going to build a wood boat trailer?

Question

why is it that people a opposed to building trailers out of wood treaded lumber wont rot and it sure is strong enough they have been making boats out of wood for years going against waves and such and yes it will sink a boat displaces water in a large area a trailer will not and with axles tires and such I am pretty sure it will stay down in the water

Answer 1

Huh! Sometimes I just answer these questions with opinions or facts from a lifetime of working around boats. But, This is plan a dumb idea........As you may know some boat trailers do in fact have wood parts now, but if your thinking that treated wood will not rot, that's wrong, it just last longer than not treated, then you have the strength issue. Why? would you assume wood is "strong enough, which it isn't. A 2x4 might have a tensile strength of 100 lbs on the y axis, but it could have as little as 400 lbs. not nearly enough. Even much larger timbers would have issues that you can't control, like warping, bending, even being way to heavy. Given all that, there's another issue......By law you must register your trailer, and even with the "home built" exemption, it still must meet federal highway safety standards, and I don't think any inspector would pass an all wood frame. And yes they will send a police officer out to inspect it before you get a tag. From an engineering stand point you still need a hitch on the front, and if that's bolted to the wood frame, that is a weak point. As is the axle attachment. And assuming the frame is 60 to 108 inches wide you would need a lot of design work to transition from the ball to the axle width. Can you build it........sure but Why? I'm all for Mother Earth News and Eco friendly projects, but I'd find somewhere else to spend my energy........AND I'm not opposed to your freedom to do this, I just don't want to be driving down the same road. Good Luck .....I think!

Answer 2

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Answer 3

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Answer 4

A boat trailer made of wood would be a maintenance nightmare. Treated lumber will eventually rot unless you coat it every year. The forces exerted on a boat trailer with a boat loaded onto it is much, much greater than the forces applied to a boat on the open water. Bouncing a boat trailer along the road will cause the joints to become loose.

Answer 5

Yes you can build one. NO you can't build it out of wood. ( Think about it, how are you going to get the boat back on it if the trailer is floating) You can buy a trailer light kit for about $25 at any car parts place, wal mart, etc

Answer 6

well, think of it like this -- how long has wood been available? how long have people been making boat trailers? how many wooden boat trailers have you ever seen? do you really think you're the first person to think of it?



trailers are subjected to completely different kinds of stress than boats are.



The timbers you would need to get enough strength, rigidity and durability will be incredibly heavy. Probably prohibitively heavy. And expensive.

Answer 7

most states require that a home built trailer is inspected and that a vin is applied before they will issue registration/title/license for it. you will need to check with your state DVM for any restrictions on material or design of your trailer.



here are forums that discuss wood trailers



http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/boat-building/boat-trailers-made-wood-no-weld-metal-trailers-24594.html



http://www.mikenchell.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=34864&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0



washington state home built trailer requirements



http://www.wsp.wa.gov/traveler/docs/cvd/170_129.pdf



hope this helps

Answer 8

You will have trouble getting the boat back on the trailer. It will float. Been there, done that.

Answer 9

Mcgrath is a very dedicated and experienced woodworker who knows what he is talking about when it comes to woodworking and DIY projects s he has been a woodworker for many many years. Read here https://tr.im/OGmpl

There is also a lifetime member acess included in the package and you get these extras for no cost to you as they are free with no additional charges at all!

Answer 10

Save your cash and use it to take a remedial class on how to properly use capitalization and punctuation.



-And if you gotta build the trailer, make sure to send Jeff Foxworthy a picture of it....