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Any wing owners have a Triad trailer?

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OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/08/2009 : 04:12:03

Taking a look-see at a wing this weekend. The boat does not come with a trailer. Trail-Rite (my preferred brand, probably too far away too justify the freight) quoted me $7,700 for a galvanized trailer with brakes on both axles - a requirement here in Pennsylvania. This doesn't make economic sense for a 20+ year old boat.

Any one here have a wing on a Triad? What's been your experience?

Steve Madsen

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 10/08/2009 : 14:20:31

I have owned a triad, it was far superior to my Trail Rite. I considered buying a boat in the Northeast and was pleased that I would be buying a new Triad.

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OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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4382 Posts

Response Posted - 10/08/2009 : 15:37:39

Frank, thanks for your comment. Anything in particular that makes you favor the Triad over the Trail-Rite?

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Scooter
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228 Posts

Response Posted - 10/09/2009 : 05:00:53

When I bought my wing I also bought a new trailer. Mine is a Road King. If I had it to do over again I would shop around for a trailer with Rollers. Mine has pads. Launching can be tricky since the pads are curved to fit the hull shape and it can interfere with getting the boat just right on the trailer.

I would take my time and pay extra for a trailer with rollers. This one works fine but you have to get a system down to splash and pull. I have found that if I lower the pads at the rear then I can get the boat on the trailer easier. This means that I then have to rasie them once the boat's on the trailer and in the parking lot.

I only launch it once a year so it's not a big deal.

I got mine from Backyard Boats in VA (also in MD) but the trailer was made in NC. It cost about 3K in 2004. It was galvanized with extended tounge, Ladder on winch stand and spare tire.

Just some thoughts.

Edited by - on

RCarie
1st Mate

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USA
51 Posts

Response Posted - 10/09/2009 : 05:51:46

I found my 89 Wing without a trailer also. I searched e-bay and manufactures sites for availability. I didn't know there were that many brands out there, but very few for a sailboat that is no longer in production. I eventualy consulted our local boat shop who sells EZ-Loader. The one I purchased was actually for a very large speed boat. It has 64 rollers, oil filled bearing, torsion axle, and brakes on both axles. Once I got it home a friend and myself went to work raising the rollers to accomidate the C25 (with material that I bought from EZ-Loader), readjusting the rollers, and moving the axles (everything on a EZ-Loader Trailer is bolted together). I also stengthened the winch stand. My final project has 1000s of miles on it. I'm very pleased. Big note: I specificaly avoided a galvanized trailer, because the frame is the only thing that is galvanized. All of the hardware is zinc plated steel and will eventually rust. I saved more than a $1000.

Good Luck,
Randy
C25 1989 SR/WK #5947 "Randa Sue"
West Lafayette, IN

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 10/09/2009 : 06:09:12

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by OJ
 Taking a look-see at a wing this weekend. The boat does not come with a trailer.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Steve,

If your sailing venue allows access to haulout and storage facilities, you might want to consider going without a trailer and simply storing at a boatyard. First off, boats are generally cheaper, sometimes way cheaper, when purchased without a trailer. At your quoted price of $7,700.00 for a new trailer, I could store my boat for over 23 years at the boatyard which I currently pay $330.00 for winter haulout, storage, and spring launch. If you add in trailer maintenance/registration costs and costs associated with maintaining a capable tow vehicle, the savings escalate considerably.

Just something to think about...

Edited by - on

Kip C
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243 Posts

Response Posted - 10/09/2009 : 13:38:09

OJ,
Several people on Brookville Lake have bought trailers from Loadmaster in Port Clinton, Ohio.
I can't tell you much about them, other than most of the ones I've seen have bunks. Although, they do offer rollers. My guess is most newer trailers are bunks, due to cost. Another alternative would be pads. My slip neighbor bought a padded trailer for his previous Cat 25, except he had it sized a little larger for a larger future boat. According to him, with 6 pads, he can lower one pad at a time to paint the bottom with relative ease. The pads seem like the best of the 3 options. It can be a pain crawling the trailer to paint the keel and around the rollers. I've come to appreciate boats on pads, because of the ease of access to the bottom and keel.

Also, I've noticed that Viking and Loadrite also make sailboat trailers and they're in Pennsylvania.

Edited by - Kip C on 10/09/2009 13:40:01

dreddick
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117 Posts

Response Posted - 10/10/2009 : 18:28:33

[url="http://www.catalina-capri-25s.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13349&whichpage=2&SearchTerms=dreddick"]trailer thread[/url]

Here is a link to a thread from 2006 when I had a trailer built in Toledo, OH for our wing. Someone recently got a quote for one like this and it was around $4400 with bunks. I have had no problems with the bunks.

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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4382 Posts

Response Posted - 10/12/2009 : 15:54:53

Thanks for all the great information and pix!

I had a Trail-Rite on my 1981 C25 swinger and it was great. It had the "roller trains" which allows you to easily winch the boat forward those last couple/three inches after you've reached the top of an unfriendly ramp. We have no lift facilties at our marina (and Don, yes, I'm envious,) but we also plan to trailer-sail . . . Georgian Bay, Chesapeake, Lake Champlain, etc., so we need a proven user friendly unit. I've talked with a number of manufacturers and (thus far) Trail-Rite is the only one that offers rollers for sailboats.

As many of you know, Trail-Rite was the goto trailer manufacturer for Catalina. Catalina spec'd the C25 trailer for Trail-Rite. They wanted a trailer that made it easy for owners to launch and retrieve - and I feel they certainly achieved that. As for bottom painting, I simply braced the hull (strategically) and lowered one rack of rollers at a time. This will be even easier with a wing as 70% of the boat's weight sits on the wing and 30% of the four roller racks. Many state's EPA departments have eliminated rust inhibiting agents in paints - so galvanized is really the most logical choice in the long run.

Yep, Trail-Rite is expensive to be sure. But I know I'm getting a proven product for this model boat. They've built hundreds of trailers for the C25 - including the wing. The above price includes disc brakes, spare wheel mounting bracket and tongue exntension - I'm eliminating the latter two items to save weight. I look at this as a long term investment - and will amortize the extra cost accordingly.

Edited by - OJ on 10/13/2009 15:01:16

islander
Master Marine Consultant

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4018 Posts

Response Posted - 10/13/2009 : 14:49:21

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> I could store my boat for over 23 years at the boatyard which I currently pay $330.00 for winter haulout, storage, and spring launch.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Wow! I'm moving to where you are. Try $1222.50 for my winter and $3220.00 for the summer. So as you can see, Getting a trailer can be very cost effective to some of us.

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