailer--if not there are a number of good builders in Fl. Float on, Ace come to mind.
 
Get a roller trailer. Just unloaded and loaded the boat at Long Beach during low tide (2 separate days,) and it would not have been possible without a roller trailer. Also helps on some of the small dirt ramps we've seen.

Boris
 
I'd like to make a couple recommendations for preventative maintanence. First, add a common ground to all your lights. Most trailers just ground the trailer and then ground each light to the frame. After a couple years you will have burned out lights (even if they are LED). Another probably more important thing to do is get yourself a can of Corrosion X. They make a heavy duty one and then spray it on all bolts. Use one of thos dolly's that you can lay on your back to reach the ones under the trailers. Basically spray any threaded bolt ect... You can even spray electrical connections with this stuff so if you hit each ground wire on the lights maybe you wouldn't need to run the common ground. Anyway, just some advice. I wish I had done it when the trailer was brand new.
 
I got an Eagle trailer with my brand new C-Dory 22 Cruiser in 2004. After a few 5-mile trips to Lake Winnebago, and a round trip of 350 miles to La Crosse from Neenah, Wisconsin, it sat on blocks for 9 months while I completed my Great Loop. After pulling my boat from the water in Green Bay, my wife noticed that the tongue of the trailer looked like it was bent. Inspection showed the nut was missing from the 1/2-inch bolt that holds the tongue to the trailer frame, and the bolt was halfway out. Simple to fix, but I shudder to think what would've happened if she hadn't noticed, and we'd gotten out on the highway.

This past winter I trailered my C-Dory to Florida. Fortunately, I was very diligent about inspecting the trailer at every stop. In Florida's panhandle I noticed that the inside inch of tread on one the left tires had about a 16-th of an inch of tread left. A similar wear showed on the outside edge of a tire on the right side. I stopped at the first tire store I could find, and replaced all four tires, cost $350. I estimate I had about 2,000 miles on the tires at that time. Later, in Welaka, Florida, I had the trailer bearings repacked, and asked them to check the alignment of the axles. They were an inch out of alignment. After the adjustment, the tires show no significant wear after 1600 miles returning to Wisconsin.

During the trip home from Florida to Wisconsin, the bracket holding the sideboard up broke when I went over a particularly rough section of road near Memphis. There are two pictures at these links:

http://smittypaddler.com/cds/cd7/fl08/p ... G_0621.JPG
http://smittypaddler.com/cds/cd7/fl08/p ... G_0622.JPG

I e-mailed both C-Dory and Eagle Trailers. Eagle responded with the part number I need,#90915, but three weeks later, after half a dozen e-mails, I was still waiting for the name of a parts supplier that would sell me the part. I finally gave up, and had the old bracket welded.

Basically, in spite of my experiences described above, I'm still happy with my Eagle trailer. The construction is solid, though assembly and service are lacking. If you buy one, inspect it very carefully beforehand, and don't expect any help from the dealer after you sign on the dotted line.[/b]
 
Here is an other thought:

When we bought the 22 ft. CD in 2000 from Mark Toland, I suggested a tandem trailer. He said the frame on the single axle was heavier than the tandem. He said the single is all you need. We pulled the Hunky Dory to Florida and Mexico many times. 3000 miles one way. Probably in excess of 80,000 miles in all. The side board brackets broke several times. Finally had angle braces welded on and never broke again. Bolts loosened a few time and cross members drop on one side. CARRY EXTRA BOLTS. I carry two spares ( for Mexico) one with extra spindle. and several small tubes of grease. The roller trailer allowed me to pick up the boat off the dry sand beach. Two tires are half the cost of 4 tires. Buy the best tires you can find with as many plies as you can get. Why not? it will be half the cost of four.

I think Mark was correct with his advice.

captd
 
Hank,
I think the boat you are looking at is too heavy for a single axle trailer. But if you are buying that boat near Merritt Island. I would check out Float On trailers out of Vero Beach. Not to far away fifty miles or so.as they probably could steer you to a local dealer near Merritt Island and you could get it adjusted to fit the boat before you go to far. Here's the link http://www.floaton.com/
D.D.
 
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