When you navigate our site and take a look at our boat trailers, you’ve probably noticed that the site is broken down by the different kinds of trailers we manufacture. So if you’re looking for a boat trailer, you won’t need to take a look at the utility trailers and equipment haulers we offer. And unless you’re looking for a jet ski trailer or pontoon trailer, you’re not going to head to those particular pages.
So when you’re looking for a boat trailer, you know what you don’t need…but what do you need? Which raises the question: just why do we break them down into large and small boat trailers? Here are the criteria we use to differentiate the two.
It Starts With Length
The length of a boat, and therefore of the boat trailer, largely determines the size of the trailer you’ll be needing. You certainly don’t want to have a boat that sticks out too far behind the trailer, which in some cases is dangerous and in other cases is illegal.
Is 20 feet arbitrary for setting a difference between small and large boat trailers? Pretty much. But as the weight increases, that also helps to make the delineation. And speaking of weight…
The Weight It Has To Handle
Weight plays a huge part in how large a boat trailer has to be. More weight means more metal has to be used to construct the trailer frame so that it can hold up to the weight of the boat, whether it’s on the road or sitting by the side of the house. Depending on what type of boat you have, weight tends to go up as length does. If you have a boat that meets one criteria but not the other for a boat trailer, we’ll make sure to help you decide which one is more important to gauge by.
Weight also straddles a nice arbitrary line between small boat trailers and large ones. Small boat trailers carry under 5,000 pounds, large boat trailers carry over 5,000 pounds. Of course, it’s the combination of weight and length that end up making the real difference between large boat trailers, which is…
The Number of Axles
L + W = A. Length + Width = Axles…the need for more support. That’s not a scientific equation, of course, but it’s an easy way to get people to understand the need for more axles.
When you have a longer boat trailer that’s carrying a heavy both, you’re going to need more axles and therefore more wheels. The number is axles is the primary way that we make the break between small boat trailers and large boat trailers. Small boat trailers can handle up to about 5,000 pounds, and once you get above that number the weight needs to be distributed across more space. More axles, and more wheels and tires, mean less pressure on any single point.
The point is, we’d love to see you in here at LoadRite Canada’s yards so that we can hear all about your boat and what you need so that you can carry it around. Can a boat trailer be too large? Certainly, but it’s much better than getting one that’s too small. We want to get your boat on a trailer that’s safe, easy to drive, and will hold up for years to come. Stop by our Monkland or Innisfil yards to take a look at everything we have. And if we don’t have what you want on hand, we’d be happy to build it for you.