Best Boat Trailer Reviews 2018

When shopping for a boat trailer, you should bear the adage in mind – you get what you pay for, so there should be no need to try and scrimp on any of the features so you can get the best out of your boat trailer.

Boat trailers range in price from as low as $100 for the low-end, economy types to as high as $2700 for the high-end, feature-studded models, but they can even go higher than this.

We featured products with different price tags so you can always find something that suits your financial capacity while giving you unequalled value for your money when it comes to performance and durability. There are so many cheap boat trailers out there which we stumbled upon while carrying out our research but we decided to ignore them and feature only products from reliable brands.

A great boat trailer is one that will function as expected, endure the rigors of carrying heavy weights around for long distances without showing early signs of wear and tear. There are some features that you’ll need to critically consider if you’re to get the boat trailer that fits the bill. Some of these features include:

• Size
• Material
• Brake and light system
• Support system
• Type of suspension

Boat trailers are traditionally built to comfortably accommodate a boat with no damages for the duration of the trip. And given that boats are not small, a boat trailer too is not small or portable. That said; the boat trailer size can be determined by the number of axles it comes with. There is the single axle and the double axle. A single axle boat trailer is naturally much smaller and easier to manually maneuver than the double axle boat trailer but the double axle trailer has more traction and control on the road surface. Of course, you’ll have to consider the size of your boat before deciding on the size of boat trailer to go for. If your boat is more than 20 feet in length, is heavier than normal or you make extremely long-distance trips with your boat in tow, then you’re better off with a double axle boat trailer. Otherwise, a single axle is more cost-effective and easier to maintain.

There are two metals from which boat trailers are made – steel and aluminum, both with advantages and disadvantages. A steel boat trailer can either be galvanized or painted steel. Painted steel boat trailers are aesthetically appealing as they’re mostly painted to match the color of your boat but they rust easily in salt water. Galvanized steel has a layer of zinc coating which offers an extra layer of protection for the steel in salt water and thus makes it more durable than painted steel.

Aluminum boat trailers, on the other hand, are also strong and perform excellently in salt water because they don’t rust, rather an aluminum oxide layer is formed on the surface which doesn’t affect the metal adversely. Steel generally is less expensive as a raw material when compared to aluminum and in turn, affects the price of the boat trailer. That is not to say that all steel boat trailers are more affordable than aluminum ones.

The type of water you boat in should also play a major role in determining the type of metal your boat trailer should be made of. If you frequent fresh water bodies then you can get by with a steel boat trailer but if you usually sail in the ocean or intracoastal waterways, then you’ll be better off with an aluminum boat trailer.

There are two types of support systems employed by boat trailer manufacturers – the bunk system and the roller system. Of the two, the bunk system is less expensive and easier to maintain but poses lots of difficulty when it comes to loading up and launching a boat, especially in shallow waters. However, it’s best for long term storage of the boat as it provides the best cradle for the hull with little or no damage to it.

The roller support system on the other hand provides the most efficient option when it comes to loading up and launching the boat as the boat will simply slide off the rollers and into the water. The roller system is more expensive and may cause dents in the boat’s bottom if it sits too long on it during the winter season. Considering how much you’re most likely to have spent on your boat, the last thing you’ll need is a dent or such imperfection on the bottom.

Depending on the type of boat trailer you’re going for, most of them are built with several moving parts that will require a level of skill and finesse to be able to efficiently assemble. Some brands try to alleviate the stress associated with the assembly by building their boat trailers with as few moving parts as possible so that even a novice can get the hang of it pretty quickly.

When buying a boat trailer, a major factor to consider is the ease of maintenance, especially as it pertains to the wheels and this leads us to the bearing. A good bearing makes a world of difference between a safe and enjoyable trip and a trip fraught with despair and constant stops for repairs along the way or even outright failure. Boat trailers are outfitted with either the relatively easy-to-repair grease bearings or the newer and more complicated oil bath bearing. Bearings play a major role in how well and how long the tires respond and last. If you won’t be changing tires often, you’ll be better off with the grease bearing.

For the suspension system, two methods are usually employed and both are reasonably reliable. In the first method, a torsion bar goes inside the axle and it ensures a lowered ride height and also helps in hiding signs of early rust. On the downside, it’s a lot more difficult and expensive to maintain unlike the leaf springs, which are affordable and require less maintenance. If you’re going for the leaf spring suspension type, ensure you go for one that carries your boat’s weight and by the simple rule of thumb, more is better. This means that 2 leaf springs are better than 1 and those with 5 leaf springs are definitely better than those with 2.

Other features to look out for are the brake and light fixtures on the boat trailer. Some boat trailers have incandescent light while others have LEDs. LED is preferable because it burns brighter and doesn’t drain as much power as incandescent lighting.

In terms of the brake system, there’s the disc brake and then there’s the drum brake. Disc brakes offer a larger surface area and pistons which improve the stopping power with less effort compared to the drum brake. A disc brake also offers fewer nooks and cranny for salt water to get trapped in, thus it flushes easily and this elongates its lifespan.

If storage space is a big issue for you, there are some boat trailers that are foldable and those that have removable wheels so they can be stored more efficiently while taking up as little space as possible.

One important thing though; no matter the type or make of boat trailer you finally settle on, its highly recommended that you rinse it out with fresh, clean water after every use to prevent rust or corrosion and keep your trailer looking good and in top shape.