# Ideas for raft trailer bed to ease loading?



## skipowpow (Mar 1, 2011)

Have you tried outdoor carpet? The green plastic stuff. 

Other folks have luck with LineX or generic from the hardware store.


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## cpollema (Mar 9, 2009)

Dakota7 said:


> I have a very heavy raft/frame. It's great for fishing but is tough to load on the trailer. I have a roller and winch on my trailer, which has a wooden bed, but it's still hard to load the raft. Someone once told me there are strips of some kind of material that you can attach to the wooden bed so the raft slides easier across it. I don't recall the material. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.


One suggestion would be to cut several lengths of PVC pipe the same length as your trailer width. When you go to load, space the pipes along the length of your trailer and as the boat loads, the pipes will roll with the boat and make it load easier. When the boat is in position, you can either pull them or leave them in place. The pipes sort of act like roller bearings. Not much of investment either.


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## SummitSurfer (Jun 23, 2010)

Any outdoor carpet works good. From time to time I spray mine with just a little 303 Protectant in the main slide paths and can manuever a 16' oar frame and boat like it was nothing!
Best of luck,
****


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## Osprey (May 26, 2006)

Seems like strips of any kind of plastic/molding or even metal strips would do the trick. Maybe some trex molding strips? Pipe cut length wise into half rounds and mounted? Seems like there would be a lot of good options. 

Another idea would be to change the winch to something with a higher ratio with more load capacity so it feels easier to you or go to a 12 volt electric winch.


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## Dakota7 (Jul 11, 2010)

Thanks folks. I really appreciate the ideas.


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## DirtBag (May 8, 2011)

Where can I buy said rollers? I am looking for two about 1 foot long each.


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## earthNRG (Oct 24, 2003)

DirtBag said:


> Where can I buy said rollers? I am looking for two about 1 foot long each.


As posted in another thread about trailer rollers:

Northern Tool - Northern Industrial Roller and Bracket Set customer reviews - product reviews - read top consumer ratings


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## Dave Frank (Oct 14, 2003)

Also, if your truck has a ladder rack, put a pulley up there so you can winch it from higher up. i put another pulley on the chicken line, so it is 2-1. Don't put all that stress on jut the front D- ring. Losing more friction with rollers or 303 will help too. Maybe just 303 the bottom of the boat.


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## kennyv (Jan 4, 2009)

Instead of a z-drag for your trailer, or rollers, or astroturf, or 303--just repack your trailer bearings with submersible grease and replace your trailer tail lights with submersible LED's. I got a kit at checkers for around $60. Rewiring your trailer will take time (and so will repacking your bearings annually), but when you float your boat halfway onto the trailer, and slide it the rest of the way (by yourself), you'll know it was time well spent. My 14' self-bailer slides off the trailer and back on (rigged for an overnight) with one person. My trailer is a flatbed with a painted plywood deck. Good luck.


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## ngeoym (Jun 13, 2007)

I just put Trex decking on the side rails of my trailer and am amazed at how easily the boat slides on it compared to the outdoor carpet I had previously.


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## thaGoat (May 30, 2011)

I used green turf from Home Depot. My trailer's top is made of 2x4's and plywood. I used the glue they recommended for adhering it to the top and folded it over, similar to how you'd wrap a present.

Haven't had a problem with the turf and my 14ft. boat w/ frame slides on with easy. No need for rollers either. Also makes for a great place to drink a beer when taking out!


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## Chip (Apr 7, 2007)

For a cat, I got a tilt trailer meant for snowmobiles and put strips of outdoor carpet where the tubes slide (get the proper glue) and added a strip of recessed molding at the rear of each strip. Then I mounted a geared winch (about $35) at the front of the tilting bed, using the boltholes for the latch that hold the bed down. 










The balance was out-of-whack (notice how far forward the wheels are), so I took it to a trailer shop and they figured out that the dealer had mounted the axle backwards, with the trailing arm facing front. Turning the axle rightways was a great help, too. 

Being able to tilt the bed into the water makes loading a one-person job.


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