Trails West VS Charmac
- Thread starter SSSAND
- Start date
Back in 2012 I said trails west. Now I've heard of a few complaints about the trails west and not wanting to warranty?? The story I read about was a 2nd owner but trails west supposedly didn't want to help. I think charmac is the way to go I've never heard one bad thing about them!
Here's a thread from another section about TrailsWest, you can read it and form your own opinion.
https://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=434556
https://www.snowest.com/forum/showthread.php?t=434556
Another brand to think about is Logan, not cheap but damn nice trailers.
Here is a link with some pictures
Here is a link with some pictures
Trading up in length, but trading down in trailer.
You might check out Logan Coach..
New on the market last year, but it's loaded with options. Double H Trailer sales in Preston, ID sells them.
https://logancoach.com/motor-sports/horsepower/
Not sure how they compare pricewise. Just saw them at the snow show last year & know a guy who got one.
New on the market last year, but it's loaded with options. Double H Trailer sales in Preston, ID sells them.
https://logancoach.com/motor-sports/horsepower/
Not sure how they compare pricewise. Just saw them at the snow show last year & know a guy who got one.
Picked on up at Steer In trailers, beat everyones price by far. Love the trailer.
Charmac is a great trailer. i had a pretty custom 30' spread axle and LOVED it. pulled great, build quality great ... overall a NICE trailer.
i don't have a decent pic of it but here is what i had handy ... man i LOVED this trailer.
Had a trailswest. it was horrible. rusted, screws fell out, and i didnt like the curved floor. oh and they catch on fire and the floors break apart on them. AVOID.
I picked up the TW in january during a cold snap (as in dry roads). These pics were (2) weeks after i got it. they obviously don't follow the primer epoxy as shown on the company website! and they were an absolute horror to deal with getting it repaired.
sold the charmas last year so i could get a car trailer and lighter weight snowmobile trailer. If we didnt get to remote areas i would have kept the charmac for years ... but it was just too heavy. With 5 sleds and gear we were over 10k at the scales. even with 4 studded snow tires it would push the truck around on some of the steeper roads we get to on occasion. After years of avoiding aluminum due to the $$$ i decided to dive in and get an ATC car trailer and ATC snow trailer. found a smoking deal on a used 2003 car trailer. it looks great for being 14 years old. and ordered a 20' Raven 7' snow trailer. quite the extreme from the 8.5' x 30' charmac but it should weight approx 5k less when loaded.
ATC Raven:
this is what we are trying to avoid.
studded snow tires, rear chains, and locking rear diff.
i don't have a decent pic of it but here is what i had handy ... man i LOVED this trailer.
Had a trailswest. it was horrible. rusted, screws fell out, and i didnt like the curved floor. oh and they catch on fire and the floors break apart on them. AVOID.
I picked up the TW in january during a cold snap (as in dry roads). These pics were (2) weeks after i got it. they obviously don't follow the primer epoxy as shown on the company website! and they were an absolute horror to deal with getting it repaired.
sold the charmas last year so i could get a car trailer and lighter weight snowmobile trailer. If we didnt get to remote areas i would have kept the charmac for years ... but it was just too heavy. With 5 sleds and gear we were over 10k at the scales. even with 4 studded snow tires it would push the truck around on some of the steeper roads we get to on occasion. After years of avoiding aluminum due to the $$$ i decided to dive in and get an ATC car trailer and ATC snow trailer. found a smoking deal on a used 2003 car trailer. it looks great for being 14 years old. and ordered a 20' Raven 7' snow trailer. quite the extreme from the 8.5' x 30' charmac but it should weight approx 5k less when loaded.
ATC Raven:
this is what we are trying to avoid.
studded snow tires, rear chains, and locking rear diff.
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If you are going aluminum: ATC or Featherlite. Hands down if you can afford the premium.
Forty foot gooseneck ATC I put an odometer on it when it was 13 years old to try and keep up on maintenance and in three years had over 150k miles on it. Throw tires at it and keep the bearings greased is all it ever needed. Pulled great. Was heavy for an aluminum trailer, but was spectacular.
Forty four foot gooesnect Featherlite was used and abused for over 20 years and got pulled more miles then the ATC before we sold it. Now pulls sprint cars around all over the Midwest. I would hate to guess how many miles that trailer has on it.
Before I left the company I spent 100k on trailers. ATC 28' bumper hitch car hauler and another 40 foot enclosed gooseneck. They took delivery 15 months ago with odometers on both and my buddy who's out in California took a picture of the odometer and says the bumper hitch already had 60k on it and looks spotless other than where the drunk ran into it.
Forty foot gooseneck ATC I put an odometer on it when it was 13 years old to try and keep up on maintenance and in three years had over 150k miles on it. Throw tires at it and keep the bearings greased is all it ever needed. Pulled great. Was heavy for an aluminum trailer, but was spectacular.
Forty four foot gooesnect Featherlite was used and abused for over 20 years and got pulled more miles then the ATC before we sold it. Now pulls sprint cars around all over the Midwest. I would hate to guess how many miles that trailer has on it.
Before I left the company I spent 100k on trailers. ATC 28' bumper hitch car hauler and another 40 foot enclosed gooseneck. They took delivery 15 months ago with odometers on both and my buddy who's out in California took a picture of the odometer and says the bumper hitch already had 60k on it and looks spotless other than where the drunk ran into it.
My ideal trailer would be an all aluminum gooseneck 7.5' wide low deck trailer with 6.5' ceiling height and 30' on the floor. The new mountain sleds could pass by each other in the 7.5' width and you'd have good visibility behind you still. Nobody currently offers one that I have seen. Us flatlanders maybe have different needs that you western folks though. We want low wind drag and ease of towing. We have to haul our sleds >7K miles a year so the trailer needs to be as good or better than the contents. My buddy and I keep threatening to build one but time and maybe skill are short. I emailed sundowner trailers to see if they would produce one and what it would cost but of course I get no response.
Neither of them are aluminum frames but they charge the premium of an aluminum.
I would agree as well.
Neither of them are aluminum frames but they charge the premium of an aluminum.
I would agree as well.
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Where are you located? If you are any where close to Fargo/West Fargo I've got a contact for you if you want aluminum. I think you can get a steel frame under and aluminum body from ATC as well.
I really like the thought of the trailer you have. Maybe not so long, but long enough for 4 sleds or two sxs's. 24 feet on the floor. Just a smidgen more?
My experience with trailers in the winter months is that all aluminum is necessary. When we have to haul grain in the winter, it destroys our steel grain hoppers.
Northcentral / northwest iowa. Sioux Falls is a 3.5hour drive for us.
Alum-line. I spoke to the guy once and he sounded like it was going to get crazy expensive but did not put a guestimated dollar figure on it. I'm guessing that I don't want to spend what it will take to get the model I want
Don't just buy a trailer based on name, put your hands on it & compare
If you haven't physically put your hands on a Logan, you need to do so before making the big investment in an enclosed trailer. The quality is unparalleled to any snowmobile trailer on the market. All doors, cabinets, hooks, etc. are hand built opposed to pre-fab and flimsy. The entire main frame structure is constructed of galvanized steel & all aluminum from there (walls, roof, doors, etc..). The best part bis each trailer is custom built to order meaning if you can dream it up, they will engineer/build it. They are built to last and come with a warranty that others wont/can't offer. FULL DISCLOSURE, I am a backcountry athlete sponsored by logan, however I do not receive a penny for any trailer sale. What I can offer is real world feedback to any of you with questions. I run sled specific avalanche classes & riding clinics 4-6 days per week out of my trailers. Based at 7,000' with +/-750" of annual snow fall & 7-9 machines in/out each day, my trailers have to deal with some pretty serious use. I can tell/show you that after a full season of use, there is zero rust anywhere. No haggle warranty- After I sold one of my trailers this summer, the new (2nd) owner discovered the 12v heat not working and shortly after, the A/C unit not pumping cold air. They contacted logan who instructed them to take it to a dealer or repair facility of their choice, at which point they sent (at no charge) a new igniter module and complete new a/c unit to get them up and running in 3 days with no questions asked. I didn't hear about this experience until hay days last week but was incredibly impressed to hear how it was handled. If any of you have dealt with trailer manufactures & warranty issues, this isn't typically the case... Anyway, point is, do your homework and go with the trailer that best suits your needs, meets your budget and will last for the long term. feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. captainsheaff@yahoo.com or instagram @chiefsheaff
If you haven't physically put your hands on a Logan, you need to do so before making the big investment in an enclosed trailer. The quality is unparalleled to any snowmobile trailer on the market. All doors, cabinets, hooks, etc. are hand built opposed to pre-fab and flimsy. The entire main frame structure is constructed of galvanized steel & all aluminum from there (walls, roof, doors, etc..). The best part bis each trailer is custom built to order meaning if you can dream it up, they will engineer/build it. They are built to last and come with a warranty that others wont/can't offer. FULL DISCLOSURE, I am a backcountry athlete sponsored by logan, however I do not receive a penny for any trailer sale. What I can offer is real world feedback to any of you with questions. I run sled specific avalanche classes & riding clinics 4-6 days per week out of my trailers. Based at 7,000' with +/-750" of annual snow fall & 7-9 machines in/out each day, my trailers have to deal with some pretty serious use. I can tell/show you that after a full season of use, there is zero rust anywhere. No haggle warranty- After I sold one of my trailers this summer, the new (2nd) owner discovered the 12v heat not working and shortly after, the A/C unit not pumping cold air. They contacted logan who instructed them to take it to a dealer or repair facility of their choice, at which point they sent (at no charge) a new igniter module and complete new a/c unit to get them up and running in 3 days with no questions asked. I didn't hear about this experience until hay days last week but was incredibly impressed to hear how it was handled. If any of you have dealt with trailer manufactures & warranty issues, this isn't typically the case... Anyway, point is, do your homework and go with the trailer that best suits your needs, meets your budget and will last for the long term. feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. captainsheaff@yahoo.com or instagram @chiefsheaff
A few more Logan photos
bellow are few more photos of the 16/17 trailer
bellow are few more photos of the 16/17 trailer
