Trailer Rescue

[epanzella]

It just occurred to me that 2023 was the twentieth birthday of my boat trailer that I built in 2003. I hadn't given my boat trailer a thorough inspection in a while so I dragged the trailer out from under the boat. Good thing I did because the spring shackles were just about worn thru. I made new (heavier) shackles, replaced bolts with grade 8, and pressed in all new bushings. I'm 75 next month so by the time this wears out again I'll be looking at the bottom of a lawn mower.

 

[Firstram]

And it seems like yesterday, right!

 

[SLK001]

Why do you have two sizes of spare tires mounted on it?

 

[epanzella]

Why do you have two sizes of spare tires mounted on it?

I originally used load range D's when I built the trailer but as they wore out replaced them with E's. I also replaced one of the spares with an E but haven't gotten around to replacing the second spare as my trailering is more localized than it was when I was younger. The tires look really different in the picture but in person you can hardly tell the difference.

 

[7milesup]

That is quite the boat and trailer! I never thought of "dragging" a boat off of a trailer. I guess it does make sense, though. Will you just winch it back onto the trailer?

 

[epanzella]

That is quite the boat and trailer! I never thought of "dragging" a boat off of a trailer. I guess it does make sense, though. Will you just winch it back onto the trailer?

Yeah. As I pull the trailer out from under the boat I lay blocks and the boat settles on to them. To get the trailer back under the boat I put the truck in neutral and the trailer winch pulls the trailer back under the boat. When I built the house I put a heavy duty eye in the retaining wall in so I could do this.

 

[Aukai]

Bushings, and hangers was an almost annual event for me
The cab looks very similar to my old boat, but the bow entry is different. Whos hull, and what is the length, and beam?

 

[epanzella]

Bushings, and hangers was an almost annual event for me
The cab looks very similar to my old boat, but the bow entry is different. Whos hull, and what is the length, and beam?

May Craft pilothouse. 25ft long, 8'6" beam. twin F115 Yamahas. BAITS MOTEL

 

[Aukai]

Very nice lines
The lines look familiar, similar to my Parker that was built in NC.

 

[epanzella]

Very nice lines
The lines look familiar, similar to my Parker that was built in NC.

VERY similar to a Parker.