Shipping a trailer from FL to WA

[jrogers]

Ok, so now I need an aluminum trailer for my aluminum boat they are buildgin for me in WA. My two top choices are Rolls Axle and Hi_tech (in that order) both out of Florida. I need the trailer in WA by year end, but I would take it there anytime from now on if that works. Any suggestions on how to ship this in a reasonable manner? A fellow forum member here said that they paid 3K to ship their's which is way too much in my opinion. There is a WA builder of Aluminum trailers, Tuff Trailers, but they are new to aluminum, and I would rather get something that is a proven winner.

Any suggestions on how to do this? Someone else on the west coast must be trying to do the same thing as me in the coming months, one would thing.

Jim

[Chaps]

Is an aluminum trailer important for your package? I know they are pretty nice but would it be worth the hassle & expense to bring one out from the SE? That said, after looking at the website for Tuff Trailers they look pretty decent too. Also, just remembered there is a dealer for east coast trailers down in Tacoma and I believe they have inventory. I'll see if I can get their info for you.

What kind of boat are you having built?

[Bob5292]

I don't think your going to find anything for less than 3k. If I remember right, you were getting a 30' SeaWolf so the trailer is going to be about 35 feet long. I don't know much about aluminum trailers, but my torsion axle KBT15000 weighs 3000 lbs and is 35.5 feet long, so its not easily stacked. I am sure this would be a hassle and may not even be possible, but you may be able to order an extra heavy duty frame from King and then have Seawolf install Rolls aluminum axles with thier stainless hubs, lifetime spring system, and nice bunks.

Bob

[Bob5292]

Or you can get a "cheap" locally available trailer and a 2.5 gallon rechargeable water fire extinguisher. Most of the ramps around here don't have fresh water available. I usually take a minute and hit the important parts with a little fresh water with some salt away mixed in. It takes me about 2 minutes to recharge the unit when I get home and my trailers look like new.



Bob

[JETTYWOLF]

Ask the trailer manufacture where is the most northern state they "will" be delivering too.....(a truck of trailers).

Then go to one of those web sites like U-bid, (I think thats it) and get the lowest bid on one of those delivery guys, to pick it up at a dealership as far north as possible and bring it too you.

My dad has had Motorcycles delivered all the way from SoCal to Florida, in the bed of a guys truck, while he's towing a boat here.

You have plenty of time to organize all that it seems. They should work with you, if they want your business.

Or find a dealer to handle it all up your way. Someone here has one way up in the northland.

I can tell you, you will not be dissapointed with your Rolls Axle. I'm not.
If you want NO rust, don't trust galvanized axles. They all seem to rust.
Thats what pissed me off with my last 3 trailers...."Oh it's aluminum, it won't rust..."Sure.... then why does the galvanized axles, bolts etc. rust?"

Performance Aluminum/Galv. trailers, that was the worst I ever owned. What a rust bucket after two years.

I spent what I'd call BIG bucks, but oh so worth it, for a guy like myself that "has to go" and can't afford no paycheck.

I have the complete deal, though.....SS hubs, lugs, and nuts. Seems minor but it's so nice looking at them and NOT seeing rust. Especially if your season is short and the trailer sits outside for months. That's a nighmare! In my opinion. Why not have a maintenance free boat and trailer to match. Except for bearings, of course.

I waited and had mine delivered to North Florida, when they were delivering another trailer to the local dealership, from S. central Florida factory, because I too didn't have time or want to drive down there.

[jrogers]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. The boat I am getting is a 31' Seawolf, and I will need a 15K gross trailer for this, since it is around 12K full of fuel and water. The manufacture is a dealer for Easyloader, but I have heard too many negative comments on this to want to go this way. There is a Hi-tech dealer in WA, and he has one but it has surge instead of electric over hydraulic. I think this is a bit of a lesser trailer than the rolls, since it has galvinized axles but I think it would be a step up from an easyloader.

Although I do have some months, it seems like this is the time of the year that things start shtting down for boating, so it may not be so easy. I guess one idea would be to find someone hauling a boat from the west coast to FL and to use their backhaul. I think I will do a post on u-bid and see what I find.

Jim

[JETTYWOLF]

I know Rolls delivers trailers, Northward....they have too.
Dealers ain't picking them up!

Did Rolls tell you cannot get delivery at least near Washington??

It doesn't slow down here.

Some one here that resides in AK has a Rolls Trailer for a behemoth sized boat too. Maybe it's Sharkbait...someone in AK.

Search around thru the memberlist of AK residents
(ANOTHER REASON WE REQUEST TO HAVE LOCALES IN PROFILE PAGE)
And PM each one till you find him.

I saw photos of one one time, one of the guys posted.....I'll look under "hauling my rig" forum to see.

Stand by. I like assignments.

[jrogers]

They are 'working on it' and have been for several weeks. He is looking to combine it with another shipment. If this cannot be done, I think it would be around $3K to ship, which adds 30% on the price of the trailer. I just posted on Uship.com today, and posted on THT as well. Hopefully someone that I can trust is going to the west coast empty, or I can stack it with another trailer shipment. I think the time of the year plus the slowing ecomomy is limiting the options for me.

As for delivering them northward, they do on the east coast but not the west. They currently don;t have any dealers out here.

Jim

[Chaps]

Here's a couple that popped on Seattle craigslist:

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/boa/837144081.html

http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/boa/835190146.html

http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/boa/841565046.html

good luck!

[jrogers]

Thanks for the post, Chaps. I got excited when I saw that 15K trailer. That is a hi-tech, and he has two of them. The only thing is that it has surge brakes, which I really don't want on a boat this big. One option would be to convert it to electric over hydraulic, either there or when I get it to AK. It is still a good price even if this would cost me $1000. The Rolls is $8700, but the killer is this is a FL price, and currently the best case is that it will cost me $3K to transport it.

Too bad the dealer didn't order one of those two trailers with E/H brakes last sping, then I would be done with this. -- I still might, depending on what options turn up for me.

On my boat they say the metal is cut and sitting in a pile. They will start assembly tomorrow. They promise to send pictures, so I will post them here as I get them (under a different thread).

Jim

[Shark Bait]

Now Jetty be nice! Yes it was me, Shark Bait, who put a Rolls under my boat but it it hardly a "Behemoth" it is just a "Normal" sized Aluminum boat for ALASKA. :lol:

I have been talking to jrogers about trailers and how he might get a Rolls to WA. One thing folks need to remember about trailering large boats is the WEIGHT of the trailer. Remember for every pound a trailer weighs that is one less pound your boat can weigh. My boat/trailer combination without a full load of fuel Max's out my truck GCVWR = 22,000#

A steel trailer for my boat would have weighed over a thousand pounds more. Additionally, steel trailers are not cheap. When I was researching trailers a steel trailer bought in WA was more expensive than a higher quality aluminum trailer bought in FL.

Another point is most builders/dealers/boaters have no clue how heavy their boats are and that is before the owner adds all of his "stuff" to the boat. I have personally seen in the last two weeks two rigs where the boat and trailer exceed the weight capacity of the trailer - one by 500# the other 2,500#.

After owning an EZ Loader roller trailer with surge brakes when I lived in FL and now I have my Rolls bunk with E/H - there is simply no comparison. The Rolls is worth every cent I paid for it.

I hope we collectively can help jrogers find a way to get a quality aluminum trailer to WA for his new Seawolf. His is a nice big boat and it deserves a quality trailer with some excess capacity.

SB

[Chaps]

Seawolf? Very nice! A buddy of mine has two of them, a 27 that he charter fishes here in WA and another that his son operates in SE AK, a big pilothouse.

BTW, if you need a spot to stash a trailer for a short while you can have it delivered to my place though I suspect that Seawolf has room for it?

[welder]

Jim, call Julie @ Pacific Boats and see if they have a truck coming back from the east coast dead head [ empty ]

Just a thought.

[JETTYWOLF]

SharkBait,

That thangs a behemoth to a inshore fishing guide in Florida! But behemoth in a good way, not a bad way.
I could dock a boat like yours and live on it, easily.
"Cuz, I'm Single don't care about creature comforts except A/C, and now, with no dog."
Rest in Peace my ole Dusky girl.

[fishnchips]

Hi wouldn't alloy corrode faster than just steel thats been hot dipped for corrosion ? i am intrested because i have an allloy boat and be cool to have alloy trailer

[welder]

Hi wouldn't alloy corrode faster than just steel thats been hot dipped for corrosion ? i am intrested because i have an allloy boat and be cool to have alloy trailer

Nope with just a little care the ALLOY will way outlast the steel trailer and don't forget ......................

Chicks dig the metal.

[Illgotoo]

There's always Road Runner trailers in Vancouver, BC. They make trailers for up to
30' boats. Yours is 31', right. Maybe something could be worked out.

One of my boat trailers is a Road Runner and it is a very nice one.

http://www.roadrunnerltd.com/

[jrogers]

Sorry I never updated you guys on this. I ended up going with the local dealer of Hi-Tech trailers in Washington. He had a 15K aluminum trailer that was left over from the summer he gave me a deal on, and he agreed to store it until my boat was ready in January and then deliver it for me. I would have preferred to get a Rolls Axle trailer like Sharkbait, but it would have been almost double the cost by the time I got it delivered to WA. The only downside to the hi-tech that I got (other than the geeky name) is that it has surge brakes instead of electric over hydraulic which was my preference. I can change this later if this becomes important to me.

On the question of galvanized steel vs. aluminum, I think the aluminum will look good longer, but the big advantage for me was that they are about 1000 lbs lighter when you are at a 15K gross trailer, which means my truck will need to pull this much less weight up the passes here in AK.

One point of anxiety is that the builder will be fitting the boat to the trailer for me, and they have not worked with this trailer before. The dealer assured me that this is the perfect size trailer for my boat, and I even have this stated in the purchase agreement if this is not the case. Hopefully it can be adjusted to fit my boat well.

JIm

[fishnchips]

Sounds good to me do you guys have plans for a 20ft alloy trailer that i can view or perhaps build to specs with.
my trailer is good but dang nab it, its heavy to move on my own..thanks and i hope you all have a very merry xmas and a happy new year

[Chaps]

Sorry I never updated you guys on this. I ended up going with the local dealer of Hi-Tech trailers in Washington. He had a 15K aluminum trailer that was left over from the summer he gave me a deal on, and he agreed to store it until my boat was ready in January and then deliver it for me.

JIm

Hey, I see you bought one of those trailers I sent you a link for . . . I damn well hope it works out for you as I'd hate to catch hell for a shoddy product

[welder]

Oh , I can hear it now...............Chaps made me do it honey.

She should ride nice , as with any trailer just be sure to double check all the parts, nuts and bolts.

[jrogers]

No worries Chaps. There is an Alaskan dealer for these that I had been talking to last summer when I was thinking I was going to ship the boat up here, and I was able to look at one locally. I ended up getting a better deal in WA from the ad that you pointed out since he was trying to unload his inventory. I think it will all work out fine, I just hate the waiting to see how it will come together.

Jim