1977 v20 and ez load trailer repair
 

Trailer...the used boat I brought back from Florida, a V20 hull in good shape for a 1977, is on an EZ load trailer

NO!!!!!!!! DO NOT drill any holes in your frame...cross member or longitudinal!! You will weaken it. If you feel that the crossmember is weak either weld a new plate to it or replace it. The last thing you want is to hit a bump at speed while trailering, snap the wood and the crossmember and spill that nice 77' hull all over the highway. This is not something for home repairs. Nuff said.....

thanks, but...
 

It already has four holes drilled through the center of the section...t

I think i'd u bolt some pieces of angle iron to the frame before i went the wood route. Tube trailer frames rot from the inside out.

1977 V20 and EZ load trailer
 

Lance, from the way you described the repair I was thinking you may have been a crew chief in the AF. I just reconfigured my Magic Lift trailer from a tandem axle to a single. The help and pictures I received here helped so much. Being able to launch the boat and not having to back up to my rear jeep tires was a nice experience. one thing I enjoy more than anything is when someone compliments the lines of the V20 and then to say it is a 78. Wellcraft made it so easy to push the chest out with pride. Maybe if you head back down here to the Ol Geezer state we can strut our stuff.

Seriously... :thre: Don't be fooled. Your engine sits at the back of your boat and there's also the weight of the fuel tank and batteries. Don't be fooled by thinking that the rear of the trailer has little weight. If anything it carries more weight than any other section of the boat. I just scrapped a boat last month where the weight of the engine cracked the transom while trailering. (That's why they sell transom savers for trailering). Sometimes trailer manufacturers will put holes in trailers to mount keel rollers and other items, but they usually make those parts stronger to account for the added stress. And, like Phatdaddy said, tube's rot from the inside out, so any water that goes into the tube thru the holes from launching and retrieving the boat stays inside and over time destroys the structural integrity of the part. I'm ex-Navy and can attest to the power of oxygen and salt water to quickly wreck havoc on any metal.

Yep... what they said.

Destroyer, Skool's Out use to call those transom destroyers be cause they would do more harm than good for a transom. The slight rocking of the boat on the trailer would push on the engine because the boat and trailer were not the same if you can visualize that.

I figure they're made by the same folks who make "submersible" trailer lights, rubber coated anchor chains, boat horns, stainless hose clamps with black iron screws, boat trailer brake systems, those hollow black keel rollers that put all the weight on the white plastic bushings and hold water to rust out the roller pin...........

I use http://www.ebay.com/itm/350917672435...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT You'll still get the water in the inside of the roller, but the aluminum pins don't rot out nearly as fast.. especially if you paint them with zinc chromate before you install them.
As for the transom savers, they are only effective if you strap you boat down onto the trailer tightly with a belly strap so it can't bounce up and down. If you use the transom straps that just go from the trailer to the tow rings on the transom you allow the boat to move up and down with bumps in the road, which is what Schools is talking about I think.
My favorite beef is the stainless hose clamps you mentioned, followed closely by the "submersible" lights.

77 vstep 20 from Florida now in Virginia
 

The structure of the rectangular steel tube depends on all four sides being intact. Replacing a short section of the bottom with solid wood with drain grooves cut in it as an inside "cripple" will effectively accomplish that structurally. The holes drilled in the frame were by EZ loader and do not effect it in any material way as much as not having four sides bracing force against one another lest you drill five holes top to bottom in a row or something silly like that. I can use their holes once the block is in place and snug it in there. Blocks are cut and next warm day I'll go slide them in and snug them down.

Certainly you are entitled to think and do whatever you feel is best for you. When I offer advice here at this site it is exactly that... advice. Although it's usually based upon experience, it's still just advice and it is in no way carved in stone that you *must* do something a certain way. The fact that I have a degree in mechanical engineering and that for a living I used to design and build things out of steel like buildings and machinery should in no way cause you to think that I know anything about steel tubing, structural strengths, load factors, corrosion, etc. I would point out to you though that I did say that if a manufacturer puts holes in a trailer they usually strengthen that area (by increasing the thickness of the steel, or by reducing the loading or employing some other means) to compensate. In all cases since the holes are there already it would seem prudent to make use of them. Just remember that wood will absorb water and hold it against the inside of the steel tubing speeding up any rusting that may occur. Additionally the wood will dry rot over time, so I'd suggest using a pressure treated type of wood instead of salt treated. I know that salt wood is a way of rapidly drying wood, but if done incorrectly it can result in the wood being impregnated with a brine solution that is known for accelerating rust in any metal that it comes in contact with. Personally I'd either weld a plate against the bottom and sides or try to find a piece of tubing that will telescope inside of the existing one.. the tighter the better. If you should eventually wind up going the welding route, just remember that the welding will destroy any paint on the trailer frame at the points of the weld, so make sure you remove any slag and then prime and paint the metal at those spots.

You are aware that most manufacturers sell replacement crossmembers and bunks for the trailers they make at fairly reasonable prices, right? For instance I had to replace the rear crossmember on my Easyload'r trailer a while back and the cost was less than $150.

Understand, I'm talking about crossmembers and bunks here, not the front to rear trailer frame itself. It was difficult to "see" what part of the trailer you were talking about without pictures, which is why I posted the "thread being useless without pictures" imoji. Upon rereading your posts, and looking at the pictures you took of the boat on the link you provided, I'm beginning to think that you're talking about the trailer frame itself, which would account for the holes you mention for the license plate bracket. The other holes might be for moving the axle forward or backwards to adjust your trailer tongue weight, or for guide on bunks or fender attachment points. By the way, how many boats are there? I saw one pic of a boat with 4 pedestal seats, one of a boat with two pedestal seats, one of a boat with blue back to back seats and one pic of a boat with a pedestal seat for the captain and a back to back for the port side. Your boat looks nice by the way. Good find. (Looking at some of your pics you have a good "eye" by the way).

Now for the painful statement... I hate painted trailers. They may be fine for freshwater lakes and rivers but, in my humble opinion, have no place around salt water. Salt eats them alive. Looking at your pictures, it appears that you have a painted trailer and it further appears that the rear of the trailer and the rear of the roller bunks are rotting away. What you can actually see from the outside is probably minor compared to the rust inside the frame itself that you cannot see. Truthfully, I'm not all that sure that your suggested repair will help in the long run. It may get you through a few more seasons but the damage is already done and there is no way I know of to reverse it. Keep your eye out for a good, used, galvanized trailer. Also, check Craigslist for ads such as this for parts. https://newjersey.craigslist.org/bpo/5853676983.html.



I like I-95, especially through Georgia, SC and NC. Nice, open towing, easy on both the trailer and the tow vehicle. I used to tow my boat to my Uncles house in Naples Fla in the winter and then back to NJ come summertime. (1300 miles one way) every year.

All of this for a painted trailer. No wonder your scabbing wood in it. I wouldn't spend any money on it either.

Be on the look out for an al/galvanized one if your going to use it more than twice a year

It's galvanized
 

It is galvanized. All this isn't much...and if it extends the life another five or ten years then why spend anything on something else?

Sarcasm aside
 

1. Destroyer, your sarcasm does not suit you well. Many of us also are competent to make mechanical judgements.
2. The trailer is galvanized steel with some type of coating on the winch platform bow steel for some reason
3. The wood is pressure treated, I just said it was salt as that was another way of saying it.
4. Your comments were listened to and considered. Please don't lecture me as tho I have no common sense. I have just as much as you do and as many or more degrees, experiences and responsibilities in my background. You probably don't want to go there.
5. With respect to pictures I posted a link to my site with dozens and dozens of full sized, non compressed photos of the boat. This site's photo policies makes them so small and so compressed they are useless. If you are sunk into your big arm chair watching football look for that post on this thread and you can see better photos. The option is yours. Takes away from the charm of your native sarcasm when you keep whining the same song when it's been responded to.
6. Not everyone is going to agree with everything you say but I did consider it. Not a lot of engineers have the balance to run the entire company. I always thought it had something to do with tunnel vision personally.
7. Have a good holiday and I appreciate your initial advice which I did consider and modify my plans accordingly within the frame of my own judgment as an input. Thanks for that input.
8. I removed most of the posting considering the responses and the individuals responding. Seems more sensible to deal with rational people.

Whoa.... Hold on there Lance. There was no sarcasm either implied or intended. If you are too thin skinned to understand the joke I was making about my experience I feel sorry for you but don't try to hang a label on me unless you're certain it's accurate. My comment was a measured response to your previous comment where you were trying to lecture me about steel tubing where you said quote: "The structure of the rectangular steel tube depends on all four sides being intact. Replacing a short section of the bottom with solid wood with drain grooves cut in it as an inside "cripple" will effectively accomplish that structurally". unquote. Actually, it won't. I tried to show you that by telling you that I had professional experience in that area. You are a relative newcomer to this board so before you open your mouth perhaps you should reread what I posted. Anyone that knows me here knows that if and when I'm in a argument I don't hold back and I don't pull punches. I do, however, like to joke and make fun at myself, which is what I was doing with my previous post. I mean, after all, why should you listen to me? I'm a nobody with no experience, right? That being said, if I was being sarcastic with you why would I, after viewing your pictures, pay you a complement, saying you had a good eye? I have 3 sisters, all involved in the photography industry in one way or another. One is a film editor for Disney. One (with her husband) owns 2 portrait studios in Paris, France and the 3rd is, like yourself, semi-pro and freelance. Oh, and one of my brothers is also actively involved in photography, but more as a passionate hobby. My dad had his own darkroom, and we (his kids) were brought up in an atmosphere conductive to all things related to picture taking and the appreciation of same. A subscription to Photography Magazine was a yearly Christmas gift to my dad.
Now, aside from your hurt feelings, exactly where in my post did I say anything that was offensive to you? I pointed out the problems with salt wood. (Look up Browning shotguns to see how much damage it can do) I said that wood absorbed water and as such would probably accelerate the rusting in your trailer. I advised that I would use welded plates instead and offered the advice that if you did go the welding route to be sure to clean and seal the metal at the weld sites afterwards. I said that the trailer looked like it was a painted type (if you say it's galvanized fine), but from your pictures it looks painted (and you yourself note that it is coated with something, so that's an honest mistake). I noted that, like you, I used to take I-95 to Fla twice a year and it was a pleasant drive. (My uncle died a few years back so I don't make that trip anymore). And I questioned how many boats there were, because, from the pictures on your picture site I can plainly see 4 different cockpit configurations.
Personally, I don't give a damn if you do or do not want to listen to my advice. It is, as I pointed out, exactly that....advice. It is not a requirement that you or anyone else follow. I offer it freely, on a number of subjects of which I'm familiar, whenever I feel it appropriate. I also seek advice from the other members of this site, on a variety of subjects, on things I am not familiar with or am having problems with. That's what this site is all about.. the free exchange of information among the various members.

So, all that being said, lets answer your post in order shall we?
1) There was no sarcasm intended. Sorry if you took it that way.
2) If the trailer is coated how do you know it's galvanized underneath? Most paints will not stick to galvanized metal, and, while it is possible to paint galvanized using special techniques, it's difficult and not normally done.
3) I cannot read minds. You said the wood was salt wood, which is a process for drying wood without a kiln. It is not pressure treating which is a totally different process with a different result. I can only go by what you said.
4) I'm honored that you considered my comments. As to what your experiences, degrees, etc. are, while they may be impressive, I could care less. I judge a man on what he says and how he conducts himself. Some of the smartest people I know don't have a high school education.
5) Not sure how to respond to #5. I don't have a big arm chair, I don't, as a rule, watch tv, much less football, the pictures on your site were good and I expressed my admiration of your skill to you with the compliment that you had a good eye for picture taking. There was no sarcasm. So I guess you missed the mark on all of those comments.
6) I don't care if people do or do not agree with what I say. In fact, I like it when they don't agree, as long as they can show me where I was wrong. It's one of the ways that we, as a species, learns. I never said I ran a company. I worked for a power and light company, starting out as an engineer and working my way up to Mgr of Facilities. I had 40 major buildings under my direction. But at no time did I ever say I owned the company. Don't know where you got that from.
7) Same to you. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
8) Not sure what you mean by removing the posting(s). Do you mean you deleted someone else's posts, and are you implying that you don't think the posters were or are rational people? I can assure you that ALL of the people on this site are hard working, industrious, rational people. Most of them far smarter than I am.

Note to all. Mr. Pearson decided to send me a PM after he made his last post.
I decided to copy/paste it here, along with my response to him. The following is a complete and unedited copy of the text:

I was in the Navy. I served on a Destroyer. (USS Basilone DD-824) When personal computers became available in the 80's I tried to take the handle of Destroyerman, to reflect my service. Unfortunately most game programs back then only allowed a name of 10 characters or less, so I was forced to shorten my handle to Destroyer. People came to know me by that name so when it became possible to use longer strings of characters I opted to stay with Destroyer. My name has nothing to do with anything other than my pride in serving my Country.

I'm sorry you feel that way Lance, and I wish you well with your future endeavors. It would be very easy for me to make some kind of nasty remark aimed towards you, but I bear you no ill will or malice. God Speed.

wow, lot happened on this thread overnight.

no sarcasm intended on my part. no arm chair quarterbacking either, i trailer and launch my boat around 60-75 times a year (5 times last week alone).

Enjoy you V20

Lol.

Before things turned to **** I was gonna suggest he buy one of Destroyers trailers. They sound pretty nice for the money.

I envy you Phat. Been trying to streamline things in life so I can do the same. Doing pretty good at it so far.

I'm with you B, i'm trying to go "Travis McGee" as fast as i can.

Finished Bright Orange for the Shroud a couple weeks ago, still reading them in order from the beginning. Took a break and reread Under Cover of Daylight to get my Thorn fix while in the keys, and currently reading The Serpents Coil, it's a true account about mid ocean ship salvage. Been shopping trawlers, not ready to pull the trigger, but got what I want narrowed down and the funds being put up for the right one. Changed the name on the IRA from "retirement" to "Cruising Stash".

So yeah, I'm with ya man.