Driftboat Trailer

Finishing a 16 footer with 52" wide bottom. Thinking of buying a 5X8 Utility trailer (Northern Tool) and modifying. Anybody do this and if so any tips or pics? I am in Lancaster, PA and driftboat trailer are seen here about as often as we see a wild panda.

Thanks for any help

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Permalink Reply by John Greenleaf on February 10, 2012 at 6:20pm

Stephen, I was in the same situation being from the lehigh valley. I bought a used boat trailer someone was looking to get rid of but had a title for. It is essentially the exact same thing as many of those utility trailers - I think northern tool even used to sell a similar kind to mine.

Basically, turned the bunk boards 90 degrees, located them under frames, and altered their elevation and also their inclination (you can tilt them) to match the curvature of the bottom. I used typical bunk board hardware and U-bolts. I also added one or two mini bunks (1 or 2' long) at the front end. I used bunk carpet and stainless steel staples to make the additional boards. I also adjusted the front roller and winch on the bow winch stand to meet the boat at the correct level. Initially, I only set the height of one bunk; the lowest and biggest (its placement corresponded with the middle-belly (low spot) of the boat and it's height was dictated by the wheel fenders). I then gently put the boat on the trailer - also used the bow attachment to get the correct placement/angle/etc. for the boat. I fine-tuned the rest of the bunk elevations using a floor jack (pinned the bunk against the bottom and tightened the bolts.

The trailer was actually for a sail boat and had tilting bunks on the back - I kept these on as an experiment after attaching them together with some steel (kinda makes a "V" shape in the back). They have worked real well. They stick out several feet beyond the back of the trailer, tilt up and down, and allow me to launch easily without even having the trailer wheels in the water - this works nice on some rough shore launches. 

J.G.

Permalink Reply by Ben Kittell on February 12, 2012 at 11:08am

I had good luck with a ski-doo trailer. I ended up putting carpeted 2x4s 90 degrees to the black ones. Its nice getting a boat trailer cause most likely it will already have a wench and be submersible. Plus they are much easier to find, you may end up with a junk motor boat though...

Permalink Reply by Dave Z on February 13, 2012 at 9:21am

call up hyde in ID.  see if they are hitting th eeast coast show in jersey.  They have a pile of used trailers on their website.  If they stick one on the flatbed, you can get a real one for cheap.  I got one like this years ago after my first build.  im in PA too.

Permalink Reply by John Greenleaf on February 13, 2012 at 10:26am

Great idea, but I think the NJ (sommerset) show just happened. Or are you talking about another?

Permalink Reply by Ron Bakken on February 14, 2012 at 12:01pm

We modified an old boat trailer and bought some strips of UHMW and it slides on and off easily. Very inexpensive and works well so far!

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Permalink Reply by stephen ludwig on February 14, 2012 at 5:51pm

Thanks for the info.....the search is on.

 

The sommerset show is over but I will stop in at the Lancaster show. 10 minutes from the house. Any other boat PA builders coming to the Lancaster show. I know a great refreshment spot around the corner.

 

Thanks again.

Permalink Reply by Ron Bakken on February 15, 2012 at 8:36am

What show in Lancaster?

 

I will be in Hummelstown visiting my son the weekend of 3/3/12

Permalink Reply by Christopher M. Gosselin on February 17, 2012 at 2:58am

Greetings....my 17 by 52 rides on a custom made trailer which I fabricated.  It is about 2inches wider than the bottom, and tilts to launch and recover my boat. I think your thoughts on a 5x8 utility are great...just be sure it wide enough.  I have had my rig in some hairy launches in Maine and I was glad it was wide and stable with the boat on it.  Also, a good quality hand winch and mount is important.  I can winch my boat up an over some mean stuff at recover sites..Great luck!!! hope this helps...

Permalink Reply by Dave Barnes on March 22, 2012 at 8:18am

I rebuilt a rotten old utility trailer- unfortunately the only pictures I have of the bare trailer are before I put the support rails on it, but you can barely see the cross piece under the boat in the other picture. After replacing all the deck wood (I didn't need to replace it all and I will probably remove a bunch of pieces, I added the boat supports as follows

1. The front support is just a nice 2x4 mounted across the deck on 2x4 blocks to get 3" height. I beveled the top-rear-edge and mounted a couple of cheap rollers from Harbor Freight tools just in back of the front support bar to help slide the boat all the way up.

2. The rear support bar is also a 2x4, but I mounted this one on a couple of the those big gate hinges so it rotates just a little bit so as the boat slides over it, it repositions the flat topside against the bottom of the boat. Then I took a couple of those thin white poly sheets you see in stores as cutting boards and wrapped them around the 2x4, screwing them in the back of it. The boat slides over this piece really easily, but it would proably be easier just to mount a couple of boat trailer carpet bunks here as well.

3. The end roller challenge:  I couldn't find these anywhere so I had to get weirder. I drilled a row of holes in the back crossboard about 2" below the top and bought a bunch of those wide bed casters and pushed them in the holes. I mounted a furring strip along the edge to keep them from rotating. They work GREAT!

 

See attached, but I'll try to get a detailed picture. Hope that helps.

By the way, I grew up in Fountain Hill (Bethlehem). In CA now, but what are the odds of coming across Lehigh Valley in a driftboat forum? and my alma mater beat Duke in the NCAAs!

 

db

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