FAQ’s

Make yourself a “Best Mate” so you don’t lose your boat the first time you launch!

This is a piece of rope spliced permanently to the bow of the boat. And make sure you have a rope that will reach from the bow to the stern. Try to splice in a loop at each end that will latch onto a suitable cleat at the bow and at the stern.

This rope is used by a skipper on his own or by a crew member to stop the boat from gliding too quickly off the trailer during launching, and then also used to tie up next to a pontoon while people board or disembark. It is also useful in any emergency, especially if you need a tow.

Spitfire trailers are designed for the easiest and safest possible launching and retrieving. The entry to the trailer is wide and open and presents a target to aim for of approximately 1m when approaching – especially useful in windy and rough conditions. Combining the keel supports with our continuous curved VEEs, provides absolutely the best centering of any boat coming onto a trailer.

And the path the boat travels along when winching or powering up, is lined with High-Density Polyethylene – a material that not only has a very low coefficient of friction but is also friendly for both fiberglass and ally hulls. This material will not damage your hull.

The torsion axle system provides a very stable tow during travel. Most people notice how much more stable their new Spitfire trailer is on the road. We describe it as ‘sticking to the car like glue to a blanket’!

On fiberglass boats, carpet causes osmosis – simple as that!

Osmosis is a cancer of fiberglass – and the process of osmosis results in the transfer of moisture through an almost waterproof material.

Fibreglass boats have a Gelcoat outer finishing layer. And Gelcoat is waterproof if you wash your boat, but with long-term exposure to moisture, the moisture will penetrate the Gelcoat surface and cause a breakdown and chemical reaction to the resin holding the glass fibres together.

Osmosis first appears as blisters on the Gelcoat surface. These are unsightly and eventually will ooze moisture from the fiberglass once that area becomes softened and loses its binding strength and waterproof quality.

Osmosis is caused by carpet bunks. This is primarily because they retain moisture against the boat hull. This moisture comes from the sea when retrieving the boat, from washing the boat down after use, and for many, from dews and rain, and other outdoor environmental effects.

Furthermore, bunks will hold salt, despite being rinsed. This salt is also hydroscopic and draws moisture from the air.

Carpets also retain sand and abrasive material. When launching or retrieving the boat conditions inevitably mean the water is stirred up and contains suspended solids, sand, etc which lodge in carpet bunks.

Carpets also accelerate corrosion through electrolysis – and while it has a lesser effect on ally hulls, it’s nevertheless damaging.

Spitfire Trailer Bunks are made from solid HDPE-UV (High-Density Polyethylene – UV). This is a slippery surface set at an angle on the trailer. In this way, the bunks will deflect the boat towards the middle of the trailer in the event of the boat swinging to an uncomfortable angle during retrieval.

Unlike carpets, it will not remain wet from use, rain, or dew.

As with all hull surfaces, any contact from either bunks or rollers will leave its mark. Older fiberglass hulls tend to be somewhat oxidized through age and this will cause the transfer of some amount of this oxidized material (usually in the form of a white powder residue) when the hull meets any other surface.

Spitfire Bunks are formulated and extruded in a hardness that is a little softer than Gelcoat so that any wear will wear the bunk rather than your hull.

Traditional leaf spring suspension requires the weight of the boat to be carried on the trailer chassis. In the process, the boat and chassis weight is carried by leaf springs

All Spitfire s trailers use torsion axle cross members. These axles are fixed directly to the chassis and reduce boat loading height by around 300 mm compared to leaf springs. This eliminates the sway stress that comes with a leaf spring suspension.

These axles are also used as cross members and most of the weight of the boat is directly on these axles. As a result, the trailer drawbar merely pulls the axles along with minimum stresses on the chassis.

A low Centre of Gravity ensures more stable towing and minimizes sway every time you pass an oncoming semi – or go around any corners! This results in a smoother and safer ride and a longer chassis life.

Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM) is the total mass (Total Weight) of the laden trailer when carrying the maximum load recommended by the manufacturer. This includes any mass imposed onto the drawing vehicle when the combination vehicle is resting on a horizontal supporting plane.

In addition to the fuel and water a boat may carry on a trailer, there is often, depending on the size of the boat, an additional 200kg to 300 kg or more of weight added to the hull as accessories.

These items are not normally in the manufacturer’s weight calculations and can include items such as a toilet, a duckboard, a swim ladder, a hard top, anchors, anchor chain, fire extinguishers, a first aid kit, fishing gear, food, drinks clothing… the list goes on and on and it all adds up.

Trailers in Australia do not need their own brakes if the GTM is under 750 kg. Trailers with a GTM between 750 kg and 2,000 kg need brakes on one axle.

Every trailer over 2 tonnes GTM must have a brake system that will cause immediate application of the trailer brakes in the event of the trailer becoming detached from the towing vehicle (breakaway brake). Under these circumstances, the brakes must remain applied for at least 15 minutes.