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 Post subject: TRAILER CAUTION
PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:43 am 
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Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2008 7:25 am
Posts: 17
Location: Kansas
Just an FYI: I purchased a Trailex model SUT-200-S trailer when I bought my AI, and the dealer put it together for me. According to my dealer, Hobie will start selling this trailer direct. A word of caution: check the aft trailer brackets that suppport the aft roller. Mine had sharp burrs that left 2mm deep cuts in the bow sides of my AI hull, which I now have to have repaired. These cuts were almost clear through the thickness of the hull.(The hull has a tendency to walk off of the roller when unloading or loading, and drop down contacting the edge of the bracket(s). If you buy this trailer, first deburr these brackets so you don't cut up your boat!


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 10:48 am 
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Joined: Tue May 27, 2003 12:44 pm
Posts: 15026
Location: Oceanside, California
Hobie's version of this trailer is a bit different and specific to the AI. Different crossbar lengths, cross bar spacing for the cradles etc. The roller is the same I believe, so we will note that.

Image

This is the proper location of the roller (not shown on the trailer image):

Image

Hard to see where the roller would actually be used with the height of the rear cradle.

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Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)


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 Post subject: trailer caution
PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 12:24 pm 
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Joined: Thu Aug 14, 2008 7:25 am
Posts: 17
Location: Kansas
Thank you for your promt reply, it really speaks well for the Hobie Company. My trailer looks just like your pics, and I have the cradle set installed (location per the instructions). The side bow contact occurs when the hull drops aft off of the aft cradle. It then has a tendency to walk off the roller and drop down onto the tail light assy, which then allows hull contact with the outer brk flanges. My dealer ordered (2) trailers, and the second after examining had sharp brk edges, but not knife burr edges like mine. I still would advise rounding off the brk edges prior to trailering.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 5:12 pm 
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Joined: Thu May 25, 2006 5:17 pm
Posts: 203
Location: Ettalong Beach, Central Coast, Australia
I kinda wonder why this design of trailer has never been suggested:

Redtrailers

Image

They fold away in the garage, are pretty cheap, can be used for other purposes and with the extra length tongue seem just fine. They can be fitted with wood bases too, only issue is they are painted, not galvanised or alu. But since we have wheels on the AI, that should not be an issue, it does not need to be backed up to the water.

Image


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 6:49 pm 
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Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2006 9:40 am
Posts: 952
Location: Dallas, TX
Geoff wrote:
I kinda wonder why this design of trailer has never been suggested:


Needs a longer tongue. If you try to carry to yaks side by side with a proper balance fore and aft, you run the risk of crushing a bow when you turn corners.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:47 pm 
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Joined: Thu May 25, 2006 5:17 pm
Posts: 203
Location: Ettalong Beach, Central Coast, Australia
The Dog wrote:
Geoff wrote:
I kinda wonder why this design of trailer has never been suggested:


Needs a longer tongue. If you try to carry to yaks side by side with a proper balance fore and aft, you run the risk of crushing a bow when you turn corners.


Well I have measured them, and they only need another 1 metre, and this supplier has that as standard. Image
The supplier I will have to use in Australia does not supply a longer tongue, but I plan to extend it.

But as they are either 4 or 5 feet wide, I don't think you will fit two AIs side by side, but you could stack them. In any event, I was not planning to carry two. And its still way cheaper than the official Hobie design which looks like it carries one AI.


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 Post subject: Hey Geoff
PostPosted: Fri Sep 12, 2008 5:09 am 
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Joined: Wed May 14, 2008 5:24 am
Posts: 23
Location: Kansas City, MO
Hey Geoff, I did exactly that. Mine's a Harbor Freight trailer, but it's the same rig. Getting a hitch extension works well, but it does put some torque on the receiver. Extending the tongue is better, but then it won't fold.
Here ya go. Scroll through the pages, there are several different iterations of this thing. http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/75339788oTcAIx


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 2:27 am 
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Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 2:25 pm
Posts: 2863
Location: Central Coast NSW Australia
G'Day Geoff,
I almost bought that Easytrailer ( http://easytrailer.com.au/)
for my AI but didn't because it wasn't galvanised. I did like their galvanised tinny trailers which looked like they could be modified easily for the AI but then I saw this at Repco:
Image
This trailer tilts and the drawbar was held on by 2 bolts.
I replaced the 1m 50mm drawbar with a 3m 75 x50mm drawbar. All I had to do was drill holes for the bolts and extend the light cable.
I added a couple of Rhino bars across the sides and a simple support at the tongue for the AI bow. I can store the drive, aka's, seat etc in the trailer. All up it cost about $500.
More details here:
http://www.aunger.com.au/trailers/index.html


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 2:22 am 
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Joined: Thu May 25, 2006 5:17 pm
Posts: 203
Location: Ettalong Beach, Central Coast, Australia
Now we are cooking. Looks like its not that hard to get a general purpose cheap trailer to use with the AI.

Funny enough my research into that trailer located an Australian Kayaking forum. The photos of the "top gun" fish are pretty good. Can't yet read what they have to say about trailers, as the site is Administrator Activate. I just hate that, while you wait for some guy to turn on his computer.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 5:58 pm 
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Joined: Thu May 25, 2006 5:17 pm
Posts: 203
Location: Ettalong Beach, Central Coast, Australia
stringy wrote:
but then I saw this at Repco:
Image
This trailer tilts and the drawbar was held on by 2 bolts.
I replaced the 1m 50mm drawbar with a 3m 75 x50mm drawbar. All I had to do was drill holes for the bolts and extend the light cable.
I added a couple of Rhino bars across the sides and a simple support at the tongue for the AI bow. I can store the drive, aka's, seat etc in the trailer. All up it cost about $500.
More details here:
http://www.aunger.com.au/trailers/index.html


Hi Stringy,

Repco now wants $642 for the small trailer (4x3?) and $778 for 5 foot by 3.5. I see another web supplier has a $499 deal on 4 foot by 3 foot.

Mans Toy shop

I wondered what size you bought?

Geoff.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:03 am 
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Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 2:25 pm
Posts: 2863
Location: Central Coast NSW Australia
G'Day Geoff,
I got the 4x3 when it was on special at Repco. It included a spare tyre and cover and was less than $500 at the time. Be aware that the previous model was subject to a recall for a suspension problem and the pics in your link are of the previous model.
Consider too that by the time you add the extra drawbar and racks at the current price it would be approaching the 880 GA tinnie trailer from Easytrailer which is a better trailer and should last longer.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 2:46 am 
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Joined: Thu May 25, 2006 5:17 pm
Posts: 203
Location: Ettalong Beach, Central Coast, Australia
Yes I am inclined to agree that baby trailer is not worth over $500.

Geoff.


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 Post subject: trailers
PostPosted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 8:49 pm 
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Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 10:43 am
Posts: 28
Location: Mt. Vernon, Iowa
I've adapted many different used trailers for many different boats over the years (because I'm cheap) and it was no different for my AI. It's been my experience that almost any trailer can be adapted to almost any boat as long as it can carry the weight. I had a very light weight trailer (vintage 1981) that originally came with my West Wight Potter. I thought it was far too light for carrying that sailboat so I moved the Potter to a much heavier and longer trailer.

All I needed to do to adapt the little trailer to carry a single AI was to bolt two 8-foot 2x4's for bunks length-wise, centered and spaced 13 inches apart. It took me about an hour. With the boat assembled on the trailer, the folded amas rest just inside the fenders. It now takes me five to ten minutes to launch and retrieve compared to 25 to 30 minutes when I carried the whole thing unassembled on my roof rack. When the snow starts to fly and the AI goes into hibernation, hanging in the garage, I plan to go ahead and staple a little carpet on the bunks, just for looks.:wink:

Bill


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 2:01 am 
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Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 2:25 pm
Posts: 2863
Location: Central Coast NSW Australia
Hawkeye - I agree with you about adapting any trailer. Weight isn't really an issue with kayaks. The little trailer I have is only rated to 220kg but it will carry 2 AI's OK!
The important part is how easy the drawbar is to lengthen.

Geoff- There is an Aunger available on ebay at Mardi which isn't that far from you I think? It doesn't seem to have guards but may be worth a look.
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Aunger-Pro-Trail ... dZViewItem


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Sep 21, 2008 8:12 pm 
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Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 10:43 am
Posts: 28
Location: Mt. Vernon, Iowa
One easy way I have used to lengthen several trailers is to cut the drawbar near the middle then either slip the next smaller sized stock tubing inside the cutoff ends or slide the next larger size tubing over them using a length of new stock that gets me to the length I'm looking for. Then drill and thru-bolt the two overlapping joints with at least three stout carriage bolts with nuts. I always try to overlap the original with the new stock by at least a foot, eighteen inches is even better. For a light weight trailer (for AI's, for instance), mild steel should be perfectly adequate and not very expensive. If you have a welder, you could weld it up instead of using bolts. If you hire a welder, the costs goes up dramatically. There are a lot of people who like aluminum trailers. I'm not one of them. They will, in my opinion, eventually fail, usually where steel meets aluminum, and dump your boat(s). A steel trailer, with minimal care, can last forever.

btw: any of you Aussies or your kin perhaps holiday in a little Southeast Asian paradise called Vietnam forty years or so ago? I envision a multinational fleet of AI's sailing Camron Bay to Paradise Island or up the Mekong...--a reunion of sorts. :)


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