Getting a 21'Pontoon OFF the trailer: Ideas/Comments ?

[SunTrackerPB21]

I'm going to build a 8'W X 16'' long 'dolly' so that I can put my SunTracker 21' away in the garage for the Winter. The boat alone (~6ft high) will fit inside but it won't go in on the trailer (8'4" high) and the trailer is too long (26') to get the door shut so my question is: any ideas on how to jack up the boat in my driveway to get the trailer out from underneath, so I can then roll in the dolly and set the boat back down onto it.
I've bought 6 - 4" casters (660 lb capacity) 3 on each side of the dolly, to support the boat @ about 1600 lbs.

I've considered passing a couple of 2X6's (maybe doubled up) from side to side, UNDER the deck and ABOVE the logs so I have 4 "ends" sticking out, one on each corner more or less, then jacking these (~400 lb) "corners" up (with blocking-so I dont have to jack UP too far) with my garage jack til I get enough height to clear the trailer...only have to lift it maybe 4", then out with the trailer & I'll roll the dolly in underneath.

It rolls easily on the trailer on my level gravel RV parking area so should be no problem rolling it into the garage on the concrete driveway/garage floor.
Has anyone tried anything like this ?

 

[5150abf]

Re: Getting a 21'Pontoon OFF the trailer: Ideas/Comments ?

Never tried it, sounds like it will work.

Make sure you put your dollys under bulk heads, one by the endcap and another under the nose cone weld, if you put them in the center of the tubes it will crush them.

 

[rogerwa]

Re: Getting a 21'Pontoon OFF the trailer: Ideas/Comments ?

Go out and rent scissors type trailer for the day and put the boat on it and then back the boat in the trailer with the trailer lowered to just above the ground. Then just drop it on the floor on some styrofoam pads. You then reverse the process in the spring. It will cost about $80 /yr unless you can borrow somebodies trailer.

This seems far easier than building a dolly.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Getting a 21'Pontoon OFF the trailer: Ideas/Comments ?

I have a similar issue but my Shorelander bunk trailer has a tongue that comes off with two bolts. My toon is also just a couple inches too high to clear the door so I will remove the existing wheels and install 8 inch wheels only -- no tires. A pair of 2x4's will serve as railroad tracks for the wheels to follow. Over the existing wheels and tires, I can drop the trailer 4 - 6 inches so I'll have plenty of clearance.

 

[SunTrackerPB21]

Re: Getting a 21'Pontoon OFF the trailer: Ideas/Comments ?

Go out and rent scissors type trailer for the day and put the boat on it and then back the boat in the trailer with the trailer lowered to just above the ground. Then just drop it on the floor on some styrofoam pads. You then reverse the process in the spring. It will cost about $80 /yr unless you can borrow somebodies trailer.

This seems far easier than building a dolly.

I have no idea what a "scissors trailer" is..did a google search and ended up with hundreds of links to some Movie Trailer:Running with Scissors

anyway, I dont know if there is such a thing for rent around here

 

[5150abf]

Re: Getting a 21'Pontoon OFF the trailer: Ideas/Comments ?

It is a trailer that fits between the tubes then you raise it up and tow the boat so you would be able to set it right on your carts.

http://www.boatdealers.ca/boats/details.aspx?BoatID=41355

 

[CharlieB]

Re: Getting a 21'Pontoon OFF the trailer: Ideas/Comments ?

Go with the scissor trailer, a hinged trailer specifically built to lift and carry pontoon boats.

Dollys are a great idea, on concrete.

Unfortunately your drive is gravel, trust me, they won't budge. HUGE difference between tires and dolly wheels, trust me, roll-away tool boxes won't roll over a PEBBLE. You would have to lay planks to use as rails to move it and if even ONE wrong move, get the jacks and blocks and start over.

Scissor trailer can be lowered to ALMOST scrap the ground, and still move easily.

 

[Rancherlee]

Re: Getting a 21'Pontoon OFF the trailer: Ideas/Comments ?

Depending on how well your garage is built you could use a pair of "come-a-longs" off the rafters if your garage is built sturdy. I built may garage with 2x6 rafter and 16" spacing when only 2x4 with 24" was required. I just lay a heavy pipe across 4-5 rafters and lift just about anything including my pontoon boat.

 

[SunTrackerPB21]

Re: Getting a 21'Pontoon OFF the trailer: Ideas/Comments ?

Never tried it, sounds like it will work.
Make sure you put your dollys under bulk heads, one by the endcap and another under the nose cone weld, if you put them in the center of the tubes it will crush them.

I was looking at the tubes yesterday..although they're ~ 21' long, the bulkheads [3] (welding) are conveniently at
1. back end
2. 8' center
3. 16 ft mark, after that they curve up to the top front. so..
my dolly at 16 ft long will fit under just right with the crosspieces matching the tube bulkheads. This should work (fingers crossed)


BTW, to the other reply (gravel drive): where the boat is parked now on the trailer is gravel..it still rolls easily there/by hand, on the TRAILER.

Where I'm going to jack it up and pull the trailer/insert the dolly, and from there into garage is all level CONCRETE

 

[5150abf]

Re: Getting a 21'Pontoon OFF the trailer: Ideas/Comments ?

That should be fine.

Alot of people try to block boats in the center of the tubes and they collapse because there is no support inside the tube.

If you have a 16' long dolly that will work perfect, you are distributing the weight of the boat over a large area.

 

[SunTrackerPB21]

Re: Getting a 21'Pontoon OFF the trailer: Ideas/Comments ?

Depending on how well your garage is built you could use a pair of "come-a-longs" off the rafters if your garage is built sturdy. I built may garage with 2x6 rafter and 16" spacing when only 2x4 with 24" was required. I just lay a heavy pipe across 4-5 rafters and lift just about anything including my pontoon boat.

Boat on trailer is TOO HIGH to back into garage so no "lift-off" inside option available

 

[quantico]

Re: Getting a 21'Pontoon OFF the trailer: Ideas/Comments ?

I built four wooden platforms to set all four corners of my pontoon on with concrete blocks under them ... my toons have a keel that looks like the bottom of an ice skate on the bottom, so I want to protect that edge during winter storage. If you took the four wooden platforms and added 16 three or four inch wheels to make them roll, you could move a pontoon boat around pretty well. You might need to strap each platform with some cinch straps to keep one from flopping around if the weight was on the other three due to an uneven surface... I used 12 feet of 2 x 12 inch wood with 24 feet of 2 x 4 ' s to make a 3/4 inch gap on the top of each platform. they are way stable being four feet long each..... in that way eight feet of pontoon are supported on each side with the middle in air...