# Flys Dream Trailer Build



## Fly By Night (Oct 31, 2018)

I've been daydreaming about a dream trailer build for a few years now. I've been wanting a low deck to make getting boats in and out of the water easier and be convenient for rigging in the driveway. The little snowmobile trailer tires always seem like a liability to me so I also wanted some real sized tires and a descent weight axle. I've been looking at power boat trailers for awhile but they've always been over priced, total junk or had a boat on top that needed to go to the dump. The other day this jetski trailer popped up for sale so I snagged it.


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## Fly By Night (Oct 31, 2018)

I test fit my boat, as anticipated it fits nicely. It looks like the boat will cover the trailer nicely or can slide to the back to make room for coolers/ dry boxes on the front baskets. I whacked off the jetski mounts and fuel can holder. Both dust covers were tacked on, I suspect from the factory. I removed the old bearings complete with complimentary water replaced them with Timkin units made in the U.S and painted the hubs grey.


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## Conundrum (Aug 23, 2004)

Looks great. Did you consider some type of shield to protect your gear and boat from what your tires will kick up? Some people use them, others don’t.


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## Fly By Night (Oct 31, 2018)

Minus splicing in a new plug to replace the antiquated orginal all of the lights worked, on a used trailer, it's incredible, I should go buy a lotto ticket. I've decided to add rock lights on the back for backing up at night. In the spirit of keeping everything low I plan to put the deck flush with the top of the frame. There isn't room between the frame and axle for an oar box, does anyone have any suggestions for an oar storage solution above the deck? To accommodate easy loading and unloading I plan to do rollers that that remove for other uses. How many rollers work for rolling off and winching back on a 14' boat? The rigs with 7 rollers on them always seem excessive.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

More rollers is better, but I like long rollers as opposed to many. Nice job Fly, you're well on your way to a stellar hauling machine !!


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## Village Lightsmith (Jul 14, 2021)

Conundrum said:


> Looks great. Did you consider some type of shield to protect your gear and boat from what your tires will kick up? Some people use them, others don’t.


Shielding is necessary for protection from sharp rocks picked up from below and flying from alongside. I use plywood or aluminum floors and sides, and don't skimp on the grade of the stuff. You're not the one who will carry the weight to and from the river ... that's the job of the axles, tires and bearings. Roller systems are great for loading and unloading, but for keeping the road separated from your boat, you want a continuous floor.


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## Fly By Night (Oct 31, 2018)

Conundrum said:


> Looks great. Did you consider some type of shield to protect your gear and boat from what your tires will kick up? Some people use them, others don’t.


I haven't thought about it till now, if anything I would probably mount some mud flaps on the tongue behind my tires. 



MNichols said:


> More rollers is better, but I like long rollers as opposed to many. Nice job Fly, you're well on your way to a stellar hauling machine !!


Thanks! I'm planning on doing full width rollers out of galvanized similar to what Jake does. I'd think 4 would do the trick? 



Village Lightsmith said:


> Shielding is necessary for protection from sharp rocks picked up from below and flying from alongside. I use plywood or aluminum floors and sides, and don't skimp on the grade of the stuff. You're not the one who will carry the weight to and from the river ... that's the job of the axles, tires and bearings. Roller systems are great for loading and unloading, but for keeping the road separated from your boat, you want a continuous floor.


Is your concern rocks getting stuck between the deck and boat?


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Fly By Night said:


> Is your concern rocks getting stuck between the deck and boat?


No, more from rocks and such getting churned up from the gravel roads one travels getting to and from the river, especially limestone roadbase roads you find in the south west. I've seen the bottom of an aire boat that was on the pearce ferry road, towed behind a T-100 with pretty agressive mud and snow tires, significant holes thru the plastic of the boat from the rocks that were kicked up. Mud flaps would help, but the rocks kicked up by the tires can bounce too and wear the bottom of your boat, if there's not some sort of barrier between it and the highway. Some don't care about this, as it's usually not really significant, and they have an old ass boat, but some are anal about it as well. I fall somewhere in between, I run a fully decked deckover trailer for my boats..


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## Fly By Night (Oct 31, 2018)

I'm unclear where the damage is happening, from thrown rocks impacting the boat or from them into under it and rubbing? 




MNichols said:


> No, more from rocks and such getting churned up from the gravel roads one travels getting to and from the river, especially limestone roadbase roads you find in the south west. I've seen the bottom of an aire boat that was on the pearce ferry road, towed behind a T-100 with pretty agressive mud and snow tires, significant holes thru the plastic of the boat from the rocks that were kicked up. Mud flaps would help, but the rocks kicked up by the tires can bounce too and wear the bottom of your boat, if there's not some sort of barrier between it and the highway. Some don't care about this, as it's usually not really significant, and they have an old ass boat, but some are anal about it as well. I fall somewhere in between, I run a fully decked deckover trailer for my boats..


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## jsheglund (Feb 20, 2021)

Fly By Night said:


> I'm unclear where the damage is happening, from thrown rocks impacting the boat or from them into under it and rubbing?


I'd say both. thats why i like my sport trail trailer. slats with gaps where debris can fall out to minimize that kind of damage and flat plates over tire area where rocks released from tire treads are thrown up. my raft hasnt had damage from rocks from my vehicle but my drift boat does have a significant number of dings from rocks off my vehicle tires. Not sure why the difference but I often tow my hard boat on a motorcycle hauling hitch which puts the boat farther back, and possibly more in the path of projectiles, where the raft trailer (with floor that my drift boat trailer lacks) is closer to the vehicle and probably blocks a lot of the rocks.


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## Smoregon (Aug 14, 2017)

Please deck the trailer under the boat. 1/4" plywood is probably enough (it has been for me). I wouldn't want rocks or gravel or any of the other random road debris (like the bicycle that just fell off the back of the car in front of you) to have the opportunity to damage my raft, and I see bungee cords and ratchet strap parts on the road all the time. It would really suck to drive for 4 - 30 hours and hit put-in with a boat you needed to unpack and patch first.


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## Fly By Night (Oct 31, 2018)

I was planning on doing a deck with ~1/4" gaps similar to a utility trailer, will that not get it done? That seems like a small likelihood of anything note worthy coming up through those gaps?


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## ACheateaux (Dec 3, 2008)

Any idea what that trailer weighs?


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## Fly By Night (Oct 31, 2018)

ACheateaux said:


> Any idea what that trailer weighs?


As it sits now I would guess 300-400#


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## Fly By Night (Oct 31, 2018)

MNichols said:


> No, more from rocks and such getting churned up from the gravel roads one travels getting to and from the river, especially limestone roadbase roads you find in the south west. I've seen the bottom of an aire boat that was on the pearce ferry road, towed behind a T-100 with pretty agressive mud and snow tires, significant holes thru the plastic of the boat from the rocks that were kicked up. Mud flaps would help, but the rocks kicked up by the tires can bounce too and wear the bottom of your boat, if there's not some sort of barrier between it and the highway. Some don't care about this, as it's usually not really significant, and they have an old ass boat, but some are anal about it as well. I fall somewhere in between, I run a fully decked deckover trailer for my boats..


Are you talking about a trailer without a deck at all?

I fully intend to deck this one for boat hauling duties and to be able to use it for utility stuff.


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

Fly By Night said:


> Minus splicing in a new plug to replace the antiquated orginal all of the lights worked, on a used trailer, it's incredible, I should go buy a lotto ticket. I've decided to add rock lights on the back for backing up at night. In the spirit of keeping everything low I plan to put the deck flush with the top of the frame. There isn't room between the frame and axle for an oar box, does anyone have any suggestions for an oar storage solution above the deck? To accommodate easy loading and unloading I plan to do rollers that that remove for other uses. How many rollers work for rolling off and winching back on a 14' boat? The rigs with 7 rollers on them always seem excessive.


Heck yeah, gotta love when a new-to-you trailer has working lights!

I have a 7-pin RV plug on my trailer and installed a white LED oval light in back that comes on automagically when I go in reverse...LOVE it for backing at night. I don't often load at night, but do often pull into the Lochsa campground..or arrive home...after dark and do frequently have to back my trailer in the dark.

I only have a single roller on the back. Haven't really wished for more.
The difference between no rollers and one roller is astronomical.
Difference between one and more than one is noticeable but diminishing returns the more you add.
I also don't run with a fully loaded boat...just the tubes, frame, oars. Cooler and drybox go on the front of the trailer or back of the pickup.


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## Fly By Night (Oct 31, 2018)

It's been awhile since I have updated this thread. Here is what $275 worth of steel looks like these days. Here are some pictures of it cut and welded in and the mill scale knocked off.


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## Fly By Night (Oct 31, 2018)

Here are some tardy progress pics, all steel welded in and shot with cold galvanizing compound. After that my dad and I decked it in trex, I've been very happy with it so far for being easy to slide a boat on and off but not slick to walk on wet.


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## Whitewater Worthy Equip (Dec 11, 2013)

Thanks for sharing your project.

That axle looks very far back, so I hope your not pulling with a Subaru or your going to risk being squatted. Otherwise look nice.
Feel free to publish cost and time for the benefit of other DIY people.


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## MR. ED (Jan 21, 2008)

Trailer's o.k..... That orange truck is B.A.


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## Fly By Night (Oct 31, 2018)

Whitewater Worthy Equip said:


> Thanks for sharing your project.
> 
> That axle looks very far back, so I hope your not pulling with a Subaru or your going to risk being squatted. Otherwise look nice.
> Feel free to publish cost and time for the benefit of other DIY people.


Thanks Jake, that axle is a ways back, the long wide wheelbase sure tows nice. Empty the tongue is light enough you can pick it up and wheel the trailer around the driveway, I cant say I've tried that with a boats on there but it might be doable. I've never towed with a Subaru, I'd guess a Subaru would handle this trailer alright, especially if you kept weight further back. Hell they should handle it suspension wise every Subaru I've ever been in rides rougher than most 3/4 and 1 ton trucks.3

So far I have probably 12 hours into cutting and welding the steel cross members. 
My journeyman carpenter dad and I spent probably 8 hours getting the deck cut, spaced evenly and screwed down. 
I've spent countless hours researching lights, rollers, composite decking screws that can go into steel etc. 



MR. ED said:


> Trailer's o.k..... That orange truck is B.A.


Thanks! I got that truck when I was 13 or 14, its been real good to me. It just ran a big load of green aspen logs home last week.


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## Fly By Night (Oct 31, 2018)

I modified brackets that were used for holding jetskis to this trailer to hold a tail roller. The roller axle is 5/8" hot rolled steel with nylon washers between the ends and the brackets. I also installed rock lights wired as reverse lights to automatically kick on when you back up.


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## Fly By Night (Oct 31, 2018)

Next I added a mast. This gave me a place to mount a winch, I also installed a roller/bow holder used on this trailer for holding jetskis, it allowed me to pull from a higher angle than where the winch was mounted, it worked fine but didn't seem to make a big difference on performance. On top of the mast I installed two flood lights, these are run off a switch that gets power from the marker light circuit, no cutting in my dash and the lights will work on any truck I stick the trailer on. Flood lights are intended for night backing, setting up camp in the dark and seeing in boats to grab gear/ rig derig in the dark.


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## Fly By Night (Oct 31, 2018)

A friend cut and bent sheet metal for me to fill in behind the fenders, I cut and welded it to fit. Wide boats would be pretty close to the tires on either side, I pulled over too often to check to make sure they weren't going to get munched by the tires. 

One of my goals for this trailer was to make it low/ versatile enough it can be used for than just boats. Turns out the winch is good for loading more than just rafts.


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## Fly By Night (Oct 31, 2018)

Here she is in primer on our last stretch of warm days this year.


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