Trailer for 280 Express Cruiser

Alpine2018

I am looking to upgrade to a Rinker 280 EC after owning my Sea Ray 230 Weekender for 28 years. My question is how to pick a trailer for the 280. After calling a trailer manufacturer they recommend a dual axle Venture tandem axle trailer model VATB 8725 rated at 8725 pounds for a 27-29 foot boat. The 280 EC is actually 32' long from what I have read. Is this trailer adequate or should I be looking at triple axle rated for a longer boat? Also thinking about towing it with a Mercedes 2500 Sprinter V6 3.0 liter Turbo Diesel. I know it's not rated for the weight but I use to tow my Sea Ray (6000 lbs.) with a Chevy S10 pickup. Any advice would be appreciated.

skennelly

Welcome to the forum.

Only advice I have is on the towing.  Don't tow with a rig that doesn't have the towing specs to handle the load.  You are putting everyone on the road in danger doing so.  Not to mention if an accident was to occur your insurance may not cover it because you overloaded the tow vehicle.

Your Sprinter 2500 says it's towing capacity is 5000lbs.  That's waaay under the weight of a 280+trailer and not safe.

randy56

X 2 --- also IMO you should rate the trailer, @ 10,000 lbs, or close to it, you will have,100 gallon of gas, beer, 30 gallon's water in holding tank and supply's 

 Not to mention if an accident was to occur your insurance may not cover it .

There was a story told on here of a guy pulled his boat from home to ramp, maybe 5 miles each way, had an accident, he lost his home boat truck, everything, insurance would not cover, because of overloading. we have all done it, and got by with it, but it's not safe. 

Stodge

My center console came with a Venture trailer.  Very well made.  I was impressed with how high the winch was compared to the last trailer I had for an 18 foot boat.

Cableguy Greg

I have a 280EC and I had the same Venture trailer that you have listed above. The 280EC fits on that trailer. I towed my 280 from Baltimore to Pittsburgh on the Venture trailer and it did well. If you go that route, get the optional target bunks in the front along with LED lights. The trailer comes with bias tires, which I was not a fan of. Overall for a generic trailer, it will work fine under the 280. If you are going to be doing any long haul towing, I would get a Trailmaster trailer. They are custom made for the boat. I sold my Venture trailer and bought a Trailmaster. The trailer is painted to match my boat. The boat rides really well on the Trailmaster trailer. Good luck with your purchase! 

pault1216

I think you would be right at the point of either tandem or triple axle. My 260 and 270 had tandem. My suggestion is be sure to have brakes on all axles. Check into electric over hydraulic as an option also. LED trailer lights are nice to have also.
-Paul

jme097

I have a trailer for my 2007 280 EC. Best option by far is to tow her. 

tk1973

No shot would I tow the 280 with a Sprinter. You’ve got a max of 5000lbs. 

I picked up a trailer for my 280 last year and am using a 16 f150 and she struggles sometimes. Really should be into a 250 but I only tow it twice a year. 

Dude_Himself

I have a 280 EC on a Yacht Club triple axle trailer. I prefer the triple-axle trailer - it's a lot of boat. Weighted out around 9400# with boat, trailer, some fuel, some water, etc. I have LED lighting as well, and my first project this spring is going to be conversion to EoH braking - the boat will drag my E350, and my neighbors F-450 backwards, down the local ramps. 

Definately get the target bunks - makes it much easier to load with current/breeze.

GMSLITHO

here is what I bought for me 2003 270 All aluminum construction 

10500 gvw tandem 

LED lights torsion axels 

stainless steel hardware 

2 speed winch 

Guide poles 

Front and rear bunks

Walk on keep fenders 

Custom Bunk set up to your boat 

Kodiak disc brakes 

5 year warranty on parts

Trailer total $4195    

   

Boat Transport 

Trailer from New Jersey to Long Island $200

Cableguy Greg

Here is my Trailmaster trailer model T28100BBR

Cableguy Greg

This is my old Venture trailer model VATB-8727 with brakes on both axles and target bunks.

rinker270nb

Here's my 270, triple axle trailmaster on a diesel turbo dually GMC 3500.  Sometimes I forget that it's back there.  Most times I am cautious as **** because I have about 7+ tons of weight on my hands. In all sincerity, I don't think you will get far in your Sprinter until you realize you're outmatched by your load.  

Robs_232

Don't tow that boat with your Sprinter! You may be able to move it on flat land but if you go down a hill with a curve of any sort, the boat weight will push that Sprinter to a place you don't want to be. It doesn't matter if you have tandem, or triple axle brakes. I have pulled many trailers, overloaded, with trucks that shouldn't have been attempted. I made it but many white knuckles. That was back when young and not smart.

pault1216

Lots of comments on tow vehicles and I agree! My experience was trying to tow my FV260 from Indy to Fl Keys with a 1/2 ton '84 diesel Suburban (rated 4500#) and it fried the torque converter just outside of Atlanta. Tranny had just been rebuilt, 2 oil and tranny coolers, overload springs and shocks, power pack on the engine (non-turbo) and still 2 days downtime enroute. I could have bought a more capable older 3/4 ton to tow with instead of wasting my money trying to make my vehicle something it was not. Lesson learned. Now I have the Chev 3500HD 4X4 drw turbo (but no boat yet!)
-Paul

GMSLITHO

I tow my 270 with a Ford F350 with a 6.4 diesel 

Alpine2018

GMSLITHO where did you get your trailer? It sounds like a great price for the weight rating. After some research and reading the comments here I have decided to rent a one ton diesel pickup truck for the trip. On a Sprinter forum I saw that my truck is a unibody design that will come apart if towing that much weight. 

Cableguy Greg

@Alpine2018 if you go the Venture route, I got mine from EMI Marine out of York, PA. They delivered it to the place where I got the boat in Baltimore and set it up for me. 

GMSLITHO

He delivered to LI and set it up on the trailer then delivered to my house in NY state total for the delivery $600 the marina where the boat was charged me $150 To drop it on the trailer 

Boat Trailers Direct Inc 

DM Boat Transport LLC 

W-cell 8484667027
David Moss 

jme097

@Cableguy Greg same trailer I have

JonnyM

Here is my rig.  I have electric brakes that make it real nice.  I was lucky to find this 2008 Loadmaster trailer in Erie, PA on Craigslist.  It was built for a Silverton Flybridge with inboards but I was able to move the tounge back and make a few adjustments.  I still want to make a few more before I launch this year but it fits pretty well.