Sib as a covered camping trailer

kaman · 27 August 2014, 12:54

I mentioned this earlier in another thread about covering the Sib over whilst towing it and using it a camping trailer.
I use the Sib when going down to my caravan or going camping but after you put the main and aux engine in the boot along with leisure battery and electric cool box there ain't much room for anything else.
Enter the versatile Sib / trailer.
Pack your tent camping gear fishing rods clothes toothbrush etc etc into the Sib.
Cover her up so it is water tight and voila!
Another bonus is the cover stops stones that the car kicks up from landing in the Sib.
A very versatile little boat!

jyasaki · 27 August 2014, 16:36

Could pack the motors in the SIB and keep the oil out of the trunk (or boot or whatever.) You'd still have room for a lot of camp gear in the SIB, I'd guess.

jky

kaman · 27 August 2014, 18:15

Hi.
The outboards are only a few years old and pretty much mint condition.
I place the power heads (covered with old towels) on top of a couple of old pillows, tiller side down. This keeps the engine at a slight angle and prevents the oil from leaking.
I have a rubber boot tray just in case.
The trailer does bounce around a bit on our poorly maintained roads as it is light and does not have proper suspension.
I would not feel confident with the engines bouncing around inside the sib.
At 50 plus kgs in the main outboard it's a bit too heavy as well.
The boot (trunk) is a nice snug fit and there's no risk of the outboards sliding around and bursting the Sib tubes or breaking the floor.

Landlockedpirate · 27 August 2014, 18:32

Yep, done that

And sometimes I use the camper as a sib trailer

kaman · 27 August 2014, 18:45

Is that camper Sib pedal pedal powered lol.
Did u need an HGV licence for that?

Landlockedpirate · 27 August 2014, 18:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaman

Did u need an HGV licence for that?

Nope, that lots only tiny, main boat is over double that size

HDAV · 27 August 2014, 21:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Landlockedpirate

And sometimes I use the camper as a sib trailer

Nice jockey wheel...

Landlockedpirate · 27 August 2014, 21:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by HDAV

Nice jockey wheel...

Big sign now on dashboard

"Lift suspension before leaving drive "

I wanted a baloon one anyway, honest

Peter_C · 27 August 2014, 22:17

I leave my motor on the transom and only take it off for maintenance. The motor is always supported by more than just the transom. When going scuba diving with a lot of people in the pickup we load the boat with some of our lighter gear. Anything that can fly gets tied in.

kaman · 27 August 2014, 22:58

Hi Peter nice set up there.
Once I set up camp or the caravan I unload the Sib and put outboards on. They stay on the transom of the Sib until it's time to drive home. I'm happy towing it upto 30 miles with the outboards mounted till I get to the launch site.
Just not keen going 100 miles + on motorways etc as I think the weight of the engines makes the trailer too rear end heavy.
On undulating roads it could be a pig to tow at speed.
I prefer the trailer to be plenty nose heavy like my caravan.
Makes for more surefooted towing.

Peter_C · 27 August 2014, 23:54

The axle is movable ya' know! It should be set up to be moved from the factory with u-bolts. Mount the motor(s) and weigh the tongue. A bathroom scale should work as it is a light weight setup. Of course you could just pick up the tongue and guess what it should be.

captnjack · 27 August 2014, 23:59

Careful with the storage boxes in there, if they are up against a tube they can abrade a hole in the fabric fairly quickly as they bounce around. Best to put the duffel bags and such against the sides.

kaman · 28 August 2014, 01:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_C

The axle is movable ya' know! It should be set up to be moved from the factory with u-bolts. Mount the motor(s) and weigh the tongue. A bathroom scale should work as it is a light weight setup. Of course you could just pick up the tongue and guess what it should be.

Axle on my homemade trailer is fixed in one position - at the moment.
However you have given me an idea as half an hour with the drill and socket set could see it being adjustable too.
Food for thought as it could save some backache!
I have been toying with the idea of fabricating a metal support to attach to the trailer to help support the lower skeg of the outboard.
Do you have any pics of your support.
This could be a nice little project for me to escape the wife and her watching of soaps over the winter months.

jyasaki · 28 August 2014, 01:20

Google "Outboard Support Bracket" or "Transom Saver" - should get you enough info.

jky

kaman · 28 August 2014, 01:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by captnjack

Careful with the storage boxes in there, if they are up against a tube they can abrade a hole in the fabric fairly quickly as they bounce around. Best to put the duffel bags and such against the sides.

Yep I hear that!
I utilise jackets, waterproofs, waders, towels wetsuits whatever is getting packed anyway to pad the sharp / hard edged boxes etc to prevent abrasion or puncturing of the tubes.
Hence why carrying the outboard inside the sib as previously stated is a no no.

Peter_C · 28 August 2014, 01:22

I use a pre-manufactured "Transom Saver" that I then modified to work with my trailer. For $15 US dollars it was a no brainer. Found it on Craigslist, which is forum of sorts. It was new in box, but many years old.

Since the design of the transom saver I got was for a trailer that had a roller on it, I had to come up with a way to keep it centered so it wouldn't slide around. I recycled some angle aluminum I had laying around and wrapped the trailer with HD tape to keep it from rattling too much. My outboard has manually adjustable trim, so I can put a load on the transom savers spring. Keeps it from bouncing mostly and yet still offers a little spring. The transom is tied down to the trailer with those aluminum brackets I made too. I put large holes in the backside to hook the strap ends too.

There are many different styles of transom savers.
https://www.google.com/search?q=tran...w=1280&bih=647

The bins in my boat don't touch the tubes. Even if they did they are smooth edged. I do bungee the lids on for extra security.

kaman · 28 August 2014, 02:11

Thanks for that post Peter.
I can foresee a few nights in the man cave fabricating a support and altering the Sib trailer.
I do love a winter Sib project !

Peter_C · 28 August 2014, 06:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaman

Thanks for that post Peter.
I can foresee a few nights in the man cave fabricating a support and altering the Sib trailer.
I do love a winter Sib project !

There are a bunch of DIY versions. I would recommend using a spring if you can, as it eases the bouncing.

https://www.google.com/search?q=tran...=isch&imgdii=_

HDAV · 28 August 2014, 23:03

Looking at the "transomsaver" a pair of old suspension mountain bike forks comes to mind (and perhaps some unistrut)

RST 461 SUSPENSION FORKS - 1 1/8" x 190mm STEERER | eBay

Peter_C · 28 August 2014, 23:11

^That is a pretty good idea. Great ingenuity

The forks could bolt to something that cradles the motor, then weld something to the stem. Most likely the stem will be aluminum, if they are lightweight. HD could be steel of some kind. I would recommend a fork that doesn't use an air spring, but uses either elastomers or metal springs.

Of course a tube that slides over another tube whether square or round with a spring inside would accomplish the same thing. A little stiction would not be the end of the world.