A few of us in Lansing are looking to build a small boat trailer suitable for behind a car/mid size suv. Something to hold 3 to 4 boats...any tips and suggestions would be welcome.
There have been a lot of great designs in a lot of creativity shown in our area for DN trailers. One design that has worked out well for its owners was a long retangular box (measurements off the cuff) about 16' long 4' tall and 4' wide. Both sides open up completely for easy access. In the center is a 'tree' with arms sticking out of both sides. The original version had canvas side curtains but the second owner removed them and added alum. tracks on top and bottom and has three thin plywood panels that slide into the tracks from the back end. If you set the tree up accordingly you should be able to hold several boats plus planks booms and sails. Masts go on top.
For light weight trailers we have had a couple of guys use alum. sheets riveted onto a frame attached to a light boat trailer. They have used gas pistons like a cars for the lid which was about 3" thick. There have been several variations of this with the nose closed off. If you put a track down the center and a small gate at the rear you can get the front chock on it and slide it forward. This is just so the whole top doesn't have to open. Use foam like on a truck cape tape to seal out water.
I've wanted to take pictures of all the crazy trailers for ideas.
check out this one.. put a top on the boat.. and the boat on the trailer proper and four dn's inside... (okay three) http://iceboating.net/node/view/489
we had the pleasure of setting up our home base next to him in 2004 at sandusky bay.
DN Trailer
There have been a lot of great designs in a lot of creativity shown in our area for DN trailers. One design that has worked out well for its owners was a long retangular box (measurements off the cuff) about 16' long 4' tall and 4' wide. Both sides open up completely for easy access. In the center is a 'tree' with arms sticking out of both sides. The original version had canvas side curtains but the second owner removed them and added alum. tracks on top and bottom and has three thin plywood panels that slide into the tracks from the back end. If you set the tree up accordingly you should be able to hold several boats plus planks booms and sails. Masts go on top.
For light weight trailers we have had a couple of guys use alum. sheets riveted onto a frame attached to a light boat trailer. They have used gas pistons like a cars for the lid which was about 3" thick. There have been several variations of this with the nose closed off. If you put a track down the center and a small gate at the rear you can get the front chock on it and slide it forward. This is just so the whole top doesn't have to open. Use foam like on a truck cape tape to seal out water.
Jeff
me too..
I've wanted to take pictures of all the crazy trailers for ideas.
check out this one.. put a top on the boat.. and the boat on the trailer proper and four dn's inside... (okay three)
http://iceboating.net/node/view/489
we had the pleasure of setting up our home base next to him in 2004 at sandusky bay.
or how about the drainage pipe..
http://iceboating.net/node/view/493
http://iceboating.net/node/view/494
I'm looking for one that would be a small double, really light weight for a small econo-box.