A better trailer…finally

A number of years ago I was complaining about the crappy trailers being put out by the manufacturers. Paint chips, rusting, wiring harnesses flimsy ball hitches.

My 2002 Shorelander still works but looks like crap. I’m checking for stuck rollers and expecting a cracked weld at any time. I’ve replace the wooden guides once and recovered them twice.

Well today’s trailers sure have come a long ways!
I didn’t look to see what brand it was that came with the Skeeter Solera but the manufacturer put some thought into the design.

I love the ball hitch! Only thing better would be if it locked on by itself!

Hydraulic brakes
Liquid lubed hubs
Attached back straps
A great jack once a person figures out how to run it.
We’ll see how the wiring and light hold up over the next few years.
Did I mention I love the ball hitch?
Cables instead of safety chains

The only part I’m scratching my head over is the winch. I know a fiberglass boat is heavy, but the winch is worthless for cranking the boat on to the trailer. Guess that’s why Power loading is recommended or walking into the water. (I try to stay dry when loading and unloading my boat)

Sure it’s more money, but I would of paid extra for a trailer like this had they been around in 2002!

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Try to get your trailer vertical like mine in that photo sometime!

Brian Klawitter wrote:

Try to get your trailer vertical like mine in that photo sometime!

You must have had too many Hamms before taking that picture.

Bk the key to bunks are getting them wet. Back your trailer all the way in to get all bunks wet then pull ahead to the depth you load at. Cranking a wet hull on dry carpet sucks. Wet carpet makes it a bit easier. FWIW your next purchase need to be steps. I powerload the boat, step off the bow onto the steps, snap the hooks, spin the crank handle a couple times and I’m done. FW pulls the rig ahead and you walk down the steps.

Skeeter’s been using EZ Loader trailers for a long time, with UFP axles and components. Same exact trailer as Warrior, Recon, and many others. And, for 2018, Skeeter boats will instead come on trailers that they’re building themselves.

Skeeter Boats’s new trailer factory helps hone vertical integration strategy

I’m curious to see what kind of axle and hub coolant system they use. Sticking with the maintenance-free liquid? I’ve had alignment and balance issues on my EZ Loader trailers; the new Skeeter trailers will have alignment and balancing done at the factory – hopefully done after the boat is put on it.

I assume they will be C-channel rather than tube construction. And also hopefully still come with the winch-post ladder up front!

The fiberglass fender option is nice, though I hope they still offer a tuff-coated aluminum fender choice as well.

The news releases say they’ll come with 18″ wheels and Goodyear Eagle tires; those are big wheels with lower-profile sport tires. That makes sense for bass boat styling, but I wonder if the Deep-V boats will come with a smaller wheel and bigger tire to handle the heavier load? It would be really, really nice to see them get the new Goodyear Endurance tires.

The old Spartan trailer under my Lund is irritating….the boat points three different directions on the way up to the winch, and always ends up crooked (yes I have tried loading at different depths etc.) I doubt seriously I’ll ever own another boat so I guess I’m stuck with this thing.

But a guy can dream….

SR

Michael C. Winther wrote:

I assume they will be C-channel rather than tube construction.

Where would the hydraulic fluid for the brakes go in a C-Channel?

No, I didn’t write that

Dutchboy wrote:

Bk the key to bunks are getting them wet. Back your trailer all the way in to get all bunks wet then pull ahead to the depth you load at. Cranking a wet hull on dry carpet sucks. Wet carpet makes it a bit easier. FWIW your next purchase need to be steps. I powerload the boat, step off the bow onto the steps, snap the hooks, spin the crank handle a couple times and I’m done. FW pulls the rig ahead and you walk down the steps.

I’m not having trouble loading it unless the boat slides back and inch or two without me noticing.

The only way that winch will pull that boat on the bunks is if the bunks are totally submerged. With the keel on the Solera, I just need to know where the two center/longest bunks are (it helps to have them underwater as long as I can see them). Dry or wet that crank will have a tough time unless the bunks are low enough into the water.

As far as steps go, the Solera has many of what some folks call extras as standard equipment. Once a person uses those steps, it would be hard to go without them.

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Steve Root wrote:

No, I didn’t write that

Weird…better?

Better. I just didn’t want anyone to confuse me with somebody who really knows what they’re talking about.

SR

Brian Klawitter wrote:

The only way that winch will pull that boat on the bunks is if the bunks are totally submerged. With the keel on the Solera, I just need to know where the two center/longest bunks are (it helps to have them underwater as long as I can see them). Dry or wet that crank will have a tough time unless the bunks are low enough into the water.

In my experience, the winch is 95% useless on a bunk trailer. A static securing clip makes more sense as you don’t/can’t really “crank” the boat up in the way it’s done on a roller trailer.
Imho, with a fiberglass boat and bunk trailer, if you’re doing anything other than just clipping the boat in place and tightening the strap with the winch, you’re probably doing it wrong and your trailer is too far out of the water. For most landings, I’d get that trailer backed in far enough that only the very top of your fenders are still out of the water. That should be deep enough that you can drive the boat right up to the winch post with just a minimal touch of “power loading” and still shallow enough that your main bunks will guide you into the right position. (The exception to this is very steep landings.)

You could also consider some bunk glides. These make it easier for the boat to slide on and off the trailer. The caution with these is that you have to treat them almost like rollers in terms of making sure your boat is secured so it doesn’t slide off before you’re in the water!

That’s what I’m talking about Michael. I was leaving about 6 inches out of the water and found that was too much. It’s best if they are all underwater but yet still close enough to the surface to see them.

‘Course if I’m loading myself this means the back tires of the truck are in the water and I’m going to get wet.

I’m just amazed at how far along trailers have finally come over the last decade.

Brian, do you leave your motor in gear when you are trying to crank it on? That works for me.

I should say, running and in gear. That would help more.

nord wrote:

I should say, running and in gear. That would help more.

That’s what I do on my roller, leave in gear, hop up reach over the bow and hook the bow strap, then jump back and take motor out of gear and off. Still a light enough tin boat though that if I’m a few inches shy I can just snug it up afterwards. First roller trailer for me, took a bit to get used to it bit prefer it now. It’s a 2001 galvanized Karavan and it still looks really good for 16 years old.

What does the ball hitch do that you love it so much?

…and don’t say it holds onto the balls…

Brian Klawitter wrote:

The only part I’m scratching my head over is the winch. I know a fiberglass boat is heavy, but the winch is worthless for cranking the boat on to the trailer. Guess that’s why Power loading is recommended or walking into the water. (I try to stay dry when loading and unloading my boat)

Looking at the picture of the Solera on a trailer, the winch setup looks mighty low IMO. I’m thinking that could contribute to a harder (than necessary) crank job?

Some of the best $$ I put into my Reata setup was replacing the factory winch with the larger model used on the 620 series. The original was a hassle and wore out after 4 years. I’m going on year 8 with the larger winch without issue.

With a bunk trailer BK all you have to do is find your perfect depth and then just drive it on. (I have my long bunks out of the water about 4-6″) It takes a bit of practice but you should never need to use the crank.

There should also never be any reason to let it run in gear while hooking it up. That just digs a big blow out hole at the ramp. I see why roller trailer guys do it even though it wrecks the ramp. I just drive the boat on until I bump the front roller and kill the motor. Then jump on the dock and drive it out. In fact I rarely even hook the strap on unless it’s below freezing. There’s no way that heavy boat is going to slide an 1/8 inch on those carpet bunks.

The way Michael is making it sound, Skeeter is making their own trailer and it will probably look similar to the Ranger and some other designs. The hydraulics will go in the tongue which is still a tube and the rest of the trailer will be made from channel.

BK as for the trailers getting nicer I’d say you just finally bought a nice boat. The old roller trailers even the new ones still aren’t very nice. Buy a sweet boat like you have now and they “give” you a sweet trailer for free! My old 2000 and 2002 Ranger trailers were very similar to the new ones. My old cheap roller trailers were what they were and that really hasn’t changed even on the new ones.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

Hydraulic brakes
Liquid lubed hubs
Attached back straps
A great jack once a person figures out how to run it.
We’ll see how the wiring and light hold up over the next few years.
Did I mention I love the ball hitch?
Cables instead of safety chains

All standard on my old 2000 and 2002 Ranger Bunk Trailers. My guess is the Skeeters had the same features then as well. Nice boats have nice trailers, even 15-20 yrs ago.

______________ wrote:

Some of the best $$ I put into my Reata setup was replacing the factory winch with the larger model used on the 620 series. The original was a hassle and wore out after 4 years. I’m going on year 8 with the larger winch without issue.

This.
My father-in-law replaced a low-quality factory winch that fell apart after 2 years on his Tuffy with a high load capacity Dutton-Lainson winch that had a low gear ratio. It was slow, but dang if it wasn’t the smoothest – and most powerful – winch I’ve ever used.