www.iFourWinns.com

Dealer just informed me of a couple new features on the '08 FW trailers...

New as standard:

"Belt Buckle" style straps on the back of the trailer. Many dealers were installing these as aftermarket options and apparently FW now puts them on their trailers standard for '08

LED Taillights... standard according to the dealer? Can anyone confirm this? If true, this is a great improvement...

And a new feature/option - for 150 bucks, you can upgrade the new trailer to gatorhyde rather than painted. Still not galvenized, but you get the benefits of gatorhyde for pretty darn cheap.

FW is catching up... at least the frames are fully boxed and welded... and have a swing-a-way toungue.

One step at a time...

my 200ss trailer has the "belt buckle" style staps on back, and yes, all lights are led....... very nice set-up !

my 2007 gator hyde trailer is galvi under the hyde.

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Guns kill people like spoons make people fat.
2007 Horizon 190 Gxi
97 Pathfinder SE 4x4
73 International Scout II

Yes, 2007 and earlier trailers with gatorhyde were coated galvanized trailers... that option was 900+ dollars for someone to get.

For 2008, they now offer a gatorhyde option on the standard non-galvanized trailer. This is a trade off to paint. That option is only about 150 to upgrade to.

What is the gatorhyde? I am curious about this.

How were the BoatBuckles installed

Through frame or on a bracket

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Jeff

2006 Four Winns Yellow Horizon 30th Anniversary 200 SS
2005 Nissan Titan Crew Cab
2004 Ford F-150 Lariat

http://www.seabrook-services.com

Gatorhyde is like spray in bed liner for trucks. Similar to line-x or rhinoliner.

Four Winns has 2 options for Gatorhyde. 1) rather than paint the regular trailer, you can gatorhyde it for like 150 bucks upgrade. 2) you can purchase the galvanized trailer with gatorhyde for around 900 or so as an upgrade.

Because I won't use my trailer much (I have a slip for my boat) - and I would use 99% freshwater... I opted for the gatorhyde of the regular trailer. No paint to maintain - just a scrub brush and a hose... and hopefully no rust.

As for the belt buckles -I believe they are mounted to the frame with a bracket. I don't think they are attached straight to the frame. I'll know for sure when I take delivery of my 240 sometime this month.

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2008 318 Vista -SOLD, but I am still around!
All Night Long, Seattle WA

I know the ones off the shelf are made so that you have to either drill a hole through your frame or have a bracket already on the trailer. I'll be interested to see how FW did it, because I'll probably do it the same way.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

I will drop by my dealer this week to see if they have any trailers with Boat Buckle systems installed.

Regards

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Jeff

2006 Four Winns Yellow Horizon 30th Anniversary 200 SS
2005 Nissan Titan Crew Cab
2004 Ford F-150 Lariat

http://www.seabrook-services.com

The boatbuckles look like a good product. Did anyone post how they're attached to the '08 trailers?

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Brian
2007 Four Winns H200 - VP 5.0L GL/SX
2003 Chevy Avalanche Z66
Canyon Lake, TX

I don't have a picture, but they now weld heavy steel tabs to the top of the rear rail, and attach the BB's to those tabs. I guess the idea was that it was better to drill a hole in a tab than through the trailer frame. A good idea, but not an easy retrofit for those without it.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Yeah, I'm not excited with drilling through the trailer... something to consider when my transom straps are due for replacement, though. Same for LED tail lights.

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Brian
2007 Four Winns H200 - VP 5.0L GL/SX
2003 Chevy Avalanche Z66
Canyon Lake, TX

Wait - you have an '07, right? I thought all the '07 trailers had Boat Buckles standard? Maybe you bought it early in the year and got an '06 trailer (that does happen)?

On the LED's, I thought all the '07 trailers had those as well, and looking at your pictures on photobucket, it looks like you have them. If not, they make for a nice project and IMO a huge improvement.

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic

Well, I think the boat buckles and LED's are new for the '08 trailers. The '07 catalog I kept doesn't mention them, but the online info for '08 sure does. My trailer tail lights are bright- but not LED's. We bought our boat in Sept. '07, but sticker on trailer says a build date of Feb 07.

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Brian
2007 Four Winns H200 - VP 5.0L GL/SX
2003 Chevy Avalanche Z66
Canyon Lake, TX

Interesting. I though that stuff was on the '07's. It's all becoming a blur...

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Mike
2005 Four Winns 230/240
VP 5.7GXi/DP
1998 F-150 XLT
Boat Pic