Raft trailer info thread

[Shapp]

So any update on the MS metalworks trailers from those that bought one. I am looking for a new one now, and they are fairly close by. How are they working a year latter, would you do it over again?
Any info appreciated.

 

[Diehard]

It's been great, no issues and it seems really well built. If you order one, ask for a larger winch than the standard one that he uses. The standard one he was using was a bit small for larger rafts.

 

[JS]

I love mine. It is bullet proof, the only gripe I have is that the roller on mine is kind of worthless for assisting with getting the raft on the trailer. I am going to add berrings to it soon, and that should make it just about perfect.

 

[martyg]

There is / was a guy in Auburn - Fry's Welding - and the guy is an artist with trailer fabrication. I had him make a trailer that would convert from driftboat to raft use and had him grossly overbuild it. I figure that I have 20 more years to roam around the backcounty in the manner that I like, so I wanted something that would last for at least that period of time.

 

[Jim Wallace]

At three times the cost (not including labor) of my own total cost of everything I put into building my heavy duty Harbor Freight 4'X8' flatbed utility trailer, Mike's products are still a much better deal.

I had to de-gloss every sq inch of the painted metal before painting over it, prior to assembly. I did this because I was fool enough and gullible enough to believe that it might actually do some good. Well, now I have a much thicker paint job on a cheap trailer. I should have skipped that part, and just bolted the frame together.
Then i had to go buy plywood for the deck, cut and prime and paint that with polyurethane floor paint. And then I had to cut and build sides. The added cost of wood, paint, and hardware were more than I had thought they would be. But the time it took to do it all is where I lost. It ate up fly tying time, fishing time, lots of time where I could have been doing something more fun than building a POS trailer from a kit.

The cheap Chinese tires that came with mine look a bit sketchy, and they make me nervous.
But at least the trailer looks good at a distance! Purtier than lipstick on a pig! I'll see if I can find a good pic to post.

 

[Shapp]

View attachment 24241 View attachment 24242 At three times the cost (not including labor) of my own total cost of everything I put into building my heavy duty Harbor Freight 4'X8' flatbed utility trailer, Mike's products are still a much better deal.

I had to de-gloss every sq inch of the painted metal before painting over it, prior to assembly. I did this because I was fool enough and gullible enough to believe that it might actually do some good. Well, now I have a much thicker paint job on a cheap trailer. I should have skipped that part, and just bolted the frame together.
Then i had to go buy plywood for the deck, cut and prime and paint that with polyurethane floor paint. And then I had to cut and build sides. The added cost of wood, paint, and hardware were more than I had thought they would be. But the time it took to do it all is where I lost. It ate up fly tying time, fishing time, lots of time where I could have been doing something more fun than building a POS trailer from a kit.

The cheap Chinese tires that came with mine look a bit sketchy, and they make me nervous.
But at least the trailer looks good at a distance! Purtier than lipstick on a pig! I'll see if I can find a good pic to post.

Heavy duty is a must, my idea of heavy duty might be a little more "heavy duty" than the average guy. We are doing stuff like this:

 

[shawn k]

I have had my trailer from Ms for two years. The cheap winch he put on there didn't last six months. The way he attaches is by just welding it on left a lot to be desired. It costed me 50 bucks to get a new winch welded on. It has been my experience that winches dont last no matter how much they cost. Everytheing else is great.

 

[Bill Aubrey]

I agree with Shawn. I had experience with a couple of wenches that cost me a fortune. And come to think of it, one of them had lived in a trailer.

 

[Bill Aubrey]

Anyone have any experience with the Trailwater trailers?

 

[OneMoreCast]

Great thread! I will put in a vote for M&M, mentioned in the initial post. I have the raft trailer pictured--6 x 10 bed for an Aire 130D--and it has had held up well to a lot of abuse. Mike uses high-quality components, and I've only had to do routine maintenance on the trailer after about 15-20K miles and a lot of crappy roads driven at high speed.

Whatever you choose, definitely consider the 13+" wheels and a high-quality axle that's easy to service. Most places worth fishing in these parts seem to involve long, high-speed drives to really bad put-ins and get-outs... larger wheels make that journey a bit less stressful on the trailer and the driver--particularly getting in and out.

Also, if you the bed of your trailer sits atop your wheels, check out Mr Jergens' excellent suggestion for rigging the raft with a bow loop: http://www.evoanglers.com/2011/12/pimp-my-boat-creating-bow-loop-on-raft.html--it will save your back getting the boat up on the bed, especially on steep get outs. (Thanks Joe!)

Joe

 

[Ed Call]

Reviving this one as I may be in need of another trailer. Current short sided dual axel utility restricts cataraft width. Pondering a deck over wheels flat bed or converting mine to a flat bed over box. That will elevate my cat about 18", which adds storage but is super high. My dual axels seem overkill as well.

Any new raft trailer input to this awesome collection is appreciated.

If you have an angle on a supplier or even used option, let me know. Thanks.

 

[veilside180sx]

Iron Eagle makes good trailers but you may or may not want a roller on the back

 

[Ed Call]

Iron Eagle makes good trailers but you may or may not want a roller on the back

I absolutely want to roller! My former trailer had a roller. My current trailer does not. Current trailer is a pain in the ass.

 

[bennysbuddy]

View attachment 24241 View attachment 24242 At three times the cost (not including labor) of my own total cost of everything I put into building my heavy duty Harbor Freight 4'X8' flatbed utility trailer, Mike's products are still a much better deal.

I had to de-gloss every sq inch of the painted metal before painting over it, prior to assembly. I did this because I was fool enough and gullible enough to believe that it might actually do some good. Well, now I have a much thicker paint job on a cheap trailer. I should have skipped that part, and just bolted the frame together.
Then i had to go buy plywood for the deck, cut and prime and paint that with polyurethane floor paint. And then I had to cut and build sides. The added cost of wood, paint, and hardware were more than I had thought they would be. But the time it took to do it all is where I lost. It ate up fly tying time, fishing time, lots of time where I could have been doing something more fun than building a POS trailer from a kit.

The cheap Chinese tires that came with mine look a bit sketchy, and they make me nervous.
But at least the trailer looks good at a distance! Purtier than lipstick on a pig! I'll see if I can find a good pic to post.

I have one of these trailers & I liked it right up to the moment the fender brackets broke . Having a fender drop down into your tire and blowing it out at 50 miles an hour is a bitch ! Having fixed that feature it's worked out okay, now that I'm running 13 inch tires on it.

 

[coastaldrifter]

I absolutely want to roller! My former trailer had a roller. My current trailer does not. Current trailer is a pain in the ass.