Reply With QuoteLooks good mate
Offroad Boat trailer build/resurrection
After some awesome advice read on this (and other) forums I have with a lot of help from a mate recently completed building an offroad boat trailer for my tinny. The old trailer was a late 70's early 80's channel job with a tilt but it had definitely seen its hay day! On top of the trailer sits the glorious Golfball which is probably as old as the trailer and was an old live trout tender. She's called The Golfball because its white and full of dings and I reckon she has slayed a few fish in her time!! It is my first boat and on the first cast landed a sweet flatty so the mojo is still good.
20130726_162127.jpg20130726_162048.jpgOn the day I bought it...
Anyway this is the story of the rebuild..I write long and I am madly obsessed and proud of our efforts so please just ignore this if you don't enjoy reading or offroad boat trailers.
This madness began when I spotted two wheels identical to my cruisers that someone was throwing out. Me being the scavenger that I am couldn't resist. Not long after the boys were keen to plan a trip to one of our favorite locations..the only problem was that the road in is very rough and there is a large patch of soft sand to boot. It was killing me that I would have to leave my awesome new boat at home and there was no way that I was going to afford a new trailer that could handle my future touring plans.
So phase 1 of the build was getting a new axle and hubs to suit the wheels and wheel track of the cruiser. At this time also rebuilt all of the skids with larger ones and I had noticed that the weight of the boat all sat on the last roller causing considerable flex in the channel which I knew could not be good. So again..scavenging in a building skip at work I found a few nice big pieces of hardwood flooring all nicely treated and finished so I got some stainless screws and glued them together got a strip of the skid plastic from BC Fishing and $20 later had a keel support that holds the full weight of the boat evenly but my missus can still push the boat off (i have her trained I don't even get out of the car haha). I also shouted her a new winch post and a v-block...Scavenging mode again and I had to solve the problem of some cheap guards...so I went to the local dump shop and with an open mind the only thing I could find were plastic wheelbarrow tubs sooo yep with a bit of dodgy angle and a few bolts some guards were made.slapped on some tar to hold the rust together and the rig made it on not one but 2 rough trips hassle free and I didn't even look back.
20140704_084251.jpgphase 1 build packed for trip dubbed "the wheelbarrow" by mates s""t stirring
002.jpg
003.jpgnew "handy" work
A good mate was not so impressed with my "handy" work and offered to take it to the next level and replace the very rusted old steel and do some mods to make it a true off road capable trailer.
Work done:
- replaced all steel except triangle with the tilt with new 100x50 channel galv
- replaced drawbar with 4mm 75x50 box (recycled)
- new mudguards (scavenged of course FOR FREE!! from a Telstra Patrol tray, they are alloy and are awesome)
- new 4mm 50x50 angle section for suspension
- large oversize side steps for camping gear and walkway to keep away from snapping handbags..bolted to angle (all recycled and scavenged materials)
- every nut and bolt bar the important ones(hitch and shackles and tilt bolts) are 316 stainless steel with nylocks (new...)
- every old part has been stripped and refinished
- new spectra winch cable
- 2x hitch chains
- welded tiedowns
Trailer was fully stripped and primed in Galmet cold Gal and then painted with Duragal... I couldn't afford to have it dipped plus it would have had to have been blasted because all metal was already galvanized...I think this finish can be easily touched up by me and is the next best thing and looks great to boot. Has since been finished again with Tectyl 506 and doesn't look pretty anymore.
20141002_135704.jpg
20141002_135807.jpg
20141011_134052.jpg
20141002_140100.jpg"The ultimate strength test..the steps holding me in all my glory!
I do have plans for phase 3.. first off sadly... will be the retirement of the Golfball as she is really starting to show her age..replaced with a brand new platey (Mclay 4.4 with 60 suzi). Plans for phase 3 include:
- eye to eye springs and greasable shackles
- small shocky set up
- upgrade the keel support to suit new hull (not dodgy..solid hardwood)
- upgrade to permanent skids to suit boat profile
- more camping mods (jerry can holders and water system for washdown) and filleting area
- stone guards
- spare tyre mounting (we are really stuck with this one)
Very happy and proud of the results and for well under a grand I have a rock solid trailer that will hopefully last as long again as the original and be able to handle the very rough and nasty plans that I have for it in the future.
For what you get in most new trailers these days just cannot compare as they are aspirin and are designed to be replaced every 5 years which as you can see is an alien concept to me! Thanks to my good mate for the un-dodgy job on the welding and fab he is a legend!
Once the new boat has its place I will update again with phase 3.
hope you enjoyed the long read and hopefully inspired your inner dodgy!
Cheers
Josh.
Looks good mate
Have you thought about some brakes by the time you put a new platey and outboard on it and all your extra stuff the gross trailer weight might be over 750kg limit.
wow thats come up a bloody treat mate well done. amazing what can be done with a welder, grinder and a few bits n pieces.
yeah I still think it will be under but I will be close so I will probably have to if I do I will upgrade to an offroad hitch as well..never had anything to do with trailer brakes but I have read that electronic brakes don't hold up in an Offroad situation
cheers mateOriginally Posted by kennzo
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