my trailer floats

[gotmeaboat]

yes it is aluminum with tandem axles. i have added 100lbs of ballast along the bunk boards and she still floats. kinda challeging at the boat ramp when i am by myself.
any ideas?
tom

 

[ClassyGlassy]

Re: my trailer floats

Is this a homemade trailer and is it a tube chassis or is it an I-beam chassis? For a tube chassis I would drill a few holes into the tubing at each end, this will allow the air to escape and fill with water........

 

[gotmeaboat]

Re: my trailer floats

not homemade, built by Rolls Axle in Florida. it is I Beam contruction. the MFG suggested adding PVC pipe filled w/sand. did it! 100lbs, and still floats.

 

[ClassyGlassy]

Re: my trailer floats

I would probably do 200 lbs and if it still floats, sell it

 

[ClassyGlassy]

Re: my trailer floats

how big is this trailer and for what size of boat?

 

[DJ]

Re: my trailer floats

I don't have an answer other than adding weight.

But, you have to admit that a tandem trailer that floats is pretty amazing!

 

[gotmeaboat]

Re: my trailer floats

a 1994 Hydra sport 19' center console sits on it. once the bow is attached it can get real ugly if any wind.

 

[Bob's Garage]

Re: my trailer floats

Have you tried reducing the air pressure? Take a portable air compressor with you to the ramp on a quiet day and reduce the pressure until you find the level at which the trailer no longer floats. It may only require a few pounds to be removed, and then after loading you could air up again. Pain in the who's-it but better than the other.

 

[ClassyGlassy]

Re: my trailer floats

there's no way your tires are floating a trailer! the weight of the rims alone will keep them down........add the weight of the axles and frame and it shouldn't be floating at all.

If this trailer is new, get it to the company you purchased it from, if it's used add more weight over the axles or close to the rear. Move all the weight you've added to there as well.......

 

[ClassyGlassy]

Re: my trailer floats

I'd like to see pictures of it floating!

 

[Bob's Garage]

Re: my trailer floats

So what else on a trailer would make it float? It's an I-beam trailer, no other enclosed air pockets. Oh wait, maybe the aluminum is defective.

I have seen a triple axle trailer float so high you couldn't get the boat started on it. It was funny at the time because we were trying to salvage an old boat out of the Alafia River and it just seemed like "one more thing" to make it harder.

 

[ChampionShip]

Re: my trailer floats

there's no way your tires are floating a trailer! the weight of the rims alone will keep them down........add the weight of the axles and frame and it shouldn't be floating at all.

If this trailer is new, get it to the company you purchased it from, if it's used add more weight over the axles or close to the rear. Move all the weight you've added to there as well.......

It's entirely POSSIBLE. I beam trailers are substantially lighter than tubular steel. We had a 31' Scarab that sat on a triple axle trailer that floated- trick was to get the bow in place while loading, then inch forward to get the boat to push the trailer back down and then finish loading. Bottom line: our trailer floated- it happens. I'd call the mfr. to find out if there's anything that can be done to keep it planted- we only launched our boat from its trailer 2 times a year as it was lift kept- so we just dealt with it. Best of luck.

-Champ

 

[Stachi]

Re: my trailer floats

uhmm,.... please say you have removed the transom tie-downs............

 

[seaboo]

Re: my trailer floats

I feel your pain. My trailer (sounds ALOT like yours) floats too!!!! Mine is longer (about) 26 ft and my boat is 22 ft. I too (lately) have been doing some solo launches. The only way I've found is to back the trailer in till it is about to float, nose the boat on as far as possiable, back the trailer in some more, winch the boat on more, then do it again. Luckily the ramps I've hit lately are slow so I don't inconvenience anyone. It really doesn't take that long to do this way, but it is aggravating. My trailer too has pvc loaded with sand.

 

[ftl900]

Re: my trailer floats

Take the tie-down straps off the boat.

 

[Silver Eagle]

Re: my trailer floats

Maybe the water is too deep. Don't back it up so far that it floats. As for loading the boat it may be easier if it did float. Once the cable reaches the end of the trailer and the bow comes up to it you shouldn't have any more trouble.

 

[gotmeaboat]

Re: my trailer floats

Seaboo, that is exactly how i retrieve my boat. if i get the boat to far forward the boat will bring the trailer up. as soon as i have the boat on the trailer i have to hurry to pull up the ramp or it all goes sideways.
tom

 

[rentprop1]

Re: my trailer floats

you know someone should invent something like an air bag to install on the rear of the trailer in case you back off the end of the ramp so you can float the trailer, I have a tandem axle pontoon trailer and accidentally backed off the ram one time, got in the water thinking I could lift it up as my wife pulled the truck forward, no way, that thing still had to be 400 + lbs, I had done this before with a single axle BTW....had to have wrecker with an extendable boom come out and put the cable down on the trailer and lift up as he pulled forward.....

I believe that some trailers float, but mine is just as heavy in the water, believe me

 

[H20Rat]

Re: my trailer floats

Have you tried reducing the air pressure? Take a portable air compressor with you to the ramp on a quiet day and reduce the pressure until you find the level at which the trailer no longer floats. It may only require a few pounds to be removed, and then after loading you could air up again. Pain in the who's-it but better than the other.

here is the fun part of physics... a tire at 60 psi or one at 30 psi, which one floats better... The one at 30 psi. Air has weight, the absolute best tire to float would be one with a vacuum, IF you had a tire that wouldn't change shape. You could go the other way, if you could figure out how to compress air enough, say 10000 psi, until it turned into a liquid, that would basically be a huge amount of air in a tire, and it would be fairly heavy with all that 'air' in it! (yes, i know, you can't liquify air at room temperatures)

Think of it this way, if you have a shape that doesn't change, ANYTHING you put inside of it is going to have mass.

In the real world, won't make any difference, you aren't changing the size of the tire dramatically and the mass of the air is insignificant compared to everything else.

 

[bowman316]

Re: my trailer floats

do you have large tires on it?
some monster trucks will float just because the tires are so big.