The Great Trailer Project 2014

I have had a bit of a problem ever sync i started building drift boats. If your into wooden river boats you will soon realize that trailers are a necessary and annoying part of the gig.

I ended up looking at a whole lot of trailers. Finally i bought a Ez-Loader. This trailer was designed for keel boats, not  flat bottom drift boats (or possibly a raft). After the launching of the IRH i got fed up with using the trailer bunks, here is what i came up with.

I know many drift boat trailers simply have two rollers. This is great if your only going to haul drift boats. I have a feeling my trailer is going to haul all sorts of things like rafts, wood, and god forbid appliances.

I started by removing the existing trailer bunks and building a platform. Two by fours with half lap joints at the corners and carlins joints where the longitudinals meet the horizontals.

I also installed support blocks notched around the axle to stiffen up the longitudinals, they can be seen in the two pictures above.

I next installed and recessed u-bolts two to a side and one for and aft to hold the platform onto the trailer.

Then i covered the platform with one half inch CDX.

CDX down i laid astro turf over the deck and nailed cedar trim on to cover the edge.

With the deck complete it was time to start on the roller. I bought a one inch id steel rod and slid a one inch hardwood dowel into it. I drilled several holes into the dowel and drove nails through to hold the wood in place. I then drilled holes in the end (below) to accept the threaded studs.

With the studs in place i wrapped the whole thing in old bike inter-tubes for a little more grip.

I then dismantled the old trailer bunks. Taking the plates seen above and installing them into the side of the trailer.

Finally i bolted the roller onto the plates and added ring tie downs.

I know that this trailer isn't as bad ass as some high end drift boat trailers but i also know that it was way, way cheaper. I also know that this deck will eventually rot off. Hey by then i'll probably want to redesign it anyway.

Up Next, Oar Wrap The Final Frontier.

Cheers,
Stuber