Thread: New boat trailer build

Hi Stu,

Sorry I can't help with advice regarding the boat trailer. I have built a few trailers, but never one for a marine craft.

Good on you for giving it a go though. You may be able to pull the side rails in with a rope or strap while you weld it up.

The boat looks good. Where did you get the design? I was intending to build one like that many years ago. I was looking at getting all the ally supplied cut from a mob in WA. The cost of it put me off though.

The boat sis a custom design the naval architect and Myself put together. Adam Schwetz is the guy who designs not only small boats but also ships and masive passenger ferries. The alloy is in fact cheaper to by like this than one sheet at a time of in bitz and peices. My alloy come in at 1200kg with a bit of waste. It works out around 40% cheaper to build it yourself than to buy it off the shelf so to speak.

Stu

Your project looks great. What sort of welder do you use to weld aluminium with?. Thanks

The welder is a Uni mig 270, which has so far been very good, "touch wood". I have heard some people bag them but I personly havent heard of anyone that owns a Uni Mig that has problams. I would love to get a Fronius pulse welder, I have used them on alloy and man are they sweat to use. The only thing I didnt know until I got home with the welder was it needed a 20 amp plug. This was a problam because all houses are only 10amp. I had to get a 20 amp switch fitted to the house, no big deal realy.

Stu

with the trailer make sure you put plenty of drain holes in all the low points and have a hollow draw bar. if you can get the whole thing hot dip galved. also you may need to get trailer brakes, we do in s.a.

As for the draw bar, I was going to go with 150 by 50 by 6mm. This should be ample to support the weight. Im going to put a bit triangle shaped checker plate over the draw bar section to lock it all in place. As for gal dipping, Im going to get some prices on that.

Stu

A pusle Mig would be good but very expensive to purchase. Do you know a rough cost to buy one ?. Have you any close photo of the weld using MIG. I have used Mig to weld on small aluminum project but not very happy with the result. Thanks.

I will have to a few for you mate. What thickness are you welding?.

Stu

Originally Posted by Stufart

As for the draw bar, I was going to go with 150 by 50 by 6mm. This should be ample to support the weight. Im going to put a bit triangle shaped checker plate over the draw bar section to lock it all in place. As for gal dipping, Im going to get some prices on that.

Stu

That size drawbar will be OK, I was wondering when the first pics showed a piece of 50mm sq at the front. When you do fit it, make it extend back past the join of the main chassis rails for 600mm to a metre and then weld in a cross rail at this point. It will give it more strength. Have you decided on what brakes to run? You're going to be close to the limit for requiring breakaway, which is 2000kg GVM, if you can get the trailer around 500kg.

Yonnee

That piece of 50mm was just to see if the angles I had drawn where close. I figured the draw bar would need to go back into the frame by about a meter. I was then going to use the same size RHS to use as the cross member. As for the trailer coming in under 500kg, I think Im going to be pushing you know what up hill. I have Al-Ko Axles which need disk brakes for.

Stu

And where do you mount the chickens? I haven't seen them used on a trailer before! Some kind of reversing beeper? Or maybe a depth guage... when they stop squawking,...

Great ideas for the chickens mate. It was pooring down all day here so the chickens move in under the shed for protection.

Stu

Sorry...

You say your axles need disc brakes as if you've already got them. If you have, could you post a pic of them so I can see what setup they've put on. You are on the right track with discs for boat trailers. Give Melbourne Trailer & Caravan Supplies a call for a price on their Electric over Hydraulic brake unit. It mounts on the trailer, is a fully legal breakaway system for hydraulic brakes, and is controlled from the tow vehicle by any standard Electric Brake Controller.
The AL-KO version of this, the Sens-A-Brake, only works as a package. The only way to control the trailer part of the Sens-A-Brake is to have the other part fitted to the tow vehicle (part of which is a pressure sensor fitted to the brake pedal).
I don't know about anyone else, but something foreign attached to my brake pedal doesn't fill me with confidence. And my automotive background tells me that pedal pads wear. How expensive is a replacement pedal attachment going to be, if they even sell it separately?

Looking good Stu.


Yonnee.

I have the Al-Ko axles sitting here at home. They are second hand froma mate and need sand blasting. There in pretty good condition and has only light rust, no real deep stuff. I cant complain as he gave them to me as he was up grading his trailer with new leaf springs. The axles suite are for ford, I think I will ned to replace the brackets that hold the calipers onto the axles. As for the brakes, I very confused about this whole side of the trailering game. I cant see Electric being very good in a salt water environment. I money is getting quite low now so Im getting a bit worried about the breakaway system costing.

Stu