Drift Boat Trailer

As you know, I am working on a 16' drift boat.

I found a trailer that I think will work pretty well on Craigslist.  It needs a little cleanup and fresh wiring, but for $250 with a good axle and lifetime MN trailer registration, I think it was a perfect fit.

The width of the inside of the bunk is 52".  I will have to play with the height of the fenders (could drop them about 5-6") and install some bunks to make it just right, but I am confident I found a trailer with good solid metal.

As it came:

After removal of parts:

I will admit, wielding a BFH and a reciprocating chop saw in one day is always gratifying. Here is the boat with most of the crap removed.  

I am contemplating permanently re-welding the cross member that is currently above the axle to the rear of the bunk.  There is a piece that goes across the back that I have removed.  

The boat would sit about 3" lower in the trailer if I remove this cross member and move it permanently to the rear, but then I will need to lower the fenders too.  I don't know how to weld, so I will have to put a call out to any buddy's that do.

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Permalink Reply by JAY STRUGNELL on March 15, 2014 at 4:22pm

yeah, that is what I would do,you can buy rounded fenders pretty cheap,I put mine very close to the tires,but if you set them at 2" clearance with loaded weight the tires will almost never touch.I would put little pads mid way along the chine, about even with the axle like the baker trailers have to keep the boat centered 1" per side of clearance more than the widest part of chines.

Permalink Reply by Phillip Westendorf on March 15, 2014 at 5:42pm

GD, 

If you add a 2 x 4 on edge as a carpeted bunk on the forward and rear cross member you may get enough height to not have to lower the fenders much if at all.....  Just a thought.

Dorf

Permalink Reply by Riverman on March 17, 2014 at 8:39pm

What a lucky day for you... trailers are so expensive and hard to come by in my area. I'd turn that rig into a fine drift boat trailer with not too much work. Be sure to repack the bearings too. 

Permalink Reply by Gopher Dan on March 24, 2014 at 8:24pm

Riverman,

I pulled the wheels off, one of the back seals looked kind of suspect.  I plan on towing this over 1000 miles this year - so being sort of a worry wort I just pulled it all apart, cleaned it up and got new bearings and bearing buddies (had them but they weren't exactly round after I pried them off gently).  

If you can imagine yourself midway between Dickinson, ND and Billings, MT at 3am (our normal Friday evening/Saturday morning arrival into MT on our way to West Yellowstone), with nothing but the Billings Walmart open, then you get my logic.   :)

Spare tire is also on the future expenditure list.

Permalink Reply by Gopher Dan on March 19, 2014 at 7:22pm

Want to sand trailer down and primer and paint it black with something permanent. Anybody have ideas or experience as to best materials for this so the paint doesn't flake?

Permalink Reply by Phillip Westendorf on March 19, 2014 at 7:46pm

GD, 

Get a sanding disk for a 4 1/2 inch grinder and take it down to bare metal as well as you can.  Use a fiber disk for the inside corners to rough it up there and remove the paint.  Get a quart of  Epoxy Primer (2 part, about $ 30) from an Auto Paint Store.  You can brush it or spray it.  Then you can apply a couple of coats of Black Rustolem enamel, it works as well as anything.  I painted my newly built (all new steel) DB trailer with this stuff last Spring.  Looks good.  Here's a pic of my trailer in primer and color.

http://westcoastwoodenboats.ning.com/forum/topics/dorf-s-wooden-dri...

I have a flat trailer about ten yrs old and I did it this way a couple years ago also, it still looks pretty good and no flaking.

hope this helps, 

Dorf

Permalink Reply by Gopher Dan on March 24, 2014 at 8:17pm

Dorf, thanks for the tips.

I used a 4.5" grinder with regular disk to start.  I actually switched to the metal fiber disk made for metal sanding, and that was about 3 times as fast even for the flat work and less wear on the disk and the disk lasted much longer.  Thanks for the tip on those!

I am going with Rustoleum Professional Rusty Metal Primer and Rustoleum Gloss Black Enamel.  It sounds similar to what you suggest - and it was all from Fleet Farm in the section for painting tractors.

I was able to get it basically down to bare metal nearly everywhere, but some rust / pitting spots remain - the trailer was originally made in 1980 but will look nearly brand new when I am done with it!

Permalink Reply by Phillip Westendorf on March 24, 2014 at 8:30pm

GD,

If you want to do it up real PRETTY, pick up a tube of Spotting Putty at an Auto Paint Store ((~$ 5, I think).  Before you prime it you can use it to fill small pits and imperfections with a putty knife.  It drys in minutes and sands smooth.  Just the thing for small and shallow pits.  You use it right out of the tube.  

I have used the stuff you have purchased and it's good stuff. If I remember the primer has Zinc Chromate in it, which is the good stuff.    I just went a little overboard when I built the DB Trailer.......

Show us some pics after you get it painted.

G'Luck

Dorf

Permalink Reply by Gopher Dan on March 30, 2014 at 2:15pm

Grinding and Priming

Got a good chunk of the grinding done on the trailer - all except the bunk section which is where my plywood is staged for the boat. 

The final color is black, but this is the Rust-Oleum rusty metal primer in two coats.  Had a nice warm 65º day today to work outside finally.

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