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I'm looking for a trailer for my soon to be finished vacationer. I seems that the manufacturers don't make light weight models in long lengths.
For my Weekender I just used a 14' bassboat trailer like recommended in the plans.
This wouldn't work for the Vacationer - or would it ? somehow? Any ideas would be appreciated. I sure don't want to spend thousands of dollars for a trailer that has capacity that I don't need.

I  bought a pretty hefty trailer off of craigs list for a few bucks and simply removed some of the leafs from the springs until I had it acting right.  A lot of times you can find old trailers that are too heavy and knock them down pretty easy.

Al

I, too, am puzzling about a trailer for my Vacationer.  My bigger problem, though, is where to store TWO boats!

Dave

Herschel,

The issue isn't the weght, it's the wider beam and taller height on the Vac. The lighter trailers won't be wide enough so the load will be tippy and it'll tow horribly. After putting all that work into the boat, don't skimp on the trailer. It would be a shame to see the thing scattered across the road because the trailer couldn't keep it upright. Get the wider frame trailer, but be careful about removing springs. Remember, sway control is every bit as improtant as weight capacity.

John

The Weekender I have has a Galvanized Wesco Trailer out of Cayce, SC. Phone # 803-794-1213. Great Trailer and pulls well. They will have something for your Vacationer.

As mentioned, trailers are really just appropriately scaled springs with a boat holder above it. Leaf springs can be purchased and swapped out easily and this is the best route. You also can remove leaves, but this is a hit or miss proposition. On torsion spring setups, you can back off the adjuster if it has one or re-key the spring in it's spline, so it has less pre-load. This is also a hit or miss thing.

I once made a custom trailer, that took a wholly different approach. It was a simple 3" square tube V shaped frame, with a tongue attached at the forward end. The open end of the V had a spindle welded to the frame tubing, with a gusset for additional support. This made a rigid, non-sprung trailer. It had no axle hanging down below it, just a couple of shallow V shaped cross pieces well forward of the wheels. On top of the this I made standard wooden bulks from 2x6's, but these where mounted on light leaf springs (garden trailer, single leaf springs). The boat rode on the bunks, which where sprung, so the load was suspended softly. The V shaped trailer frame allowed the boat's big skeg and prop to hang down, without having clearance issues with axles or cross pieces. It was clever and effective, as launching this boat from a conventional trailer would have made it difficult, because it would have sat at least a foot higher on the frame.

As to a Vacationer, a custom trailer frame isn't necessary, though if you have these skills, not a difficult thing. I once had a cool trailer with coil over spring/shock assemblies and trailing arms. Softest riding thing I ever had. A Vacationer can fit on any mid size trailer, with light(ish) springs. Simply put, you'll want double or slipper style 2 leaf (AWS-2) springs for a Vacationer. These are half ton springs and a lightly loaded Vacationer (a weekend worth of beer coolers) will be well supported with this setup.

Hi Paul,
You say a Vacationer can fit on any midsize trailer. Right now my Weekender has 5 feet of over hang on it's trailer which I believe is a 14' fishing boat thing. How long a trailer does the Vacationer need? How much over hang can be tolerated?  Can my Weekender trailer be used for a short one time trip to the lake for a pemanent summer stay at the dock?
Thanks. 

Overhang on a trailer is normal and quite typical with sailboats. Unlike a powerboat, where the engine and weight is all aft, so the trailer needs to be right at the transom, a sailboat's weight is centered (slightly aft of center actually), so the stern usually can hang in space without too much issue. This assumes the bottom is well supported with bunks.

If converting a typical powerboat trailer, the wheels are moved forward, commonly about as far as the frame or axle sliders will permit. Sailboats with bow sprits often need a tongue extension, but this is little more than a hunk of box tubing or "C" channel bolted or welded (preferred) to the existing tongue. This permits the trailer to have enough length to get the boat into water without having to back the tow vehicle into the water with it.



A stock, 1,100 pound, single axle, powerboat trailer, with the typical two keel rollers and a bow chock. This is the bare minimum and the axle will need to move forward considerably (easy to do), plus maybe a keel guide (not completely necessary). This is a 15' trailer, so a tongue extension will be necessary.



This is a 20' trailer and rated at 1,700 pounds, which is perfect for a Vacationer. Note the wheels are moved forward some, not as far as likely necessary for a Vacationer, though close. It has no keel rollers, just a bow chock. Keel rollers can be installed easily and can make launching easier.



This is typically what happens with a sailboat. The wheels are nearly in the center of the boat and it's stern is hanging in space. Though this is a wherry, it's the same situation.



Real sailboat trailers are different when it comes to small boats. They have a much wider range of axle movement available, like these last two.



This is what happens when you use a powerboat trailer. The wheels are midship and you have to use a long trailer. This one has extensions welded on the back for even more length. The last 5' of this trailer is completely unnecessary as you can see, on this very well, bunk supported Catalina. I prefer stands to bunks on most boats, as it makes repairs easier, but they do cost more.

Paul, Thank you very much for that very valuable post.
Am I correct in assuming that I can use my 15' weekender trailer on the Vacationer for a one time 5 mile trip to the lake providing that I move the axle forward?
I am trying to enclose a photo which I hope will send but have not had any luck posting photos yet.

Herschel, it's all about spring capacity and torsional stiffness of the trailer frame. Lets cast aside the stiffness thing, as it's difficult to quantify easily, so the spring rates are the key.

Trailers have two numbers to look at, GVW and load weight. The GVW is the full up weight of the trailer and it's cargo. The load weight is what it'll hold.

As an example, the first trailer I've shown above is a 1,700 GVW trailer, which simply means it weighs 600 pounds and can tolerate a 1,100 pound load.

Your Weekender trailer looks pretty light. It should have a plate or sticker on it, often on the tongue or forward portion of the frame. This will tell you what the load rating is. I'll bet your trailer is only rated for 700 pounds (or less). This means you'd be pushing it a bit with a Vacationer, especially if the Vacationer was heavily loaded (outboard, fuel tank, batteries, several coolers full of beer, etc.). A Vacationer isn't real heavy, but is a bit much for a light weight trailer.

All this said, I done some pretty dangerous stuff over the years, such as moving 2 ton boats on one ton trailers. Being an engineer and knowing the usual safety margins built into things, I make an educated guess as to if it will work. Sometimes I win, others, not so much.

For a one shot deal, a 5 mile ride on fairly easy roads, then I'd probably give it a shot. What's the worst that could happen? The trailer could bend, maybe break a spring or axle, or maybe the tongue could snap and the boat launches itself, down the yellow center stripe on the road. If your really unlucky, it could become a new addition to someone's garden, or possible their living room, though I'll bet, if you take it easy and dog her down good, you'll sweat it more, then the trailer does in route. Using really stout bunks can help stiffen the trailer, though this does add to the weight issue and does nothing good for the springs. I wouldn't make a habit of this without upgrading the springs (easy to do), but a short one time only thing, I say give it a shot and make sure your insurance is paid up. Lastly, don't bring the wife, as the stress levels needn't be unnecessarily jacked up.