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Most Jet Skis Don’t Come With Trailers, It’s Something Extra To Buy

If you’re in the market to get a jet ski and don’t live near water, you’ll need a jet ski trailer.

A trailer is a must-have unless you’re going to pay for other storage options, it’s the only way to get your watercraft in the water.

This brings up the question, do jet skis come with trailers and if they don’t, what should you get?

Trailer Not Included

New jet skis you get from the dealership do not come with trailers unless its a special deal or watercraft. For the vast majority, they do not come with trailers.

There are some outliers like the Sea-Doo LRV as it was an odd shaped PWC and needed its own trailer, but they haven’t made LRV’s for a long time. While the Sea-Doo Switch is not a jetski, it’s very similar and sold today, and it comes with a trailer.

But overall, jet skis don’t come with any trailer.

The Reason

The biggest reason jet skis don’t come with a trailer is cost, as you can see from my current new jetski price list that jet skis tend to be more costly than people realize.

The second reason jet skis don’t come with trailers is that people tend to buy two or more at a time. While selling jet skis at a dealership, about every 3rd sale was someone buying two jet skis, which would require a double trailer.

You can get trailers that fit one, two, or even four jetskis as covered in this post.

The third reason why jetskis don’t come with trailers is that each one is different. You can get basic painted trailers that are good enough, or much better aluminum trailers that hold up better to the saltwater.

The last reason watercraft don’t come with a trailer is not everyone needs one. Many owners either live on the water or keep their machine on the water. Trailering can be a pain for some and an extra cost along with taxes and repairs.

Picking Your Own

Now the next question you may have is what kind of trailer do you need? That depends on what watercraft you have or going to get.

There are literally hundreds of types of trailers out there, and each one to fit a need a customer may have.

I’ve created a guide here to help you find the best trailer for your needs.

Trailer Prices

New trailers can vary from under $1,000 up to $10,000 if not more, depending on what you need.

Used trailer prices can be anywhere from free to thousands, depending on what you need and what is available. I will say that trailers do hold their value very well, especially double trailers, so don’t put off on buying one.

The better metal, like aluminum, the more expensive the trailer will be but the better it will hold up. But not everyone needs a fancy trailer, a painted steel trailer will work for most on the lake.

Who Sells Them?

The watercraft dealership will have PWC trailers for sale and often have multiple types for you to pick from.

Depending on how close the dealership is to the trailer distribution center, they may even get trailers they don’t have in stock and get it in a few days. You can’t buy directly from the distribution centers, but any dealer can, and those dealers don’t need to be dealers.

Many places that sell trailers can get trailers. Triton sells more than trailers, they have ATV trailers, and most likely the dealer selling ATV trailers can most often get a trailer.

The perk of buying from a dealership is that they have the templates to make sure it fits your exact machine correctly and the tools to put it on the trailer. If you got the man power, you can move a PWC around on a stand then a new trailer, but you still need to get the bunks and bow stop seated correctly.

Single Vs Double

If you want to get two jet skis, you need to get a double trailer, or trailer one ski at a time on a single trailer.

A common thought process I get from customers is that they want one waverunner now, but a second later, and don’t know if to get the double now or later. I say get the double now, doubles hold their value very well and would be easy to get rid of if you only want one PWC. Also, trailer prices only go up every year. Lastly, it’s fine to tow one waverunner on a double trailer.

Going with the single trailer is fine, there is a market for them, but those doubles sell fast in the used market.

How To Move A PWC Without A Trailer

Not everyone needs a trailer, and if you can get away with it, then avoid a trailer.

If you reside by the water or have access to a marina, a trailer is unnecessary. For servicing needs, your local dealership can collect your craft for a fee. Some marinas also offer drop-off or pick-up services for your customers, either as a membership perk or for a charge. Additionally, some marinas provide repair and basic maintenance services.

There are also the repair shops that come to people’s homes on the lake and do repairs.

I’ve also seen family and friends split the cost of a trailer and take turns using it. It’s more work, but very cost-effective. You could also get lucky and find someone who lives on the lake and will let you keep your machine at their home. You’ll be amazed at how many people live on the lake and don’t have a boat, but do have a place to store one.

Avoid DIY & Building Your Own

I’ve had a few people build their own, but I can’t suggest it.

Yes, you can buy a cheap kit from Harbor Freight and with wood make something… but don’t do it.

Jet skis have gotten bigger and heavier, and these little trailers can’t support the weight of modern jet skis. It’s also not road legal and long enough, so don’t do it!

You Need These Items For Your Trailer

Watercraft trailers don’t have everything you need, even the dealership can be stingy about giving you needed items.

Things like a tongue jack, light adaptor and more as covered in this post are things you need.

I can’t stress it enough, the tongue jack (Amazon Link Ad) is a must and makes your life way easier.

Author

Steven

I started working at a power sports dealership in 2007, I worked in parts, service counter, and as a technician before moving to sales in 2013. I created StevenInSales.com in 2014 to answer common watercraft questions I would get from people. Now managing the site full-time, I continue to provide advice and web tools for my readers about watercraft. I've owned several watercraft, with a Sea-Doo Spark as my current main PWC.

Comments

  1. Thank you for this information. Do dealers care if you already have your own trailer when you buy a new ski? I will hopefully be in the market for a new ski this winter but I have a chance to get a decent deal on a new trailer now. The trailer I’m looking out will be more than adequate (specs) for the new ski I’m considering.

    Reply
    • The dealers don’t care if you have your own trailer. They may charge you to adjust the trailer to fit your new jet ski, it depends on the dealer. It’s important you get a trailer that will fit your jet ski. I’ve had customers with old trailers from 15 years ago come in and the jet skis today are double in size so the tailers won’t fit.

      Reply
  2. First of all I love your blogs. Please keep them coming. Secondly, how do I know if a trailer will specifically fit the jet ski model I plan on purchasing? Looking at Sea-Doo standups…

    Reply
    • Many of the trailers you buy today can be adjusted to fit a variety of watercraft. Usually, the cheaper the trailer the smaller a watercraft it will fit. It’s best to go by what the trailer manufacturer says on their website to see if your watercraft will fit. But if you’re getting a stand-up they’re all pretty small so just about any jet ski trailer should work for it.

      Reply

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