Picking up your Pontoon Trailer

You’ve been directed to this section of our web site so that you’ll know how the pick up process will work.

Before you arrive we need to know

 The Length and width of your pontoon. You’ve probably already given us this information. We want your new pontoon trailer top fit perfectly so that all you have to do is float your boat onto it. Customers sometimes don’t know the center to center dimension of their tubes and we use the following rule of thumb, most 8’ decks have centers at 72” and 8’6” decks usually have 77” centers. If you can’t measure the centers we’ll do our best, but please be aware that there may be some small “fine tuning” when you actually put your boat onto the pontoon trailer. (usually less than 15 minutes with a 9/16” wrench).

adjust pontoon boat trailer

Pre-Delivery Check List
before you arrive we will

We will Visually inspect the pontoon trailer for any damage or blemishes caused by delivery or assembly.
Little scratches or imperfections will be touched up. The carpeted bunks will be checked for tears, sometimes in stacking trailers this can occur. Tires will be checked for blemishes or weather checking. Bias ply tires start weathering from the moment they are manufactured, you’d be surprised how many new
tires we return to the manufacturer. (they sell them to someone else)

We will adjust the trailer for the width and length of the boat.  From the dimensions you give us.

We will check all lighting with a tester to make sure everything on the trailer is working.

We will torque all lug nuts (by hand with a torque wrench) and make certain that the proper size and load range are on the trailer.
Double check the inflation of each tire.
If you ordered radials we won’t send you home with bias ply. If your trailer calls for D range, we won’t send you home with something else. We won’t send you out with under or over inflated tires.

We will pop the grease plug, on the hub and visually check for grease. Trailers come to us already greased but it never hurts to make sure there is grease in there.

We will rinse away any dirt from the pontoon trailer and mud from the tires. Because trailers seldom sit on our lot for more than a few weeks the trailers seldom get dirty. We want you to be able to see everything on your new pontoon trailers and muddy tires aren’t acceptable.

 

Before you pick up it would be helpful if you could check a couple things on your tow vehicle.

The optimum hitch height is 18” . 17” or 19” will work, but a height of 18” is perfect for most of our pontoon trailers. Hitch height is important on tandem axle trailers and not as critical on single axle models. If you have a tall truck or SUV, a drop down, draw-bar with a height of about 18” is great.
pontoon trailer hitch height 
If Possible, check your tow vehicle wiring. The pontoon trailer lights will work perfectly, we pre-check them, but we occasionally run into lighting difficulties with the tow vehicle. If you’re picking up during normal business hours we have mechanics who can check fuses and help correct problems, but on weekend we may not have anyone here with mechanical skills.  Some brake trailers take a 5 prong plug.
If you don’t have one we will provide it.
 
   
5 Pint Trailer Plug NOW STANDARD on all of our brake trailers, the brake lock-out is built into our wiring. Back-up lights on the tow vehicle energize a solenoid in the trailer brake system that prevents the brakes from locking up. No need to get out of the tow vehicle to use a back up lock-out.

You may need a 5 plug adapter for your tow vehicle to benefit from this new technology. They are sold anywhere auto parts are available, or we have them with a new trailer for $12. Because of the additional cost some trailer manufacturers have been slow to embrace this new technology, but you’ll appreciate it when you don’t have to get out of your tow vehicle and try to figure out why your brakes have locked up.
5 Pin Female Socket
     
 
At the time of Delivery (pick-up)
You will receive complete paperwork. We do not hold titles (unless payment hasn’t cleared). You’ll get a paid bill of sale, an Indiana ST-108 form showing that sales tax has been paid. Out of state customers present this form to your state license branch, they will not make you pay additional sales taxes. When you pay the Indiana sales tax we’ll provide you with a 30 day temporary tag, (license plate). You’ll receive the manufacturers statement of origin for the trailer. (the title) States treat this form differently, in Indiana, Ohio and Illinois it’s a legal document (a title). In Michigan its simply a weight slip.

You’ll leave with everything you need to register your trailer in your home state.
We’ll run through the pre-delivery check list, in your presence. Additionally we’ll show you.
How the front loading winch works, How to use the anti-bucking loop on the winch stand,  How to tie your boat to the pontoon trailer.
 
We’ll check the trailer lights after hooking up to your tow vehicle.
We’ll show you how to adjust both the bunks and the winch stand.
We’ll take as much time as necessary to answer any question you may have about the trailer.
We’ll provide you with a “hitch pin” to secure your pontoon trailer to the tow ball
.
hitch pin
 
We will offer you the following products at special prices
Set of 4-#1000 ratchet straps $24.
Your boat should be secured to the pontoon trailer in the stern and bow.
These 1 1/2” x 15’ long straps are the best we’ve found.
#1000 load rated, #3000 break strength. We buy these at Sam’s Club (and you can too)
or pick them up from us when you take delivery of your new trailer.
ratchet straps
trailer lock Trailer Lock $25.
 Works on our concealed brake Coupler & all trailer latches.
pontoon boat trailer lock Trailer Lock $12.
 Works on non brake trailer couples
  Hitvh Lock Kit Trailer and Hitch Lock Kit $29
The small pin goes through the hole
on the trailer coupler, (regular and brake couplers).
The larger pin replaces the removable hitch pin
in your draw-bar.
 
 
PLASTIC BUNK COVERING
 
Plastic Bunk Covering
We use the best bunk carpeting available. 16 ounce, rubber backed marine grade. Competitors use 12 ounce, felt style carpeting. Our carpet is better than the “thin” stuff but we still occasionally run into situations where the customer tears the bunk carpet.
 
Plastic Bunk Covering Avalon pontoon bunk
Some brands of pontoons have sharp edges,
 where the keel meets the nose cone. These sharp
 edges can act like razor edges on your carpeted bunks.
 
If our customers pontoon tubes tear up the carpet on our trailers, we feel sorry about it. No one wants to hear “it’s not our problem” when you’ve got a problem, so we try and head off any difficulties. We sell optional plastic bunk wrap at our cost with new trailers to keep our customers happy.

Besides not having to worry about tearing up the bunk carpet, the other advantage of plastic bunk wrap is that it’s more “slippery” than bunk carpet. If you launch at a shallow boat ramp you’ll appreciate the ease with which your boat slides on and off your trailer with plastic versus carpeted bunks.
 
ALL TRAILERS - $150* in lieu of carpet
* complete kit installed on a new trailer. Kits include plastic on winch stand bow stops.
PLEASE NOTE; these are in lieu of prices for exchanging plastic versus carpet on bunks on new trailers.
Replacement parts pricing is nearly double, we’ve credited the cost of the carpeting versus the plastic in these prices.
 
HOW TO FIND US
 
There is a map below showing where we are located. We’re about three hours from greater Detroit or Indianapolis.  Two hours from downtown Chicago or Toledo, OH. If you're coming using a GPS please note that some GPS’s show Buckingham Rd (our office street) intersecting Co. Rd 17. It does NOT. You’ll have to come east into our industrial park on the next street south (Protecta Dr)
 
21315 Buckingham Road. Elkhart, Indiana 46516
 

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For Information Call

(877)294-3395 or (574)294-3386