When I looked into adding side guides to my original 1985 Dilly trailer for
my P19, there was one problem. The galvanized frame was made of steel that
was shaped like a squared-off "C" with only three sides. It wasn't shaped
like a square tube. I didn't think it was strong enough to attach side
guides to it without some reinforcment.
The solution suggested by the man at the local boat trailer shop was to get a
1.5 inch wide, 6-7 long foot piece of square channel steel and bolt it across
the frame using U-bolts. Then make or buy the trailer guides out of 1.25
inch square channel steel and slide them inside the other cross piece. When
you figure exactly how wide you want them, you can drill thru and bolt them.
(All measurements are approximate and from memory.)
I got the steel for about $15 per piece at the local metal supply, cut to the
right length. In the end, I didn't even use it, we decided to get a brand
new trailer, baja style (low) with a long swing tongue so it would fit in our
garage and side yard better. You can see the trailer at
http://members.aol.com/jblumhorst/Trailer.htm
You can't see it in the picture, but we have 5 foot long, horizontal wood
bunks on each side of the freeboard as trailer guides. It works beautifully
when retrieving the boat, even in high wind. the boat goes on perfectly
straight every time.
Best,
Judy B
Judith Blumhorst, DC
P19 Fleet Cap'n, Potters Yachters
1985 WWP19 #266 Redwing, Force 5 #7951 and #1333,
And a pile of windsurfing gear.
Sailing on SF Bay, CA
(5-35 knot winds, 2-4' chop, 2-6' swells, and currents up to 6 knots)
Visit Judy B's West Wight Potter Pages
(http://members.aol.com/jblumhorst/HomePage/index.htm)
and The Official Web Site of the Potters Yachters
(http://songbird.com/potter_yachter/)