Bunk vs Scissors Trailers

You know the drill..

Moderators: Redneck_Randy, badmoonrising, lakerunner

Message
Author
User avatar
FloterBoter
Posts: 2872
Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2006 11:42 pm

Re: Bunk vs Scissors Trailers

#16 Post by FloterBoter » Fri Feb 13, 2009 2:27 pm

dunbar> It was strapped with 2 ratchet straps on the rear. Both broke. The trailer went over too but the boat was
off the trailer before the combo hit the ground.


yeah, i should have stronger straps, too. i use two in the back and two in the front, plus the winch strap and safety chain.


dunbar> No one pulled anything through a ditch. The toon landed in one but the truck and trailer never left the shoulder
of the road, until the trailer went over.


i don't understand how it rolled over then. i've eased mine onto a shoulder but you have to take it easy.
i think the issue was doing a u turn with a pontoon trailer on two narrow of a road. i've gotten myself into
some wrong places and just back out with a spotter. i do one u turn every time we bring the boat home,
but that's out on my grass and it's a nice level area.

did your bro-in-law have the boat loaded more heavily to the right side? i always try to load things so that
it's about equal left-right and the tongue weight is right (right height at hitch ball). i agree that a scissors
trailer is more sensitive to left-right misloading than a bunk trailer, but any trailer will be happier with even
loading. i recently switched from a 12 gal (72 lb) fuel tank to a 50 gal (300 lb), which is on the left rear of the
toon. for any distance i tow it with 20 gal or less, then if i want more i put it in as close to the launch as possible
and take her nice and easy from there. my fresh water tank is about 15 gal (120 lb) and used to be on the same
side as the fuel tank, so now it's in the center of the boat inside island cabinet. i try to fill that at the destination,
too, but not every place has a hose.


dunbar> I strap my toon down to my trailer every time.

me, too. i would be way too nervous otherwise.


fb




.
Last edited by FloterBoter on Fri Feb 13, 2009 2:50 pm, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
FloterBoter
Posts: 2872
Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2006 11:42 pm

Re: Bunk vs Scissors Trailers

#17 Post by FloterBoter » Fri Feb 13, 2009 2:44 pm

back over at OPDB, one of our fellow tooners who is also an insurance agent gave his 2c:


FORUMS > Pontoon General > scissor trailer (http://www.pdbmagazine.com/fusetalk/for ... TMP=Linear) :
posted by: Therealmccoy

09/23/2005 11:20:45 AM

In thirty years as an insurance agent, the type of trailer has never been a consideration for purchase of insurance. I suspect there are so few claims, especially for rollovers, that any statistics would be irrelevant.

I did pull a rental pontoon on several 50 mile trops last summer, using a center lift type trailer, with no "swaying " problems. I wonder if the narrow track is not beneficial in keeping both tires on the pavement, and it the larger diameter wheels and tires are enough easier on bearings to make this trailer type as safe as a bunk type.

User avatar
FloterBoter
Posts: 2872
Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2006 11:42 pm

Re: Bunk vs Scissors Trailers

#18 Post by FloterBoter » Fri Feb 13, 2009 2:49 pm

post from vegas12 (http://www.pdbmagazine.com/fusetalk/for ... d1=trailer) :
10/12/2005 02:41:06 AM

Just towed my 24ft. toon on a scissor trailer from nevada to oklahoma city via I-40. Around 1050 miles. I drove 3 nights with winds from the northeast from 10-20mph with an occassional gust. A little bit of rain here and there as well. I had a friend following me. I felt nearly no sway the entire trip. He said he noticed no sway either. The big rigs seemed to push me over slightly but I never felt unsafe at all. I have much more confidence in my trailer now.

User avatar
Dunbar
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Dec 14, 2008 9:16 pm

Re: Bunk vs Scissors Trailers

#19 Post by Dunbar » Fri Feb 13, 2009 9:22 pm

I have nothing against scissor trailers. My brother in law whose boat was trashed has another one on a scissor trailer today. I have hauled his new boat and launched it. Way better than no trailer at all. But when spending my money I bought what I believe is a superior design. I was not trashing scissor trailers in my post I was just stating fact that I saw a pontoon go into the ditch. It was operator error for sure.

It does not matter how big the straps were. If they were steel cable 1" thick the boat would still have been upside down in the ditch.

I have a JC Tritoon that weighs in at about 6500lbs with gear and a scissor trailer was not an option. If I had bought a regular pontoon I would have also gotten a bunk trailer, just a personal preference. I would love to have the ability to put my boat on the ground with one though.

Dunbar
leon phelps wrote:I have a scissor.

First, bunk trailer have your boat 2-3' higher in the air. Wind and turbulence are way worse in these bunk trailers. I have driven both types.

As for the straps breaking, sounds like you used too small straps. Straps really only have to hold the weight of the trailer, but as a rule of thumb double the weight to be safe and take into account the shock of suddenly keeping the trailer suspended in the air.

I have driven thousands of miles with my scissor trailer. I have replaced axles, re-welded it, and put about a hundred boats on the ground with no damage. I know I could not say that with a bunk.

I even use a roller type bunk trailer. That is the most unsafe of all. Not a lot of sideways friction for side to side resistance from sliding. They look cool. After about three years, you are replacing rollers at $30 each.
2007 JC Tritoon 226, Mercruiser 350MPI Magnum Bravo III, Hoosier 3 axle galvanized trailer with 4 disk brakes

User avatar
FloterBoter
Posts: 2872
Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2006 11:42 pm

Re: Bunk vs Scissors Trailers

#20 Post by FloterBoter » Sat Feb 14, 2009 4:48 pm

> I have a JC Tritoon that weighs in at about 6500lbs with gear and a scissor trailer was not an option.

holy crap batman! that is a lot of boat. my 28 foot 140 hp i/o flotebote loaded with camping gear weighed
in at 4,700 lb, including the trailer!

Post Reply