A boat trailer is the part of the rig that gets dunked, salted, bounced down the highway and then ignored for six months. Ours are aluminum with torsion axles for that reason. We stock a 25 ft tandem-axle trailer and a single-axle trailer for PWCs and boats to 14 ft, and build other configurations to order. This page covers how to choose.
Start with the loaded weight, not the boat length
Add the hull's dry weight, the outboard, a full fuel tank, batteries and the gear you leave aboard. That total is routinely 30% above the advertised dry weight. Then pick a trailer whose payload rating leaves margin — the widely used guideline is that the loaded boat should come to no more than 85% of rated capacity. Our capacity guide works the arithmetic through GVWR, GAWR, payload and tongue weight.
Single or tandem axle
A single axle is lighter, cheaper, easier to move by hand and fine for small boats and personal watercraft. A tandem tracks straighter at highway speed, is far less prone to sway, and turns a blowout into an inconvenience rather than an emergency. Once the loaded boat passes roughly 2,500 lb, or you tow long distances, tandem is the answer. Single vs tandem, in detail.
Why torsion axles
Torsion axles suspend each wheel on a rubber-cushioned arm inside the axle tube. They ride smoother, sit lower for easier launching, and have no shackles, bushings or leaf packs to corrode and seize after a season of ramp dunking. On a trailer that lives in the water it is the single biggest quality difference you can buy, which is why every trailer we sell has them. Torsion axle guide.
Aluminum or galvanized steel
Galvanized steel is cheaper and heavier, and protects itself until the coating is scratched or drilled — then rust works outward from that point. Aluminum does not rust, weighs less, and holds its value. In salt water the choice is straightforward; in fresh water it comes down to how long you intend to keep it. Aluminum vs galvanized.
Bunks and hull support
The trailer should support the hull along its full running surface with the transom fully supported at the rear. A boat overhanging its bunks develops hook in the hull over time — permanent deformation that costs speed and cannot be undone. Err slightly long rather than slightly short. Bunks vs rollers.
The legal side
Match the coupler to your hitch ball (1-7/8 in, 2 in and 2-5/16 in are not interchangeable), check your state's threshold for trailer brakes, and register the trailer with your DMV using the VIN plate and the certificate of origin we supply. Our guides cover couplers, brakes and registration.
Our stock trailers
- 25 ft tandem-axle torsion trailer — 7,716 lb payload, 5,200 lb GAWR per axle, 1,673 lb trailer weight. Sized for our 16 ft utility boat and heavier hulls up to 25 ft. $2,999, free US delivery.
- Single-axle torsion trailer — 1,500 lb GVWR, 6061-T6 frame, ST175/80R13 radials, 2 in coupler, spare wheel included. Carries any single PWC or our 12–14 ft boats. $1,499, free US delivery.
Both carry a 1-year comprehensive and 5-year structural warranty and ship free by scheduled freight — see the delivery guide.
Built to order
For other lengths, commercial specifications, doubles, or anything unusual, we build to order. Send us the boat's length, dry weight and outboard, whether it will see salt water, and your tow vehicle, and we will quote a build with the capacity and support geometry to match.
See both trailers · Request a quote · Trailer maintenance guide