Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/556112
MARKET FOCUS SECTION { TRAILERS & ACCESSORIES } May 2015 | Boating Industry | 45 www.BoatingIndustry.com frame, Eagle has simplified the process with laser measuring technology. "With this laser scanner we go out and scan around the boat six or seven scans," said Jeff Harklau, vice president of sales and devel- opment for Eagle and Yacht Club Trailers. "In- stead of a couple hundred points of reference on the boat, we're starting with 2 million. … It's like looking at HD TV and comparing it to black and white." It was an expensive investment but one that will pay off long term in accuracy and ef- ficiency, he said. The company is also working on develop- ing new trailers to meet changing boat designs. Its new trailers for the Volvo Penta Forward Drive, for instance, incorporate a new open back end to accommodate the forward-facing prop and lower profile of the engine. Yacht Club and Eagle have completely re- designed their pontoon trailers to reflect the increasingly larger pontoons on the market. "Over the last 12 months, we've built 97 different models of pontoon trailers," Harklau said. "We now have three series: a more eco- nomical, mid-range and upper-range. We cover a wide range – if they want something basic to really nice." The new models include a number of fea- tures such as improved frame designs to pre- vent twisting and flexing, step up fronts and new suspension systems. At EZ Loader, the top new trailer innova- tion this year is the Illusion Series, Potter said, which offers a top-lighted step. "When the lights are on, it has an opaque treadplate to it," he said. "At night people can put their foot up on it, and it lights up so they can see the step at night time." Potter is also proud of the company's I- Tube construction – an extruded tube within the I-beam to offer more strength and corro- sion protection. DO THE ROBOT Beyond trailers, EZ Loader is hoping to shake up the category with its newest acces- sory, the Robo, a remote-controlled "trailer parking robot." "It's aimed at the guy who doesn't want to have to push the boat around," Potter said. "If you can work your television remote control, you can work this one and move your trailer around that simply." EZ Loader first introduced the robot to the industry last fall at IBEX and the Ma- rine Dealer Conference & Expo, where the product garnered plenty of attention. The company first showed it off to consum- ers at the Miami International Boat Show earlier this year. The manufacturer is a Danish company, Kronings, which has been selling it for sev- eral years in Europe and Australia as the "Camper Trolley." The company contacted EZ Loader in early 2014 as it was look- ing for a U.S. partner to crack the North American market. So far the majority of buyers in the U.S. have been consumers, but Potter said he hopes to see that change. "I thought it was going to be a great dealer item to move boats around the showroom, but we're finding it's a little too slow for their purposes," he said. While dealers have liked it, they want something faster than its 29-feet-per-minute rate. EZ Loader is working with Kronings to build a model that is 50 percent faster with a goal of appealing to those dealers. Currently, it is available in two models: the RTV3700, for moving up to 3,700 pounds, and the RTV5500, for moving up to 5,500 pounds. With its large treads, it will work on any firm surface, Potter said. It will work with any trailer, tube or chan- nel, but EZ Loader has built in a welded bracket to its trailers to make it easier to use. A bolt-on bracket is available for other trailers. Eagle has launched a revamped line of pontoon trailers. Yacht Club is incorporating new boat features, like Volvo Penta's Forward Drive, into its designs.