Longitunal Bunks for a 26M Trailer.. Good or Bad?

[Oskar 26M]

Hi All
I was not happy with my 26M's factory built steel trailer, so a couple of years ago I spent quite a few boat bucks to galvanize it, add better brakes and upgrade its carrying capacity . The resulting load-carrying and braking capacity have been good, but the mods raised the trailer significantly making launching and retrieval more difficult.

I've just been made aware of an opportunity to replace my modified trailer with an aluminium one (imported from the US) at a reasonable cost.
The new trailer is reputed to carry 2.7 tons (I'm assuming US short tons, which equates to about 2.45 metric tonnes) which should be adequate to carry my well-laden 26M. It has tandem axles and disk brakes on all wheels. However, it is not specifically designed for a Mac and has longitudinal rather than horizontal bunks.

I note that several members of this forum have modified their trailers in this way and I think it could be an advantage as my Mac seems to get stuck on the middle horizontal bunks if the depth of immersion is not "just right". It should slide on more easily if the bunks were longitudinal.

I'd be really grateful for any feedback from forum members who have experience with longitudinal bunks on their trailers, plus any thoughts of how well the boat the would be supported with this type of trailer design.

Here are some illustrative pics of the sort of trailer I have in mind...




Gordon

[BrazDaz]

Looks good Gordon
How much they asking?
Daz

[raycarlson]

i converted ny trailer (08 M aluminum)to double rows of lenghtwise bunks when i did the tandem axle mod. in my opinion the M trailer from Mac is only for dry dock storage to and from ramps. the original trailer bunks crossways two in rear one at bow only had a total of maybe 20 square inches of actual supporting surface contact with the hull for about 200 psi pressure at the contact areas. i used six lengthwise bunks totaling 1445 square inches of surface contact area greatly reduce pressures at load bearing areas.i trailer from 120-400 miles one way per trip some of it on poor quality mexican roads and could not bear to have my boat bouncing around on such small load bearing surfaces, i felt like i would be seeing fractured gelcoat-glass after hitting a large bump.I also extended the rear bunks an additional three feet aft to help support that overhang which i don't think you'll ever see on any decent trailerboating rig, except macgrg.Of course I didnt have to pay 80K for my new boat either so i won't start bitching about the skimppyness in quality of the macgrgor system. Ray

[Rick Westlake]

Gordon, it looks A LOT like the trailer I got last August for my 26X. And that trailer has been extremely good.

I got mine with "slicks" instead of carpet. I had the manufacturer leave off the bunk-carpet entirely, and just put the slicks on the bare bunks. When I get the trailer level after retrieval, Bossa Nova just cranks right up to the bow-roller (no "Mac bump").

I did try to place the bunks just wide enough that the outer edges of the ballast tanks would rest on the bunks. This is the strongest place on the hull, like a "T-section" web extending much of the hull's length. I also used carpeted-bunk guide-ons instead of the usual goalposts; they can be set close enough to the hull that the boat WILL go where you meant for it to go.

The dual wheels add some more security to my mind, and I chose torsion-bar axles instead of springs so that I could replace a bad wheel-spindle without replacing the whole axle. (It also lowered the trailer a bit, and lowered the boat on the trailer.)

Incidentally, the all-up weight of a 26X or 26M is maybe at most 2 metric tonnes, including full ballast and all the stuff you might carry cruising.

Go for it, man. If you do much trailering at all it will be worth every penny.

[Oskar 26M]

Thanks, Ray and Rick. Your comments are very encouraging.

I've arranged to take a look at one of these trailers this afternoon.

[Oskar 26M]

Well I took a look at the trailers this afternoon and decided to buy one.

Its a "Ventura" trailer with all significant parts imported from the USA. As imported, it has a rated carrying capacity of 2.7 metric tonnes (not short tonnes as I originally thought), but after adding the Hydrastar electric-hydraulic brakes from my existing trailer (these brakes are mandatory in this jurisdiction for this kind of load rating) the aggregate rating should be 3.2 metric tonnes.

Mine will also have a slightly longer drawbar than standard so hopefully my days of having to partially immerse my Landcruiser every time I launch and retrieve Oskar are about to draw to a close.

Daz: the base asking price was AU $6,500. For a complete replacement trailer including electric brakes etc you would be looking at around AU$ 8,900 - not too bad compared to the AU$15K I've been quoted for a locally made galvanised steel trailer of equivalent capacity.