Inflatable Boat Trailer - Page 2

matiboy · 25 January 2003, 10:21

the crux of deciding which route to go has got to be convenience and pos costs

Therefore, whatever you decide you have to be able to have the boat fully inflated & ready to go, pos even being able to keep the engine attached ( I dont know wether sibs get towed with their engines in place when it is so easy to remove a small 15 hp ?, this may put additional pressure on the inflatable hull)

For single handed launching you also want to be able to float the boat off the trailer, so you dont need someone else around to lift off a box trailer for example

This to me leaves you one option, a new or secondhand purpose made sib trailer or purchasing a cheap jetski trailer, circa 100 quid and possibly adapting it with wider supports to spread load

shouldnt be to difficult

I think once you go this route you will find it more pleasurable to go boating and wont be put off going out for half an hour , because you know it takes 45 mins each side to inflate / deflate

launching a boat of this size takes 30 seconds on a trailer, if engine is already in place also then you save further time

Richard B · 25 January 2003, 11:40

Quote:

Originally posted by matiboy
...jetski trailer...

Ah, there's a problem with these - they do need quite a bit of modification to be suitable for a SIB. Reason is that the two rails which a narrow jetski slides onto are too low and too close together for a SIB (remember that a SIB hull is much flatter, even with the inflatable keel) - so a SIB will sit on one of these with the tubes resting on the mudguards, until the brackets bend down so the wheel rubs through the mudguard

Pepper2 lives on a purpose built Indespension trailer with a home made device at the back to take the weight of the outboard and to attach the lighting board to. It all works quite well - the trailer has no sharp pointy out bits, so any lack of accuracy when recovering won't snag the boat on anything. The bunks are carpeted so they're soft on the tubes, and the keel supports are also carpeted and made of a deformable material so they're soft on the keel.

And, finally, all this kit may be up for sale shortly...

Keith Hart · 25 January 2003, 14:21

Hi

One of the problems I have (and believe me I have MANY) is that I am NOT a DIY type person. I do not have the skill to make trailery things. (thanks for the PM though Phill)

Whilst I like the idea of getting a box trailer and having a 'thing' on top to put the SIB, I do not have the skill to do it myself. If I had to have it made for me then it would be MUCH more expensive.

Matiboy brings up an important point. Can the SIB be traillered with the 15hp engine attached to the back? At first I thought probably not as it would be a strain on the boat. However when I thought a bit more (not easy for me) I came to the conclusion that it must be much more strain on the boat when out on the water and we are bouncing all over the place.

Now Pepper, about this trailer......?

Keith Hart

Phill · 25 January 2003, 19:17

Quote:

Originally posted by Keith Hart
I came to the conclusion that it must be much more strain on the boat when out on the water and we are bouncing all over the place.
Keith Hart

Sorry Keith/Matiboy, severly disagree. In the water the whole boat is working and being pushed by the engine over the whole of the transom. On the trailer (assuming it supplies the correct support for the boat) the engine is simply hanging and bouncing with the weight pulling the transom back from the top - stretching the top of the tubes. You'll find that she rapidly becomes hog backed when under power.

Richard B · 25 January 2003, 20:53

Yes, that's backed up by advice in my outboard handbook which advises against transport of the unit unsupported.

That's why I built the combined engine support/light-board device.

I believe that the problem is that small outboards without power trim and tilt need to be raised to clear the ground, but the supporting bracket (which doubles as the shallow water drive lock) doesn't stop the leg bouncing up. Neither is it designed to absorb any downwards shock (it's just a bit of pressed steel). I guess that power tilt and trim models are engineered much differently (you usually raise these all the way to the top, don't you?)

Quote:

Now Pepper, about this trailer......?

Keith, I've sent you an email.

Phill · 25 January 2003, 21:21

Pepper, had some "greens" try that supported idea on one of our boats (i.e. o/b legs off the pin and clamped to a support, carpeted, bar). They claimed only minimal miles (<150), b'd up a 5.8m commercial Avon

- and my budget. (O/b's 2 X 30 HP yammies).

Richard B · 25 January 2003, 21:25

Sounds like a case of Squaddies can break anything!!!

My trailer has suport directly under the transom, so that takes the load of the engine, and being a SIB, flexing is not a problem, especially as it's controlled by the support of the outboard leg which is seriously over-engineered.

Keith Hart · 26 January 2003, 14:43

Quote:

In the water the whole boat is working and being pushed by the engine over the whole of the transom. On the trailer (assuming it supplies the correct support for the boat) the engine is simply hanging and bouncing with the weight pulling the transom back from the top - stretching the top of the tubes.

Phill, yes I can understand that. I can see that it may not do it any good to trailer a long way with the engine on the transom. How about for just a few minutes though?

Quote:

That's why I built the combined engine support/light-board device

Pepper, seems like you have thought of that one.

Keith (oh I wish life was easy) Hart

Phill · 26 January 2003, 16:17

Probably Ok, ? but how many times "a few minutes" ?

Pepper, quite correct, same group took out a portable sounder, because it had 4m of cable connecting the unit to the transducer they thought that it was a towed fish, threw it overboard, ran it through the props.

Phill · 26 January 2003, 16:19

P.S. the <150 miles was total claimed over eighteen months !

Ribald · 27 January 2003, 20:24

Keith,
There is a jet ski trailer just put on e-bay at;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...tem=2704544798

It could be converted to a SIB trailer without too much trouble

dgpw · 31 January 2003, 15:33

If you are going to start putting the trailer into the water you will start to have all of the trailer corrosion problems that us rib lot have. If you get the trailer from de graff will they put some of their baring savers on the hubs. They are great so much easier that constantly stripping down and replacing.

Keith Hart · 05 April 2003, 14:50

Hello folks

An update on the SIB trailer thing thread.

I've ordered the DeGraff SIB trailer, with lightboard, spare wheel and jockey wheel. It came to about £430.00 in total.

This is thanks to some poor sod who got battered to death and the resulting overtime payments. 'Er indoors is having a new sewing machine out of it.

Well as they say, (hang on, just who are 'they'?) it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good!

Keith (hitch em up) Hart

ian parkes · 07 March 2006, 00:06

Hi have just joined this forum after reading this post while searching for trailer info .
Have just purchased a Honda 3.8 air floor with a 20 hp engine .

I have been launching using an Eckla canoe trolley it works fine . Pump up the boat strap the trolley underneath fit the engine etc and wheel it down the slip . Problem is recovery I end up wading up to my knees to lift the motor off so we can then lift the boat out onto the trolley .

I have a box trailer that I may modify with a cradle or a launch trolley that rolls on top of the box trailer . main thing I need is a longer draw bar on the trailer .

How did that De Graff trailer perform ? looks good and not too expensive .

Also is anyone aware af a decent suitable launchin trolley .

have just purchased some inflatable rollers so maybe they will solve my problem and also be useful on the beach

Tim M · 08 March 2006, 10:21

For future refereane, Indispention do a trailer stubable for jet-skis and ribs up to 4 meters. It's fully adjustable (and bit a tiny bit of modification would carry a SIB fine). They are only £299 brand new....

Richard B · 08 March 2006, 12:13

Come on Tim, get with the programme!

This was covered in posts 21 and 22 on this thread!

Tim M · 08 March 2006, 12:17

Erm.. no it doesnt. I don't see any mention of the Halmark "Vario" 4m boat trailer, priced £299.

Richard B · 08 March 2006, 12:31

In that case, tell more!

Tim M · 08 March 2006, 12:38

OK...well...what is there to say.

The Vario looks like an American import which Halmark have put their badge on. They are £299 in kit form or £339 I think ready built. It's a fairly basic twin bunk trailer suitable for upto a 4 m RIB, comes with a jockey wheel, with winch as an optional extra. If you replaced the (fairly narrow) bunks with pieces of wood like on the Hallmark inflatable trailer it would be ideal as a SIB trailer.

ian parkes · 17 March 2006, 23:05

I was sent the details on the Varion today 1.35m between mudguards and overall towhitch to end lenght of 3.5m

Just how exactly they think a 4m boat will fit on it i don't know unless there is lot hanging over the end which isn't suitable for an inflatable .

It also very high due to the leaf spring suspension so would make launching more difficult.

To me its a jetski trailer or maybe 3.0m sib

Have put in an order for a custom made trailer at a local firm in St Austell

£375 all in for a trailer similar to the DeGraff but with a motor support . Iam fitting the wood .

Problem with all the other trailers was delivery costs another £50 - 100 in some cases
Will post some pics of the new trailer when I get it , if I can find out how ?