[PSUBS-MAILIST] Trailer

Sat Dec 14 14:12:53 EST 2013

Hank,

I did it the way I did for several reasons.  The first was to get as much extension as I could.  My pipes are 10 feet long each with a few more inches for the ball mount and a few more inches of hitch length.  Fully extended there is about a foot and a half over lap.  So fully extended it increases my reach about 19 feet.  I couldn't get that much out of a slider in the trailer. 

If it was a slider in the trailer, it would have to be heavy enough to take the tong weight without flexing to much. My tong weight is all on my spare tire that is also a fifth wheel and tire for launching.  Of course, to get it off the boat ramp the tong extension has to be removed, hook back to the truck and the fifth wheel lifted off the ground.  All I can do with the pole extension is move it straight back and forth.  

My trailer is built with the deck below the trailer frame so the sub can be as low as possible for launching.  There wouldn't be room for a straight tong to go all the way back and still have a trailer deck that's about eight inches off the ground. 

Using a trailer with say forty feet from truck tires to trailer tires would be impossible to launch at most boat ramps I use.

To launch my sub I need a ramp where there is 5 feet of water within 40 feet from shore.  My trailer behind my truck with the truck tires in a little bit of water will get the center of my sub out that far.  It's surprising how many lake boat ramps don't have enough water for me to launch from.  And some that do have big washouts I have to back through to get out far enough. 

Dan H. 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: hank pronk 
  To: Personal Submersibles General Discussion 
  Sent: Friday, December 13, 2013 4:48 PM
  Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Trailer

  My idea was to make the existing hitch telescope out of the trailer.  No need to add bars or poles.  Just pull the pin and drive ahead, when the wheels pull against the chalks stop and put the pin in.  Back into the water.  The only problem may be the trailer is not long enough to have the length of extension you want.  
  Hank

  On Friday, December 13, 2013 1:58:21 PM, Dan H. <jumachine at comcast.net> wrote:

  Scott,

  I used 2-1/2 inch schedule 40 pipe for the outer tube and 2" schedule 40 pipe for the inner tube.  2-1/2 inch pipe actually measures about 2-7/8 inch OD. and like wise, 2" in near 2-3/8 OD.

  If I were making another one I would jump up one size for each.  3" pipe for the outer and 2-1/2 inch for the inner.  
  It's a bit more weight but would allow you to actually push back a little if your trailer dropped in a hole while backing in. 

  Dan H. 
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: swaters at waters-ks.com 
    To: Personal Submersibles General Discussion 
    Sent: Friday, December 13, 2013 12:48 PM
    Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Trailer

    I like the ease of making the bar, but backing up a double trailer is pretty difficult. They way they do it in the video is on the ramp, chalking the tires and attaching a tow strap in case it started to roll down the ramp. I currently have been launching my sub with a tow bar similar to this from my parents yacht club. I think the long and the short of it is the tow bar is a better option due to ease of construction and the ability to make steeper ramps work.
    Any idea on the size of metal tubing used for Dans design?
    Thanks,
    Scott Waters 

      -------- Original Message --------
      Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Trailer
      From: Alec Smyth <alecsmyth at gmail.com>
      Date: Fri, December 13, 2013 9:40 am
      To: Personal Submersibles General Discussion
      <personal_submersibles at psubs.org>

      Hi Scott, 

      Actually Dan H's solution is telescoping as well, and I like it better than mine, particularly if your trailer is already built as you will not need to change it. See this video, starting at 0:38.

      https://vimeo.com/18213498

      Best,

      Alec

      On Fri, Dec 13, 2013 at 11:23 AM, James Frankland <jamesf at guernseysubmarine.com> wrote:

        Hi Scott,
        Have a look at the 3rd picture from the bottom here of Dan H's trailer.  Im going to make a very similar one out of a scaffolding pole.  Im not going to bother making it telescopic, just carry it strapped to the trailer bed and attach it when needed.

        http://www.psubs.org/projects/1234567813/persistence/

        James

        On 13 December 2013 15:55, swaters <swaters at waters-ks.com> wrote:

          If you use the telescoping idea, how big of square tubing do you need to do a 20' stretch?
          Thanks,
          Scott Waters

          Sent from my U.S. Cellular© Smartphone

          hank pronk <hanker_20032000 at yahoo.ca> wrote:

          Hi Scott,
          That is a question with no right answer.  It totally depends on your boat ramps.  If I understand you, your choosing between a extension pole between truck and trailer and a telescopic reach.  If your boat ramps have a sharp angle at the crest then a telescopic reach may drag on the ground.  I like the telescopic reach idea because you can just pull a pin then drive ahead until the reach is extended.  Put the pin back in the new spot and your away.  If you have limited help that is the way to go.

          On Friday, December 13, 2013 8:02:30 AM, swaters <swaters at waters-ks.com> wrote:

          I am working on modifying my trailer so I can launch my sub myself. I have 2 ideas. One is the conventional idea of havinga second tounge extension trailer so I can get the length to launch the boat. The second is to have a long touge that replaces the hitch and the long tounge has a hitch on it? Any reccomendations?
          Thanks,
          Scott Waters

          Sent from my U.S. Cellular© Smartphone

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