Do I have the right trailer?

[iceman]

I recently acquired a 2006 Maxum 2600 SE, and it came with an EZ-loader triple axle trailer. The prev owner said it was recommended by the factory due to the weight of the boat. I took the boat in for some minor service, and one of the mechanics told me the trailer isn't right for the boat. He pointed out areas where the bunks were putting pressure on through-hull intakes and chines, and said this could crack the hull. The frame is bolted together, not welded so it's adjustable. I asked him to try and adjust it. He did and was able to get the bunks off of the stress points, but now the lower bunks are very close together and I can't lower the stern drive. He said I could cut off the end of those bunks, but now I'm starting to wonder should I try and find a trailer that is better suited to this Maxum.

Long story, but I'm wondering if someone here could recommend a trailer for this boat, or maybe give me pointers on what to look for. I don't know if calling the factory would do any good since Maxums aren't made anymore.

Any help would be appreciated!

Tom

[heyload154]

I know that the original trailers were Karavans. Other than that, I hope it doesn't hurt your boat.

[cunuck]

I have a road runner and like it it is made in bc canada I would cut the bunks as long as you have the forward support on the bow you need.how much do you want to cut off???

[iceman]

I would only need to cut off about 3-4 inches off of two of the 4 bunks. The parts I would cut off are past the rear crossmember, and they don't support any weight, so from that perspective should be OK.

Another thing lowering the bunks did was raise the boat higher and concentrate support in the center. It seems like it's still stable, but it just makes me wonder. I'm not familiar with Karavan trailers - guess I'll do a little research.

[iceman]

Tried to post some pictures, but I'm not having any luck. They seem to upload but don't end up in the Home folder.

If someone knows what clearance is needed for a Mercury Bravo III outdrive, that would help

[cunuck]

I don't think 3-5 inches would hurt as long as the boat has support . I have player with my bunks and tongue weight to get it right.my trailer is only a tandem with a 2400 scr bravo3 on a roadrunner but I would make it right with setup .I converted my trailer to electric over hydraulic brakes as well as the reach length .

[ss3964spd]

Really hard to say without seeing it if it's the right trailer or not IM. How confidant are you in your mechanics abilities to adjust it?

You say it sits higher now, how much room is there between the hull and the tops of the trailer fenders? No issues with cutting the bunks, so long as the they extend to the end of the transom.

Dan

[iceman]

Dan,
There's about 5 or 6 inches between the fender and the boat right now. The rear crossbar is right underneath the transom, and the bracket that attaches to the bunk goes a little bit past it. So, I can only trim the bunk up to the bracket which will leave a short length, about 3-1/2 to 4 inches, past the transom. Because of that I'm not really sure of the stern drive will lower properly, even if I cut the bunks. I've been trying to find out how much clearance the Bravo III needs .. no luck so far.

Re; the mechanic, I have no reason to doubt him, but I think he was reluctant to modify the trailer, so he suggested that I do it. After looking more closely, I think it's too dangerous to try and cut the bunk with the boat on the trailer, and I don't have a way of getting it off so I think I'll have to bring it back to him.

Tom

[ss3964spd]

So the trailer's rear most cross member is at the very back of the trailer and directly under the transom, the rear bunk brackets extend past the transom a little, and the bunks extend past a little more. How much space is there between the top of the cross member and the bottom of the hull, and how far apart are the bunks back there? How tall are the actual bunk boards?

When pointed straight back the width of the drive - not including the props, can't be more than 12 or so inches or so. If the bunks are now so close together that you don't think you can tilt the drive down between them that would make me nervous, really nervous, when going around corners. 5 or 6 inchs above the fenders isn't ideal (mine is about the same). Lower is better, of course, to drop the CG.

It sounds like you could easily cut the bunks - a sawzall would wack the ends off easily, but might depend on how close to the end of the cut off bunk the last mounting bolt going through the bunk would end up. However, it doesn't sound like the length of the bunks is the issue, it seems the issue is the space between them. You can send me the pics via email if ya like and I can try to post them here.

You might consider taking it to a boat trailer place for assessment and/or proper fitting.

Dan

[tex'npepper]

Reading the posts, I wonder if the boat might be too far forward on the trailer. Iceman might want to check the tongue weight of the boat and trailer before adjusting the length of the bunks.

[iceman]

I've been told the tongue weight is a little on the light side. This trailer has a very long tongue. The previous owner liked that because it kept his truck away from the water when he launched. I think the trailer might be for a slightly bigger boat.

It might be possible to move the crossmembers forward. There are other holes in the outer frame, but there are wires running through some of them with grommets.

Dan, I checked for a boat trailer dealer around here, but there aren't any that are close. Alot of boat dealers went out of business out here. I think there are more in central Calif in towns like Sacramento, about 2-1/2+ hours from here.

[iceman]

[cunuck]

looks like its too far forward ,check the tongue weight is a must .your right the trailer could be to long if so chop the bunks to fit so you can drop the leg. could you reset the boat back to your cut line first and make sure the leg will clear first ????

[ss3964spd]

It's really not too far forward - well maybe just a couple of inches, the transom is being well supported by the rear of the bunks. As long as those bunks are you could pull it back and still have support. At first I assumed you only had 2 bunks but now see that you have 4.

But if you've already been told that the tongue weight is too light with the boat positioned the way it currently is then yes, the trailer is too long. How does the rig tow now? Any sway on the highway? Do you know the real boat+trailer weight? If you know the total weight there is a nifty way to measure your tongue weight using a bathroom scale.

Options: leave the boat positioned where it is, lop off the bunks, and live with it. Try to slide the entire bunk assembly forward. You could shorten the tongue but I doubt that's going to increase tongue weight much.

I think before you attempt any corrective actions you need to know the total weight and then the current tongue weight. Achiving the correct tongue weight will probably dictate everything else.

Dan

[iceman]

Dan,
Here's what I know from published specs: the boat weighs 6868#. It has an 85 gal tank, so fuel is probably another 500-600#. The trailer is 2431#. So the grand total is about 10,000# +/-.

I'm interested in your method to measure tongue weight. Although the mechanic said he thought it was light, I've towed it around 100 miles total at this point and I don't feel any sway or fishtailing. It bounces a little when I hit bumps though.

If I can shift the boat back a few inches this problem goes away.

[ss3964spd]

10K is significant. Hope you're using a sizable tow vehicle!

Here ya go - http://www.curtmfg.com/index.cfm?eve...ntpieceid=1347

Keep in mind that the ya need to have the boat+trailer on level ground, and that the measurement needs to be taken with the trailer coupler at the same height as it is when connected to your truck.

If you're light in the front you might also be able to slide the trailer axles backwards. Good luck, let us know what you find out.

Dan

[bmax]

I trailered my previous boat a lot and it was a 2008 2700 essentially the same boat as the 06 2600. I had a Shorelandr tandem axle gross trailer weight of 10,500 lbs and it worked great, I'm thinking you don't need a triple axle and to keep tounge weight you have to move the boat forward and this interferes with the lowering of your outdrive. I have a triple axle now for my new 2900 ( 30', 10 300 lbs ) and the gross weight of it is 15,500 lbs, so it may be overkill for your boat.

bmax

[cj]

I have a 2400 SCR and it had the same problem when I purchased the boat, except it had rollers. The previous owner for some reason had moved the winch stand forward, resulting in a very, very heavy tongue weight and the last 2 rollers hanging out the back. I noticed U-bolt marks on the trailer where I believed the winch stand to be originally, and re-bolted it in that position. The boat now sits correctly, has the correct tongue weight and the rollers aren't hanging out the back. I would try putting the bunks back to there original position, so the boat just clears the fenders and slide the boat back to the end of the bunks and adjust the winch stand to match. You can always move your axles back aswell to obtain the correct tongue weight. It is more work than simply cutting off the bunks, but you will probably be happier in the end with the results. Just my 2cents.....good luck.

[iceman]

Thanks for the additional feedback guys. The game plan now is to measure the tongue weight tonight using Dan's method. Tomorrow I will try and move the bunks back up some. Not all the way to the original position though, because I don't want to put pressure back on that thru-hull intake.

If raising the bunks creates a large enough gap that I can lower the sterndrive, I'm done. If not the tongue weight measurement I do tonight will dictate whether I can move the boat back without cutting the bunks or making axle adjustments.

[iceman]

Well, let's just say I'm shocked. I measured a tongue weight of 140#, so light that I could verify it by measuring it on the bathroom scale directly vs a fulcrum. By all rights I should have had a terrible time towing, yet it's seemed OK and the PO towed it 100's of miles over 3 years with no problem. Could it be that the triple axel makes tongue weight less critical??