A Trailer Failure at the Ramp Ends the Weekend
Boat trailers live a brutal life in East Tennessee. They get backed into the water, hauled out wet, parked in the sun, and driven on rough county roads with a few thousand pounds of hull on top. Frames crack at the tongue, bunk brackets rust through, axle hangers fatigue, and it almost always shows up on the day you planned to be on the lake. We meet you where the failure happened. Our rig is fully self-powered, so we can weld at a boat ramp, in a marina lot, at a storage yard, or in your driveway. No tow truck, no waiting until Monday, no hauling a loaded trailer you no longer trust.
Marine Welding Work We Handle
• Boat trailer tongue, frame, and cross-member cracks
• Bunk bracket, roller mount, and winch stand repair
• Axle hanger and spring perch re-welding
• Aluminum hull cracks, rock strikes, and seam repair
• Transom bracket and motor mount reinforcement
• Aluminum jon boat, jet boat, and pontoon repair
• Dock rails, gangway frames, and ladder mounts
• Boat lift cradle arms and frame repair
• Stainless hardware, swim ladder, and rail mounts
• Custom aluminum fabrication for decks and platforms We work marine-grade aluminum, galvanized and painted trailer steel, and stainless hardware, with TIG for aluminum and stainless and stick or MIG for trailer structure.
Welding Marine Aluminum Correctly
Aluminum is not steel and it does not forgive shortcuts. Marine-grade 5052 and 5086 plate needs the oxide layer cleaned mechanically right before the arc, the right filler alloy (5356 for most marine work), and heat control that avoids burning through thin hull plate. Done correctly, a TIG repair on an aluminum hull is permanent and holds up to constant water exposure and trailering vibration. Done with the wrong filler or too much heat, it cracks along the heat-affected zone within a season. Most cracks, rock strikes, and seam failures we see weld cleanly. Replacement is rarely necessary unless corrosion has thinned a wide area of the plate.
Docks, Lifts, and Lakefront Metal
Lakefront property in East Tennessee means metal sitting in humidity, sun, and splash year round. Dock rails corrode at the base, ladder mounts pull loose, gangway frames sag, and boat lift cradle arms bend when a hull settles wrong. We fabricate and repair dock rails, ladder and cleat mounts, gangway structure, and lift cradles on the water without pulling the structure out. Aluminum rail runs get TIG welded and sleeved into existing posts. Steel work gets primed and sealed before we leave, because in this climate an unprotected weld on lakefront steel starts rusting within weeks.
What Marine Welding Costs in East Tennessee
Boat trailer frame, tongue, and bunk bracket repairs typically run $250 to $700 depending on travel and how much rusted metal has to be cut back. Aluminum hull crack and transom bracket repairs generally land between $350 and $1,200. Dock rail runs, lift cradle repair, and custom aluminum fabrication are quoted after we see the span and the access. Quotes are free. A clear photo of the crack plus the boat or trailer make and model is usually enough to give you a number over the phone before we roll out.
Repair, Reinforce, or Replace
The honest answer is not always a weld. A trailer frame with isolated cracking at a known stress point is a straightforward repair, and reinforcing it usually leaves it stronger than factory. A trailer frame with widespread rust-through along the main rails is a replacement conversation, and we will tell you that rather than take your money to weld rotten steel. Aluminum hulls are the opposite. Owners often assume a cracked hull is a total loss when in reality a TIG repair costs a small fraction of a new boat. We will look at the plate thickness around the damage and give you a straight assessment either way.