Author Topic: Picked Up My New Trailer (Read 17475 times)

dgmeyer · « **Reply #40 on:** April 20, 2013, 02:51:21 PM »

Maybe you should be in the boat and her in the vehicle?

Be sure to explain forward and reverse and the accelerator and the brake. And don't yell while any of this is going on. My favorite is the people at the ramp that forget the drain plug and the boat is taking on water while the driver is headed up the ramp. Or driving up the ramp dragging the outdrive. Ouch.

CVZ18Fan · « **Reply #41 on:** April 20, 2013, 07:38:19 PM »

Thanks Shawn, I will do exactly that. Thanks for those pics, that helps me visualize position.

As far as the wife launching, that would be bad. She folds like a lawn chair under pressure. I am in the process of building a fence around the yard. The most difficult post I put in the ground was the one she helped me with. Told her to go inside, I would figure it out on my own.....lol, good thing she is pretty!! hahahah

Rich

WetRaider · « **Reply #42 on:** April 20, 2013, 09:21:07 PM »

Don - I'm usually the one in the boat ... but she gets embarrassed if it doesn't turn over right away. We've had the issue twice and it really annoyed her...

WetRaider · « **Reply #43 on:** April 21, 2013, 01:16:54 PM »

OK. Beautiful weather outside today. Looking to make some trailer adjustments after I get my new deck ledger, posts & beams leveled.

Does anyone have experience, or a nearly sure-fire way to measure out where to set the bow stop? Without lowering the bunks, I'm afraid the bow stop roller would want to sit below the bow eye. Just eyeballing this thing, I'm thinking I might need an extension on the roller so that I don't pull that boat so far forward that my tongue weight gets to high.

From what I've researched, tongue weight should be 6% of total boat, gear & trailer weight for a single axle trailer. Which means, for me the tongue weight should be around 120 lbs (based on a 2,000 lb. max total, including tailer)

dgmeyer · « **Reply #44 on:** April 24, 2013, 09:08:35 PM »

Got my new adjustable bunks on the Bud's World Tracker trailer today. They were galvanized but I sanded them and used etching primer and then painted them Rustoleum black. We'll see how that works out. I raised the front bunk so the bow eye would go forward which put the transom about 2'' inches in on the back of the bunk. I was able to leave the welded back bracket right where it was and just loosened the bolt so the board could be a little angled. Worked out fine. Tongue weight seems good too. Heavy enough that I can lift it by hand with a good effort. Everything went great except the part where I hit the top of my head on the leaf spring bracket and drew blood. Ouch.

I need to get some of those plastic rollers. The black rubber ones are marking up the hull.

CVZ18Fan · « **Reply #45 on:** April 24, 2013, 09:14:17 PM »

Looks good!

Jason · « **Reply #46 on:** April 25, 2013, 11:59:49 AM »

Yea, looks great! Wish I would have painted my brackets too....

Rosscoe · « **Reply #47 on:** April 25, 2013, 08:12:02 PM »

Yes looks good except for the blood.

As for the bunks, do most bunks stop level with the trailer frame, stick out past or in towards the front a bit?
I would think end at the trailer. For whatever reason, mine are uneven. Probably happened when the seller and I were welding them back on in their new locations. Didnt really pay too much attention where they were at as were in a hurry and I'll be replacing them soon.

WetRaider · « **Reply #48 on:** April 25, 2013, 10:12:41 PM »

I like those brackets. Since my trailer is new, I don't want to mess with grinding off welds on the frame of the trailer - I'm going to stick with cutting the welded bracket down from the top.

The bunks on this trailer stick out about 4 inches past the rear cross member of the trailer. I plan on cutting them even with the cross member - but I've got the length to play with.

Kurtis may get to help me out with he plasma cutting table, too - I'll have to extend and raise the vertical brackets that hold the bow stop/roller. Those I'll grind off at the winch plate, weld new ones on, and re-paint the whole assembly.

The deck at home is almost done. Windows out and patio doors in is the game plan this weekend. Hopefully I can get the trailer swap completed next week.

WetRaider · « **Reply #49 on:** May 06, 2013, 01:59:52 PM »

Wondering about this idea for trailer bunks ...
If I use a 2 x 6, instead of a 2 x 4, I'm thinking I can run it across the table saw to bevel the top outside edge.
Other than lowering the brackets by an inch and a half, I can keep the verticals in their welded places. I might buy some new angle and cut the angle at 4-1/2 inches, so that I can overlap and bolt the new angle onto the existing verticals but have the support underneath the width of the 2x6 ...

Any obvious reasons why I should do it this way? I'm thinking the trailer should still center as long as I'm ok on the inside of the lower strakes. I believe those strakes are fairly consistent from front to rear, except the leading foot or so ...

WetRaider · « **Reply #50 on:** May 13, 2013, 12:31:44 AM »

I got my bunks beveled today. Kurtis had cut some 2x2 angle brackets for me.
I'll pick up some carpet either tomorrow or Tuesday and get the bunks wrapped. Tomorrow I should get the bunk brackets cut down and the new brackets bolted on. To mate the first time, the brackets will be loose enough to pivot. My sample cuts of 2x6 match up the angles very nicely on the hull. I'm excited to make the transfer ... pictures coming when I get the new brackets/bunks in place.

Bayflite73 · « **Reply #51 on:** May 13, 2013, 07:45:33 AM »

Don't know how you find the time Dan, but well done! Can't wait to see pics!

WetRaider · « **Reply #52 on:** May 16, 2013, 11:22:27 AM »

Here's my pre-setup ...

New trailer bunks

The spacing between the bunks sets them snug to the outside of the lower strake, with the beveled 2x6 so that both the hull and the next strake sit on the bunk. For now, the brackets are loose, in place with only a single bolt, and not yet cinched down. As I pull the boat up onto the trailer, the brackets will allow the bunks to rock until they're at the proper angle to support the hull with full contact. Once out of the water, I can tighten down the bolts and drill through a separate smaller bolt to use as a "set screw" to hold the angle.

Btw, Tim Cichosz (Still_Fishin) told me once not to use stainless bolts and stainless nuts together. I forgot his advice. The first time I put the brackets on, so I could lay down the bunks and mark the holes for drilling, I couldn't get the nuts back off. Took the trailer down to the shop and had the guys pull out their impact tools ... after about 2 minutes, the bolt had finally broken. Not sure how much force is required to break off a 1/2" stainless steel bolt, but ...
For now, I've got a zinc coated nut with nylon insert on stainless bolts.

CVZ18Fan · « **Reply #53 on:** May 16, 2013, 07:38:30 PM »

Looks good, show us some pics after the boat is on it.

Rich

WetRaider · « **Reply #54 on:** May 16, 2013, 08:37:22 PM »

Success !

The bunks worked out great. I need to have the bow stop re-fabbed then I'm good to go. I'll upload more pictures with sunlight tomorrow ...

Jason · « **Reply #55 on:** May 16, 2013, 10:54:24 PM »

looks like a perfect fit!

MarkS · « **Reply #56 on:** May 17, 2013, 04:56:37 AM »

Looks great Dan! Looking forward to seeing more pics of your custom bunk boards too.

WetRaider · « **Reply #57 on:** May 18, 2013, 07:18:30 PM »

Here's how it all turned out, BoatBuckle installed and all ... the only thing missing is the winch stand (which was in place to bring it home from the lake, removed in the driveway for modification) ...

These attachments all port side ...

WetRaider · « **Reply #58 on:** May 18, 2013, 07:20:53 PM »

These attachments starboard side ...

WetRaider · « **Reply #59 on:** May 18, 2013, 07:24:58 PM »

Hey Gregg ... that second image above is right side up on my computer ... I don't know how or why it fell over on the upload

?

Last photo, the ugly, scarred up keel ... with bow rest / winch stand removed.

The rub-rail stays pretty close to 14" off the outside trailer frame - the whole thing has dropped so much, will be incredibly easier to launch and load ... only now I look at it sitting there and thing "well that thing's not much bigger than a lawn tractor ... "