trailers

Graham H · 24 August 2004, 14:44

As ive gone over budget buying a new rib ( being made)& new outboard ( in the garage) I thought about making a trailer , so off I went to Indespension this morning to get a few ideas while looking round I found a book with some plans in , Looking at them I might have to make a few modifications but it doesnt look to difficult . The only draw back is getting it galvenised, Ill have to make a few phone calls. Has any one ever made a trailer for a rib ?
Graham

slimtim · 24 August 2004, 14:52

I could possibly be in the market for a trailer to fit a 5.3m rib. I too thought about making one but was also stuck with the galvanising bit! Also various other bits and bobs might be difficult to get hold of (i know towsure have some stuff).

On my scouting of the internet I found a Company that sells trailers (brand new) to take a 5m boat for only £525. They are fully galvanised, unbraked (max gross weight of 750kg) and have 12" wheels. Now the only problem is that they claim the trailers weigh 120kg which has been suggested to me that this is about half the weight it should be! If they are 120kg then the gross weight would just about come in under 750kg. if it was more 240kg for the trailer then I guess i wouldn't. PM me if you want details.

Would there be problems with making the trailer road legal if you made one? I'd be very interested if you manage to do it for a reasonable price.

Cheers

Tim

Phil Davies · 24 August 2004, 14:54

Check out the genuine savings first - I made a small box section steel trailer for my 10ft dinghy about 3 years ago and in the end all the parts came to just under £250, when for only £100 more I could have bought a proprietary galvanised one without the swearing and lacerated fingers

Nick Hearne · 24 August 2004, 14:54

No but my brother has made a few box trailers!
I have had to rebuild mine over the last 2 years & yes not much to it!
Some useful sites.
http://www.trailertek.co.uk/
http://www.towsure.com/
http://www.trailerpartswarehouse.co.uk/
Nick

Nick Hearne · 24 August 2004, 15:01

Had anther idea

Get hold of a old one & restore it!
But having said this some thing I now know are better replaced!
My Trailer Coupling I have rebuilt & after all the time money I have spent I should have just bought a new coupling
Nick

Scary Des · 24 August 2004, 15:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by graham hope

..............The only draw back is getting it galvenised, ........................ Graham

Don’t worry about the galvanising as long as you don’t have ‘closed’ sections in the frame there are a lot of places that will to it.

If you look at a professionally built trailers you will see that at opposite ends at the top and bottom of each section of box there is a hole, these are there to allow the Zinc mix to galvanise the inside of the frame and to stop the frame ‘blowing up’ when dipped (expanding air in closed section).

Graham YPages under Galvansers

Slimtim there used to be a kit car/ small car producer just down the road from you (Wellow?) who regularly sent there chassis frames to be galvanised by a place at the bottom of Southampton. They might let you add your frame to the load. They charge by the Kg of steel to be dipped. Des

Scary Des · 24 August 2004, 15:19

Oh and another thing if you have a rusty anchor they will re-galvanise that as well, makes them look like new

Des

Graham H · 24 August 2004, 15:49

Thanks for the replies . If I could find one to refurbish I wouldnt mind having a go (any one got one)
The cheapest braked trailer I can find is a Parimore trailer £1200 . I think I could build 1 for less but I will have to price everything
Yes Ive seen those trailers on Ebay but if poss I would like to have brakes on it.
The plans are by Indespension so I hope it would be road legal.

Graham

Scary Des · 24 August 2004, 16:09

Be real careful when buying second-hand boat trailers they often have a very hard life (from corrosion) , brakes and stub axles are the obvious risk areas but the main axle and ‘suspension’ can be really bad and impossible to inspect.

Where the suspension rubber strips touches the inside of the square tube it is impossible to wash the salt off. This creates a micro climate where the galvanising leaches off more quickly than the rest of the trailer and results in the axle rotting from the inside out.

Early signs are small cracks on the corners of the tube, often shown up by fine white lines. By this time the axle will have had it. Des

Graham H · 16 January 2005, 19:27

Ive had a go at making a trailer its cost les than I thought it would , £420 although I did get the steel free (about £100 worth) I had to make it in 3 pieces because of having it galvernised, the winch post is powder coated along with the wheel rims just got to weigh the nose weight then I can set the brakes up
Graham
Having a go at making the A frame next (fingers crossed)

slimtim · 16 January 2005, 19:43

oooo, thats looks good, congrats! I would be interested to hear how you will go about the a-frame project.

Tim

ADS · 16 January 2005, 19:59

Looks really good mate, I have seen a couple of homemade trailers and some of them I wouldn't even rest a cup of tea on let alone my precious RIB! That looks a genuinly professional job. You did'nt hear this from me but I would try and get some Hallmark/ Indespension graphics to stick on there and then it will be worth more if you ever sell it!
Have you been out in the boat yet?

Good luck

Alex

Graham H · 16 January 2005, 20:15

Launch date is 5th Feb , Like the idea of the stickers

ADS · 16 January 2005, 20:18

Good luck with it post some pics, I reckon your boat will go like a train with a 115. Oh a don't forget to lock up your shiny new trailer, when your out, that is always the disadvantage of new trailers.

Alex

Swifty · 16 January 2005, 22:21

For galvanising services in the south east try this http://www.medgalv.co.uk/
A cracking service. They collect from you using a hiab lorry, galvanise it and deliver it back to you. You then pay by the kilo.

I had a combi trailer dipped a few years ago now and it cost me about £70 inc vat. Mate recently did his trailer for under a hundred quid.

I am shortly to start building a trailer for my Avon SR5.45 to replace a crappy home made one. Will keep you updated. Plans should be complete shortly. Will try and post them.

CJL · 17 January 2005, 10:30

A nice bit of work.

I've built a trailer for a laser dinghy but it was a pain in the arse.

It seems key that the draw bar is exactly 90 degrees to the axle, otherwise it is a b*tch to tow.

Galvenising sounds the way to go!

Serious nice work though.

C

Graham H · 20 January 2005, 19:44

Thanks guys for all your cmments , I must admit it was a lot of hard graft a full day just to make the basic frame work
Any way Ive had a go at the A frame , Ive copid it of some pics of Dave Mallett`s rib (wavelenght Training). Ive managed to get all the wires throgh the tubing , It`tuff stuff to drill .
Can any one tell me if the radar reflecter in that position, will it interfear with radio
Many thanks
Graham

slimtim · 20 January 2005, 20:30

Graham,

Looks good, how did you bend the tubing? I need some stainless stuff for my rib i'm fitting out but only want simple bend ss pipe with holes in so was thinking of doing it myself.

Tim

Graham H · 20 January 2005, 20:38

Hi Tim
I used a hydralic pipe bender , then I used some wet/dry to clean it up, tried 1inch pipe first but it was to thin & kept splitting ,
Graham