Run away dolly wheels

[Alan S. Glos]

I have a vintage Seitech Sunfish dolly that I put on top of my boat when I go regatta hopping, and on two occassioins I have had a dolly wheel fly off while underway, On the first occassion I never found the wheel ($85 down the drain) but on the most recent occassion a neighbor found it on his lawn and returned it to me. The problem seems to be the spring loaded cotter pin that holds the wheel on the axel. Now when I put the pin in place, I tape the ends with a thin strip of Gorilla Tape to prevent it from vibrating out. No repeat problems since.

Has anybody else had this problem?

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY

 

[Doug Warren]

I take off the wheels when I trailer my dolly. I have had the pins shake out from road vibration. Also make sure the wing nuts that hold on the cross piece of the dolly are taped on to something. I have lost those bolds from road vibration as well.

 

[Nicholson58]

I made a dolly with two hardware store wheelbarrow wheels cotter pinned to 1/2” rod and wood frame to fit the dagger board trunk. The height works to push the transom into my S10 pickup. A line around the splash dodger to the truck rope hooks secures the boat in the truck. Dolly rides inverted in the trunk. It looks like Mickey Mouse ears. Big soft tires easily move over sand and rough beach. I’m fresh water only so no rust issues.

If your wheels wont stay on I’d be figuring a hack to guarantee they stay put. Loosing parts is bad but causing a highway wreck In your wake is not anything I’d want.