weight difference between aluminum and steel trailer

Pete,I can't put a # on the figure, but the difference is significant. It's like pulling a wagon around, vs pushing your VW Beetle.
My Trailex I can lift the tongue with one hand, (most 12 yr old kids could), & pull/push it from the back 40 to the driveway. The steel one I had was quite heavy duty, & a bear to move around.
On the way to Chicago I pulled into a narrow slot, as we walked away I noticed the trailer was hanging over into the next parking slot. From the rear, I simply picked up the entire trailer & moved it 4 feet over.
Towing it empty, behind a Toyota sienna van made only a 1mpg difference.
Unless you need the extra strength I would go with the Trailex. I sold my steel one soon after getting the aluminum one.

Edited by Edchris177 on Jul 21, 2013 - 11:33 AM.

http://www.trailex.com/catamaran.cfm

I've wondered about this too, I know the Trailex are lighter but the good galvanized steel ones aren't that heavy either. Hard to weight a bare trailer because they have stuff like boxes and various kinds of rollers and mast supports on them.

I know the aluminum ones are tremendously more expensive though!

An Aluminum anything has to be twice as thick to have the same strength as steel - even at that it will be roughly 2/3's the weight.

HUGE difference !

we have a few alum trailex's on our beach, as ed said "one person can easily pick up move it without problem"

I would JUMP all over one if i could get it cheap, but finds like that are few and far between ...

Drawbacks: little or no help holding your cat down in 40mph wind gusts (when tied down and parked on or 1/2 on the trailer)
and they seem to be prone to more serious damage from accidental low speed side loads
i.e. if you back the rear trailer beam into a fence post, or someone somehow hits the side of the frame

if you back the rear trailer beam into a fence post, or someone somehow hits the side of the frame

That is the main disadvantage, aluminum just doesn't have the resistance to deformation that steel does. I think that is the primary reason we don't see more AL in car bodies.
Besides weight, another big advantage is corrosion, or more accurately lack of. You still have the same issues with bearings, but the rest of the trailer, including fenders & mast rack look the same at 20 years as they did out of the crate.
Customization is the final kudo. By simply loosening the appropriate bolt, & sliding it in the track, the part can be moved to exactly where you need it.
I think a business case could be made from the longevity, & improved gas mileage, if you do a lot of trailering.

I have both, and the aluminum trailer with an old (heavy) H18 bounces like crazy!!!!!!!! I live in the South so good smooth roads are few.

I am going to try and change the springs and wheels to see if I can tame it, if not it will be in the "for sale" section later this year.

shipchips1 wrote: I have both, and the aluminum trailer with an old (heavy) H18 bounces like crazy!!!!!!!! I live in the South so good smooth roads are few.

I am going to try and change the springs and wheels to see if I can tame it, if not it will be in the "for sale" section later this year.

Your best bet is to stop over and trade me for one of my steel trailers. 😀

Seriously I have three steel trailers and one rides way smoother than the other two which appear to be twins. I looked over the trailers and noticed the smoother one has the axle further back and more tongue weight. This trailer also has a single leaf spring and the others have two leaves. Putting the cat on the trailer or doing the jump up and down on the trailer test does not really show any difference in the softness of the springs. Not very scientific I know. Long story short I would try moving the axle and see how that effects ride.

I like to tow with a small car so that is my interest in a light weight trailer.

Also moving the axle back will slow down the the steering input response when backing up - I hate short trailers

I have both, and the aluminum trailer with an old (heavy) H18 bounces like crazy!!!!!!!! I live in the South so good smooth roads are few.

Mine uses 3 leafs in the spring, & it looks like the axle can easily be moved, all attachments on the Trailex are the same,sort of a bolt head in a channel.
With regards to what Pete said about position of axle, mine appears to be centered between front & rear X beam. I'll measure it on Fri, along with the empty trailer tongue weight.
I don't move my Cats, but we did use it on a 900km each way run to Chicago. Empty you wouldn't know it was there, & we were off the Interstate quite a bit. With an N5.0 & a Seadoo lift you knew you were pulling something, but there were no issues with it being squirrely.
Perhaps the axle is not "square" to the tongue. When loaded, do you have appx 20% total load on the tongue?

With an N5.0 & a Seadoo lift you knew you were pulling something, but there were no issues with it being squirrely.

Seadoo lift? Explain please, i'd love to modify one of my H16 trailers to accommodate my cat and my seadoo when there's no wind. Can this be done?
😕
Tim

We didn't have a Seadoo, just the lift, set on the trailer, it sort of fits on the trailer beams, between the cradles for the cat. The 5.0 sat on the cradles, just above the frame of the lift.
This was a one time deal, in order to transport them from the Chicago area home.
Both Cats sit mast up all season, each sitting on a modified seadoo lift. Basically the Seadoo bunks are removed & an 8' length of 2x2 steel is attached across the lift frame. An 8' x 6" wide 5/4" deck board is attached to the 2x2 steel bar. The board provides a solid yet forgiving platform for the Cat. When done for the day 2 small "herc" straps are used to secure the Cat to lift. Depending on your bottom you also need to figure out a way to secure the lift to the lake bottom. We just went through a 100kph thunderstorm, with only a tarp ripped off 1 powerboat, & the smaller lift shifted 45*.
As for hauling your Seadoo & Cat, that would need a long trailer. I think the only way would be to sit the Seadoo up front, then slide the Cat up til the front beam nearly touches the seadoo.
Here is how we are set up, but no, I don't even own a Seadoo.

Edited by Edchris177 on Jul 25, 2013 - 02:04 PM.

fxloop wrote: i'd love to modify one of my H16 trailers to accommodate my cat and my seadoo when there's no wind. Can this be done?

All you need is something like this rig Robbie Daniel uses when doing his clinics. So get on that!

I like his RV too - it is a full on sailing shop....

All you need is something like this rig Robbie Daniel uses when doing his clinics. So get on that!