Home Made Guide Board

[Nandy]

I need to get some guide boards for the cobia trailer. They are over $130.00 each so I think I can build one cheaper. I rather have the ones with the bunk that the one that is like a round pipe covered in pvc.
I can probably do this and I have the plan in my head but I rather hear from anyone that have done this already. Might save me some headaches.

Thanks!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Home Made Guide Board

2 inch muffler clamp, cut all thread. and top plate.

 

[CAVU V]

Re: Home Made Guide Board

Yours are quick and easy.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Home Made Guide Board

TD, how does the guides stands to wind? the problem I have is that my trailer is flat so really the keel of the boat is the first thing to touch the trailer and it touches the 2 rubber rollers that are closer to the winch. That leaves the back of the boat to dance around. This boat is not easy to move so my worries will be that the pvc pipes might not hold it. It looks cheap enough tough to just try it, but just wonder.. What size is the pipes? Im thinking on getting them self-centering rollers..

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Home Made Guide Board

they are 2 inch schedule 40 pvc. i have kit them pretty good with that 1800 lb pontoon. and i also usually have to load in a cross wind. the reason for the 2 sets of guide on. i love my self centering rollers, see your other post.

 

[rancher00]

Re: Home Made Guide Board

I built my own guide on's with some scrap metal I had laying around. I used 4 pieces of 1 inch square tube about 2and a half feet long welded them to the flat spot on each end of my fender and bolted a 5 foot long carped 2x4 to each end with about an inch of play on each side makes loading alot easier. on another trailer I made some from a couple of 12 inch long pieces of 1 inch tubing welded into a 90 then welded that to the frame went to the hardware store and bought a 8 foot piece of pvc and bolted it to the bottom of the tubing it didnt work as well as the boards because of the type of boat they kept getting the boat stuck when unloading but worked fine when loading.

 

[VaGent]

Re: Home Made Guide Board

I am a retired electrical contractor & I made mine using 1 1/4" ridgid conduit. I bent a 90 degree bend on a 10ft piece & then cut it off for the proper length & then slipped a piece of 1 1/2" PVC over it to act as a roller. I made one for each side. So far it's working great. I used "U" bolts to fasten them to the trailer. The pipe is gavlanized so I don't have to worry about corrosion. Total cost: $13.00.

 

[MrPhotographer06]

Re: Home Made Guide Board

i was actually looking at his on cabelas as i read this.. i want to put these on to make my trailer a true "drive on" trailer these make it look easy so i may do it!

 

[Nandy]

Re: Home Made Guide Board

Where did you find the hardware for the ubolts? I cant find them... Went to home depot and Harbor Freight...

 

[MrPhotographer06]

Re: Home Made Guide Board

lowes or homedepot should have them

 

[Nandy]

Re: Home Made Guide Board

lowes or homedepot should have them

LIke I wrote before, they dont... The ubolts they have are less than 3 inches long, I need no less than 6.5 inches long..

 

[MrPhotographer06]

Re: Home Made Guide Board

hmm... idk...i'll make mine =D

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Home Made Guide Board

went to the muffler shop bought 2 inch muffler straps for a $1.50 each used. then some all thread, and a flat plate across the top. from trailer store.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Home Made Guide Board

ohhhh! Muffler store!!! Duh!! I already have the all thread bolts. I was planning to heat them up and use them as ubolts if I did not find what I needed. Heading to autozone!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Home Made Guide Board

isn't it strange what we come up with when a project needs to be done. yep, muffler clamps. who would have thought, on a trailer.

 

[Nandy]

Re: Home Made Guide Board

Yup! I agree.... Well, it is done. All I need is a bit of time and go and test. I will be honest, it looks a bit flexible to me... But at less than 20 dollars I could not pass!!!
I end up using the ubolt assembly entirely. Just added one pair of them bolt unions per side and add 6 inches of threaded bolt. It was a big in the long side but I will cut it later.
Thank!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Home Made Guide Board

i cracked one on the the toon today, hit the gate, 8'3 wide with guide ons, going thru and 8'6 gate. Just spread the crack,, pvc glue in it, squeezed it back together, good as new.

 

[MrPhotographer06]

Re: Home Made Guide Board

think i'll be okay with my boat at 2" pipe?

 

[Nandy]

Re: Home Made Guide Board

I actually used 1 1/2 pipe as I had a few parts for it already. It dont look like much different but it might. Again, I will report back after I try but it might be like thursday...

 

[bowman316]

Re: Home Made Guide Board

You know how the 3rd wheel jack at the trailer tounge mounts to the frame.

I had to replace my jack, and used the mounting plates from the old jack to hold on my trailer guide on. I ran 5.5 inch bolts thru these steel plates, on the top and bottom the frame. And put a 2 by 4 on the other side of the bolts, and ran the wood verticle about 3 or 4 inches above the bottom of the boat. And carpeted the end of the wood.

So the boat will hit this wood, and the wood will force the boat over to the center.
I only need it on one side, because my boat always loads to the right, never to the left.

I too was dissapointed at what home depot had for this project, you can not find those steel plates for mounting the jack anywhere, unless you buy a jack.