How bad are Prestige Trailers, really???

[JWAT]

I have read a lot of complaints about prestige trailers on this site. Are they really not worth messing with or can you get by using them? How do they pull? I have a '97 Super Sport and my trailer is looking kind of bad. I was thinking of purchasing a used Prestige trailer for it and wondered what people thought. Thanks for any info.

[gotpwr]

RE: How bad are Prestige Trailers, really???

I wouldn't hesitate to get it if it's a decent deal. I have a Prestige trailer and am happy with it, even though I've had a few issues with it that I have fixed myself. All in all, it's a decent trailer that tows great and is very easy to load and unload.

[Luke]

RE: How bad are Prestige Trailers, really???

It depends on how much towing you actually do. If it is very cheap and you don’t tow much, go for it, otherwise read some of the threads so you know what to expect and be prepared.

I had the same attitude as you when I bought my boat. I figured, how bad can it really be? The trailer was the only thing I didn’t custom order and to this day I wish I had spent the extra time and money and bought a different trailer.

Below are some of my complaints/experiences with my 2003 Tandem Prestige trailer:

-Carpet on the trailer braces came off after less than a year.
-Bolts holding the carpeted braces sheered off and had to be replaced.
-Wood braces cracked and didn’t line up correctly.
-Trailer guides are spaced WAY too wide. Have to be careful when trailering the boat, to make sure it doesn’t float over the bunks and crush them when you come out of the water.
-Put the trailer in too deep and you have to worry about the bunk issue, put the trailer in too shallow and you have to worry about hitting the rub rail below the nose roller.
-Be careful when trailering too fast, I’ve seen someone take a huge chunk of gelcoat off of their nose when they trailered into the front roller a little too fast. (Fortunately not my boat, and this could have been easily avoided with a little more care; however, the possibility is always there.)
-Prop guard is a little low and can get hung up easily. Wish I would have gotten rollers on mine.

The things listed above aren’t show stoppers, just irritations that either have to be repaired or learn to live with them on a daily basis. None of the above have caused me to get a new trailer yet, mostly due to the hassle of it. But they are things that drive me nuts every time I use my trailer.

I wish CC would make their own trailers. I love the MC trailers. My friends with MC’s never have any problem with their trailers. At the ramp, they put their boats on the trailers, they don’t have to worry about where the nose lines up at, or where the boat is above the bunks, etc.

[gotpwr]

RE: How bad are Prestige Trailers, really???

Luke, your trailer sounds like it is a different design than mine. I don't have a nose roller, mine is a simple wishbone with a carpeted bow stop. I do have to make sure that I put my trailer into the water the proper depth each time so that the side bunks work properly. I've gotten really good at putting the trailer in the water at the proper depth, and my wife is able to drive the boat onto the trailer without me even getting out of the truck.

My biggest beef is that when I ordered my boat, I asked my dealer for the best trailer available and I didn't care what it cost because I would be trailering my boat alot. Without hesition, he said I wanted a Prestige trailer. I was told that the Prestige was top of the line and I paid top dollar for it. I've gotten over being pissed about the way it was sold to me, and have accepted the trailer for what it is.

[TrailInn2]

RE: How bad are Prestige Trailers, really???

My "new" 96 Super Sport has a Prestige trailer and it seems fine to me. I had to shim out one of the fenders as it ran a little to close to the tire for my liking. The boat loads and unloads easy and I have pulled it down the hwy at 70 with no problems, once I got the right towing height (level). Mine also has the wishbone bow stop. Maybe I just don`t know any better?

[MinnesotaNautique]

RE: How bad are Prestige Trailers, really???

To put it simply...they suck. I have an 03' and it's constantly being fixed, I wouldn't take another if someone gave it to me. (It could be that don't fit 206's very well, but I doubt that's the issue)