Pontoon bump stop

[jusfloatin]

Good day to all

I am in the process of building a trailer to carry my yet to be completed pontoon boat. It is a kit boat.

Anyways I am at the point where I need help designing or a picture of what you have or better yet an idea of what you would incorportate into yours.
I havent decided whether to have a hand opperated winch or go with an electric. I am leaning towards an electric as you can get new 15000lbs winch for under $60.00.

I would also like to have a ladder to climb up into the pontoon.

What do you have or what would you prefer to have if you could.

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: Pontoon bump stop

I built, or should I say, redesigned my own trailer, using a stripped down frame from an RV trailer. You didn't say what length of boat you have, but if it's over 18' then I recommend tandem axles and electric brakes. (included in the package in my case) Single axle can get a little squirrelly and you would be running close to the max. weight of your axle. I'm in the process of having a bump stop built which is a basic "T" style with a 4 step ladder incorporated into it for ease of boarding when the boat is on the trailer. With 15" tires, height may be an issue for you. You might want to consider a smaller size, possibly 13". Next is the winch. Where are you finding a 15000# for $60? I have a 9000# on my jeep and i spent $600. A winch is pretty much useless on a toon trailer anyway as there is so much contact between the bunk and the boat and with the boat weighing in at +- 3000#. In my case, where I launch is deep, so I float it all the way on the trailer. This brings me to the next thing... vertical guides. I prefer outside high ones at the rear as shorter inside guides would be so far under water when I'm loading that they would be useless.
I see that you have posted in the Trailer section as well. Positioning your wheels at this point will be very diffficult unless your boat is far enough along in the build to set it on the trailer, with furniture and motor installed, to determine where the wheels would be to give you 10-15% of total weight to be your ideal tongue weight. Good Luck on the project.

 

[jusfloatin]

Re: Pontoon bump stop

The pontoons are 19' long and the winch I posted about had 1 too many zero's as I meant 1500 lbs.
I kinda thought a 1500lbs would have been enough at least for 95% of the time and for the 5% that it would not I thought I could just back up farther.

The axel I got is a 3500lbs with a set of 15" radial tires my frame height/ball height will be 15.5".

I am going with a tall outside back guide and was considering lighting the inside guides as I fish in the mountains where dark comes eairly.

Are your steps on an angle or are they straight up? Is there a hand rail?

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: Pontoon bump stop

The pontoons are 19' long and the winch I posted about had 1 too many zero's as I meant 1500 lbs.
I kinda thought a 1500lbs would have been enough at least for 95% of the time and for the 5% that it would not I thought I could just back up farther.

The axel I got is a 3500lbs with a set of 15" radial tires my frame height/ball height will be 15.5".

I am going with a tall outside back guide and was considering lighting the inside guides as I fish in the mountains where dark comes eairly.

Are your steps on an angle or are they straight up? Is there a hand rail?

Steps are at an angle and will have one handrail made from one piece of 1 1/4 galanized conduit.
Boat will be twice the rating of your winch.
REALLY consider tandem axles.
Is it a new axle and wheels? Can you trade for 13"s?

 

[jusfloatin]

Re: Pontoon bump stop

We have a factory here in Calgary called Standen Springs that makes axels and there components.
Everything is new and complete where all I have to do is weld the hangers in position.
Add that package and with the suggestion I got about welding the hangers to plates and then u-bolting them to the frame will alow me to dial this trailer in.

Looks like I will be going with a hand crank which in my case I can't remember the last time I was on the end of a hand winch that was always someone elses job. I just checked it before we left the marina.

Would you have a picture of yours?

 

[jusfloatin]

Re: Pontoon bump stop

A drive on model.