TRAILER OPTIONS
Aluminium or steel? Drive on, or winch on?
The decision about which kind of trailer to choose is not one which should be taken lightly. These days there are plenty of options to suit various budgets and the way in which you will use the boat.
The main considerations are - cost, maintenance, the distances you are likely to tow the boat on the trailer, the vehicle you will use for towing and whether you prefer to drive the boat on and off the trailer, or winch it on.
The 23WA offered for sale here does have its own custom-built premium quality trailer which is ideal for the way we intended to use the boat but it may not be the perfect choice for the next owner, so the boat can be purchased with, or without the trailer.
The existing trailer is of primarily aluminium I beam construction, all bolted together (no welds to crack or corrode), it has rubber torsion suspension (no steel springs to rust or break). The torsion suspension also allows the boat to ride low on the trailer which makes for easier launch and retrieval and more stable towing than a taller sprung trailer. It has galvanised electric brakes on all four wheels. This trailer is of the multiple keel-roller design, where the weight of the boat is taken on the centre rollers and the bilge beams each side keep the boat balanced. It also has centring beams midships to centre the boat on the trailer regardless of cross-currents, winds or waves that may be encountered during retrieval. Other useful features are a central walkway which makes it much easier and safer to clip the winch cable on, and ladder steps integral to the winch-post making it easy to board the boat over the bow when launching or retrieving on your own. This kind of trailer is ideal for either drive-on or winch-on, but it is more expensive than other types. This aluminium trailer's empty weight is 550kg including the spare wheel and carrier, which is noticeably lighter to tow than a steel trailer of similar carrying capacity.
However - if you intend to tow the boat and trailer on corrugated dirt roads it is not a good option and another type would be a better choice.
Premium bolted aluminium keel roller trailer with low-rider torsion rubber suspension and galvanised electric brakes
Other trailer options
There are plenty of other suitable trailer options on the market and if the new owner would prefer a different trailer for budgetary or other reasons, we would be pleased to help with locating one which is more suitable for them.
An example is shown in the picture below. It is a very strong trailer and suitable for drive-on, drive-off or winch-on, and will withstand off-road use. It is of all galvanised steel construction with electric/hydraulic disc brakes. They are sold by Bonanza Trailers and priced around $8600, which would be a saving of about $5000 compared with the aluminium trailer shown above. Its empty weight is 890kg, so is a fair bit heavier to tow.
