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 Post subject: Trailer suggestion
PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2017 5:28 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jun 18, 2017 8:11 pm
Posts: 22
I'm looking into the Harbor Freight trailers to modify to transport and store my tandem island on. They sell two basic cargo trailers, one appears capable of more weight, but same dimensions. They also sell a boat trailer. I've seen a couple of people mod the cargo trailer to fit. Would the boat trailer be better? I assume the lighter capacity cheaper cargo trailer would fit the bill out of the two basic options?

https://www.harborfreight.com/automotiv ... ories.html


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 Post subject: Re: Trailer suggestion
PostPosted: Sat Jul 22, 2017 8:17 am 
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Joined: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:18 am
Posts: 3058
Location: Sarasota,Key West FL
We ended buying the 40x48 utility trailer with the small tires, it was on sale for $140 bucks when we bought ours. I then bought some 1 1/4" pvc tubing for the boat to sit on, on 11" centers. I bought some 1"sq aluminum and made my own extension to extend the trailer. The extensions are attached by pins to the 40x48 section so the trailer can easily be broke down into two pieces. The 40x48 part can also be used as a launch cart. When broke down the whole trailer fits in the bed of our truck or stored against the wall in the garage. We use ours mostly in salt water and it rusts away quickly, as each cross bar rusts away I replace with 2" angle aluminum (lowes). I bent up some 1/8x2" aluminum and mounted a cheap harbor freight boat winch to the front.
With mine the boat itself is part of the structure so there need to be straps at the front and the back of the trailer. I mostly use the trailer locally. When we go to our key west place I bought another set of 12" american made tires for long trips, (I simply don't trust the cheap 8" chinese tires on the highway, (they were like $50 bucks ea at walmart). To strengthen the pvc tubing I just bought wood broom handles and shoved them into the pvc tubing.
When you get the trailer it's worthwhile to replace all the bolts with stainless steel bolts and nuts (about $20 bucks worth, (lowes). At first I tried to re-paint everything at the first sign of rust. This ended up being a lost cause because the salt water gets under the paint and rusts the metal away. I ended up just scraping all the paint off and leaving bare metal, once the metal gets a rust coating it only needs to be rinsed off with fresh water and actually lasts way longer. As the cross bars rust away, I just replace them with aluminum angle. There are I think 3 cross bars, I replaced 1 so far (the rear one). I bought enough aluminum for all three, as the other ones give out I will replace, (takes ten minutes).

The lights are crap I don't recommend ever dunking the trailer. There are no good seals on the wheel bearings, Don't dunk the wheels, and you need to take the wheels off and re-grease before any long trip, I usually put the big tires on at the same time.
Actually if you extend the PVC out the back of the trailer about a foot or so it really helps guide the boat in cross winds. I added a 9" paint roller slid over a piece of pvc pipe at the back of the trailer so the boat rolls on the roller when loading, ($3 bucks). Once I get the bow on the roller, I hook the winch up and crank the boat up the rest of the way, (I use my cordless drill)
With the small tires on I only need to lift the bow maybe 5 inches (thats why I like the small tires locally).
When using the back half of the trailer as a launch cart, I pull the two pins holding the trailer together, I slide the boat back on the trailer so it is balanced on the trailer, then grab the bow and walk the boat wherever I need to. With the hard tires and the wheel bearings the fully loaded TI rolls way easier than on any scupper cart we have ever tried to use.
Lets be honest, it's a $140 dollar trailer, a total piece of crap, I had to work a whole weekend modifying so it would fit my TI. All the extra alum I had to add was about a hundred bucks, the crazy winch was about 25 bucks. The whole thing is a total piece of crap, and looks like crap (all rusty). The TI lives on that trailer in our garage, we try to go out every weekend, I don't ever remove anything from the boat, all 2-3 masts just lay over the boat, and remain rigged, both engines I tilt down for storage. I leave the seats in and just lay the PFD's over the leashed mirage drives laying in the hull. Sometime to save space in the garage I remove the AMA's and toss them on top of the boat. When we want to go out I back my Pontiac solstice out of the garage, turn it around and plug the reciever in. I back the boat out turn it around and hook it up, then I'm off (takes all of two minutes). When done I park the solstice in the garage, rinse the boat off with the hose in the drive, disconnect then roll into the garage. I release all the bungys, open the hatches, tilt the motors down, then just leave the ceiling fan in the garage on for a day or so till everything is dry, (takes all of 5 minutes)
We also car top a lot (when we have our camper in tow), which is way more work, but neccessary, (it's either car top or leave the boat at home).
I added a small caster wheel under the front so I can roll the trailer around in the garage.
About once a year I flip the boat over and fix all the bottom scratches (the deep ones I fill with the Hobie Welder, the rest I just scrape away with a single edge razor blade held vertically scraping back and forth ( the plastic comes off like snow flakes). There is a lot of sand, coral, and oyster beds around here, so the boat bottom always looks like it has gone thru WW2, I don't worry too much about any of it. These boats are nearly indestructible. I do nearly nothing maintwise on the boat besides cleaning and lubricating the mirage drives once in a while. And of course you need to maintain the engines, no different from any other boat.
In Florida trailers have to have plates, and titles, and have to be DOT approved with all paperwork in order, just sayin if you buy an old trailer without paperwork, your in for a nightmare experience with Florida DOT, (been there done that), The harbor Freight trailers are a total piece of crap but come with all the correct legal paperwork, after you register and title it, just do what you need to do to make it work. I'll be honest I did't expect the thing to last a year (a total POS). Every time I park it at the boat launches some trailer company leaves their business card in my window, I now have a couple hundred business cards in my glove box I swear (lol, not that many really, but there are a bunch).

If I had any pride, I would have just bought the darn Hobie trailer with cradles, would have saved me a weekend of busy work in the garage, ( I have no clue what the Hobie trailers and cradles cost).
I had all this posted on the forum 3-4 yrs ago but photobucket stopped hosting pics, so all the pics are lost forever, (kinda sucks, I won't be posting anymore pics). I haven't done crap to anything since, I just use the stuff.
FE


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 Post subject: Re: Trailer suggestion
PostPosted: Sat Jul 22, 2017 8:35 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 8:10 pm
Posts: 1
I have the Harbor Freight boat trailer for my AI. For $300, it could not be beat. This is my third year using it, and it has held up really well. I modified it with the Yakima saddles that were on my roof rack, but do not let it touch water, as I'm in salt (South Shore of Long Island). I use a C-Tug from trailer to water; I prefer the C-Tug because it can be put on the boat without getting me getting wet passed the shins. I will post a picture of the setup.
Though I have owned the AI for seven years now, I just joined the forum a couple of days ago, so I hope my input helps.


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 Post subject: Re: Trailer suggestion
PostPosted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 5:41 am 
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Joined: Tue May 09, 2017 6:57 am
Posts: 22
Yep. HF is the way to go. Here's how I did it.

https://youtu.be/jADAOKCbwA0


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 Post subject: Re: Trailer suggestion
PostPosted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 6:46 am 
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Joined: Sun Jun 18, 2017 8:11 pm
Posts: 22
douglasflather wrote:
Yep. HF is the way to go. Here's how I did it.

https://youtu.be/jADAOKCbwA0


Thanks for the input. Did you have to modify the hitch area at all because the tandem is so long?


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 Post subject: Re: Trailer suggestion
PostPosted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 7:39 am 
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Joined: Tue Jul 11, 2017 3:48 pm
Posts: 49
I just purchased one of these for a TI. http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/mcclain ... tid=161404

It's not a bad deal for what you get.

I'll start modifying it this weekend for my boat including adding cradles and new lights. It's also a bit too heavily sprung for a Hobie so I plan to remove one or two of the three leaves from the springs until I'm satisfied with the ride.

Photos to follow.


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 Post subject: Re: Trailer suggestion
PostPosted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 7:58 am 
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Joined: Tue May 09, 2017 6:57 am
Posts: 22
re: Did you have to modify the hitch area at all because the tandem is so long?


DF: No. I own an AI, so it wasn't necessary. Mine stays balanced over the wheels.
I believe the TI's are longer so you probably will need to extend the trailer backward, away from the hitch.


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 Post subject: Re: Trailer suggestion
PostPosted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 10:48 am 
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Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2014 2:13 pm
Posts: 161
Location: San Antonio, TX
MisterMoon wrote:
I just purchased one of these for a TI. http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/mcclain ... tid=161404

It's not a bad deal for what you get.

I'll start modifying it this weekend for my boat including adding cradles and new lights. It's also a bit too heavily sprung for a Hobie so I plan to remove one or two of the three leaves from the springs until I'm satisfied with the ride.

Photos to follow.


I've been using this trailer for almost three years. I replaced the taillights with submersible LED's and installed some bearing buddies along with their rear seal kit. It has, so far, been a great trailer. It is a bit over sprung for the TI. Mine only came with single leaves, so I haven't found an easy way to reduce the spring rate. I just take it easy over any big bumps, or it'll catch air.

_________________
-- Chad | 2014 TI


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 Post subject: Re: Trailer suggestion
PostPosted: Mon Jul 24, 2017 11:11 am 
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Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 8:59 am
Posts: 49
Location: Cleveland, OH
I selected a galvanized trailer by Genisis Trailers (http://www.genesistrailers.com), the model is the "Pleasure Island".

I picked it up in Holland, MI and it ran about $700 factory direct w no options, plus the Hobie cradles. I added LED lights for 29 bucks.

This trailer is ultra-strong and handles the boat perfectly. I chose the 12" wheels, which nicely raises the boat for rigging etc. although requires launching a little farther down the ramp. I added a galvanized winch stand and a 10" rolller at the rear and 4 incher at the front. They only use 2" couplers.

I'm not a fan of corrosion-prone cheap finishes and sorry welding. I also wanted a full length support for the hull, and a long enough tongue to assure my hatch would swing open and have a tongue weight of around 45 pounds.

I'm pleased with the trailer, esp. at the total cost.


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 Post subject: Re: Trailer suggestion
PostPosted: Thu Jun 13, 2019 10:56 am 
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Joined: Thu Jun 13, 2019 8:52 am
Posts: 3
Location: Dallas Tx
MisterMoon wrote:
I just purchased one of these for a TI. http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/mcclain ... tid=161404

It's not a bad deal for what you get.

I'll start modifying it this weekend for my boat including adding cradles and new lights. It's also a bit too heavily sprung for a Hobie so I plan to remove one or two of the three leaves from the springs until I'm satisfied with the ride.

Photos to follow.



I also just purchased this trailer. How has yours been working? I am about to go from Dallas to WI 1000 mi each way. Did yours come with the Zerk fitting for regreassing? if so any tips? How did it fare taking one of the leafs out?

On mine I built a rack for a yakima skybox out of unistrut at the front of the trailer but now I am pretty heavy in the front and am going to move the axle up a bit. the rack and box are 60#'s empty.


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 Post subject: Re: Trailer suggestion
PostPosted: Fri Jun 14, 2019 2:05 pm 
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Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2011 1:58 am
Posts: 2893
Location: Forster, NSW, Australia
Almost any simple trailer made for lightweight "tinnies" can be easily adapted for use with Islands, initially by extending the drawbar, and then adding fore-n-aft PVC tubes of Hobie cradles. My local trailer guy gave me 13" wheels as a free upgrade, and when cruising at 70mph, you would hardly know the trailer was hitched on the back.

After one of my waterproof lights was vandalised, I made up a small frame to support a light-board which sits in the rear cargo area, much closer to the rear of my TI. I just stow this in my vehicle when launching

_________________
Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker


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