Rehabbing my trailer...

[JASinIL2006]

Re: Rehabbing my trailer...

Always more improvements to be made with a boat, aren't there? The trailer is most in need of some attention, so it's first on the list.

I can't find monel staples locally, so I'll be ordering some.

I'm very happy to have finished the boat! It was a big job and I'm hoping the trailer is not so much work!

 

[JASinIL2006]

Re: Rehabbing my trailer...

Just ordered my pneumatic stapler and monel staples. Now I need to work up the courage to block up the boat and pull the trailer out from underneath...

 

[gm280]

Re: Rehabbing my trailer...

Just ordered my pneumatic stapler and monel staples. Now I need to work up the courage to block up the boat and pull the trailer out from underneath...

I used two saw horses and a 2 x 4 to hold the back of the boat as I pulled the boat off the trailer. It worked for me and just a suggestion. Secure the boat from moving forward and slowly move the trailer forward. As the trailer leaves the boat behind, prop the boat with something like the saw horses and 2 x 4 or 6's. Unless your boat is thousands of pounds, it will work nicely. JMHO!

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Rehabbing my trailer...

GM: Yeah, a 2X4 isn't going to be sufficient, 2500# +/-.

JAS: How did you support the boat during the rehab? I don't remember if you added hull support to the trailer or built an off trailer cradle?

How'd you get the engine out? Engine hoist?

 

[JASinIL2006]

Re: Rehabbing my trailer...

JAS: How did you support the boat during the rehab? I don't remember if you added hull support to the trailer or built an off trailer cradle?

How'd you get the engine out? Engine hoist?

I just rehabbed the boat on the trailer. I didn't remove the cap, so I didn't build a cradle or do any additional bracing.

For pulling the engine, I built a gantry crane, which has since been disassembled and the wood has found it's way into several other projects....

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Rehabbing my trailer...

Are you planning to do this bunk work soon? It's still winter & cold as carp in Illinois, correct?

Make a short stern cradle, w/ a slight V notch to set the stern of the boat down on. Simple, not very tall, just tall enough to have the hull high enough to clear the trailer. Carpet or padding on the 2X's the hull will rest on. 2 16ft 2X4 should be enough to build 2 small cradles. 1 4ft piece for the bottom, a couple of 30"+/- pieces for the angled parts & the rest to make the vertical 'legs'

You can drop the trailer tongue to the ground, off the hitch, that'll raise the stern a few inches (maybe more). Use that height for the small cradle. If you think it'll be a longer term trailer rehab, you could make the cradle 75% the width of the stern, 6-7ft long. Since you'll be fitting it TOO the hull's shape, as long as there are legs every 12" or so, it should be fine. You can add horizontal leg braces like you did the feet of your original gantry to help keep the cradle from rocking, if it'll be sitting there for a while. Esp w/ a snow load. Might even use a 2X6 instead of a 2X4 for the whole thing.

Cut a similar sized top (angles) & bottom pieces for under the bow. But wait until you started to pull the trailer out to finalize the leg lengths & put it all together. W/ the rear cradle in place and someone helping push the boat off the trailer (they are really holding the boat back & pulling the trailer forward) you should be able to ease the boat back until the curve of the bow is just about to come off the trailer. You want your forward cradle to be back fair enough to let the trailer push back to the boat & be easy to winch back up on the trailer.

Does that ^^^ make sense?

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Rehabbing my trailer...

Whatever you do, don't over think it.
http://forums.iboats.com/boat-topic...-your-small-boat-ground-5-minutes-527592.html

 

[gm280]

Re: Rehabbing my trailer...

I didn't realize your boat was of such weight and with an inboard engine. You could either rent an engine hoist or buy one to help with your efforts. Skip my earlier post about the 2 by's and saw horses. Certainly not going to hold that much weight. Need something of substantial material to set that boat on. I have seen a lot of marinas use a type of Styrofoam to set boats on. Not sure how much weight they could hold though but just a suggestion...

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Rehabbing my trailer...

I have seen a lot of marinas use a type of Styrofoam to set boats on. Not sure how much weight they could hold though but just a suggestion...

That's probably styrofoam cubes they use for floats under the docks. Before or after they get used under an actual dock. They do similar here.

SOTW plan works great. Used it many times, on project boats.

If you've got tires & they aren't bald w/ belts showing, then sure drop a boat on a few. Works really, really well.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Rehabbing my trailer...

if you don't have tires firewood works too..... or a couple bags of sand or just drop it right on the ground as long as the transom can sit on the ground without the boat sitting on it's outdrive.

 

[christoner2002]

Re: Rehabbing my trailer...

What brand of trailer do you have JASin? Just wondering, since our boats are quite similar, I am wondering if the trailers are also. I have a Tennessee brand trailer.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Re: Rehabbing my trailer...

christoner2002, t's a Prestige trailer.


I've seen Kevin's thread before... it looks pretty easy, but it seems like it would be hard to get the boat back on the trailer; it has to be pulled on with the winch, right? Isn't that an awful lot of stress on the winch, strip and bow eye?

Before I started this thread, I had planned to jack up the trailer (it's jacked up in the winter anyway, to get the tires off the garage floor) and then build some stanchions to support the hull. I would then lower the trailer, roll the trailer forward enough so I can build a couple of supports under the hull by the transom (using 4x4s layed crosswise). Then I'd roll the trailer forward until the axle was close to the forward support, at which point I'd set up a second keel support behind the axle and roll the trailer forward again.

It sounds like a pain, but I will be doing this in the garage, and I'm not sure I have anything sufficiently strong that I could tie the boat to and then just pull the trailer out from under it.

Right now it's to dang cold out there, and there are big snow drifts right outside the garage, so I can't pull the trailer out anyway. Gives me some more time to think about how to do this...

Thanks to all for the ideas. You have me thinking!

Jim

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Rehabbing my trailer...

yep it gets pulled back on with the winch..... doesn't hurt a thing... if you treat the bunks with silicone lube it is much easier but it works without it.... the first time I did it that way was with an aeroglass 20 cuddy with a mercruiser v8 on a bunk trailer w no lube.... That wasover 15 years ago and I've done it dozens of times with various boats since... including a 5500+ lb 26' flybridge cruiser tho it did have a roller trailer.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Re: Rehabbing my trailer...

Well, I've started work on trailer. I don't have to boat off the trailer yet, but I've decided to go ahead and do as much work as possible on the trailer frame as I can with the boat there. When the boat start to be in the way, I'll have to arrange to do something with it.

I'm starting in the front and my plan is to take the frame down to bare metal wherever there is much surface rust. (Some spots, like the inside of the frame or the back side of cross-members have no spots of rust at all. Those I will just scuff up a bit and paint over the existing stuff. I'm using a variety of steel wire wheels (flat and cupped) in my grinder and my corded drill to take of the paint and rust. It works really well!

Here's a picture of the front part of the trailer partially cleaned up (I've already removed the bow stop/winch stand):



Since I'm doing the frame piecemeal, I'm going to finish the front part of frame (up to and including the first cross-brace (where the torpedo level and my work gloves are sitting) so, if necessary, I can reassemble and use the trailer before the whole project is done. After all the paint and rust is cleaned off, I plan to paint with a layer of a rust converter (e.g., Rustoleum Rust Reformer) to decrease the chances of rust popping up through the new paint, then I'll hit it with a layer of primer and a couple layers of a top coat, probably a gloss. I'm not sure the budget (or my available free time) will allow me to rewire the trailer and install LED lights as I hoped to do. I don't see that rewiring will be any more difficult to do later, so even if I save that for next year, it doesn't look like I'll be making any extra work for myself.

Some questions:

I had planned to use rattle-can paint for everything, since this isn't that big of a project. For the top coat, though, I'm wondering if I would get better durability if I get a can of paint and add some hardener to it. It seems like any place where the frame is subject to getting hit by stones kicked up by the tires have the worse surface rust. Would hardened paint be more resistant to that kind of chipping? Or would there be any other means to project those spots? (We drive quite a bit on gravel to our place in Canada, so this sort of driving is part of what the trailer will see several times a year.)

Overall, even as I strip this trailer down, I'm surprised at how good it looks considering it's been in service 16 or 17 years. The steel is mostly in very good shape and all the welds look really solid - no cracking, voids, etc.

One final question: on the trailer's built-in jack, the plastic cap that covers the top of the tube (and that protects the gears inside the tube) cracked and fell off shortly after I got the boat. Any ideas of how to fashion a replacement? The lube inside is getting full of debris from the road. I haven't been able to find anything that would fit...

Thanks!
Jim

 

[HalfFish5087]

Re: Rehabbing my trailer...

Looking good Jim. I'm not a paint guy so can't help you there, but if I were in your shoes I would consider using a vinyl overlay for the cross members and any other areas often hit by rocks. I believe 3M makes a product called ventureshield and I'm sure there are others. I would think it would work well and the off brands realtively cheap. As far as the cap for the jack, maybe a axle dust cover, tops for tube fencing, maybe the rubber cover from a bearing buddy...

 

[gm280]

Re: Rehabbing my trailer...

Well, I've started work on trailer. I don't have to boat off the trailer yet, but I've decided to go ahead and do as much work as possible on the trailer frame as I can with the boat there. When the boat start to be in the way, I'll have to arrange to do something with it.

I'm starting in the front and my plan is to take the frame down to bare metal wherever there is much surface rust. (Some spots, like the inside of the frame or the back side of cross-members have no spots of rust at all. Those I will just scuff up a bit and paint over the existing stuff. I'm using a variety of steel wire wheels (flat and cupped) in my grinder and my corded drill to take of the paint and rust. It works really well!

Here's a picture of the front part of the trailer partially cleaned up (I've already removed the bow stop/winch stand):

View attachment 225824

Since I'm doing the frame piecemeal, I'm going to finish the front part of frame (up to and including the first cross-brace (where the torpedo level and my work gloves are sitting) so, if necessary, I can reassemble and use the trailer before the whole project is done. After all the paint and rust is cleaned off, I plan to paint with a layer of a rust converter (e.g., Rustoleum Rust Reformer) to decrease the chances of rust popping up through the new paint, then I'll hit it with a layer of primer and a couple layers of a top coat, probably a gloss. I'm not sure the budget (or my available free time) will allow me to rewire the trailer and install LED lights as I hoped to do. I don't see that rewiring will be any more difficult to do later, so even if I save that for next year, it doesn't look like I'll be making any extra work for myself.

Some questions:

I had planned to use rattle-can paint for everything, since this isn't that big of a project. For the top coat, though, I'm wondering if I would get better durability if I get a can of paint and add some hardener to it. It seems like any place where the frame is subject to getting hit by stones kicked up by the tires have the worse surface rust. Would hardened paint be more resistant to that kind of chipping? Or would there be any other means to project those spots? (We drive quite a bit on gravel to our place in Canada, so this sort of driving is part of what the trailer will see several times a year.)

Overall, even as I strip this trailer down, I'm surprised at how good it looks considering it's been in service 16 or 17 years. The steel is mostly in very good shape and all the welds look really solid - no cracking, voids, etc.

One final question: on the trailer's built-in jack, the plastic cap that covers the top of the tube (and that protects the gears inside the tube) cracked and fell off shortly after I got the boat. Any ideas of how to fashion a replacement? The lube inside is getting full of debris from the road. I haven't been able to find anything that would fit...

Thanks!
Jim

Odd that you would ask about a replacement cap for the trailer jack tube. I needed one as well and thought about a PVC cap. So when I was at the hardware store I went over to the PVC pipe section and looked at a few and grabbed one that I thought was about the correct size. Well amazingly that 1 1/2" PVC pipe cap was actually a perfect fit. So I cut it off about 1/2" and primed and painted it to match my trailer's color and it fits so snug that I can't pull it back off without knocking it off with a hammer. Who would have thought?

 

[JASinIL2006]

Re: Rehabbing my trailer...

I found this stuff for protecting the paint: 3M Paint Defender Spray Film with synthetic wax - Sprayable Paint Protection Film, 90000 - 3M Auto

It looks pretty easy to apply and might even be available locally. Ventureshield also looks cool, but it seems you have to pay a professional installer to apply it. That violates my sense of DIYness!

Also, I actually found a replacement cap on etrailer.com; I couldn't find one here on iBoats, which would have been my first choice of course...

The front part of the trailer (the part that's stripped above) as well as the winch stand, has now been treated with Rust Reformer, a couple coats of primer and three coats of gloss Rustoleum. It looks OK, I think. I'm not at home, so I can't take a picture, but I'll post one later.

Time to move on to the next part of the frame...

Jim

 

[JASinIL2006]

Re: Rehabbing my trailer...

Well, the boat is off the trailer and is safely on a couple of jack stands (with a 4x4 block supporting the hull) under the stern and a cradle I made for the keel at the forward end of the boat. It's surprising stable, and it wasn't bad at all getting the boat off the trailer. The trickiest part was when I first started jacking the boat up to get some clearance from the trailer. It seemed like no matter how high I jacked the boat, it wouldn't clear the bunks. After a bit, I noticed the transom straps and the winch strap were still attached... I was actually picking up the trailer by lifting the boat. That was a bit embarrassing... :redface:

Anyway, I got the bunks off the trailer and stripped of the carpet. I'm amazed at the shape of the wood -- it's old pressure treated stuff, but it's in perfect shape. It's still heavy and solid, and only one piece has a little checking. I'm really surprised at how good the condition is for wood that was installed in '97 (the staples and lag bolts,on the other hand, have seen their better days...). I'm going to be able to reuse the wood, for sure.

In stripping the trailer to clean it up for painting, I found that one of the tires has developed a nice goose egg on the inside sidewall; it was not there a year and half ago when I installed the electric brakes. The protrusion in the tire looks like a blowout just waiting to happen, so I'll replacing the tires, too, I guess. I'm not looking forward to that... buying trailer tires and finding something that holds up seems to be a roll of the dice these days.

A question: I bought Monel staples when I picked up my pneumatic stapler. Since then, I've read in a couple of places to avoid using Monel hardware with pressure treated wood, especially the newer ACQ (post-2000) stuff. I'm wondering if I might be OK using them on this older PT wood, which is almost certainly CCA treated (and which has been weathering for a number of years). I'll probably used galvanized or stainless steel lag bolts to replace the bunks, but I'd like to use these expensive Monel staples if I can get away with it. Anyone have any experience with them in CCA treated wood? It's supposed to be less corrosive than the newer PT formulation.

I'll post pics later. The weather here has been lousy the last couple days. They're even forecasting snow today and tonight!

Thanks,
Jim

 

[rsmitty814]

Re: Rehabbing my trailer...

yep it gets pulled back on with the winch..... doesn't hurt a thing... if you treat the bunks with silicone lube it is much easier but it works without it.... the first time I did it that way was with an aeroglass 20 cuddy with a mercruiser v8 on a bunk trailer w no lube.... That wasover 15 years ago and I've done it dozens of times with various boats since... including a 5500+ lb 26' flybridge cruiser tho it did have a roller trailer.

Smoke did you have the trailer off the vehicle when winching? In other words...did you pull the boat back on the trailer or did you winch the trailer back under the boat?

 

[JASinIL2006]

Re: Rehabbing my trailer...

Darn. Winter's back in Illinois... too cold to work outside on the trailer. I'm itching to try out my Preval sprayer!

At least it gives me some time to figure out whether I want to chance it and use my Monel staples in PT lumber, or if I should just suck it up and buy some stainless staples.