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elgeebee
Senior Member
475 Posts |
 Posted - 03/17/2012 : 07:09:30 AM
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$100 on Craigslist for a small trailer, had a lot of rust on it - mainly the springs and rear-end. But I saw potential - it had good tires and it was the width I was looking for...I don't have any before-pics, but here's what I've done so far.
This was the rear of the trailer - I cut off 7" that was too far gone to save. I moved the middle strut to the back for a new rear crossmember.
Did a lot of scraping and wire-brushing and the black paint you see is rust converter. I replaced the corroded springs and mounting hardware too. I'm gonna keep the fenders with the rust holes in 'em - it gives the trailer some character 
I've got to fabricate a new middle crossmember, rig the new lights, and figure out the configuration I want to use to haul a couple of kayaks, and I'll be done.
Lewis Brownlee
"elgeebee"
WS Ride 135
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Edited by - elgeebee on 03/17/2012 07:13:05 AM |
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rigger1
Senior Member
157 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2012 : 07:45:29 AM
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I love a good project.
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nikonjedi
Senior Member
2923 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2012 : 07:47:49 AM
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Awesome.... You now have to put flames on the fenders to go with the holes 
"Paddle faster boys... I hear banjo music!"
SC Chapter Coordinator- Heroes on the Water
http://www.HeroesOnTheWater.org
Charleston Director- SCKayakfishing.com
Tarpon 160os
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DFreedom
Senior Member
6600 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2012 : 08:03:56 AM
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| Keep us posted, I have a spare trailer with the same idea in mind. I just have to add it to my list of things to do. |
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elgeebee
Senior Member
475 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2012 : 8:15:36 PM
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Today was spent mounting the rear crossmember, and a piece of heavy angle-iron for the new middle crosspiece. Mounted them with galvanized hardware. Also reinforced the c-channel above the slipper springs with some angle iron. Also ran the new wires and lights.
Lewis Brownlee
"elgeebee"
WS Ride 135
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Too Busy
Senior Member
4112 Posts |
Posted - 03/18/2012 : 8:40:46 PM
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Looking good Lewis. Keep the pics coming.
Give me a shout if you need any welding. I can bust out the flux cored MIG gun.
Who's Ready for a Sleigh Ride? www.KayakFishSC.com
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elgeebee
Senior Member
475 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2012 : 8:58:46 PM
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Got frustrated thinking about the best way to set up the trailer...had to walk away from it for a couple days. Decided to keep it simple. I am recycling the treated-wood bunkboards and brackets that came with the trailer, and mounting them sideways on the trailer.
It may look funny, since I have them mounted about mid-way on the trailer - but I didn't want 5' of kayak hanging beyond the end of the trailer and the lights.
I spaced them out the same as my luggage rack on my vehicle, where the pontoon-hull is fully supported by both boards. Here's the boat on the boards:
Boards will get a covering of outdoor carpet. I might mount a vertical board on the bunks for a middle-support.
Going to put the metal winch-tower back on the tongue, remove the winch and add some eyelets to use as a front strapping-down point for the kayaks I carry.
Lewis Brownlee
"elgeebee"
WS Ride 135
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5151
Senior Member
649 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2012 : 9:56:34 PM
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| Looking good |
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Too Busy
Senior Member
4112 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2012 : 4:21:13 PM
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Looks good Lewis. Just put a couple of eye bolts into the bunks for strap down points and your ready to roll.
Who's Ready for a Sleigh Ride? www.KayakFishSC.com
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rigger1
Senior Member
157 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2012 : 6:51:23 PM
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Just a thought for you here. With the boat that far forward on the trailer, make sure you have enough room that if you have to make a really hard turn or back the trailer into a tight spot, your boat wont hit your truck. Do a test turn/back and watch to make sure you have room.
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elgeebee
Senior Member
475 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2012 : 7:20:48 PM
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Thanks rigger - clearance looks good...trailer has long tongue.
Messed with it today...decided to go ahead and put new 2x6's on instead of the older 2x4's for strength's sake. Might build some sort of storage box on it as well, for the storage of course - but also to add weight...trailer is very light.
Lewis Brownlee
"elgeebee"
WS Ride 135
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DDOlson
Intermediate Member
73 Posts |
Posted - 03/29/2012 : 11:15:43 PM
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| Goods Great |
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elgeebee
Senior Member
475 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2012 : 7:41:30 PM
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Consider this trailer finished!
I spent this morning finishing some odds and ends and doing a final assembly. The trailer had a lot of rust when I got it, and I was doing some painting the other day and I found some suspect spots around the spring mounts that I overlooked...instead of having a roadside problem/catastrophe later on, I cut angle-iron and along with some galvanized hardware I made these reinforcements. Did this for both sides and the rear slippers have one too. Gave everything a nice flat-black paint bath.
New 2x6 treated planks - eye bolts bolted-on for tiedown. Old surfboard rack pads (already had those) screwed to planks with stainless screws...decided to do this instead of the outdoor carpet. Also decided against building a box on it - keep it simple before it really becomes a money pit 
Look at that nice empty space on the left side...yearning for a new kayak!
Took it for a long test-drive today with the yak on - did very well. Bounced very little...I imagine that the weight of another kayak added will make it even better (hmmm...)
$100 for the original trailer - add approx. $175 in hardware, lumber, paint, new springs, and lights.
Lewis Brownlee
"elgeebee"
WS Ride 135
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DFreedom
Senior Member
6600 Posts |
Posted - 03/31/2012 : 7:47:08 PM
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| Very nice! I have a small trailer I plan to do the same thing with. I have 3 kayaks so design will probably have the yaks on their sides. |
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Too Busy
Senior Member
4112 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2012 : 09:03:29 AM
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that turned out very nice Lewis. It's kind of a pain, but you can take one leaf off the springs and soften the ride a little.
Who's Ready for a Sleigh Ride? www.KayakFishSC.com
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CHSbound
Intermediate Member
148 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2012 : 09:04:43 AM
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| And make sure you don't have too much air in the tires. Consider this, Trailex recommends running only 15psi in the tires on their trailers. Keep in mind they are aluminum and maybe lighter. When I built my trailer the tires were set at 50psi I run them at 25psi for the best ride without allowing the tire to run low. |
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Kayak Trailer Project
