Chris K

What kind of boat do you have? Did you have the trailer custom made? What manufacture?

Scheuer.. It is a 33' scarab with a aluminum MYCO under it... read post number 10 in this thread...... It is a frinds boat that we have the issue with. My lil' 24' PowerQuest does no have that problem.

I pricing out trailers for a 386 Sonic and found that the AL trailers are less expensive than the steel trailers. The AL trailers are about 5' longer because of the tongue and everyone I looked at is ugllly. If I was in salt water I would get a AL trailer but I will only be in fresh water. Plus the place I work for manufactures the tubing boat trailer builders use. I have to go with steel.

I have a 1999 MYCO for sale in the classifieds. It is set up for a 37 foot Outerlimits but is easily modifiable. $4500 takes it.

As for problems with backing up a trailer and the brakes engaging.... my aluminum trailers I order with disc brakes and they come with a back up solenoid. This solenoid has a single wire that attaches to your backup lights, or in my case I hooked it to a switch in the cab of my truck. Either way, when the solenoid energizes, it disables the brakes from getting any fluid to them when backing up, so there is no resistance and backing is trouble free..... I love aluminum trailers, load it up with stainless Ubolts, torsion axles and disc brakes and you have a trouble free, light weight trailer that will last the life of the boat. My only complaint and as someone has stated above is the extra length of the trailer at the toungue. ANYONE KNOW OF AN ALUMINUM MANUFACTURER THAT HAS SOLVED THIS PROBLEM OF THE EXTRA TOUNGUE LENGTH?? I did see one one time that ended the aluminum short of the toungue, basically where the two channels meet and then put in a galvanized tube that made up the toungue. This eliminated much of the length.... I don't know who made it though. That extra tongue length make you feel like your carrying a bigger rig than you actually are.... I've had enough of the stone chips on steel..... No paint, no leaf springs, no drum brakes ever again...... Good luck.

I don't see much discussion regarding galvanized trailers...why? Who makes them? Can the galvanized steel be painted? It seems like the best of both worlds. I had a galvanized trailer for one of my previous boats and held up well in the salt water and was still strong structurally. Unfortunately I'll be making a decision in the next couple of years because the salt has ravaged my steel trailer and it won't hold up too much longer.

I think galvanized gets a bad wrap, specially in the performance area because it's not as eye appealing as painted or shiny aluminum. After 6 months, the galvanized takes on a chalky greyish color. I see them mostly under fishing boats... And though it is galvanized, there is still steel under that coating and somewhere, somehow, rust appears. I had a 95 galvanized loadrite under my scarab and there wasn't a one galvanized bolt or nut that didn't rust within a few years.....

As for painting galvanized, I've painted my galvanized tire rims a metalic silver and the paint has held up perectly. No pealing... Just have to take care when taking the lug nuts on and off. I have always waited a year so the galvanization wore a bit before applying the paint. My current rims are 3 years since painted, still fine.

Yeah those aluminums float. My tandem aluminum seems to float one side or the other every time. You back the trailer in and think there's something in the water.. nope, it's just starting to float one side.
It's not a big deal unless you're in real current, then it's a royal pain in the a**.

The post about steel trailers being cheaper is wrong. I own both and the aluminum trailer is junk as far as I am concerned. Don't rust is the only benefit I see. Flex way too much. Salt water and don't trailer much, get the aluminum. A good steel trailer is far superior for trailering.

I think the aluminum weight designations are a bit overated. I've had two and each time, I've order the size up from what I really needed. Each time, the boat fit perfect and the boat didn't engulf the trailer. No complaints. I have seen boats that come close or go over the trailer max capacity and I've seen the flex, suspension bounce and frame integrity degrade...


Anyone know who builds a "C" frame aluminum trailers??? Besides Myco???