Trailer rust

[Tarheel14]

I have the dreaded rust in my Dri doc trailer cross braces. What have yall done? I have several friends who can weld these for support.
Pics? Ideas? What is your recommendation?

[MMosher]

Time for a new trailer.

[pmgoffjr]

Yeah that cancer is terminal. Get a good aluminum and be done with rust bucket painted trailers.

[Tarheel14]

It's on the cross braces. Is it not worth fixing? Probably the rest of the trailer is rusty and just don't see it?

[MMosher]

We're politely trying to tell you that your Dri Dock Trailer is a piece of $$hit and you'd be better off replacing it rather than trying to polish a turd that you're going to continue to throw money at until it has a catastrophic failure and hurts someone.

[pmgoffjr]

Wait till your trailer ruptures going down the highway. Especially two weeks after it got fixed. I’ve done it. Really low on the fun scale. I’ll make it simple any tube trailer is junk. They will all rust out from the inside. Sorry to be a buzz kill but you can replace it now or spend time and money getting it fixed and still replace it shortly.

[Tarheel14]

You can't handle the truth...Haaahaa. thanks for the honest feedback. That's what I wanted to know. I'm sure there is plenty of rust I cant see. I appreciate the help. What trailers are good? EZ loader? I have a few boat dealers here I can reach out to.

[mohawkman]

TH14,

I had the same thing with my 203 dual axle year 2000 trailer.

All my cross beams in the center lowest part were decaying from rust.... I took my trailer to a local welder and he confirmed by inspection that he could cut out all these center post lower-part rust areas and weld a 8" steel bar sandwiched over each of those mid areas and he put holes in each piece of steel. I had that done 5 years ago and the welds are still holding very well and no issues.

Text me and i'll send you some pics.

[Tx Champ]

Dri Doc's had lots of problems with rust being the worst. Yep, it's rusting all over, you just can't see it. Have a buddy with a 191 on a Dri Doc and he had patches welded all over. I finally convinced him after about 4 yrs that he needed to get another trailer, so he had one built. The place that built the new one used the axles and the actuator off his old one. Told my friend he was really on short borrowed time with his old trailer. Of all the Champ trailers, Dri Doc is by far the worst. The Genmar built SC trailers in the last years of Champion are 2nd. I have one of those.

[pmgoffjr]

If you're keeping your boat, don't get another rust bucket. Aluminum costs the same and last forever.
http://www.coastlinetrailermfg.net/site/

[mohawkman]

Honestly, my opinion.... my Dri Doc 2000 Champion Trailer was made of some 'serious' tubing weight.... has lasted well... sturdy trailer.

I have friends with Ranger and Skeeter trailers in club and i've seen how chitty their metal brackets and tubing weight of steel... and welding quality is and its completely economy-level trailer design done on those things. And i had problems with trailer rust on my prior Stratos where it was not recoverable due to light weight tubing.

I think Dri Doc has held well for the champion owners although i agree that an Aluminum or galvenized replacement would be ideal for anyone that cannot spend $300 welding to get another 5 years on their current trailer.. which is where my money always goes... i'll take 60 bucks a year over a new 3500 dollar trailer any day if i think some welding fixes will safely get me more time

[jfunston]

I have a 1993 190 DCX with a channel trailer 0 problems but I had 3 tube trailers under new Champions/ JUNK.
just traded my "93" in on a EZ loader ( 2019 ) tandem with C&O Marine ( also a channel trailer with 4 wheel disc brakes ) what a difference and looks sweet

[ToledoBendChamp]

It's just a matter of philosophy...some people patch and do enough to get by, and some people like to make investments to make sure their equipment is 100%. If you're going to keep the boat, do it right.

Putting a "scab" over cross-supports is delaying the inevitable.

[Floyd Jones]

I had the same problem with my Dri Dock Trailer on 2000 203 Champion . Great looking trailers until they rust out . All rectangle tube trailer will do the same thing in time the reason why they used he rectangle tube is because it is way easier to fabricate with that product than a u channel frame . I took the running gear off of my original trailer and actuator and built a u channel trailer which will not hold water like a lousy tube trailer. Do yourself a favor and get rid of your original trailer before you have an accident on the road then you will be sorry