1977 v20 and ez load trailer repair

[Lance Pearson]

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

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by Lance Pearson

Trailer...the used boat I brought back from Florida, a V20 hull in good shape for a 1977, is on an EZ load trailer and yesterday I saw some rust on the bottom of the frame at the very back and have decided to use my woodworking skills and cut a 4 x 4 of salt treated wood to shape to fit inside then drill 1/4" holes and through bolt it in place to brace that last 2' of frame as a conservative precaution. The rest is solid but that must have been left to sit with salt water in it over time. Sides and top of the tall rectangular steel tube frame are solid. This would not be a 50 year fix but in wood terms would be inserting an internal cripple to keep the bracing of the rectangular shape solid. The trailer tracks very well and I like it so will do this rather than welding and over time if anything more happens will just consider buying a new trailer tho I believe this will work fine as it is working as is. I've named the boat K-2 in remembrance of two females in my life now passed on, Karen and Kate. I will order the graphic for the sides in the spring. Going to be in the teens for low tonight here in Chester, Va.

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.....

[Lance Pearson]

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

[phatdaddy]

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.

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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.

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by Lance Pearson

It already has four holes drilled through the center of the section...two hold the license bracket on and the cross brace, two more spaced about 18" apart moving forward on the trailer. I'll fill the section but look for the kind of u shaped brackets and bolt it in place with that given your advice.

The last section really does not carry a ton of the weight but I want it to be as good as I can make it. If need be I'll have a u shaped section welded to it.

We will see what I can make work out without drilling more holes and using the holes that are there. I can shape a 4 x 4 to fit inside it with my bench saw and fill the cavity then drill the holes in the wood for the existing holes which should be enough to hold it in place and it will stiffen them up very considerably.. I was just going to use 1/4" bolts but want to be conservative so will go this way. I might also use squared off U bolts but I much prefer through bolts.. Will measure and look. If I remove the back bolts the spreader bar between the rails, last one is affixed to them so I will have to put the stern of the boat on 6 x 6 wood blocks to get the weight off it so the rails can't spread while I do it. Fortunately with two vintage corvettes I also have heavy duty jack stands and can block the back up to relieve the weight while I work quickly.

Seriously... 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.

[bradford]

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...........

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by bradford

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.

[Lance Pearson]

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.

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by Lance Pearson

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.

Originally Posted by Lance Pearson

I'm pretty confident this will extend the life of the trailer quite a lot. It just got towed 617 miles from Orange Park, Fla to Chester, Va. on I 95...boat followed my suv all the way home at a sedate 65 miles per hour without them.

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.