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The Hydraulic Trailer Project
One of the complications that arose as the result of the
move to Whitefield was an increasing difficulty and
frustration in scheduling efficient boat moves, both to and
from the yard at the beginning and end of the given project,
as well as simple moves within the yard itself, and into and
out of the shop in the timely manner required.
With the shop not exactly
on the beaten path of most boat haulers, it took a lot of
foresight and additional cost to schedule the boat moves
efficiently. Simply put, the shop has become too busy
to be always at the mercy of others' schedules.
Clearly, we needed a solid solution for the long term.
In addition, over the years
I found that my ability to consider the purchase of
inexpensive boats for restoration on speculation, one of the
cores of the business, was limited significantly by the cost
of transport, particularly when the boats in question were
outside of a fairly small radius from the shop. I
longed for my own trailer so that I could transport boats
less expensively. Pulling the trailer wasn't going to
be a problem, since I owned a 1991 Ford F600 diesel-powered
rack body truck that could be modified to become an ideal
tractor for hauling a trailer.
Click
here to find out more about the modifications to this truck.
Background and Research
With these present and
future complications in mind from the getgo, I spent many
months researching hydraulic trailers, and searching for the
elusive used equipment that was in an affordable realm.
I followed many leads, scoured the Internet and Ebay for
used rigs, and devoured every photo I could find.
Several used trailers came and went, none of which were the
right fit for me or my budget. A
marine equipment broker in Massachusetts was helpful,
and contacted me with several leads, but ultimately nothing
came together.
I talked at length on
several different occasions with Steve Morse, my regular
boat hauler, about certain aspects of trailer design, and
the logistics of construction, etc. He was very
willing to help with ideas, but it only took me so far,
since this was a project for which I had neither the skills
nor time to undertake myself.
What I truly wanted was
fairly straightforward:
- Yard capacity
of up to 20,000 lb. and about 35'--the largest practical
size I am likely to handle here at the shop
- Road capacity of about
15,000 lb and 30' or so
- Air suspension, though
I was willing to consider hydraulic for significant cost
savings
- 4 hydraulic arms with
the after two facing rearwards, rather than forward
- Pintle Hitch
- Otherwise, as simple as possible to reduce cost
I contacted several
companies who build hydraulic trailers as their main
business, with mixed and ultimately unsatisfactory results.
Hostar never even bothered to get back to me about my
detailed inquiry; I didn't even bother getting in touch with
Brownell, the inventors of the hydraulic trailer, since
I knew their trailers to be far out of reach, price-and
size-wise--outstanding trailers by any standard, but I knew
they were aiming for a different market.
The Canadian company
Con-O-Lift
was responsive, but their trailers are of odd design, and
besides that were still priced far too high for what I could
possibly consider. A couple other inquiries based on
intensive web searches came up with nothing useful, and
ultimately more frustration. Clearly, I was serious,
with a detailed list of trailer requirements...why wouldn't
anyone take me seriously?
Minuteman
Boat Handling Equipment in Plymouth, MA was very
responsive to my inquiries, and sent me a couple different
quotations based on my requests. The first quotation,
for a roadworthy trailer meeting the basic specs above, was
far too high, and I discussed options with them. They
responded with a second quotation for a yard-only trailer
that met the requirements above, but had no brakes, only
single axles with hydraulic suspension, and other minimalist
qualities that would be satisfactory for the yard, but not
for over-the-road transport. The price was fair, if
still higher than I had hoped, but this looked like a
realistic option that would handle what I needed most, if
not covering all by ultimate desires. I was seriously
considering this trailer, since it seemed the only option.
During a boat move in
April, 2007, I was talking with Steve Morse at
Morse Overland Marine about the
trailer issues, the various quotes I'd received, and my
needs in general. One thing led to another, and at
some point he mentioned that he'd be interested in possibly
building this trailer as a summer project, when boat hauling
typically is minimal. He built his own trailer 10
years ago and, like most people and projects, had learned
many things about the trailer and better ways to execute
certain things during that time. He seemed excited at
the prospect, and said he'd come up with a price for a
trailer built similar to his, but a bit smaller to better
fit my requirements.
His price was fair but
still higher than I'd hoped; nonetheless, I eventually
determined that he offered me the best overall package,
convenience, and would be building a heavier, better trailer
than anything else I'd looked at--heavy duty equipment to
take me well into the future. I took a while to hammer
out the details, during which time I spent a day riding
around with Steve to observe the entire process and discuss
the details further, and once I obtained the proper
financing we signed a construction contract on June 27,
2007, for a September delivery.
The project is freshly
underway as of this writing; as the construction progresses,
I'll post updates and photos as we go along, as well as
details on changes and modifications to my tow vehicle.
It should be a fun process, so stay tuned!
Click here to
watch the trailer come together>
Click
here to see the truck modifications>
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