Trailer for Beach Launching

[fishyjoe]

Hi all,

This is actually a post for Mark, aka "Raging Bull" who is busy in Bundy with work?

Mark is going up to Frazer for a week, lucky bugger, and is currently looking at modifying his existing trailer to an extended drawbar one so he can launch from the beach.

If any one has any ideas or diagram’s I would love to hear and I will pass on the info.

Many thanks in advance

Joe

[Mr__Bean]

When I wanted to fit an extended drawbar to my trailer I didn't want to weld anything to the trailer or change anything a great deal. I ended up bolting a "towbar tube" up under the existing tow fitting on the trailer using the existing bolts that hold the trailer coupling to the trailer.

It is made of the same size square steel tube that is used on the heavy duty towbars that take a 50mm square tow hitch. It has a 16mm hole drilled across it and takes the same cross pin that is used on the towbar hitch. My drawbar extension slips into the square tube, you put the cross pin in and then hook up to the car.

Photo's below.

- Darren

[Roughasguts]

That's a long extension there Mr Bean, how well does it cope with flex from the boat winching on the back of the trailer and trying to raise the back wheels of your car.

But yep that's the way I would go.

[Mr__Bean]

Yeah, that is a long bar and it is too flexible for normal use. It was made for beach launches at Cape Jaffa in South Australia and is only for a straight push in and a straight pull back out of the water.

With the extra long bar you have to balance the boat on the trailer by moving it back a bit first, then on the retreive you don't winch it all the way up until you are up on the beach and sitting on the jockey wheel.

No problem with the shorter bar, the one in the picture is 8 metres long.

- Darren

[fishyjoe]

Thanks Mr Bean,

I have text message Mark to check post ASAP

Regards

Joe

[RAGINGBULL]

Thanks gents i get the idea