building trailer guides

[arks]

Re: building trailer guides

This is an excellent idea! Thank you. I've been going back and forth trying to decide on which commercially available guides to put on my trailer but the cost of the guides is more than I want to put into an old trailer.

Your Galv. pipe & PVC idea sounds perfect, and easy to do.

How long did you make your guides? I often launch on steep ramps here in Kentucky where the rear of the trailer is much deeper in the water than the front, or bow. I think I may need to have guides of 4' ish to keep the ends of them above water at the ramp.

Thanks,

My guides are about 40" long from the last elbow. As I recall, the PVC was cut 38". You can make them as long as you need to be effective for your application. Just remember- the longer they are, the easier it'll be for the boat to push them out of place. I've whacked mine pretty hard and they only moved once- when I was in a hurry during a t-storm . Fortunately, it was easy to push back into position. The hardest part of the project was fishing the wires thru the assemblies- it would be easier to put in a string as it's being assembled. Also, make sure you use galvanized pipe and fittings. I originally used regular pipe as uprights (see picture) and they were looking bad by the end of the season in brackish water. I spent a total of about $40 for the whole setup (not including the lights).

 

[jcsftwre]

A good idea I think!

A good idea I think!

In the past on an old boat of mine people use to call those training wheels for boats. But I in no way agree! I had them on my last boat and when I get done rebuilding this boat I will have them also. They are just plain smart. A person never knows where the trailer is when it?s under water and these fix that problem.