Extra high jockey wheel

Smithyyy · 02 July 2013, 00:06

OK, maybe a sightly odd request! But getting my rib into the garage involves having to lift the bow well into the air and holding it there while you walk forward 6 feet or so, until the a-frame clears the doorway and electric door opener mechanism - only then can you lower the bow, when the aft end can rise without hitting things. Always a heavy job, with the consequence of getting it wrong that you'd wipe out the aerial, nav light and solar panels on top of the a frame

It occurs to me that is I had an extra long jockey wheel post, which would need to be a meter or so from the bottom of the wheel to the top of the clamp, I'd just have to lift the bow once, then could clamp it and happily just wheel the boat in/out of the garage with nose in the air and without the danger to the stuff on the frame. But I've struggled to find a long enough jockey wheel. Anyone know of any sources please?!

BTW, ideally it'd even have a pneumatic jockey wheel as the storage when not in the garage has quite soft ground...

Thanks

Poly · 02 July 2013, 00:14

Smithy - just a tought - but would a standard jockey mounted further back achieve the same thing? It might not be possible. You could leave existing one for "normal" operation too.

Trailer Guy · 02 July 2013, 08:18

Could you fit a drop plate to your existing jockey wheel location? i.e. lower the point at which the jockey wheel starts it's lifting, ergo nose goes higher in the air.

Smithyyy · 02 July 2013, 23:46

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm afraid the extra wheel nearer the middle of the trailer would hit the boat when raised, there isn't really anywhere suitable for it.

By drop plate, you mean one of those flat plates with holes in it, to bolt to the existing mount and then bolt the jockey wheel further down on the plate? Will give it some thought, must admit I'm slightly worried about it buckling when under heavy load, but I'm probably just being over-cautious

An

Thanks again for the help

jyasaki · 03 July 2013, 00:08

How about a moving dolly with some sort of framework to hold the tongue up? You'd still have to lift the tongue manually, but at least you wouldn't have to hold it up while maneuvering the trailer. Would be substantially less than a specialized tongue jack, as well.

jky

whisper · 03 July 2013, 00:13

Could you wind down the jockey wheel until it falls out the bottom and then slide over a piece of scaffold tube the correct length and then insert the wheel into the bottom, or something like that?

A bit of a bodge, but its only a few feet...

Poly · 03 July 2013, 00:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smithyyy

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm afraid the extra wheel nearer the middle of the trailer would hit the boat when raised, there isn't really anywhere suitable for it.

Ah yes, I have an american style one which rotates through 90deg rather than winding up...

paddlers · 03 July 2013, 00:25

Length of steel tube same diameter as your jockey wheel with a bracket & wheel welded on the bottom. Presumably a two wheel trailer so you'd still have to lift it to the desired height but with a pneumatic wheel it should push quite easily plus once it's clamped it should be quite sturdy?

BogMonster · 03 July 2013, 01:21

I used one of these Maypole HD ones on my old trailer, really strong (rated for 500kg noseweight) and loads of travel

trailer spare, trailer component, trailer part

Smithyyy · 03 July 2013, 07:12

Ah, the inventiveness of ribnet! Thanks for the suggestions. I think the preferred solution is something permanently mounted, which would argue for Trailer Guy's drop plate provided I can find a combination of jockey wheel and plate that are high enough (and I can still turn the handle without hitting the plate)

Otherwise Whisper's scaffold pole or Paddler's custom made fixed wheel seem pretty simple. Or a little trolley (although there's also a small ramp to get up so I worry about the wheel coming off the trolley at that point)... but a few things to think about there! And thanks BogMonster, that particular wheel I'm afraid isn't long enough for what I need but I continue searching the web for one that is... (strange how few shops actually tell you the max length) - anyway, will keep you posted!

whisper · 03 July 2013, 17:33

You could make the a frame hinge?

Ian_st · 03 July 2013, 18:02

What about getting a simple dolly made up which uses the hitch. Similar to a F1 jack where it fits into the hitch and you lever it down to lift up the hitch.

This could then used to manoeuvre the rib if it had wheels on it.

Like this but able to lift higher

http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-d...lly-37510.html

Boats&Outboards · 03 July 2013, 19:25

Bit old skool but would this not work ?

http://bit.ly/1216Es3

Simple, gives you the ability to lift the bow as required whilst manually pushing it back in.

Ok it's not a fancy ideal or re-invention of the wheel but it'll work ?

BogMonster · 04 July 2013, 21:50

Put a load of sandbags in the stern till you hear a bang in the skeg area, that should be high enough

mister p · 04 July 2013, 22:24

Or you could hinge the A-frame.

whisper · 04 July 2013, 23:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by whisper

You could make the a frame hinge?

Quote:

Originally Posted by mister p

Or you could hinge the A-frame.

There's an echo in here

mister p · 05 July 2013, 07:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by whisper

There's an echo in here

Call it more of a cover version. :-)

Hightower · 06 July 2013, 21:59

I really need a long travel jockey wheel, one with at least 300mm of travel as my front and rear towbars are different heights. Anyone come across one with that amount of travel?

Smithyyy · 07 July 2013, 08:39

Best I've come across is 270mm and that one looks a little light weight for a rib perhaps?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2711717972...84.m1439.l2649

Thanks again for all the suggestions, what I'm going to try is getting a reasonably priced jockey and clamp, cutting the lower section and fixing in an extension to it. If the join won't retract into the top section I'll lose some travel, but not sure that matters, there'll be a one-off lift needed at some point anyway to slide the tube fully down in the clamp. And getting a complete jockey just seems an easier and not much more expensive way of getting a tube, wheel and an arrangement whereby the wheel can turn to steer than trying to get and fix together the bits separately. It'll have to be as well as not instead of the existing jockey as the extended lower section won't fit below the trailer when it's on the towbar - so either keep it in the garage and put it on when wanted, or look at one of those pivoting clamp mounts I guess.... We'll see if it works!

colcreate · 09 July 2013, 23:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

I really need a long travel jockey wheel, one with at least 300mm of travel as my front and rear towbars are different heights. Anyone come across one with that amount of travel?

I wanted a jockey with longer travel and a good wide wheel that wouldn't rust fall apart or puncture. Something tough that wouldn't dissolve in seawater or look crap after a season.
Couldn't find anything commercially for reasonable money so have started making them myself in stainless. Just need to turn up and thread some parts and maybe make or fit a stronger chassis bracket. 600mm long with nearly 500mm travel.