It's time to deal with my boat trailer...As you can see it's a little beefier than I really need for my mini...

The good:
It's got surge brakes, six lug axles , a spare tire, and the frame is in overall great shape..

The bad:
The brake system looks like it hasn't worked since 1989...The master cylinder is dry and half full of {?} in there..The wheel cylinders aren't much better and one brake shoe gave me the lining it didn't want to keep when I removed the hub... So needless to say the brakes aren't getting massaged into doing their job at this point...{I knew they didn't work when I bought it}

All the lights need replaced...
The boat would sit too high on the trailer using the roller system in it's current state...

Here's the pics as it sits so you can get an idea of where I'm starting..

Interesting.
I have to build a trailer for mine too.
Keep the progress report coming.

Here's where I'm asking for opinions and advice...Any and all thoughts and suggestions/discussions would be a great help...

A} As you can see the frame crossmembers are arched downward making this trailer less desirable for a flat bottom airboat...OK I can deal with that...But the rails are spanning 7ft between them{front to back}...The roller bunks would be 5ft...Too short...And the bigger question..I really need about 11ft of rail my flat bottom is 10ft{+}until the front rake so I'd need something to make up the difference even with the roller bunks ????

B} My 14ft mini will fit on this trailer leaving the front tongue stop,spare, and winch intact...And the hull will be even with the back trailer frame rails leaving the rudders overhanging the back...Is this a good set-up ? I could possibly move the boat {and rearrange the front stuff} so the rudders would not be exposed behind the frame rails I do have enough room to do that {I think}..But it appears it's common to leave the rudders hanging out the back and exposed to Mr.Tailgater and getting rear ended would mount the rudders on his hood ???

C} I've taken the original rollers off the boat and left the mounting brackets on the crossmembers... And have moved them in to where they need to be spaced apart so they match up to the hull's stringers...As they sit in this pic they're about 2 inches below the side frame rails...Couldn't I just add a 2x6 inside these brackets and span them for my rails ???

Here's a few pics of where I'm at now... I've included a blue highlighted pic showing what I was thinking for the {carpeted}rails and the side fenders.. .:confused:

this is just me but i would get rid of the brakes and the over kill hitch and bolt a 2x4 or 2x6 where the bunks go and bolt 3/4 plywood across it and cover with carpet. build your drive ons to suit yourself or buy them not too expensive. a lot of trailers down here set the plywood floor far enough forward to mount a couple rollers on very end of trailer to help in dry loading and also it helps with shallow launches where you don't want to get your rear brakes wet. like in salt water

nice trailer to start out with, you are right it is a heavier trailer, but nothing wrong with that.
brakes... i imagine that this trailer was able to hold a 2500 to 5000 lb boat. from looking at the axle and support it has. so if it had that heavy of a boat. it is just a safety measure to keep from pushing the tow vehicle into something if needing to brake real sudden, nothing like having the trailer jack knife on you.
but it is mandatory for double axle trailer to have at least 1 axle with brakes. single axle trailers you can have brakes or not. the choice is yours

as far as where to position your boat on the trailer. when you are all said and done, with the boat on the trailer you want to have around 200 lbs of tongue weight. for good towing. (this is what i have on all my trailers) most hitches are rated up to 500 lbs.
to much tongue weight and it changes the suspension up to where it can mess with your steering.
and not enough weight, and the trailer will bounce and can could actually pick up the rear of the tow vehicle and push it sideways under sudden braking or turning.

on the easy loader trailer the cross members are designed to pivot as the boat is loaded and unloaded. so you may need to take that under consideration as you attache the bottom rails and build the bed for the airboat to ride on.
if you make the cross members solid, this may transfer the twisting and sway energy to other parts of the trailer, which after time could create problems. after some time. these trailers are designed to flex as they go over bumps and are loaded and unloaded

these are some of the thoughts that i have, about the few questions that you asked. but it looks like it should work good for your boat.

I'm going to put a telescoping tongue in the back of the trailer not to pull with.
To push it in to the muck and drive the boat off, That's the plan anyway

Thanks for the reply BGMCL60... And it's not just you thinking about pulling the brakes off this trailer...As cautious as I am with safety I just can't justify a need for those surge brakes hauling my mini around...It's just a bunch of problems where there doesn't need to be...The only drawback that I can see is the trailer is titled for the heavier load{calling for those brakes on the trailer} and might create a problem in that aspect...With that being said I've seen plenty of crazy,homemade air boat trailers on the road locally and nobody around here has ever raised an eyebrow at them...

I found a standard coupler with a 5000lb rating and I think I'm going to use one of those that way it still exceeds the rating of the trailer..Pull the brake hardware in the hubs and move on with the fun stuff on this...

Interesting idea on the flooring between the bunks to be honest I've never seen a trailer with the flooring/carpet between the bunks around here but it's a great feature and it would conform to a slight bottom arch..Not to mention spanning the weight distribution the best it can be...;thumb;

Now, onto the drive ons...I've been studying these and there seems to be two basic types..A series of rollers or an angled "ramp" with that roller you've pointed out at the break point...Here's a pic with an example of each...

Hi Bart, I've seen where the bunks are simply 2x4 or 2x6s and were on swivels also I'm guessing to conform as stuff moves around... I can't help but wonder with the relatively light airboat if there really would be much stress on the boat or trailer ???

Yes, you're right about moving the load around for the perfect balance... I haul heavy equipment at work with a tractor/lowboy trailer{class A} but the real hair raising stuff is with the smaller trailers and heavy loads you need to get them just right or those symptoms you've described will take you for a ride !! You know, I wasn't even thinking in terms of weight distribution I need to take that into consideration...

The GVWR load is rated for 4000 on this trailer that's why I want to use the heavier coupler {5000lbs} so there's no question about the rating even though I'll be hauling a 700lb boat !!! :lol: EDIT: I found a pic of the data tag I saved it in case it gets damaged...

I'm going to put a telescoping tongue in the back of the trailer not to pull with.
To push it in to the muck and drive the boat off, That's the plan anyway


That will be pretty slick when you get that engineered...It will certainly open up the options for getting your boat in and out of any terrain or conditions...

Tongue weight is the most important. You want to have enough weight on the tongue so you don't hear all that bouncing back there on the ball. I'd set it up for what it needs. I like the back of the transom even with the back of the trailer, the rudders sticking out never bothered me. I have all rollers on mine and If I had it to do over I'd use rollers and bunks. With all rollers it just slides off too easy, I can't do the back up and brake launch when the water is too low to take it off normally. On my uncles trailer I just put in cross braces where I need them for the rollers and the bunks. That trailer is a great one for loading and unloading. My uncle even commented that the trailer was the best part of the build.

Also take into consideration where you will be launching from most of the time. The angle of the trailer in reference to the trailer. My trailer sits high also because I used a trailer like yours just not as heavy. Look at it and see if there is anything that the boat will hit when loading or unloading when at the angle you are at when launching. I hate it when I go to push the boat off at a steeper angle and the boat gets hung up on the back crossmember and I have to crawl out on the trailer to push it off. I'd also put a walkboard on it, take that into consideration when you're deciding where you need to put your cross bracing.

thanks for posting those pictures of a few different trailers with their drive on ramps. it has given me a few ideas. i don't know if i will ever have something that fancy,
but it is fun to see the craftsmanship you have in doing your own work, and nothing you have done is second rate.
i knew that you had operated heavy equipment, and been around the block. i have a class a also. but i felt like putting those thoughts out there, for others to read and think about.
we all see just a little entertainment sooner or later. sometimes it is our own doing, but many times it is dealing with shortcuts that others take, in our travels.

When I bought my hull I used a 1970-something bass boat trailer and modified it to fit the boat. Since then, I came up with a double jet ski trailer that I just started modifying. I will post pics on my build page when time allows. It is super wide and may look a little goofy but I will have 16" wide walkways down both sides to facilitate loading/unloading when I need them. I am using treated 2x6's for the side guides and treated 2x8's for the bottom bunks.

Thanks guys all good info here..I was looking for a double jet ski trailer originally but there just wasn't any that I found at a reasonable price at the time...So I got what I got... I've been thinking as I remove the brake system about what mods I want to do...As usual I'm on overload with thoughts...:lol:

Corky,
In my opinion less is more on your trailer. Loose the brakes, you won't need them. I used 2"x6" carpeted rails and the boat cradles nicely and slides easily with the slick bottom. As far as the back end is concerned, You probably don't need a transition as long as the 2"x6"s extend just back of the metal cross beam. I've loaded mine easily from any angle. The back of my boat hull rides flush with the back of the trailer and the rudders stick out behind but that's not a problem as no one wants a sharp rudder through their windshield so they stop well back. I did add a set of padded vertical guides at the back to aid in keeping the boat straight during loading and erratic highway maneuvers.

I put my rollers in the rear and the bunks in the front so when I pushed the boat off it was lifted off the bunks and rolled off on the rollers. With the rollers in the back it makes it much easier to load, the boat hits the back roller first. It helps when driving it on also, it;s easier to drive it on then once you get on the bunks it keeps it from sliding off.

So the brake system is history...I pulled the surge coupler, all the hard lines running through the frame, and the brake hardware in the drums...So now I have basically a roller axle with no hardware between the backing plates and drums to create any drama down the road...

Here's what concerns me..Being a heavier trailer the 6 lug load range D tires sit higher than the standard 5 lug tire..The river here is relatively shallow here{3-4ft possibly even less} at the house and most areas within miles of here...I'm leaning hard on adding those back ramps to the trailer so I can be assured I can pull this boat at any ramp on the river... I'll get a measurement of the frame rail height and the cross member height this weekend so we can determine if I'm overthinking this...

Next up....I really like the idea of adding a strip of carpeted plywood between/on the 2x6 rails...Why ? Because I could walk on it to fasten/grab the boat if need be..This trailer is LONG and having the ability to be on there in the water is a big plus as far as I can see...I don't see how spanning the load across that carpeted center instead of just the rails would hurt launching the boat with the slick bottom or am I thinking wrong ???

I have the same deal Corky, my trailer doesn't even know the boat is there. I haven't had any problems though with the height. I have had times where it was low and all I could do is pull the boat up to the back at the bow arch and hold it there until I could get the winch rope hooked up. I have my walk board lower than the rollers but on my trailer I have the old paper rollers that go from one side to the other not front to back. This also helps for loading because I'm against the back roller when I pull up. I always load mine by hand, no drive on. I find it easier, I just pull in up stream then back the trailer in. I just push the boat out holding the mooring rope and let it float to the trailer then pull it on.

Here are a couple pics of my trailer. I have since decided to use composite deck boards instead of treated lumber for my boards.

I know it is overkill but I tend to do that lol. I added three 3x3 runners , 1/4" thick heavy wall 2x2 tubing for my uprights, capped them off and added a piece of 3" c-channel between them to support the deck board. I also cut off the bow support I had built for my old trailer and added it to this one. Just got through painting it this evening. I also had to weld up about 30 holes and grind off stuff from when it was a wave runner trailer.

Aewrigh, you will like the composite deck boards. when i first took mine out for the trial run, i had treated lumber, the boat wouldn't slide off for nothing. but now with gator glide and a couple of composite boards on top of the treated lumber. it will slide off the trailer with a gust of wind, if it isn't tied down.

Corky, an other question, on my snowmobile trailers i have a what we refer to as a salt guard. on the front of the trailers. to protect the sleds from rock chips and and dirt that gets kicked up from the truck tires.
i haven't seen many boat trailers with a shield on the front of the trailer. I would hate to see your paint get chipped from truck tires kicking up any rocks. ( just thinking out loud) but then most people don't trailer their boats around during the winter.

I know it is overkill but I tend to do that lol. I added three 3x3 runners , 1/4" thick heavy wall 2x2 tubing for my uprights, capped them off and added a piece of 3" c-channel between them to support the deck board. I also cut off the bow support I had built for my old trailer and added it to this one. Just got through painting it this evening. I also had to weld up about 30 holes and grind off stuff from when it was a wave runner trailer.

Wow that's a nice trailer !! Great job on the uprights they'll make the loading/unloading much easier...I like the fenders also, having those step treads will keep the water from making the surface slippery...;thumb;
W

Aewrigh, you will like the composite deck boards. when i first took mine out for the trial run, i had treated lumber, the boat wouldn't slide off for nothing. but now with gator glide and a couple of composite boards on top of the treated lumber. it will slide off the trailer with a gust of wind, if it isn't tied down.

Corky, an other question, on my snowmobile trailers i have a what we refer to as a salt guard. on the front of the trailers. to protect the sleds from rock chips and and dirt that gets kicked up from the truck tires.
i haven't seen many boat trailers with a shield on the front of the trailer. I would hate to see your paint get chipped from truck tires kicking up any rocks. ( just thinking out loud) but then most people don't trailer their boats around during the winter.

Bart I haven't seen any boat trailers with the rock guards either...I've seen open car trailers with the rock guards on them also but never any boat trailers..
But don't worry I'll have my hull chipped up the first day in the water..:lol:...That's just the way it is around here...

Well she is all finished..... only thing I might eventually add is a center board.

And a bow stop once I get the hull back on the trailer.

Great job your trailer turned out sweet !!! You'll have to let us know just how slippery that composite board is with the quickslick bottom...With that wavy profile I bet it flies off the trailer..

I'm moving along with the progress...I used some 000 super fine sandblasting sand set at low pressure{50-70psi}... What this does is let me take all the cascading rust trails off the galvanized framing without damaging the finish...Then I can move in closer to blast any rusty components leaving a perfect surface to paint...I blasted the axle backing plates and leaf springs...As well as the winch assembly...This winch is a two speed and works well for it's age...I've coated the jack, winch and leaf springs with a cold galvanizing epoxy that's military spec so it should hold up...We'll see, it takes 7 days for this stuff to cure..The backing plates got some primer then the black paint..

I'll throw in a pic of the galvanized frame and components after a day of sandblasting...Wow, I think I lost 10lbs wearing the pants,sweatshirt and sandblasting hood in these temps outside today..I blasted, painted and then fell in the pool for a few hours...:lol:...

Coming right along! That will make one stout trailer for sure!

I came by there about 4 today but I just wanted to get home. I was at the eye doctors and they dilated my eyes. What a drive home! I even sat there for a bit because that sun was bright.

I was out there too bad you were in no shape for a visit...That eye dilation is crazy last time I had to wear those cheap throw away sun screens I forgot my sunglasses...

More progress today...I got the brake drums painted and installed...Packed the bearings and installed the bearing buddies back on the hubs...Cleaned the galvanized wheels and tires then installed them...I'll show more progress pics tomorrow...I need to get this trailer back on the ground and get the measurements of the frame off the ground...

Well as luck would have it I got to spend some of my birthday working on the trailer today...Yep, 55 and still alive...Could be worse I guess...I don't know where the years are going but they're going fast !!! :lol: So here's the progress for the day...The wheels and tires are mounted back on the trailer...The spare is mounted in its home again...And the first round with the wooden rails are done...I pulled out some vintage {1970 Dodge} hubcaps for their new duty and machined the center caps so I can grease the bearing buddies ;thumb;

Well I thought I was done. I didn't like how close the bow was to the crank handle so I extended the winch stand. I also took advantage of the extra room and added a bow stop. Although not in the pics, I bolted half inch rubber strips to the boat side of the c-channel uprights. Now I have a positive stop so that my boat is cranked up to the same spot every time. As light as these mini's are, it is easy to crank them up to the point that they aren't sitting flat on the trailer anymore. That won't be the case now.

mighty fine looking trailer. you've given me some ideas how to fix mine thanks.

Nice fine tuning on the winch and bow stop...;thumb;...That really is a good looking trailer...

Thanks....one of these days I will add some diamondplate aluminum for walkways on the sides of the boat perhaps....but I am happy with how it turned out. Lights are all that are left

Speaking of lights, I've been reading up on the requirements for trailers in general...It looks like 80+ inches wide is the majic number for additional lighting requirements...I was trying to figure out why some boat trailers had those 3 red lights rear,center and the 80+" is the reason...I've also read where there should be a reflector on the frame up front which my old trailer doesn't have...I guess I'll add that at the wiring stage...

Correct on the 80" or over requiring more lights. You can have reflectors or marker lights on the sides of the trailer frame. I believe they have to be towards the front and also at the widest point which would be the fenders. I am not 100% sure of that though.

I added 3 crossmembers to the bunk boards...And they're not just flat pieces...I actually marked the transom profile on them so they have the correct center crown.....Now the trick is to pull the 3/4 inch marine plywood down to match the profile...

The 3/4 inch marine plywood pulled down easier than I expected{I stood on it} and went 3 inch on centers around the sheet...It won't be going anywhere...Also, I got the rear ramp framing done today..I used the galvanized pieces that I took off the trailer for the ramp...I've made this up for a 2x12 treated board...I sprayed the welded joints with a cold galvanizing compound...

I like that! Are you putting rollers at the break point or no? I may eventually add something like that to mine.

Yes, I've got 3 rubber rollers to go at the break point...I was going to buy the pre-made brackets but they look thin to me...Not that a mini weighs much but I want to do this once and done...I checked all kinds of different sources for rubber coated rollers{like conveyer rollers with bearings} but they just weren't cost effective and I felt most weren't up to the task of the weight or water over the course of time..The simple boat trailer rubber rollers seemed to be the best and most simple route...Believe it or not the local Bass Pro beat all the internet sites for the rollers and roller shafts..I got 3 nine inch rollers for 7.99 a piece...

I found the thicker,marine grade outdoor black carpet at home depot..So I still have some work to do...

I had thought about using skateboard wheels after checking into prices of rubber rollers. New sets with bearings on eBay go for about 15 bucks shipped.

Here's the rough-in of the ramp and rollers...The rollers are spaced to match the 3 hull stringers....Yeah, as usual I went heavy on the roller brackets but now I know they won't be bending...:lol:.. The pic angles are an illusion, the rollers are just below{1/6 of an inch} the main deck so they don't hold the boat up in the back...They're not as low as they appear in the pics...

Looks great and they won't be breaking! Awesome!

Looking nice Corky. Noted that you found heavy marine carpet for the decking... had you thought of a piece of poly sheeting? that would get you on and off.... kent

Hi Kent...You know I usually weigh all the options when I overthink what I'm doing but I have to be honest I never gave the poly sheeting a thought...I've seen so many bunk trailers with the black carpet I had a one track mind...Even a thin sheet would do the trick...

Here's the ramp and floor with the carpet glued and stapled...Outdoor carpet glue and stainless steel staples to be exact...It's warm out and I had to keep moving during the glue ceremony once the carped hit the deck it was there to stay....The ramp center was cut out so you can see the three center,rear lights on the highway they were shielded quite a bit after I installed the ramp so this was the compromise to keep it legal...And I'll throw one in to show the roller height looking back from the deck...

More progress with the trailer...The bunks got painted...Speaking of bunks... Kent stopped in to see the progress and he pointed out that I might not have given myself enough clearance between the bottom of the bunk and the axle...;rasta;..And unfortunately I agreed with him...Now, it is a 4000lb trailer and I can jump all over it without even the slightest movement from the springs..I figure the boat is 700lbs so the trailer won't know there's anything on it...But in any case I radiused the bottom of the bunk to allow movement if for some reason the axle moves more than expected...

With that off my mind I moved on to the wiring...
First up I pulled an all new 4 flat wiring harness through the frame of the trailer..As it turns out I needed a 30 ft harness !!! :shock:...That gives me some slack as well as a few feet up front so I can hook up to any vehicle if needed...It was easy I just attached the new wires to the old harness and went to the back and pulled them through..
Since the trailer is over 80" wide I needed not only the rear tail lights but the ones with the side marker lights {in red} in the housing to shine out the side...Over 80"lighting also calls for the three marker lights on the rear crossmember between the tail lights.. So the old hardware was pulled and replaced with a cool, one piece submersible 3 point LED light bar...
The yellow markers before the wheel wells were brought into the 21st century with some mulit-LED assemblys...Now ,since this trailer is so long... up at the front of the wishbone I have my choice of either a reflector or another set of marker lights{yellow}...I chose to add some markers ...They're some cool Pointed LEDs that fit the area nicely.....
All lights are now LEDs with soldered and shrink tubed connections...Speaking of connections the old filament bulbs grounded to the frame through the light housing assembly..All the new LEDs have a ground wire and ring connector so I gave each light a dedicated ground to the frame...
The wiring is done !!! Over and out...;thumb;

I've not had to mess with lights on either of my trailers since I went LEDs about eight years ago.
My BIL works for a major trailer MFG but they are still using old stuff. I have a cabinet full of regular stop and marker lights.

Well the LEDs are nice and bright...I've added some wheel well cushions to keep the hull from scraping while moving on and off the trailer... And that gets me to the point where the boat can be loaded !!! I'm going to make up a bow stop after the boat is loaded and I can see exactly where the height ends up...
All in all it really wasn't a bad conversion it was actually a fun project..;thumb;

Would it be possible to change out the axles with brakes that work? Change out the hubs?

Yes, trailer axles are fairly cheap,are standardized and come in different weight bearing sizes...With our minis you don't really need trailer brakes but you can certainly add them if you feel more comfortable using them...

I was asked what galvanizing epoxy spray I used on the trailer frame and components...It's been out in the weather and holding up nicely...Anyhow, here's the paint I used...This gives the gray color that closely matches the galvanized finish...I've also used VHT chassis and rollbar epoxy and that has held up very well in the elements also...At this point there's only 2 colors available for the VHT and that's gloss and satin black...And lastly, I've tried good old rustoleum cold galvanizing compound and it does the job but has no resistance to abrasion it will come right off the part if even lightly scuffed so I though I would throw that out there....