roll-on trailer for seitech dolly - looking for pics, info

Hi there - I searched and have seen references to roll-on roll-off trailer setups but can't seem to find any specifics or pics. If you know of any would you please point me in the right direction?
This seems like the easiest approach to launching/transporting without needing any extra help.
What I'm curious about is whether they use a tiliting deck, some sort of drop-down ramp or some other system?
I'm planning on using a seitech dolly with the trailer
Mike
 
i saw one that had the boat roll up and the dolly was supported on the axel and they pushed it until it went up a 1 inch trangular piece on each side welded on the trailer and dropped down on the other side of it so it was locked in and they strapped it down.
 
Great pics - I think thats just what I'm after. Maybe do it on the cheap with a single U channel down the center and a couple of 2x6 on the sides, with cutouts for axle.
 
cool idea, you could just use a landscaping trailer.
I have a trailex trailer that is so light it is basically a dolly.
 
Hi,

Here are a few pics of trailers I've made. It's quite simple to just adjust the bunks to fit the dolly. I've posted these before, but the search function didn't find them? Maybe I just need more coffee.

Also, in the UK, the dolly on a trailer is actually the normal way to trailer a laser. I tried to google and find it, but couldn't come up with a site. It's called a brambler or something like that. Anyone have that website?


Al Russell 182797
 

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vtgent49 said:
Hi,
Also, in the UK, the dolly on a trailer is actually the normal way to trailer a laser. I tried to google and find it, but couldn't come up with a site. It's called a brambler or something like that. Anyone have that website?
Al Russell 182797

Is this what you're talking about: http://www.brambertrailers.com/
Im also from the UK, and cant concieve of any other method for trailering your laser:eek: . The dolly and trailer is the perfect way to do it! The only problem is the trailer weighs almost as much as the laser.

BTW- rooster can only courier their collapsable road trailer and dolly as the others are too big.
 
thanks so much for all the suggestions & pics. Based on my history it will be a couple of months, but I'll post pics once I get it done.
mike
 
I like the idea of the dolly on the trailer with the boat on it that Al Russell posted. I am just wondering, does it damage the dolly with all the bouncing and stuff that happens when we trailer our boat. If not...I think I just found a better way of trailering!!!

Cheers
Mark
 
Might want to check your existing dolly is strong enough. The dollys on most pro-built slide on set-ups are a bit more robust than some standard dollys. (bit like the difference between a road racing push bike frame and an off/road BMX or trail bike)

Depends on the types of road and how much and fast you travel.
 
The Seitech and truckmar dollys seem fine, with very little deflection in the loaded spot on the axel bar. I considered stiffening this area, but never bothered. Watch that the ratchet straps don't get so tight as to triple the load on the boat/dolly. The dolly bow fitting goes into a V on the trailer, the the rest of the dolly just floats.

I let the bottom boat ride in the strap, but Peter Seidenberg uses padded flip up gunnel hangers on his.

I soften the trailer springs by restacking them, so that the trailer can move 4-5" when I put my 170 lbs on one side, as all bunk trailers are too stiff. The double frame can move the same 5", which can be a bit discerting when viewed in the rear view mirror. However, it makes for a very nice (soft) ride for the boats, much smoother than either Kitty Hawk, or Trailex, and never gets "air".

The blue double has a few mods since the pics, mainly to make room for the spars to ride on the deck of the bottom boat, where they stay the cleanest, as we often trailer to FL in snow and salt. The slide on feature is nice, but I can also use the original bunks to carry a small coach boat, etc.

I start with old (cheap) bunk trailers, and replace everything with new parts. The double has about 450. US$ in it, plus a lot of putzing while our water is hard.

Al Russell 182797
 
vtgent49 - What size tube and wall did you use with the kee lite klamps? Also, it doesn't look like there's enough room to load the bottom boat while on the dolly. Do you load them seperately?

Thanks,
Doug
 
vtgent49 said:
I soften the trailer springs by restacking them, so that the trailer can move 4-5" when I put my 170 lbs on one side, as all bunk trailers are too stiff.
Al Russell 182797

How do you "restack" the trailer springs?

Kevin
 
Hi,

The bottom boat (of the double) rolls on with the dolly, singlehanded if needed. I kept the second boat low, to keep the whole profile below our Subaru, so it slip streams nicely.

The rack is made from sched. 40 1 1/4 pipe, aluminum. A bit more than needed, until you get bumped by one of those rapid lane changer types. Then it becomes a roll cage... sorta. There is an ebay store that sells the clamps/fittings and pipe at about 30% off. Do some searches, and you'll find it.

Most light trailers are 850-900 lbs rated, and have 3 leaves. By restacking, I mean put the middle spring on the bottom. That way the top, long spring does all the work softly, until it goes far enough to hit the middle (now bottom) helper spring.

If your just doing a single boat trailer, skip the helper spring. As I said, I like the trailer to move 3-5" with my full weight on one side.

Al Russell 182797
 
Did you find any infor on a roll-on trailer?
If so let me know, I have a dolly and want to single handed get it up on a trailer
 
If you look at Al Russel's reply (#6) above you will see pics of the approach I intend to use. Basically I'll tie the boat down on the dolly, then it is a couple of 2x6s on teh trailer bed that I lift the dolly axle up onto & tie the bow down to the front of the dolly and the front of the trailer.
 
Hi
I built this trailer I do not like to ask for help and I can roll these two boats on or off in less than 10 minutes. The ramps are stored below the dolly wheels it is real easy.If anyone thinks that I might damage these boats please let me know
Thank You
Trevor
double decker trailer.JPG
 
I really like Al's design for 2 boats. I would make note to what he said about Peter Seidenberg transporting the boat with the PADDED gunnnel hangers flipped up. I tried that once in an unpadded version and wore 2 very big holes into the boat (as if I am not already slow enough):( . so I keep my supports down and let the boat rest on the strapping. Note that I put some scrap carpeting between the hull and the strap to reduce abrasion of sand into the hull.

The channel is just a 2x3 with 2 vertical 1x4 pine stock. The cradles for the dolly axle are scrap pieces of plywood notched and glued together. I use one strap to hold the boat to the dolly and a 2nd strap to hold the dolly/boat to the trailer. The light bar is vintage VW Quantum sedan and really ought to be replaced with something lighter and simpler but draws too much attention to scrap:eek:
 

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I see that Pirouette's trailer has a wooden channel for the front elbow to slide up on. I see this channel as an important part of single-handed loading and uploading.

Any other ideas for creating a channel to run the length of the trailer, keeping the front end of the dolly in alignment while I hold and push the rear?

Kevin
 
I guess there are all kinds of materials, Aluminum if you can find the right dimension, steel U-channel which might rust and I think would beat up the aluminum dolly runner and plastic fittings when cruising down the highway. I would think any metal material would be more expensive than wood?

For me this was simple and cheap (2x3 and 1x pine screwed and glued to the 2x3), the aluminum wears the wood away. When taking the photos I noticed that the carriage bolt head was higher than the wood and it has worn a divot into the bottom of the dolly and I have since ground down the carriage bolt head so it is now flush with the wood.

I just run the dolly onto the roller at the end of the trailer, use a ratcheting strap to secure the boat to the dolly and just pick the boat up at the transom and slide it up until the dolly "axle bar" drops into the plywood notches. The rubber shock straps on the "unique" light bar/ 2x4 along with a 2nd ratcheting strap hold the boat/dolly to the trailer
 
Most of the 'roll-on' dollys in Australia have reverted to a triangle plan form rather than the single central beam dominant configuration in some of these pictures. Properly engineered the triangle plan form should be only marginally heavier than a dolly with a central spine and / or short triangle bracing.

Advantages of the triangle planform ar stifness and rigidity - and stability while loading onto the trailer. Disadvantages are possible extra weight and a need to launch and retrieve over the rear of the dolly. (Wereas the single spine dolly enables the sailor to step on the spine to sink the dolly enough to let the boat float clear over the side posts in about knee depth water.)

Used an aluminium dolly fabricated by Nelson Bay Laser Sales (Australia) that was light enough to lift single handed like an oversized tennis raquet - it was a composite single central spine with 3/4 triangulated supports. It certainly was stiff enough and permitted side loading/launching by stepping on the central spine and the triangulated supports looked as though they would hold the boat and dolly square once halfway loaded on the road trailer - but the manufacturer still recommended the full triangle steel versions for 'roll-on' trailer use. Some compromise with triangulated supports to say half way (For road trailer loading stability) but with a predominantly central spine ( to facilitate step-on and float over side posts for launching and retrieval) might be possible.

Dollys with non-inflatable wheels obviously also permit side launching and retrieval but are not as managable in rough conditions and are hard to push (also won't stay in place under the hull if you want to float the boat on the dolly up the beach or to the side of a ramp).

Must be a way to get a simple solution through better design
 
Hi...I have a friend that has sailed lasers for years. He simply used a length of PVC pipe and split it to make a "U" shaped channel and then screwed it to the trailer frame down the center. It flexed just a little bit but is only holding about 20 lbs. while you push it on. It worked beautifully and was cheap. That Seitech stuff is cool, but pricey.

A notched 2x4 would serve the same purpose. and could easily be attached to a trailer frame. At most home stores you can even by already notched (treated!) 2x2's that are designed to be frames for lattice.
 
I have a trailer for sale, flat bed with ramps, has a rack also for extra boats. Call me if you want 561 262-3672
 
Kevin Pierce said:
I see that Pirouette's trailer has a wooden channel for the front elbow to slide up on. I see this channel as an important part of single-handed loading and uploading.

Any other ideas for creating a channel to run the length of the trailer, keeping the front end of the dolly in alignment while I hold and push the rear?

Kevin

Guy in our club took a piece of corrugated plastic seawall material about 12 ft long and cut one corrugation section off to get a nice plastic u-channel that he bolted onto his trailer.
 
Here is a slip under method. Does anyone see a problem with what I plan (notice I have only prototyped on the lawn) to do. I have a Caulkins short 2x4 bunk trailer with center roller and my sietech dolly fits nicely ahead of the fenders of the trailer. What I tried today was to slide my boat up on the potentially hull crushing bunks and then from the front I slid the dolly with gunnel towers down under the boat. This fit nicely and then lifted the boat 3-4 inches off the hull wrecking bunks. Because the dolly wheels are right on the trailer fenders and the forward post (sorry unsure of proper nomenclature) of the dolly snugs right into the trailer post roller my boat is fully on the dolly and the dolly is very secure on the trailer. Obviously I need to develop a proper method to secure the dolly to the trailer, u bolts with wing nuts or some such but that is minor.
Now for the request for opinion: two part. Is using the bunks of the trailer to load the boat onto this devices (remember not traveling on the bunks just loading then sliding the sietech underneath) going to cause problems? And part two (capital A for emphasis) the tiny space next to my house is too narow for the dolly wheel but the Caulkins wheels are less than the beam of the boat so if I store the boat on the skinny little bunks with no other load than the hull weight and cover could that cause a problem?
I humbly defer to experience of the members. I am a teacher and I always tell my students, "Learn from the mistakes of others because you won't live long enough to make them all yourself".

Wayne Sharp
Hull 102776
 
Sliding on the bunks won't be a problem. Just to be sure, you could add some padding and new marine carpet. (Marine carpet is much slipperier (is that word?) than regular carpet - more water resistant, too.)

Storage on the bunks, long term, can and will put flat spots (dents) in your hull. I am assuming the bunks run lengthwise along the boat.

Bunks that go across the boat, under the mast step and under the rear of the cockpit will do less damage to the boat, since the boat hull is reinforced at these two locations.
 
I found an old jet ski trailer for $100. Moved the bow stop up 1.5' and put two 8' marine carpet covered 2x4s on it. Works like a champ.

for long term storage I flip the boat over on the bunks.
 
:eek: I too have a caulkins. I have been thinking about reversing the suspension or altering it in some way, so I can drop it down to pull the dolly on like a combi trailer. Has anyone done that?

Doug
Lake Tahoe
 
i'm really big on keeping things simple (basically, am lazy). in that vein, i HATE tying boats to trailers! if your trailer currently has plywood bunks, you may already have the foundation for one of the coolest dolly/trailer set-ups!

holding up the plywood bunks should be galvanized aluminum brackets. these brackets happen to be just about a perfect width to drop the seitech dolly axle into. only thing you have to do is fashion some sort of bracket to mount these brackets to the trailer and turn them 90 degrees.

if you can cut out the bottom of the bracket a bit, you can use the holes that were used for the bolts that held the plywood bunks for another cool innovation: push-pins! think of it: no more lines to secure the dolly axle to the trailer! something similar could also be done for the front of the dolly.
 
heymatey said:
i'm really big on keeping things simple (basically, am lazy). in that vein, i HATE tying boats to trailers! if your trailer currently has plywood bunks, you may already have the foundation for one of the coolest dolly/trailer set-ups!

Pictures? :)
 

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