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| Need help finding trailer cross bar for 1981 Hobie Cat http://www.hobie.com/au/en/forums/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=59554 |
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| Author: | Quentus [ Fri Nov 25, 2016 9:50 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Need help finding trailer cross bar for 1981 Hobie Cat |
I am attempting to find a replacement cross member or "bar" for my trailer. I'm not sure if this is actually what it is called. On the trailers that come with the 1981 cats, there are two bars that are about 92 inches long that are attached to the main trailer frame and directly support the hulls. They run perpendicular to the length of the trailer. Last summer, the back bar failed and I have been using a 4 x 4 treated lumber to support the hulls. TrailerPartsDepot sells a 2x2x95.75" Galv cross member straight. But when I found a picture of how the cross member is used on a Load Rite Catamaran trailer, it does not directly support the hulls. There is also no information provided by TrailerPartsDepot as to the load rating of this particular cross member. I don't want to by just any cross member only to have it bend as soon as the hull is put on top of it. Does anyone know where I could purchase a replacement? The 4 x 4 treated lumber appears to have the same strength as the cross member, but it is considerably heavier and not ideal for taking the cat on long-distance trips. |
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| Author: | Tim H16 [ Sun Nov 27, 2016 1:38 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Need help finding cross bar for 1981 Hobie Cat |
I rebuilt my trailer this summer.   Although it is not a Load Rite Catamaran trailer, you may be able to do as I did. The original trailer was all galvanized steel and had a lot of corrosion. I replaced the cross beams with 2x2 box aluminum tubing and replaced the roller assemblies with the aluminum ones from TrailerPartsDepot and used U-bolts and tie plates to assemble all the new parts. 
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| Author: | Quentus [ Sun Nov 27, 2016 6:39 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Need help finding cross bar for 1981 Hobie Cat |
You look to have the same trailer as I do. I just finished ripping the old paint and rust off and repainting as you did, but need to replace the cross members. So the cross members I see in your pictures supporting the hulls are the 2x2x95.75" Galv cross member straight from TrailerPartsDepot? And they support the hulls adequately? Just want to make sure before I buy one. P.S. I like what you did with the roller assemblies. What size are the U-bolts? |
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| Author: | Tim H16 [ Mon Nov 28, 2016 11:11 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Need help finding cross bar for 1981 Hobie Cat |
Quentus, The the cross beams are 96" x 2" x 2" box aluminum tubing. They are plenty strong (I tested them by jumping up and down on ends before I installed the rollers). I got tired of the galvanized rusting and switched to aluminum. For the aluminum rollers, I used eight 3/8" x 2" x 3 1/2" zinc plated U-bolts and four 2" x 9/16" galvanized tie plates with two 3/8" holes. For the cross beams, I used four 1/2" x 3" x 6" zinc plated U-bolts and four 3" x 9/16" galvanized tie plates with two 9/16" holes. All the nuts on the U-bolts are stainless steel nylocks. I also cut up 4 pieces out of an outside door mat to glue on the vertical rollers to keep them from making marks on the sides of the hulls. |
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| Author: | Quentus [ Mon Nov 28, 2016 5:38 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Need help finding cross bar for 1981 Hobie Cat |
Aluminum? I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around that one. I hope you are right cause the aluminum tubing is half the cost of galvanized. I just never would have imagined that it could support 320 pounds of weight. Is it 1/4 inch walls on the tubing? Do you mind telling me where you got them? Ebay? Retail? Thanks again for your input. this is exciting news. |
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| Author: | srm [ Mon Nov 28, 2016 5:57 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Need help finding trailer cross bar for 1981 Hobie Cat |
Onlinemetals.com You can get an 8 foot long piece of 2" square x 0.120 wall steel tubing for about $35 (plus shipping) which would be more than sufficient to hold up the back end of a Hobie 16. Otherwise, I would just stick with the 4x4 post. It might not be pretty, but it works, is cheap, is plenty strong, and will likely outlast the boat (and the rest of the trailer). sm |
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| Author: | Quentus [ Mon Nov 28, 2016 7:53 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Need help finding trailer cross bar for 1981 Hobie Cat |
Thanks srm. Just ordered them. You saved me a ton of money 
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| Author: | Tim H16 [ Tue Nov 29, 2016 9:29 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Need help finding trailer cross bar for 1981 Hobie Cat |
Quentus, Yes, the aluminum is 1/4" with rounded corners and has plenty of strength. Besides no corrosion, the other benefit of aluminum cross beams is that they are a lot easier to drill than galvanized steel (for license plates, lights, tie downs, etc.). |
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| Author: | jeff05 [ Mon May 21, 2018 5:47 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Need help finding trailer cross bar for 1981 Hobie Cat |
Hi Tim, Are you still happy with those aluminum rollers? I am trying to decide between those and the slightly less expensive galvanized ones from magic tilt. thanks! Jeff |
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| Author: | Tim H16 [ Mon May 21, 2018 12:14 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Need help finding trailer cross bar for 1981 Hobie Cat |
Jeff, The aluminum rollers and aluminum cross beams are still as good as they were when new. I wish the rest of the trailer was aluminum instead galvanized steel. Although I do not put the trailer in the water, saltwater/air and rinsing after each use still causes corrosion on a galvanized trailer I also wish there was a more flexible set of leaf springs available, it seems as if every bump in the road is transmitted directly to the hulls (the trailer and boat bounce as if there where no springs at all). My trailer uses UNA-038 slipper springs - flat end with 2 leaves, 30" long, each rated at 880lbs. The trailer and boat only weigh about 750lbs. Has anyone removed the second leaf to make the springs less rigid (lower weight capacity) or done other modifications to make trailering easier on the boat? |
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| Author: | jeff05 [ Mon May 21, 2018 12:58 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Need help finding trailer cross bar for 1981 Hobie Cat |
thanks Tim, looks really good. OK, I will go for the aluminum ones. They have a spring 10% off sale on them now at TrailerParts Depot. Great, Jeff (not on springs, for spring. I guess its on springs too though) |
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| Author: | Tim H16 [ Mon May 21, 2018 1:29 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Need help finding trailer cross bar for 1981 Hobie Cat |
Jeff, I also cut 4 pieces out of an outside door mat to glue (contact cement) on the vertical rollers to keep them from making marks on the sides of the hulls. |
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| Author: | jeff05 [ Mon May 21, 2018 3:12 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Need help finding trailer cross bar for 1981 Hobie Cat |
I see that, good idea. I just ordered all the parts... |
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| Author: | ASDASC [ Wed May 23, 2018 5:50 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Need help finding trailer cross bar for 1981 Hobie Cat |
Earlier you were talking about the springs being too stiff. Last year I saw a lightweight catamaran trailer that didn't have a full axle, instead it had these interesting contraptions on each side with a wheel hub. It looked like inside was a coil of spring steel, but it was covered so hard to tell. Has anyone heard of these? Where can you get them? I will try to find a picture, but they seemed much better suited to our lightweight trailering needs. |
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| Author: | srm [ Wed May 23, 2018 6:53 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Need help finding trailer cross bar for 1981 Hobie Cat |
"Torsion Springs" You would need to re-configure your trailer and make sure that the attachment points are strong enough to handle the load as well as be able to maintain alignment of the wheels since there's no full-length axle there to keep the wheels parallel to one another. A much better approach IMO would be to just purchase a replacement set of leaf springs that have a lower load rating. I did this on my trailer earlier this year, but actually went in the opposite direction. The supplied leaf springs on my Trailex were very soft, so I bumped up to a slightly higher load rating (one additional leaf). You need some basic info from your current springs (length, width, number of leaves, double eye or slipper spring), then just find some that will fit and have a lower load capacity. I ended up purchasing from Michigan Truck Spring. etrailer.com is also a good source. Another possible option would be to simply remove one or some of the leaves on your existing springs to soften them up. The leaves are just held in place with metal banding and a bolt in the middle of the springs. Of course, you do this at your own peril.... sm |
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