How to Stop Aluminum Trailer from Floating

[slivings]

I have an aluminum I-beam dual axle trailer, and it floats. This is a PITA when loading the boat, what's the best way to stop? Is there any way to do it w/o adding lots of weight?

[Dock Holiday]

I was backing a friends trailer in the water for him last year and I thought that something was submerged under water on the ramp whne the trailer went up on one side only. I got out to look and nothing. So acked back in and it did the same thing. Then I pulled out and went to the next ramp over and it did it again. My buddy laughed and told me it was floating. I had heard of that but never experienced it before so I know exactly what you are dealing with.

After doing some research I found this to be very common and there only seems to be two fixes.

1) Add weight to the trailer. Some add lead and some steel.

2) Replace the large wood bunks with an aluminum bunk that has a small piece of wood on top with carpet over it.

I like option #2 best.

Good luck

[2112]

This (floating) would make getting a stepped boat off the trailer a PITA.

[THEJOKER]

My aluminum had dual storage boxes. That ***** would float like a PFD.

[cpmarine]

It would be nice on some of our South Jersey ramps that drop of all of a sudden. I've seen many axles lost trying to pull the trailer out. You have to pick the back of the trailer up while someone pulls it out. Be easy if the trailer floated.

[Sydwayz]

I posted a great remedy for this on OSO some time ago. I bought dumbells and u-bolted them to the inside of the I-beams. I'll look for the info when I have time, but anyone else is welcome to find it as well.

It worked great. I went with 4-50 lb. dumbells to start, and was able to take two off eventually after adding more brakes and redoing the bunks.

[THEJOKER]

I posted a great remedy for this on OSO some time ago. I bought dumbells and u-bolted them to the inside of the I-beams. I'll look for the info when I have time, but anyone else is welcome to find it as well.

It worked great. I went with 4-50 lb. dumbells to start, and was able to take two off eventually after adding more brakes and redoing the bunks.

Great idea.

[slivings]

Thanks.

I guess the dumbells would be the easiest fix, as long as a couple hundred lbs. is all it would take.

[Bgchuby01]

growing up in miami I have had that problem for years. Here is the simple way to fix it. Go to home depot and buy some pvc pipe about 4 to 6 inches round and 3 to 4 foot long. buy the end caps also. Fill the pipe with cement and then attach them to the inside of the bunks. Has worked for me with every trailer. Good luck. you only need about 50lbs of weight to cure this problem.

[Sydwayz]

From my post on OSO:

I bought 4-50 pound dumbells, and added them via U-bolts to the inside of the Aluminum I-Beams. Make sure to use a piece of rubber between the aluminum and the iron dumbells to prevent dissimilar metal corrosion and vibration. I used an old truck mud-flap cut into strips. I coated them with about 5 coats of black Rustoleum spray paint before I mounted them. If you wanted, you could use large threaded rod, and use barbell/free weights, with large nuts, but I think that would be more gawky looking.

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82990
http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96969

First pic is where I added them on the trailer. Eventually I took the forward pair off.
Second pic is of the dumbells I used. You can get large SS u-bolts at any serious HW supply or trailer shop.

[Geronimo36]

I've seen guys use large PVC tubes that they fill with water. Then they use the water to wash the boat down or flush the engines afterwards.

[Sea-Dated]

Dumbells are a great idea.

[Sydwayz]

Skip the PVC tubes. If they are only filled with water, they are not going to weigh the trailer down when its in water. Filled with solid concrete; maybe; but not worth the effort compared to the dumbells.

[Sydwayz]

Dumbells are a great idea.

Thanks. I talk to the guy who bought it from me on occasion, and they are still on there 6 years later.

[boatme]

I posted a great remedy for this on OSO some time ago. I bought dumbells and u-bolted them to the inside of the I-beams. I'll look for the info when I have time, but anyone else is welcome to find it as well.

It worked great. I went with 4-50 lb. dumbells to start, and was able to take two off eventually after adding more brakes and redoing the bunks.

If this was a problem for me i would use two dumbells as well (Two of the three ex wives ):26: :03: :rofl:

[Elite Marine]

I used 4" PVC filled with gravel. Then got rid of the stupid trailer.

[Fossil Fuel]

Lead ingot bungeed to the channel when launching. I keep 10 in the back of my F-350 for "ride control".

[YoungPerformance]

I have a customer that used a couple of tractor weights. They are the rectangle ones that hang on the front of a tractor. He puts them on a bracket on the rear of the trailer. When the boat is on and the trailer is out of the water, he takes them off. They are about 50 lbs each, one on each side. They even have handles. He used ones from John Deere.
Eddie

[Sydwayz]

I have a customer that used a couple of tractor weights. They are the rectangle ones that hang on the front of a tractor. He puts them on a bracket on the rear of the trailer. When the boat is on and the trailer is out of the water, he takes them off. They are about 50 lbs each, one on each side. They even have handles. He used ones from John Deere.
Eddie

Excellent idea. Pics would be great.

[Formula 382 sr-1]

We melted some lead and bolted it to the trailer , Before and after the wheels about 40 lbs .

[FastTimes]

You could put an freak'n outboard on mine and cruise the lake, I've tried PVC caped at the back without success.. Looks like I need to add some "SERIOUS" weight to resolve the issue.. Thanks for all of the ideas! :banghead:

[Trim'd Up]

My triaxle didn't float with the 14" steel wheels that were on it factory, but it floated like a b!tch when I put on 15" aluminum rims. I used a 4' peice of 2" pvc filled with concrete on the inside of each frame rail. I think I only used one 80lb bag of concrete for both of them.

[KICKIN32]

I have a flat piece of steel lag bolted to the bottom of both bunks works great.

[Bad Idea Baja]

Geese guys, fill the tires with sand.

[wananewboat]

Do they all float or just some makes and sizes?

[Sydwayz]

Do they all float or just some makes and sizes?

Not all of them do, but the cheaper ones are more prone. My Rocket Trailer floated like pontoon boat.

Cheaper means less dense aluminum, smaller beams, beams that end at the rear axle, smaller/fewer crossmembers, and trailers that have more axles put on them to overcompensate for less load bearing metal. The additional axle obviously add tires with bouyancy. Steel wheels help them sink. Aluminum wheels help them float; etc. etc.