Build your own Trailer?

[JBurbidge1]

I have been working on restoring an old Rhodes 19 for the last few years, and am about ready to put it in the water. The trailer that came with the boat was not set up for ramp launching, so I am planning to renovate it.

I have put together a design, mostly from looking at various trailer-sales sites and copying what I like, and am ready to take it to a welder. Trouble is, I know zero about trailers and trailering, so my fancy design may actually not have much practical application

Any suggestions for things to consider or things to avoid?

Thanks,

Jim

 

[Picflight]

Main things to consider:

Does the trailer frame design support the weight of the boat.
Are the bunks placed in positions that support the boat load points or the internal framing of the boat.
Is the center of gravity of the boat on the trailer low enough to allow safe travel,
Is the height of the trailer frame above ground high enough to go over small obstacles, in other words good angle of attack and departure.

Depends on what costs are in your area, some places it is cheaper to get a new trailer designed for that boat by a reputable trailer builder.

 

[BioAndy]

Ditto what Picflight said. I have modified a trailer in the past to fit a "special" sailboat I owned, but only because I couldn't find an appropriate one to buy. If you're designing from scratch, you'll also have to consider all the legal/safty requirements, including axel capacity, brake requirements, overall loaded height, width and weight, coupling ratings etc, etc. Rhodes 19 is a popular boat, you can probably avoid re-inventing the wheel. Rather than take your design to a welder, maybe you can find a trailer builder willing to work with your design and trailer.
Andy

 

[rgranger]

I have been working on restoring an old Rhodes 19 for the last few years, and am about ready to put it in the water. The trailer that came with the boat was not set up for ramp launching, so I am planning to renovate it.

I have put together a design, mostly from looking at various trailer-sales sites and copying what I like, and am ready to take it to a welder. Trouble is, I know zero about trailers and trailering, so my fancy design may actually not have much practical application

Any suggestions for things to consider or things to avoid?

Thanks,

Jim

Glen-L marine sells a nice little paper backed pamphlet on building trailers. I have a copy. Very useful. I did not build my own but I did use some of the ideas to repair a few very badly neglected trailers.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Picflight pretty much hit it on the head. I forgot if the Rhodes 19 is a fixed or swing keel but proper attention to a keel tray is in order. If the axle is welded to the frame and there is a need to move that axle, well, you will have too. When configuring a trailer, you should have 10% of the weight of the trailer, boat and gear on the tongue of the trailer for safety. Do not forget about the required safety chains and of course trailer lights. I think with this additional information, you will have enough to start on your project but always keep in mind safety safety.

 

[JBurbidge1]

Thanks all for the replies. Perhaps I wasn't clear enough in my first post. The trailer that I have - came with the boat - is very serviceable. Rarely used, except to store the boat in a dry lot for about five years. The hubs and tires are OK, it is just not set up for launching a sailboat from a ramp.

The boat has a keel, about 28 inches tall, and the waterline is about 32 inches from the top of the frame. So it is tall, but I think the majority of the weight - the keel - is fairly low.

I'm a little concerned about weight. The trailer is a single axle, no brakes, rated at 2500 pounds, and I will be pushing that limit by the time I build it out the way I [think I] want, and add gear to the boat. I'm reconsidering the design and the thickness of the parts (will 11 gauge work instead of 3/16"?).

Any/all suggestions are welcome.

Thanks!

 

[jepomer]

A Rhodes 19 with keel should not be difficult to launch.

I use a 2" x 3" x 10' tongue extender (mounted similar to this: xtend-a-hitchnorthwest.com) to launch me Capri 22 wing keel.

It can be "strap-launched" using the jack stand wheel at its lowest (fully retracted) position to eliminate getting any of the tow vehicle wet.

Here's some ideas:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cScqw_T2Pz8
http://schrothfiberglass.com/Ramp launching.htm

 

[rgranger]

My state requires you to have breaks and a yearly inspection (more taxes) if you have more than one axle on the trailer. Something to throw into the calculation.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

The Rhodes 19 was built by Stuart Marine Corp. starting in 1959 in two versions, one being a keel and the other center board version with the keel version which is the heaviest being appx. 1325 pounds. Attached are the stats:


Rhodes 19 Sailboat

SPECIFICATIONS

Keel Centerboard

Overall Length 19' 2" 19' 2"
Waterline Length 17' 9" 17' 9"
Beam 7' 0" 7' 0"
Draft Minimum 3' 3" 10"
Draft Maximum 3' 3" 4' 11"
Sail Area 175 175
Recommended H.P. 2-6 2-6
Mast Height 27' 10" 27' 10"
Mast Length 28' 4" 25' 6"
Mast Weight 42 42
Boom Length 10' 4" 10' 4"
Boom Weight 10 10
Keel-C/B Material Iron Fiberglass
Keel-C/B Weight Approx. 440 /70
Internal Lead Ballast 0 /150
Rudder Type Fixed Kick Up
Rudder Material Mahogany
Seating 6
Weight Complete Approx. 1325/ 1030
Year Introduced 1959

Information provided by Stuart Marine Mfg., builder.

Since the trailer has been sitting, inspection of tires and bearings/racers needs to be done. If dry rot on the tires is seen, highly replace them with new tires balanced of course. The 2500 weight figure is either denoting full load carrying capacity or weight allowed on the trailer. To determine what you can safely carry, look at the load ranges on the tires and times two which will give you full load capacity which will include trailer, boat, motor and gear. You will need to figure again 10% safety factor built in. If full carrying capacity, then figure total load of 2250 pounds with 250 lbs for safety. Assuming the Rhodes 19 is a keel version at 1325 lbs, total weight of trailer, boat and motor will not exceed 2250 as a rule of thumb.

As for brakes, that will depend on the state the trailer is registered in. Generally on a single axle trailer of 3,000 pounds or more, most states require brakes on a single axle and that includes VA as I started my dealership in Roanoke, VA originally. Then states vary as to inspection of trailers with brakes. You will have to check what is required in Washington state. I learned a lot from Ron Frisosky, deceased, who designed the sailboat trailers for Performance and Trailer Sailors/Road King.

Although it appears brakes are not needed, I always advised my customers wide turns, watch out for overhangs, brake as if on snow and accelerate slowly as if on snow.

 

[dscribner]

Jim,

I trailer my Lancer 25 every possible weekend. On the trailer and fully loaded, the package is about 5500 pounds. I can brake effectively without trailer brakes. Don't get me wrong, I have them but there have been a couple of times that I know they weren't working and my F150 did just fine. That was before I replaced them. I guess I'm saying that if your state doesn't require them, don't worry about it. Just be sure your car/truck brakes and tires are good. If you do decide to upgrade the suspension, I'd suggest replacing the axle with a torsion axle in the 3700 pound range and add disk brakes. Then, you have no worries. The axle and the brake kit would be about $1000 combined.

 

[JBurbidge1]

Thanks all for the information. It appears that I am very close to exceeding my weight budget, based on the mods I want to make on the trailer, and the 10 percent safety factor. I think I could save about 100 pounds by moving the trailer extension to a dolly, as in the youtube video (thanks for the link, Jepomer). Problem is, that would introduce a second pivot point, which makes backing in anything other than an absolutely straight line pretty difficult, if not downright impossible. Am I missing something here?

 

[Apex]

Strap launching requires backing onto the ramp area, getting aligned, THEN chocking, unhooking the trailer to the dolly/strap, UNCHOCK, and then easing out the trailer to depth and launch. That would be in a straight line, yes, but launching is a straight line affair.