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 Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums
 General Sailing Forum
 Steel vs. Alumunim trailer		  New Topic  Topic Locked
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Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1916 Posts
Initially Posted - 11/14/2002 :  06:33:43  Show Profile
In my search for a trailer I found that lots of manufacturers don't have the measurements, or wont make a trailer for a C25. One of them that will is Fast Load, located in Florida. They make an all aluminum trailer, which is popular in a salt water environment.
Any thoughts as to which might be better, aluminum, or galvanized. I know that galvanized will rust at welds and any new holes which you might drill.

Thanks
Frank Gloss
fgloss@knology.net


Frank
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OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts
Response Posted - 11/14/2002 :  13:48:23  Show Profile
Frank,
If you purchase a swing keel C25 you will definitely want rollers, not bunks. I have yet to see an aluminum trailer with rollers. I have a steel trailer that has hardly any rust - so a galvinized would be very beneficial IMHO.
I know you'll spend more for freight, but why not have Trail-Rite build one - as they have built thousands and thousands of trailers for Catalina? Maybe they could piggy back a trailer with a shipment of Catalinas going east.
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dgabel
1st Mate

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USA
75 Posts
Response Posted - 11/14/2002 :  17:31:35  Show Profile
OK. I am going to go against conventional wisdom here, but here goes.

I used to have an 18-foot Buccaneer that I bought in Ohio for sailing on lakes there. It had an aluminum trailer from a company called Trailex, somewhere in Ohio. You can find them on the Web.

THen I moved to Long Island, where I started putting the boat into salt water. That happened in 1978.

I have had nothing but trouble with the trailer up until the time I gave it to my son. The steel axle rusted away. The steel fasteners rusted. U-bolts dissolved. The springs turned into nothing but a pile of rust.

Any metal there that isn't aluminum was attacked by the salt water. The bearings? Forget it. I had to change bearings almost every year, because they would just freeze up, even though I was using those great bearing buddies that keep packing grease into the bearing.


So if you're going to use this trailer in salt water, I would definitely get a galvanized trailer. It will rust, but in my experience, they are much easier to maintain than aluminum in salt water. In fresh water, the aluminum trailers are fine.

And, BTW, I doubt that this manufacturer is going to make an all-aluminum trailer. The axles, wheels, bearings, bolts, nuts, u-bolts etc., will be steel.

Go with galvanized.

Dave Gabel
Walkure
Sail 1484
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dgabel
1st Mate

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USA
75 Posts
Response Posted - 11/14/2002 :  17:35:02  Show Profile
Let me add something to my last post.

The reason the steel had so much trouble on my aluminum trailer, I think, was because of cathodic corrosion that happens when you immerse two dissimilar metals in an electrolyte. Steel and aluminum, in salt water (a great electrolyte) mean that the easier corroding material will corrode. That was the steel.

Go with galvanized.

Dave Gabel
Walkure
Sail 1484
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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.