• Make Sure Boat Trailers Measure Up
• Find Boat Trailers on eBay Motors
• Buy Boats and Boat Trailers With Confidence

Make Sure Boat Trailers Measure Up

You need to consider three factors when selecting a boat trailer:

• Boat length: A proper boat trailer usually measures about 2 feet longer than your boat. When determining boat length, do not include the extended swim platform. Although many manufacturers include it when providing a boat's LOA (length overall), boat trailers support ends at the hull's running surface. Remember to include the bow pulpit in your length calculations if the boat has one.
  
  
• Boat weight: When considering boat weight, look at wet weight. Some manufacturers do not include wet weight in their published data, so find out how much the boat weighs fully loaded with fuel (8.5 pounds per gallon), water (6.5 pounds per gallon), batteries, engine, and everything else it carries while on the boat trailer. A tandem axle boat trailer may better carry the load if your boat weighs more than 3,500 pounds.
  
  
• Boat waterline-width: Trailer bunks provide larger areas of hull support, but rollers make boat loading and offloading easier, especially if the ramp has only a gentle slope. Most trailer bunks are made of wood covered in carpet, while others made of plastic allow a boat to slide on and off the boat trailer easier. Bear in mind, however, that some boat manufacturers void the hull warranty if you use rollers because they can dimple the hull (especially on heavy boats). You might also want a boat trailer using a combination of bunks and rollers, but again, check your boat's warranty first.

Boat trailer materials

Boat trailers are constructed from three basic types of materials:

• Tubular box frame boat trailers: Tubular box frame boat trailers, the most solid option, offers the best protection for wiring and brake lines.
  
  
• Aluminum I-beam boat trailers: Lightweight aluminum I-beam boat trailers have the best strength-per-weight ratio, but offer less protection than a tubular design. Run lines in plastic conduit for protection.
  
  
• C-channel boat trailers: C-channel boat trailers are generally least expensive and work fine for lightweight boats. Run lines in plastic conduit for protection.

Contact your local Department of Transportation office (www.fhwa.dot.gov/webstate.htm) to find out what trailer laws apply in your area before making your final boat trailer purchase decision.

Find Boat Trailers on eBay Motors

Once you know what boat trailer you want, go to eBay Motors, click the Trailers link under Other Vehicles, click the Boat & Watercraft Trailers link on the left side of the page, and start shopping on eBay!

• Search: Search eBay listing titles for specific words by entering keyword terms into eBay's Search box or use the Advanced Search feature on eBay Motors. The search items by eBay Motors Category option allows you to specify item location by distance in miles or ZIP code.

• Compare: Mark the checkbox next to each boat trailer item listing that interests you. Click the Compare button to view listing and product details side-by-side.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay will email you when a match becomes available.

Buy Boats and Boat Trailers With Confidence

Hundreds of boats and boat trailers on eBay Motors will likely interest you. When trying to select the right boat, get to know exactly what you're buying, research the seller, and understand how eBay and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Many sellers put a lot of time into creating their listings, making an effort to ensure they include all the information buyers need. Carefully read the details in listings for the boat(s) you consider buying and carefully review available photos. Before placing a bid or buying an item, be sure to:

• Have all your questions answered. If you still have questions after reading the listing and reviewing the photos, contact the seller using the Ask seller a question link in the “Seller information” box in the top right corner of every boat listing. Also request additional photos if you want to see the boat from a particular angle that isn’t shown in the photos included in the listing. If you have more questions than you can address in email, get the seller’s phone number and give him/her a call. Some boat sellers even include their phone number so you can call them directly. Just remember that you need to actually bid and buy on eBay in order to be covered by eBay and PayPal protection programs (see "Buyer protection" below for more details).

• Get delivery details. Calculate and include delivery costs into your final price. This may simply be the cost of driving across the city or state if the boat is close-by or it may mean working with a shipping company that can transport the boat from anywhere in the country. To learn more about shipping costs, ask the seller or contact DAS, an eBay Motors-approved vehicle shipping service.

• Complete your transaction on eBay. Always complete your transaction on eBay (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay are not covered by eBay and PayPal protection programs (see "Buyer protection" below for more details).

• Know your payment options. Never pay for your eBay item using instant cash wire transfer services such as Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know. Instead, pay with PayPal for amounts less than $2,000 (including deposits), a money order, or direct bank-to-bank fund transfer.

• Track items with eBay Toolbar. Use the free eBay Toolbar to track items you bid on and watch. It includes Account Guard, a feature that indicates when you're visiting a verified eBay or PayPal website and warns you when you enter your eBay password into an unverified site, even if it looks like eBay or PayPal.

Know your seller

Just as important as researching your boat purchase is getting to know the seller. Take time to research the seller so that you can feel positive and secure about every transaction. Key things to look for when evaluating a seller are:

• Positive Feedback. What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have? What do buyers and sellers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Sales history. Find out how long the seller has been a registered eBay user and look at the types of items a seller typically sells. It’s okay to buy a boat from a seller who hasn’t sold one before — many of the boat listings on eBay are from individuals selling their own boat. If the seller’s feedback seems low, take the time to look at the Feedback details; sometimes a seller's Feedback looks low until you realize that they’re a boat dealer and their Feedback count comes entirely from boat sales.

• Terms and conditions. What are the terms and conditions of the sale? Are the terms agreeable to you? Sellers typically set terms and conditions, but you should make sure you agree with them. If not, find another seller/boat or contact the seller to find out if he/she is open to your suggestions.

• Good communication. Once you’ve initiated communications with the seller, how is he/she communicating with you? Is the seller courteous and professional? Is the seller responsive? Once you bid on a big-ticket item such as a boat, communicate with the seller through My Messages in My eBay. All legitimate Second Chance Offer messages will come through My Messages and not to your email address alone. Always contact the seller before accepting a Second Chance Offer, and never respond to any request to send money via Western Union or other instant cash transfer service.

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event a problem arises during your transaction, you can typically work it out with the seller. However, if you can’t, eBay and PayPal are there for you.

• eBay Motors Vehicle Purchase Protection up to $20,000: Each boat purchased through eBay is automatically covered against fraud and material misrepresentation up to the cost of the boat or $20,000 (whichever is lower) with eBay Motors Vehicle Purchase Protection. To qualify for this safety program, complete your transaction on eBay with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer.

• Put down a deposit with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay up to $2,000 without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. Also, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorized payments from their accounts. While $2,000 may not be a high enough limit for the full purchase price of most boats, it's great for deposits (many sellers require a deposit on a boat within several days of the close of a listing).

• eBay Security & Resolution Center: Visit the Security & Resolution Center to learn how to protect your account and use eBay's quick and efficient resolution tools.

Introduction and "Make Sure Boat Trailers Measure Up" were provided by Boating World. © 2006 Trans World Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.