Brought home some steel today.

[RECESS]

I have an A frame Float On trailer. I am adding a winch tower and adding an extension to the trailer hitch so my tires stay away from the water when launching. Went to the local steel yard and picked up a 10 foot section of 3 inch square tube and a 4 foot section of 3 1/2 inch square tube. One slides through the other like hand in glove. The trailer has a 3 3/4 inch square opening in the front area to run the tubes back about 9 feet. I just want to be able to slide the smaller tube out and extend the trailer at time of launch and retrieval.



edit: changed inches to foot on one of the measurements.

 

[Ron Roman]

 

[SeaRanch]

Suggest you get the steel galvanized so the "glove" fit will not rust.

 

[TimCup]

Reminds me of the "Duh" moment for me this week-

We keep the boat in a slip, only use the trailer to haul the boat for maintenance. Last time I pulled the boat, I had a dickens of a time getting it all the way on, even with the winch. My wheels were submerged, even had to put the exhaust under water, which REALLY freaked me out. My buddy's trailer has an 8 foot extension with a hitch attached, and I thought next time I might borrow it.

As luck would have it, my trailer lights quit working, so while I was fixing it, I looked down, and there was a round steel bar running through the trailer tongue VERTICALLY...

"Duh", it has a six foot extension built in, exactly like your discussing! Yeah, I feel smart....

cup

 

[RECESS]

I was thinking about what to coat the steel with? The problem is that just about any coating I would put on it would most likely be scraped off when the 10 foot piece slides through the 4 foot piece. Also anything that adds thickness is going to make it tough to slide it out. I will be launching in saltwater about 4 or 5 times a years so I have consider just rubbing on a thin layer of oil after rinsing to prevent rust

Any suggestions?

 

[RECESS]

That is a good problem to have Tim.

 

[jackhartjr]

SeaRanch...how would one go about getting it galvanized?

RECESS...please be sure to build in a 'stop' so it don't come all the way out!
Jack

 

[48dodge]

Powdercoating may be easier to do. Don't know how well it would hold up with that kind of abuse, though

 

[blue noser]

to get it galvenized you gotta take it to a place, they will remove everything and hot dip it, this works great and trailer will last forever, am thinking about getting mine done when finished with mods this year

wade

 

[SeaRanch]

jachhartjr....blue noser is correct, will need to find a "place" that does "hot dip" galvanizing. Here in Panama City, a local custom trailer shop sends their parts to Mobile Alabama to have it done. When I had a H23 I also made an extension for the trailer tongue (like RECESS has done) and had it galvanized.

 

[Timo42]

I have been using my uncoated extension for 2 years, I pull it out of the trailer after parking it, use LPS inside the outer tube and clean any rust off before reassembling. So far so good. I would like to find a 2" square wire brush to run through it once in a while.
BN, how much was it to dip an entire trailer? I would be worried about the galvanized coating causing fit problems between the tube and extension though. My trailer is made of 4" hotrolled steel channel, probably not going to rust through any time soon

 

[JerryA]

Cold Galvanizing

Recess,

I've had good luck with the cold galvanizing that comes in spray cans. It doesn't last forever like hot dip, but it's a bunch less expensive for your application.

JerryA

 

[RECESS]

I will stop by Lowes and get some. There are probably a lot of places that will not come in contact with each other and scrape it off.

Thanks

 

[Stu Jackson]

Wait: Don't bother galvanizing the extension

any coating I would put on it would most likely be scraped off when the 10 foot piece slides through the 4 foot piece. Also anything that adds thickness is going to make it tough to slide it out.

The extension on our trailer was NOT galvanized. Even if it was, it wouldn't address the REAL issue, which is getting the extension in and out when you need it to move.

I would suggest forgetting about galvanizing the extension. Why add thickness when you certainly, as said, don't need or want it? Just get a second tube of axle bearing grease and lather that extension up very well before and after each use. If you can't move it easily by hand, it's too tight anyway.

 

[catsailor]

Does the extention go under water?

If not, grease.

 

[blue noser]

your rite, hot dip wont work for extension, but works great for the rest
not really sure what to do the the extension, it does go in the water i wonder
if rust check would be ok

wade

 

[Stu Jackson]

Does the extension go under water?

If not, grease.

Uh, no, not necessarily so.

If SO, grease it. Most of the whole danged trailer rig goes underwater, which is the reason for the extension to begin with: to avoid getting the car in the water.

Forget the complicated galvanizing, and try the grease. If it works, you're done and it's the least expensive option you've been presented with. And you can always do the others later.

Good luck, out.:dance:

 

[Joe11688]

One of my friends built his on tongue extender and he purchased galvanized steel to build it. I think that he bought a 10' piece of 3" square tube for about $70 back then. He uses a pin to keep it in place.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Joe, that's a nifty add-on extender

Some of the other types have the extender installed right to the hitch ball, so the extender tongue slides into the trailer fork main section, which is what we had. I agree, if it's separate as shown in your pictures it'd be better galvanized. If it's a "slide-in" type, plain would be fine to be able to fit and slide in and out freely.

 

[RECESS]

I mounted the rig today. It flexes too much at one point so I will be doing some more welding soon while the boat is in the water and off the trailer. You never know what you have until you start putting the weight on it and watch carefully. It may have held up well, but I can get rid of the flexing.