Trying to mount a winch & wheel on Trailex TI trailer

Hi guys! Help, please!

I want to mount the winch & 3rd wheel I bought (supposedly the right ones for my trailer/setup) and when I was picking up the new boat, the people at the dealer said it wouldn't fit. I'm not sure if that's right, I've seen some pix on this site that show winches mounted on the trailer, only difference I can see is the bowstop roller would be tilted toward the boat and the winch tilted back, instead. There was talk that it could hit the car on a turn? Which leads me to wonder—looking at the pix of my old (2014) TI on the trailer: can I move the boat and/or the cradle further back? (I can't really move the rear cradle back any further than it is now, and used the guidelines on this site for measuring the distance between the cradles last summer.) I don't see how I can mount that 3rd wheel though, I just don't see that there's clearance from the front of the trailer. I have to take apart the front in any event: the dealer didn't put on the front lights, and my husband has to wire them in.

As to 'you don't need a winch': It's true when both of us are out that a winch isn't needed to get the boat back on the trailer, but I'd like the option of going it alone, and I can't easily do it myself. And, yeah, emergency brake and chocks behind the front wheels if I do that, I've seen/heard what can happen. The 3rd wheel—the trailer sits in the yard on the low side of the ground, and it isn't terribly easy to roll uphill with one's back in an awkward position.

Any thoughts on properly doing this? Thanks in advance!

http://s1278.photobucket.com/user/susanr5/slideshow/Hobie%20for%20winch

You might consider getting a trailer dolly from Harbor Freight. It has a ball that goes into the hitch of the trailer
and two knobby 8" wheels that will roll a lot easier across your yard while saving your back. The HF ones are not very good quality but would probably be fine for your lightweight trailer. Put "Slime" in the tires to help keep them inflated.

I have a winch stand/bow stop and swing up third wheel as well as spare tire on the front of my trailer. These trailer parts are bolt on and not specific to any brand of trailer. A swing up jack might work better for you. Mine is mounted just a few inches back from the bow and doesn't interfere with anything. Can you mount or modify your bow stop to go on the winch stand ? My winch stand is only far enough back to allow the tailgate of my Toyota PU to open.

If you expect to be loading by yourself you might want a roller on the rear of the trailer.

I use pvc bunks on my trailer and can push the boat across them with one hand. My cart is mounted on the back of the trailer and I have found that pushing the boat over the foam on the cradle increases the resistance a great deal. To such an extent that I will probably remove the cart when I am launching right off the trailer and not using the cart.
Chris

My new cradles, for my AI 2, do not have the "foam" rubber slides. Rather my new cradles have an Astro turf (artificial grass) type material--easy sliding.

Keith

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2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon

I could be mistaken, but I believe you could slide your Island back on the trailer without compromising the fit. This is based on that photo showing the rear of your rig. You should then have room for the winch and wheel.

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

As far as hitting the car on a turn - that would just about take a jackknife to do. OTOH, if you have a hatchback you must make sure that it won't hit when opening. I only have about an inch clearance so can only open the hatch with the trailer within 30 degrees or so of being straight behind me. If the trailer were up a hill that would decrease that distance as well.

Due to the taper of the hull, I still have around an inch clearance between the jack and the hull.

Chocks....The front wheel isn't great for chocking as it is free to rotate to any direction, I use chocks on the rear wheels when sitting on my sloping driveway during bath time.

Thanks! May be able to try it tomorrow (My Mother's Day wish was a ride on the Cyclone & Wonder Wheel, and a bit of Nathan's. And if it's too foggy to go, for everyone to help me with the trailer.

; )

Ready for a shakedown!

Looks like I have the exact same setup as you do with the Trailex Trailer (i.e Trailex made for Hobie).
Mine was put together by the dealer that I bought it from, so this is the way it came. Mine looks like it is sitting far enough back that you could mount a 3rd wheel easily. The measuring tape is 36" . Just make sure if you have a tailgate or hatch that it does not hit. I think someone else mentioned that as well.

Note that moving the T1 back on the trailer will make it longer. I have to put mine in at an angle to make it fit in my garage. The TI rides fine in this configuration as well. I have been pulling at 65mph easily.

I also agree that it is difficult to get it on the trailer with one person. I plan on putting carpet on the rear cradles or put a roller to help.

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2015 Hobie Tandem Island

Great post . I have had to put off ordering my TI this year because of an injury . And, have found this post helpful . As I will be loading and unloading from a trailer my future TI routinely . Have a great summer on your Hobie TI .

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Rj
Hill Country Texas
Near Canyon Lake