When choosing the perfect boat trailer, many boat owners are faced with the decision of which style will serve them best. Both roller boat trailers and bunk boat trailers have advantages. Here are some factors to consider when making your boat trailer purchase.
Pricing
First, let’s discuss the price. Bunk boat trailers have fewer parts, are simpler, and therefore cost less than roller trailers. Fewer parts and simpler is already an advantage of bunk trailers. Roller boat trailers have more moving parts and are more complex, so they cost more money.
How often do you use your boat?
A simple question to ask yourself is how often do you use your boat trailer? If you drop your boat in the water in the springtime and don’t take it out until fall, a bunk boat trailer may be a simple and cost-effective solution. A company like Trailers and Transport has a huge selection of bunk trailers for sale and you can easily inquire online.
Also, if the trailer bakes in the sun and sits out in the elements all summer long, any future maintenance on a bunk boat trailer is going to be a relatively lower cost.
With some types of boats, a bunk trailer is the only option, and with a nice system of bumpers and pads, they are a pleasure to use.
If you take your boat in and out of the water a lot, a roller trailer maybe your best option. For one, it is a very controlled launch and also easy to pull your boat out, because the winch is very slow and sure, and the boat naturally settles into the sweet spot.
A roller trailer is definitely the best choice if you are working solo, and is an especially good choice in a low tide or shallow boat ramp situation. Trailers and Transport sells roller trailers to fit any size of boat, and they are in stock and ready for delivery.
By comparison, a bunk trailer works best when pulling the boat out if you have a boat driver on board, so the driver can position the boat, and then stabilize it in the sweet spot as the vehicle pulls forward.
Maintenance
When it comes to [boat trailer maintenance **link], the bunk trailer uses carpet to pad the boat on the bottom and on the bumpers and bow placement. So it's relatively inexpensive to do a repair in the future when the carpet gets worn.
Which boat trailer is best, aluminum or steel? For saltwater boaters, aluminum trailers are the definite choice. For freshwater boaters, steel boat trailers have advantages. Learn the pros and cons of both aluminum and steel boat trailers in this short tutorial.
Advantages of Aluminum Boat Trailers
There are a few advantages to aluminum boat trailers.
The main advantage is that aluminum by its nature is corrosion resistant. Salt water does not adversely affect it. Some parts of a boat trailer are still made of steel like the
suspension, axel, and bearings, but corrosion as an issue is minimized.
The second advantage of aluminum trailers is that they are lighter in weight than steel trailers. This can be a factor when it comes to a vehicle's towing capacity, or when considering overall fuel economy or braking power.
The third advantage to an aluminum boat trailer is that it hold sits resale value better than a steel boat trailer. Furthermore, if you live anywhere near salt water, when it comes time to sell your boat, you will have a broader market because you can
include a potential saltwater buyer.
Advantages of Steel Boat Trailers
There are a few advantages to steel boat trailers
First, they cost less than aluminum boat trailers. The cost savings is significant in larger trailers.
Secondly, steel trailers tow better. Steel is heavier and more stable to tow. By comparison, an aluminum trailer has flex and tows differently.
A third advantage to a steel boat trailer is that you can have a custom-painted steel boat trailer to match your boat.
Some steel boat trailers are hot-dipped galvanized. The steel is dipped into molten zinc and this provides a protective coating that resists corrosion.
There are a few disadvantages of aluminum boat trailers
First is that they cost more than steel trailers. The larger the trailer, the bigger the cost difference between aluminum and steel trailers. Aluminum is simply a more costly material than steel.
A second disadvantage of an aluminum boat trailer is that the trailer may float in water when there is no boat loaded on it. This tends to be an issue with two and three axel trailers where the tires can create sufficient buoyancy to float are relatively lightweight aluminum trailer. This can create a real nuisance at a take-out ramp.
To negate the issue of a floating boat trailer, many owners simply add some weights to
the rear of the trailer to make it sink. A floating trailer becomes more of an issue in saltwater because everything is more buoyant in salt water
A third disadvantage to an aluminum trailer is that aluminum has flex, and it does not tow as smoothly as a steel boat trailers. Everyone agrees that steel is more stable for towing.
Disadvantages of Steel Boat Trailers
Surely this biggest disadvantage to a steel boat trailer is its susceptibility to rust. As they say, rust never sleeps. A steel trailer will never be the same once it is submerged into saltwater.
If your boat is on a steel boat trailer, and you want to go boating in the ocean, go to a marina where they can crane your boat on and off the trailer. Wash your boat and steel trailer immediately with fresh water after your boat has come out of the ocean.
As for rust on a steel trailer, a hot-dipped galvanized steel boat trailer resists corrosion better than a painted steel boat trailer. Also, for trailer construction, open C-shaped structural steel is preferable to rectangular tubing, because the rectangular tubing rusts from the inside and cannot be accessed.
Corrosion-resistant, affordable trailer
