Factory Trailer Failure

[phoenixtoohot]

I've read many posts here about concerns with the factory trailer. I have read about those who have added a second axel ($500 to $1600), and those who purchased a new tandem axel trailer ($3500 and up), because of their concerns.

And yet, I have not read about a single, serious highway failure with the factory trailer ... just speculation about failures.

I just purchased a 2008 M with a factory, aluminum trailer. I plan to pick it up next week and tow it 400 miles to my house. If anyone has had, or know of, an actual, serious highway failure, please respond.

[kmclemore]

I've only ever heard of failures on old and worn-out trailers. Common failures are severe rust, worn out hub bearings, tire failures and seized brakes. Proper maintenance will prevent all of this.

With a new alloy trailer you won't ever have to worry about rust, and your overall weight will be less. I think you'll be fine.

[mastreb]

You won't have any problems assuming you've got a tow beast that is rated for 5000 pounds or more and has a long wheelbase. The concerns about the factory trailers are essentially that they don't age well. I've not heard of anyone with less than four years on their trailer having any trouble.

The original steel trailers were not treated for corrosion resistance and saltwater seems to kill them in a few years no matter what you do.

The new aluminum trailers still have a steel drawbar which is not coated or painted on the inside--I recommend getting steel frame treatment from an autobody shop and coating the interior of the drawbar with it as soon as you can.

The factory axle is rated for saltwater and you should have no trouble with it. I personally am not going to dual axle because I have to pivot my boat around quite a bit to park it and a double axle interferes with that dramatically. The axle is rated for the boat with some cargo, it sits well on it, and it works just fine in my opinion. I tend to think that the problems people have are when the trailer is a decade old, when it's been under-maintained or over-maintained (for example, the axle mfr says not to repack the bearings, but a lot of people do it) and when tire pressure is not kept correct.

The taillights don't last very well, you should expect to have to rebuild them after a few seasons.

[bartmac]

It's obvious to all concerned that the use of a single axle trailer is down to cost and for a stock boat with no additions it probably works BUT add a few things and the weight gets up pretty much.My compliance plate says 1750 Kgs and would think the bearings are the limiting factor...tyres are available at 1180 kgs and so are alloy wheels.In some jurisdictions around the world (Australia) going over 2000kgs means a whole new set of rules including break away systems requiring $3000 worth of bit to make it stop even if it's no longer attached to the tow vehicle!!

[finding41]

When I got my 88D I had the PO and my buddy that was picking it up grease the trailer bearings and put on the new tires and rims I had sent with him. The biggest problem with a trailer that age is wheels, bearings, lights, wiring. Mine is really solid structurally and has a extended tong making the whole rig 31'. I keep hearing about "bearing buddies". I don't have them but am considering them.

[raycarlson]

ive never heard of a alum M trailer failure either.But i have personally experienced both blow out tire failure and bearing hub failure losing the whole tire and hub. both were on a low slung bassboat with low gravity center and half the weight of my M. I wouldnt want to experience the same with my M as i fear the greater weight and higher center of gravity might be tragic if they happened to occur at the wrong moment such as tight highspeed curve or narrow mexican hiway with no shoulder and a three foot drop off.Knowing that you never know when that once a decade blowout might happen is why i feel so much more safe and secure with four tires back there instead of just two.I've experienced no difference in manuvering or backing my dual axle compared to when it was a single axle,and i back with the trailer at a near ninety degree angle to the truck to get it into its parking spot so maybe the size of your tow vehicle comes into play with that problem as i do tow with a 7000pound diesel truck. if you do stay with single axle at least use name brand premium truck or trailer ties for you and your boats safety.

[Chinook]

The original steel trailers were not treated for corrosion resistance and saltwater seems to kill them in a few years no matter what you do.

While I'm no great fan of the factory steel trailer, I can't agree that they'll inevitably die in a few years regardless of treatment. We've had ours for 10 years, and have put over 40,000 towing miles on it. It's been launched countless times in salt water, and the trailer is still in fine shape. Early on, I had a tandem axle installed, and replaced the stock drum brakes with stainless steel disc brakes. I rebuilt the bunks a few years ago, and completely repainted the trailer at that time. I always give the trailer a thorough freshwater rinse right after launching in the salt. We do have the good fortune to live in an arid climate, as opposed to a humid or coastal area, and I'm sure that helps a lot in terms of reducing rust. I'll be due to repaint the trailer again fairly soon. Hopefully, she'll be good for another40,000 miles.

[mastreb]

The original steel trailers were not treated for corrosion resistance and saltwater seems to kill them in a few years no matter what you do.

While I'm no great fan of the factory steel trailer, I can't agree that they'll inevitably die in a few years regardless of treatment.

I stand happily corrected. I frankly don't get all the trailer worries given the lack of actual problems cited here. Granted, this is my first towing/trailering experience in life, but I've put about 1000 miles on mine so far, and while yes its new, I just have not had a stitch of trouble. I don't feel as though it's under-rated for the load, it's very stable and even if I had a blowout or lost a wheel bearing while pulling it, it's not as if the boat is going to come off the trailer or anything worse than replacing the entire wheel or axle could happen. My tow beast could drag it safely in the event of a blowout or lockup, and I carry a spare wheel on mine. A replacement axle is about $400--there are very few large items in life that can be completely overhauled for that price.

Having (safely) slid off a freeway in a Saab 900 turbo when the transmission seized and both FRONT wheels locked up solid at 80 miles an hour, I'm just not particularly worried about the trailer I guess.

[Mac26Mpaul]

My aluminum trailer did fail. I just tried to take pictures to show you where, but my camera battery is flat. The aluminum itself bent, and the PO has had a piece of aluminum welded in to fix it (not sure about that, but its held up). Unfortunately I did not see this when I bought the boat so couldnt ask him about it, the PO was selling it because he had married a US girl, and she wanted to go back to the US, so the poor guy had to sell his boat to follow her I really cant imagine the circumstances to be honest, because it really would have had to have had a massive ammount of weight on it to fail! I have had 2 and half tonnes on no problems at all, and that was with a half rusted out drawbar LOL.

My drawbar was also bent and just about to fail from rust (2007 built trailer). I had the people at the marina weld the old ladder onto a new drawbar and I just finished painting it myelf ( couldnt get it galved unfortunately) I tied a sponge onto a broom stick and gave it two undercoats of anti rust stuff inside and two top coats of it in there. Also sprayed a coat of protective oil inside it, whch I will do regularly. Hopefully this one should last a bit longer.

I would not be worried about towing it on the stock trailer, as long as the drawbar is in good nick (if bent, it means its rusted inside!) However I would not want to go any great distance with those super dodgy tyres that come with the trailers. There has been many failures there........ Everybody in Oz puts light truck tyres on em...

There is much debate out there on whether duel axels or single are better. Duel will let you carry more weight, and your bearings if maintained properly should be less likely to fail, however with duel axel, you do have twice as many parts that can fail, and if one bearing on one wheel fails, the rig will be more dangerous and harder to control than a bearing failure (or even a total loss of a wheel) on a single axel trailer. If like me, you had a very tight area to get the boat in the backyard, you would probably want to stick with a single axel...

[Catigale]

I believe the trailers exported by Mac are different that North America trailers, fwiw

Mine is a 2002 steel model, with a new galvanised single axle, holding up ok in mixed salt and fresh use.

Rinsed after every salt use, never repainted yet.

[raycarlson]

once again not sure how you arrived at that opinion,if it was second hand rumors or actual first hand experience. but i can tell you if your axles are installed correctly there is no lack of control when running without one wheel.I did this as a test so i would know what to expect if this happened to me while down in mexico with no parts avaiable. i removed one each front then a back wheel totally and drove on i-10 65mph entrance exit ramps lane changes and there was absolutely no way of knowing i was missing a tire except that i was the one who removed it,it handled just as it did with 4 wheels.and for having problems backing a dual axle trailer the only issue would be your tow vheicle is to small to push it around.do your ties scuff and slip when backing sharply yes they do but it will still turn sharply, i wonder how those triple axle trailers on a 35' rv get parked in the rv resorts, oh yea their not trying to do it with a toyota.

[Tomfoolery]

Ray

Just out of curiosity, what kind of suspension do you have, independent torsion or equalized leaf?

[Mac26Mpaul]

Ray, Not first hand experience thankfully, so my research consisted of second hand rumours for sure, but a few of those rumours were from some pretty respected guys including a couple of engineers, one a retired designer of trucks and trailers. I dont pretend to be an expert and certainly dont doubt your story, but searching the net, there are plenty of arguments both ways, and many based on their experiences.

[raycarlson]

i have the 08 aluminum M model trailer which i assumed all came with the torsion bar suspension after 2003 or 2005. I understand this situation would be different on a leaf spring set-up with the equalizer fitting connecting the two springs.

[phoenixtoohot]

Thanks for the replies ... sounds like the factory trailers do fine if properly maintained. I'm going out this weekend to bring the M back from CA .. whoo hooo ! I still think I might upgrade to the second axel before I take it from Phoenix to the Chesapeake Bay. Still researching this option, but I like what I have heard from the people who have added a second axel from the same axel supplier to Macgregor.