front wheel for trailer

mixmkr

Well-Known Member
Where can I get one of these cheap?? Need to turn my trailer into a "tri-trailer", as some launching areas will require unhooking the trailer. A "beach dolly" wont cut it, because of too steep an incline to the water. I'm talking about 25 ft max...say from a parking lot edge to the water's edge...which is either VERY loose gravel (my tow vehicle would get stuck for sure)...or just plain mud.
When I unhook the trailer, should be easy to roll down hill. Then a sturdy tow strap or rope attached to the trailer to pull it up hill about 25 ft would be all I need.

This item is $120 plus shipping. Too much. I'm also thinking about replacing my tongue jack with a larger wheel off to the side, but fear bending the tongue jack when towing up hill, should I hit a snag.

sbo-spretire-whub-3.jpg

Open to any other solutions. Remember a beach dolly will be too difficult to pull out of the water and up the slopes in areas I'd like to launch.
 
You don't want a unhooked trailer rolling down a hill because you're
not going to be able to control it's descent. You will not be able to hold
it back physically even on a shallow incline. Best bet is a tongue extension
or electric cable winch. The third wheel can be made from a swing-away
spare wheel carrier but it's not that cheap. Easy way is to enlist the help of
a second person to carry the boat to the water, that is if your Sunfish is about
125 lbs. Seems like the Sunfish I get vary widely in weight. Seems to have
something to do with how much expanding foam they used. Check out
vids of people launching private submarines. Because they draft a huge amount
of water they use a extremely long tongue extension. I don't think you can do
it better than they do.
 
I am able to roll my trailer down my 10 degree descent in my back yard parking lot. Grass or gravel will be even easier. But most descents to the lake edges aren't going to be that steep....just small gravel beaches etc.

I also sail solo a lot at new locations so a 2nd person isn't an option especially when retiurning.

Tongue extensions are too short as well

Appreciate the ideas but a 3rd wheel is really what I'm looking for. I just don't have a welder to weld a spindle/hub to a mounting plate.

Maybe just have to open the wallet....before the glass daggerboard and rudder blade. Dang!
 
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A machine shop will charge about $25 to weld your spindle.
Check Craigslist for welders: there could be one located in your neighborhood nearby who might "charge beers".

I took up welding, and found it easier than soldering: 'sold one of my (two) Lincoln "buzz-boxes" for $85. :( (What I paid for it :rolleyes:). Make up for your welding inexperience with lots of welding rods! ;)

Welding is fun! :) Oxy-acetylene welding not-so-much. :oops:

"...Tongue extensions are too short as well...Appreciate the ideas but a 3rd wheel is really what I'm looking for. I just don't have a welder to weld a spindle/hub to a mounting plate...Maybe just have to open the wallet....before the glass daggerboard and rudder blade. Dang!
If your tow vehicle is FWD, consider a hitch mounted to the front bumper. (If your tow vehicle has a bumper!)

If your trailer's tongue cross-section is rectangular, you can go to a recycle yard and find an extension that might even be too long! (First check that no indispensable bolts cross the tongue's interior). A replacement hitch is $12, and can be welded or bolted on.
 
Trailer Spare Tire Carrier and Dolly Bracket by Dutton-Lainson Dutton-Lainson Trailer Cargo Control DL22144
This is the ticket too...only $45. But I fear too light duty over gravel. Pushing on hard level surface by hand, probably ok
I think you have found the solution by yourself. :cool: The shaft appears strong enough: if a part bends, reinforce it.

Attach it so the wheel is as low as possible. (Invert it?) This way, as the tow strap relieves the weight on the wheel, it helps to lift and straighten the trailer's path.

BUT, this is a poor time of year to buy this sort of "marine/trailer" thing. :(

Put it on a "watch" list at eBay and Amazon, and watch for sales—or a "price-drop". :cool:
 
Here's you solution, don't put the wheels on the trailer, put them on the back of the Sunfish.
Build a wheeled bracket that slips on to the back of the Sunfish so you can grab the bow handle and
wheel it to the water. Easy on/ easy off the trailer. Fun welding angle iron or maybe better,
welding conduit bent with a pipe bender. PVC wheeled bracket? As cheap as PVC pipe is its
worth a try. Biggest cost is the flotation wheels unless you can steal them off something
else. Anyway you stack it, this would be a whole lot easier than pushing around a three
wheel trailer. Now that I mention it, I could find this handy for my own use.
 
I've thought a lot about a boat dolly. The issue MAY be doing the reverse...going up a slight incline in heavy, loose gravel, getting back to my trailer
(see my original post)

I could just build one and try and try another plan if it becomes an issue.

Thx for continued suggestions
 
May have to double up flotation wheels on each side. Gravel should
have less resistance than beach sand.
 
Its not the fear of sinking wheels. Whereas I can manipulate going downhill...I can't pull it uphill, especially with sand, gravel, mud, etc.
Hence a 25+ rope tied to my "tri"-trailer attached to my tow vehicle.
 
replace your tongue jack with one from Harbor Freight
I would also question unhitching your trailer at a boat ramp, with the trailer able to go downhill. I hope you have a solid plan to control and recover it.
 
Google "Bush hog tail wheel". If I can find one I'll make an attachment to the trailer
Why not dispense with that third wheel altogether?

A towing strap hook jammed into a spare $8 towing ball--inserted temporarily into the hitch, downhill--should lift the trailer tongue sufficiently to tow it up.

.
 
L&VW... I think you gave me an idea, which I kinda had been tossing around too. I think maybe just ditching the 3rd wheel might work. I slid my sunfish back about 3 ft on my trailer (it has long, carpeted bunks), effectively giving me about 10 lbs of tongue weight...or just enough to keep the trailer from flipping backwards (with negative tongue weight). This for the most part, I think will just take any extra stress of my tongue jack, which does have a plastic, 4" wheel. The trailer moves MUCH easier thru the gravel in my driveway, much like a boat dolly. I'll try this at the lake and see what happens, but thinking this may be the answer. Your suggestion to not use the 3rd wheel kinda got me thinking. I think the tongue jack in the down position will help from keeping the trailer coupler from burying itself, but then the tongue jack will just "skip" over the ground as I'm pulling the trailer out of the lake, and my chances of bending or damaging the tongue jack should be greatly reduced. The boat easily slides on my carpeted bunks out of the water....back to the proper position for road towing, so this may be the answer.

I suspect with some experimenting, I can do like you say as well and just count on the tow rope to lift the trailer tongue too.

I'm tired of looking for hubs and such without having to weld something. I'll try this today or over the weekend. Wish me luck!
 
replace your tongue jack with one from Harbor Freight
I would also question unhitching your trailer at a boat ramp, with the trailer able to go downhill. I hope you have a solid plan to control and recover it.
Thanks...I've got a decent tongue jack, probably as good as those from Harbor Freight. Sometimes the wheel can get "cocked" and I didn't want to bend the jack accidently. BTW, I'm not going down a paved boat ramp doing this...just grassy or sandy/gravel beaches, where my van would get stuck.... but solid enough for the boat trailer. Lots of areas good for launching with these shorelines, but the parking lot or road is 25 feet away and didn't want to risk backing over these "non-ramp" areas.
Yeah...concrete ramp...decent pitch...things would get exciting!
 
I'm tired of looking for hubs and such without having to weld something. I'll try this today or over the weekend. Wish me luck!
Early biplanes had lightweight curved "tail skids"--some of which could be steered from the cockpit!

Tiger5.jpg

Consider fitting a similar curved piece of material to act like spring, and attach it to the tongue. Metal, wood, or fiberglass, it'd be better if it didn't steer. (But could be made to steer by connecting the forward-most portion to the tow rope).

Among my shelves of "stuff", I'd saved the bottom rockers of an unusable rocking chair. There must be some way to afix it (or them) to a trailer tongue.

Good luck!

.
 
Good idea. A piece of a leaf spring would be perfect. The bottom of my trailer tongue has an "V" shaped piece of metal, meant to set the trailer end down on. Attaching to that....facing aft, would be perfect.
I'm wondering if the empty trailer will be easy to pull up a slight uphill, gravel beach, without the boat on it to help lighten the tongue load.
No wind today so I didn't test things out
 
I'm wondering if the empty trailer will be easy to pull up a slight uphill, gravel beach, without the boat on it to help lighten the tongue load.
In that case, you'd definitely need a skid. :eek:

Does this question mean the trailer can't be left in place until after your sail? :confused:

If there are trees to the left and right, you could attach a "snatch-block" to a tree, and tow the trailer uphill, so it's out of the way of others using the ramp. A line with a carabiner and a bowline knot would make attaching the snatch-block to trees easier.

You might find a cheap snatch-block attached to your come-a-long. ;)

rough country jeep winch snatch block, 16,000 lb. rated line pull - rc-rs125 - Google Search

Can you tell its been cloudy, misty, and cold here these past few days?

.
 
I could bend a small sappling over...like in the Tarzan movies. Kinetic energy, transferred to fling a trailer out of the lake!!

Not cold and misty.....but no wind here too :-/
 
Check out the wheels from the Vermont guy in this image.
 

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A piece of a leaf spring would be perfect The bottom of my trailer tongue has an "V" shaped piece of metal, meant to set the trailer end down on. Attaching to that....facing aft, would be perfect.
If the spring has a hole in one end--even better!

(I think...never having drilled a leaf spring before--maybe try grinding).

Tie your tow rope to the hole, drill a second hole to mount to the "V" stand, and the leaf spring will steer the trailer.
:cool:

Maybe, instead, epoxy a bunch of battens together?
 
Yeah.... I think Im just over thinking this. There's been NO wind this week to even bother launching but I have an easy gravel ramp I'll try first with this method. As mentioned I'll just slide the boat back on the trailer until I have almost zero tongue weight. Then just count on my tongue Jack to not jam and bend.( Its $25 style).keeping an eye on things while I tow that 25-30 ft. If I bust the Jack one day I'll buy another...maybe stronger with the 8" wheel on some. That plan sounds most convenient and workable. ..without all kinds of extra stuff dangling from the trailer tongue. Maybe I'll make a video!!
 
The dollys are great for level ground....not sure about pulling out of the water on a gravel shoreline.
I just went ahead and got this... I can use the existing one on another trailer I have. I've seen these...minimum play, 8" wheel... the best tongue jack I've seen short of the electric ones or fancy swivels.
FULTON 1,500 lb Bolt-Through Swivel Jack | West Marine
 
Good idea. A piece of a leaf spring would be perfect. The bottom of my trailer tongue has an "V" shaped piece of metal, meant to set the trailer end down on. Attaching to that....facing aft, would be perfect.
I'm wondering if the empty trailer will be easy to pull up a slight uphill, gravel beach, without the boat on it to help lighten the tongue load.
No wind today so I didn't test things out
To go with the leaf spring--what I had in mind--using a spare hitch ball:

Picasa 3 8132013 24221 AM.jpg
 
Was thinking along those lines too. Tongue Jack arrives tomorrow. Thought best as it can roll easily both ways...and serve as a tongue Jack too!!
 
My new heavy duty tongue Jack worked like a champ. I left the boat back on the trailer about two feet when pulling out to have almost no tongue weight and used about 30 ft of 3 strand 1/2" nylon dock line as a tow line so I didn't have to back down over the gravel shore . I was going to make a movie but didn't want to make one with me dragging my boat across the rocks! As you can see the gravel at this launch is constantly washed ashore to about a 8" depth... Totally loose and like quicksand to car tires. My trailer just pulled over the top and towed/pulled out effortlessly. I'm a happy camper.
 

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lots of access areas like this that aren't "official" ramps but choice locations on the lake to put in.
 

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If your trailer's tongue cross-section is rectangular, you can go to a recycle yard and find an extension that might even be too long! (First check that no indispensable bolts cross the tongue's interior). A replacement hitch is $12, and can be welded or bolted on.
The first 30 seconds of this video show a "trailer extension" in use:

(What I had in mind).
 
I've used extensions on keel boats for sure. My heavy duty tongue Jack is working great as my tow line rope might be as long as 35-40 ft...much longer than a tongue extension. I just have to drive in a straight line of course. Once on hard flat ground, the trailer rolls like a champ up to my tow vehicle. The "trick" has been to keep the trailer tongue weight to just enough to keep to trailer from flipping backwards. That way the tongue Jack is not plowing thru the loose gravel or sand, as the lightweight trailer and fish easily roll on the rear trailer tires. Once the trailer is hooked back to my car, pulling the fish that last two feet forward, is easy on my carpeted bunks, for final trailer placement for over the road towing
 

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