# Snowmobile trailer



## Featherfreak (Mar 5, 2020)

Hi everybody,
I’m about to pull the trigger on a trailer. I’ve been looking at an 8x10 snowmobile trailer with the smaller wheels on it. Ive poked around the forums and read some pros and cons of the little wheels but I was hoping someone with some experience With one of these could help steer me in the right direction. 
thanks everybody


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

This will work fine, provided your raft isn't too long or soft. If you let it hang off the back and it gets soft, it can drag on the road.

The 8' width is way wider than most boats need, and isn't good for much extra capacity, but it can be obnoxious for threading needles on tighter roads, and parking spots.

Get a spare and a winch if its a heavy rig. I assume it tilts for load and unload, which is nice.


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## Featherfreak (Mar 5, 2020)

Roger that , thanks I guess my biggest concerns are clearance height on bumpy roads and heat on the hubs and tires at higher speeds.


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## PBattler (Apr 1, 2017)

This trailer looks similar to mine. I own an older, double-wide snowmobile trailer (8'x10'). It's been fine. I agree with Dave: the extra width is more hindrance than help. I mounted brackets for my oars on the extra wide deck. That is convenient but it still doesn't justify the extra width. 

The small wheels tow fine, in my opinion. I did have a flat, at Goosenecks Overlook, earlier this Summer. That was on day two of the drive, from California, with temps around 100F. I can't say whether the small tire size and inherent extra revolutions contributed to the incident. Spares are cheap for this size. (I paid $30. for a new tire mounted on my rim, and $90. for a tire and rim combo, in Blanding). I now carry two spares because some shuttle companies will not tow a trailer without a spare. If you must use your spare on the way to the river, as we did on that trip, you'll need a second. Thank goodness there was a tire shop open, at 6:00 pm, Friday, and they had the right tires.

I repacked the bearings before the trip. I've never had any problems with them. 

I'd encourage you to consider taking a SawZall and rounding the corners of the rails. Then knock down the burrs with a file, sanding block, etc. 

Sorry for the drawn-out response. In the end, I'd say a trailer like this is adequate for a raft. If I had my 'druthers I'd get a true, raft trailer. This one, however, will get the job done.


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## Featherfreak (Mar 5, 2020)

Thanks!


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## Duckins (Nov 7, 2008)

If you are only using it for a raft I would recommend NOT getting a snowmobile trailer. Unless it is dirt cheap, you should be able to get a utility trailer or raft specific trailer for not much more money and it will have better wheels and be able to carry more gear and possibly stacked rafts.


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## Whitewater Worthy Equip (Dec 11, 2013)

That looks like a pretty short tongue which could be an issue with getting the boat far enough forward to have the correct tongue weight. If you have the extend the tongue figure on $500+ to have someone else do the work.


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## trevor464 (Aug 7, 2019)

I have an 8x8 tilt and it works great for my 13' outlaw. First thing I did when I bought it was put new hub/bearings and 8 ply tires. Hard to tell clearance from your pics, but I think you should be able to put 12/14s on there. If anyone ever asks me about tires, just get the highest ply that is available is my 0.02. Add a winch and rollers and new tires/hubs and that thing will be good to go.


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## Featherfreak (Mar 5, 2020)

trevor464 said:


> I have an 8x8 tilt and it works great for my 13' outlaw. First thing I did when I bought it was put new hub/bearings and 8 ply tires. Hard to tell clearance from your pics, but I think you should be able to put 12/14s on there. If anyone ever asks me about tires, just get the highest ply that is available is my 0.02. Add a winch and rollers and new tires/hubs and that thing will be good to go.


thanks!
the guy that is selling said he recently put new hubs and bearings on. Like I said in the post it’s 10’ long so I’m guessing 2‘ ish overhang on each side for a 14’ raft. A wench would be nice, you don’t happen to have any pictures of your trailer do you?
thanks


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## trevor464 (Aug 7, 2019)

Here's a pic before I did anything to the trailer:


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## Featherfreak (Mar 5, 2020)

trevor464 said:


> Here's a pic before I did anything to the trailer:
> 
> 👍👍
> Thanks!


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## Andy H. (Oct 13, 2003)

Agree with what's above. I've got an old double Sled Bed tilt trailer. When I got it I had Marshall Welding (no longer in business) narrow it to 7' for me and put rollers on it. It's also a lot easier hitting the drive-through. The trailer routinely gets towed with a fully-loaded raft at 75-80 and the small tires have never been a problem except after the summer I was putting it in the water all the time up to solo load it up in Montana. I use blue marine grease on the axles now.

One issue will be the stiff suspension necessary for hauling 2 sleds. The trailer will bounce all over the place on the shuttle unless you put some weight on it. But it'll be great for hauling a heavily loaded raft. The tilt-bed's really sweet for putting the boat on the water.

With any trailer make sure all the edges the raft could slide over are beveled / filed / sanded. After having lots of off-kilter loads and unloads I cringe every time I see guys throwing their rafts onto Triton trailers with their razor sharp rails.

Don't have many pics of it but here's one with my 14' boat. Like Dave says, don't let the raft get limp or you could be dragging.


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## Featherfreak (Mar 5, 2020)

Andy H. said:


> Agree with what's above. I've got an old double Sled Bed tilt trailer. When I got it I had Marshall Welding (no longer in business) narrow it to 7' for me and put rollers on it. It's also a lot easier hitting the drive-through. The trailer routinely gets towed with a fully-loaded raft at 75-80 and the small tires have never been a problem except after the summer I was putting it in the water all the time up to solo load it up in Montana. I use blue marine grease on the axles now.
> 
> One issue will be the stiff suspension necessary for hauling 2 sleds. The trailer will bounce all over the place on the shuttle unless you put some weight on it. But it'll be great for hauling a heavily loaded raft. The tilt-bed's really sweet for putting the boat on the water.
> 
> ...


Thanks,
I appreciate all the input, it looks like you load that 14’er pretty forward on the trailer. i guess that helps increase the tongue weight, make it a bit less swirly back there?


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## Andy H. (Oct 13, 2003)

Featherfreak said:


> Thanks,
> I appreciate all the input, it looks like you load that 14’er pretty forward on the trailer. i guess that helps increase the tongue weight, make it a bit less swirly back there?


The boat's pretty much centered on the trailer. The way it's rigged gives it some extra weight in the front, I toss the spare into the bow and usually have dry bag or a water jug or some other heavy stuff up there as well. Always load the front heavy. 

-AH


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## Featherfreak (Mar 5, 2020)

Andy H. said:


> The boat's pretty much centered on the trailer. The way it's rigged gives it some extra weight in the front, I toss the spare into the bow and usually have dry bag or a water jug or some other heavy stuff up there as well. Always load the front heavy.
> 
> -AH


Thanks again, I think I going to do it. I appreciate everybody’s input.


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## WahooDad (Jun 4, 2014)

Dave Frank said:


> This will work fine, provided your raft isn't too long or soft. If you let it hang off the back and it gets soft, it can drag on the road.
> 
> The 8' width is way wider than most boats need, and isn't good for much extra capacity, but it can be obnoxious for threading needles on tighter roads, and parking spots.
> 
> Get a spare and a winch if its a heavy rig. I assume it tilts for load and unload, which is nice.





Featherfreak said:


> Hi everybody,
> I’m about to pull the trigger on a trailer. I’ve been looking at an 8x10 snowmobile trailer with the smaller wheels on it. Ive poked around the forums and read some pros and cons of the little wheels but I was hoping someone with some experience With one of these could help steer me in the right direction.
> thanks everybody


My son in law bought a snowmobile trailer v-nose with diamond plate guard in front. It was converted by the manufacturer with a rear roller that’s removable also a winch with a strap system the runs under the tubes and lifts the boat up and out of the water. He can load and unload a fully rig boat Aire 16DD.
His comment to me; “Tongue is short and trailer is low. Tell him to look at Quadrax if he’s looking at a snowmobile trailers.


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