Converting trailer to screw-pad style for a 22

[NateHanson]

Our CD22 came on a wooden cradle bolted to a stripped boat trailer. The cradle is heavy, hard to load, and wearing out. I'd like to remove the wooden monstrosity, and add 4 screw pad supports instead. Is there any place that sells components like that?

Thanks, Nate

[Warren S]

With my trailer (for a 27/270), it appears the P. O. used typical jack stands from the yard and welded them to the frame. Been working well so far, and made the trip from Illinois to the NC coast back in '05.

[mashenden]

...I'd like to remove the wooden monstrosity, and add 4 screw pad supports instead. Is there any place that sells components like that?

Thanks, Nate

I am considering a similar project. One objective is to be able to lower one pad at a time so I can easily paint the bottom (using lines to stop the boat from tipping of course). So far I have found two sources for adjustable pads, as follows:

http://www.scaffoldmart.com/boat-stand/ ... tands.html - These seem well built, galvanized and appropriately priced, however they do not yet make a trailer version (in about 3 months) but one could either a) modify a Sailboat pad so that it would u-bolt or weld to the trailer (about $75 each excluding shipping) or b) have a local shop weld pipes and then buy the top assembly from scaffoldmart (about $50 each - the threaded post is 1 3/8" per Gray at scaffoldmart).

http://www.boatstands.com/catalog/trailer-components - I am not sure I like their wedge design for trailer mounting since it does not have a couple of points for attaching. Seems like 2 or 3 legs would be better.

To me the ideal solution would be a sailboat pad from scaffoldmart but with the center tube and supports moved up a bit so that the legs extend past the center tube and supports. That would make the 3 legs suitable for attaching (bolt, u-bolt, welding, super glue, silly putty or whatever ) to the trailer.

BTW - I am not affiliated with either company in any way. If anyone comes up with a better approach, please share the design.

[bhartley]

Brownell sells the tops and ships UPS ground very reasonably. Use angle and steel pipe to weld the "stands". We've done 3 trailers this way.

[Oswego John]

Nate,

Here is a way to temporarily lower a screw pad, one at a time, for bottom painting. Measure and cut a 2x4 and wedge it between the ground and under the rub rail. The 2x4 shouldn't support any weight, it is used to maintain the hull in an upright position.

Here are two pics of a trailer that had screw pads installed.

[mashenden]

Here is a way to temporarily lower a screw pad, one at a time, for bottom painting. Measure and cut a 2x4 and wedge it between the ground and under the rub rail. The 2x4 shouldn't support any weight, it is used to maintain the hull in an upright position.

Here are two pics of a trailer that had screw pads installed.
...

The 2x4 idea to keep the boat upright while painting the bottom with one support down is a great one. Much easier than using lines and trees. Thank you, John.

Also, the pics of the trailer where the pipe is used as one leg and then two other angle iron pieces are welded to make a tripod is a variation to an approach that I had not considered, but I like that much better than the L shaped trailer supports from the Brownell website.

If I cannot get a local shop to weld that at a reasonable cost, I suspect I could u-bolt a scaffoldmart sailboat pad to the trailer using the pipe and 2 legs, then cut the 3rd unused leg off.

[RIKanaka]

I have a bunch of photos of my bunk trailer that I modded for a Typhoon a few years back, using the existing bunk brackets to mount 2" aluminum square tubes as receptacles for the screw pads which I scavenged from some boat stands that I got off of craigslist.

http://flic.kr/p/3uvSFy

I u-bolted galvanized straps from Home Depot to the square tubes and the trailer frame for additional support. Ideally, the square tubes/screw pads should be angled in towards the midline of the trailer, which would be the case if your trailer has V-shaped cross bars instead of the straight ones that mine has.