Where can I find a used pontoon trailer?

[kazeej]

I've been shopping over the last couple of months for a used pontoon trailer for my 24' Fisher. The knucklehead I bought my ‘toon from rigged everything – including the trailer. I’m almost done refurbishing the pontoon, and have turned my attention to the trailer. It has so many things wrong with it, I just want to replace it. Trouble is, I’m having trouble finding used pontoon trailers. Does anyone know where to look?

I’ve been all over Craigslist, done Google searches, looked on forums, but I’m not finding them.

I would prefer to deal with someone in south Florida, but I’m willing to drive some, if that’s what it takes.

Any ideas?

 

[ahicks]

There's probably one sitting right next to the 'toon lift I've been trying to track down for the last couple years....

 

[MaPaHa]

Good ones are hard to find. I wasn't happy with mine but I ended up beefing it up during a rebuild. It was a fair amount of work but I've welded for many years and just decided to do it. Mine had too much flex in the middle and sloped down after the axles from the weight of the rear end. Just not enough meat in the main frames. I stripped it down and took off the axle hangers and ground down the welds. This left me with two rails and the cross members. Then I added a 4x3 angle iron 1/4 thick along the outside of the frame and turned it under the square tube frame. I moved around when welding to not warp the frame then reset the spring hangers and fenders back to their original position. Then I cleaned it up and painted it and have a heavy duty trailer now.

I have no clue what a welding shop would have charged but I was able to have a top notch trailer for a reasonable investment. You might take a close look at yours and find that it could be fixed by a good welder. If you buy a new one I would recommend a strong one if you haul it all the time. They are expensive to get a heavy duty model.

 

[calvinator]

They are hard to find, especially a roadworthy one.
I've been looking for a year. Used asking prices are $1500-$2000 and they need work. A new one, with disc brakes, is $2500.

Not much of a financial spread to buy a used one and then a bunch of time fixing it.

The only thing I have learned is use craigslist and search the cities by pontoon-types of lakes. I live in northern Ohio by Lake Erie -- no one uses a pontoon on Lake Erie. But in mid-Ohio there are more inland lakes and the pickens better. But two hour drives to look at ratty trailers are not what I'm really interested in.

I'm almost done trying to find used. I'm probably going to buy new. The trailer I'm looking at is $3300 b/c I need a 32' for my pontoon. Ugh,

 

[kazeej]

So, I'm not crazy. I've never had a problem finding used items, but pontoon trailers must be a rare commodity.
I keep wavering between fixing up the one I have, and buying another one. The main structure of the trailer is ok. The bunks really need to be completely redone from the frame up. The mounts are made of 4x4 aluminum posts and 2x2x1/8 aluminum angle. The way the bunk supports were made allow the bunks to flatten out, allowing the keel on the bottom of the tubes to scrape. Not hard enough to damage anything (yet), but enough to make me cringe every time I load it up at the ramp.

I know how to weld, but I don't have a welder. Maybe it's time I bought one. It would be cheaper than a trailer, for sure.

 

[MH Hawker]

A lot of people buy the boats and put them on a dock or slip permanently, so trailers are rare

 

[Jeep Man]

Don't give up the one you got till the replacement one is under your boat. They are extremely hard to find. You can buy new bunk brackets on line. Wood is available locally. I suggest spending the time rebuilding what you have and make it like you want it.

 

[Dan JC 23]

Searched for a year, broke down and bought new. Check out Mid America trailers, very well built.