Are you ready for a boat trailer trivia quiz? We know you own a boat trailer, but how much do you know about it? In this post we’ll learn some key historical facts that will make you the star of a boat trailer trivia quiz.
Let’s start by saying a word about the origins of the boat trailer. Although at the end of the 19th century, there were semi-trailers pulled by steam vehicles, the first trailer was invented in 1914 by August Fruehauf, considered the father of the truck. This trailer towed any cargo including boats.
However, before the 1940s, boat trailers were not very common. According to figures compiled by yachting magazines, by 1939 there were only 1000 trailers in the United States. It is in the post-war period, from the 50’s onwards, that they started to become popular precisely for towing small pleasure boats that were booming. The desire for recreation after the war and the development of modern highways favored the development of this type of entertainment.
However, launching the boat was not an easy task. On the metal frame of most trailers there were bunks for the boat to slide on. This meant that the trailer had to be submerged and the boater had to use a ramp, which made the towing car wet. It was thanks to the contributions of developers such as Lawrence Johnson that trailers began to use rollers so that a single person could launch the boat without getting wet.
Today there are more than seven million trailers in the United States according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association. The contributions of these developers have made boat trailers a growing industry.
We hope you have learned from this historical review and that when you are hooking up your trailer you will think about the contributions of the ingenious inventors thanks to whom you can enjoy your trailer right now.
