03-13-2011, 08:08 AM
Well my winter time project is pretty much finished. In January I purchased a trailer to put my toons on and got it rigged up. I started at looking with some basic requirements:
1. couldn't break the bank
2. had to haul a minimum of two toons
3. Easy winter storage
So when looking around I found three that might work all from Harbor freight. The first was a boat trailer that I qucickly ruled out due to the problem of being able to build on it. The second I had seen last spring at Bountiful Pond. It was the 39" x 48" trailer. Looked good how the guy had rigged it out but still had the problem of toon haning over the back and trying to fit two on there comforatably with all the gear. But it gave me a starting point. The third trailer I ended up with was the 4" x 8" folding trailer. Came in two boxes, easy to get home. It took me three days sitting on a cold cement garage floor in January to put it together. After that I started looking at decking material. checked out diamond plate. Ok but pricey. Then realized the heat factor combined with the sun. Not a good idea. Used a 3/4" sheet of plywood for the deck. Next I had to build up to fit at least two toons and all the accessories (motor, oars, batteries etc...).
I checked out several possibilities of materials:
1. fiber board, decking material- pro: weather proof, works like lumber. Con: heavy and expensive. This would have killed the budget.
2. metal studs. Pros: easy to work with, light, didn't cost much either. Cons: affter checking it out found it to be a little flimsy, not sure how it would hold up to bouncing down the road with a toon mounted to it. May bend. Mamatrout concurrred. Wouldn't quite work with the plan.
3. wood. Pros: cheap. easy to work with. Strong. Cons: it is wood! Can rot over time, heavy.
I went with the wood.
Due to the fact my toons are just over 4' wide by about 4" I needed to gain some clearance over the fender and the wheel bracket that is there for when the trailer gets folded up for storage. I had an old thule rack from the mid 90's that I hadn't used in years. So with the help of some Yakima sideloaders I was able to attach the gutter feet to the side of the trailer and the Thule rack gave me the clearance needed. I was able to score a used Yakima rack with gutter feet as well for $30. I planned on using this to mount to the upper deck of the trailer for the second toon. I picked up a second set of side loaders and mounted that as well. I made it so that the toons can be loaded from the side and not the rear of the trailer. I put tie down rings on the bed for oars and the batteries. Made a small railing on the bed, and attached a plano sotrage box to the trailer
. Put a sheet of plywood to the front of the trailer as a wind break and attached the motors to that. (took the idea from FG's trailer technique)[cool]
To prevent wood rot I stained the wood with some stain I had left over from use on my deck and then sealed it with thompsons water seal. Pics attached of all the work. Now to take it out fishing!!!
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1. couldn't break the bank
2. had to haul a minimum of two toons
3. Easy winter storage
So when looking around I found three that might work all from Harbor freight. The first was a boat trailer that I qucickly ruled out due to the problem of being able to build on it. The second I had seen last spring at Bountiful Pond. It was the 39" x 48" trailer. Looked good how the guy had rigged it out but still had the problem of toon haning over the back and trying to fit two on there comforatably with all the gear. But it gave me a starting point. The third trailer I ended up with was the 4" x 8" folding trailer. Came in two boxes, easy to get home. It took me three days sitting on a cold cement garage floor in January to put it together. After that I started looking at decking material. checked out diamond plate. Ok but pricey. Then realized the heat factor combined with the sun. Not a good idea. Used a 3/4" sheet of plywood for the deck. Next I had to build up to fit at least two toons and all the accessories (motor, oars, batteries etc...).
I checked out several possibilities of materials:
1. fiber board, decking material- pro: weather proof, works like lumber. Con: heavy and expensive. This would have killed the budget.
2. metal studs. Pros: easy to work with, light, didn't cost much either. Cons: affter checking it out found it to be a little flimsy, not sure how it would hold up to bouncing down the road with a toon mounted to it. May bend. Mamatrout concurrred. Wouldn't quite work with the plan.
3. wood. Pros: cheap. easy to work with. Strong. Cons: it is wood! Can rot over time, heavy.
I went with the wood.
Due to the fact my toons are just over 4' wide by about 4" I needed to gain some clearance over the fender and the wheel bracket that is there for when the trailer gets folded up for storage. I had an old thule rack from the mid 90's that I hadn't used in years. So with the help of some Yakima sideloaders I was able to attach the gutter feet to the side of the trailer and the Thule rack gave me the clearance needed. I was able to score a used Yakima rack with gutter feet as well for $30. I planned on using this to mount to the upper deck of the trailer for the second toon. I picked up a second set of side loaders and mounted that as well. I made it so that the toons can be loaded from the side and not the rear of the trailer. I put tie down rings on the bed for oars and the batteries. Made a small railing on the bed, and attached a plano sotrage box to the trailer
. Put a sheet of plywood to the front of the trailer as a wind break and attached the motors to that. (took the idea from FG's trailer technique)[cool]To prevent wood rot I stained the wood with some stain I had left over from use on my deck and then sealed it with thompsons water seal. Pics attached of all the work. Now to take it out fishing!!!![
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![[Image: IMG_2959.jpg]](http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f17/FlyGoddess/Boat%20Trailer%202010/IMG_2959.jpg)