# Built me a aluminum jon boat trailer



## riverbud55 (Sep 1, 2013)

Well bought a "89" 12X46 Western jon boat for $150 at auction , use to belong to the Calif fish and game, not in bad shape but has got some spider cracking around the rivets at the seat bases, will do a different thread on repairs and mods for it later. So decided that I need a trailer for it, could put it in the back of the truck if need be but just lot easier to deal with on a trailer and that it was going to need to be made from aluminum to make it as light a possable to pull behind "09" VW Jetta TDI (diesel) that has a max tow capacity of 1000lb,, thinking trailer, boat, gas 6hp motor, trolling motor and battery with gear should weigh in at less then 600lb,,, Vdub gets a easy 42mpg hwy,, made a trip once 612 miles on 13.5 gals of fuel. Do all my fishing out at my place in AZ near the Colorado River that's 242 miles each way from home here In Riverside CA and make the trip moat every other weekend.. Driving the ol Chevy Duramax cost over $125 a trip taking the Vdub will be about $50,,, don't need the truck out there for anything other then putting the boat in the water.. Anyway on with the trailer

The trailer frame was built with 1-1/2" X 3" x .120/ 1/8'' aluminum tube all tig welded, built it with a 3 foot sliding extendable hitch so I can extend it at the ramp so I don't need to get the back of the low car in the water, used a piece of 3'' x 3'' x .190/ 3/16'' for the outer pc that is welded to the frame to allow a pc of 2-1/2"x2-1/2"x.190 fit inside for the extendable hitch section. Formed up some C channel to mount some Trex wood from Lowes for slick bunks,,no wood no carpet to rot

Used a torsion axle from Northern tool https://www.northerntool.com/shop/too..._620183_620183 along with some hubs https://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...6887_200466887 and wheels and tires https://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...5268_200365268,,, torsion axle is much better then springs IMO ,,,saves weight ,on moving parts, un sprung weight, on tire wear , makes a for smoother running non bouncing trailer... Hubs are a easy lube,, just pump some in the from the back of the hub..

.made the finders and running boards from some formed up 1/8''(.120) aluminum sheet stock , made up some bent 2-1/2'' C channels for the side frames and then some 8'' wide jeep style finders , on top of both added some 1/8'' diamond plate,, finders are supported on each end by 2''x 2''x.120 tube

used 3/4''and 2'' round led clearance lights with oval stop/ running led lights. Used a 2-1/4'' hole saw for the 2'' and a 25/32'' drill for the 3/4'' lights ,,, ran 16ga wire threw the inside the tube,,, front amber light was put where the cross tube was so I could use it for a chase to run the wire threw by drilling out the inside of the tube,,, all wires were soldered then sealed with liquid tape then black electrical tape

some pics


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## riverbud55 (Sep 1, 2013)

Took the trailer out to the river for its 1st trip 500 mile round trip and trailer preformed flawlessly,, love that axle, runs like its floating on water, glides right over chuck holes with no bounce at all,,,, thinking the hub I picked out should be a good deal with the grease/zerck fitting on the back side of the inner bearing,, pump new grease in from the back and remove old grease from the front after removing the hub cap

pic is of the installed torsion axle and hub I used and others


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## Clint KY (Sep 2, 2013)

Absolutely fantastic build. I am going to steal your Winch Mount/Boat Bumper design for when I rebuild my trailer.

One thing you might do when you post pictures like this is to briefly label them so Google can find them so when someone is looking for something specific (as I was - winch mount). I just happened across this from a link in another post.

Thanks


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## Kismet (Sep 2, 2013)

That's.....beautiful.

Get some bigmutha lock for that trailer. I'm in Wisconsin, pretty honest guy, and *I* want to steal it! :? 

You have skills, sir.

=D> =D> =D>


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## Colbyt (Sep 2, 2013)

Beautiful build.


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## PSG-1 (Sep 2, 2013)

Outstanding fabrication and welding on that trailer! =D> As someone else suggested, better get a good lock for a trailer that nice, it has a high swipeability factor.

I recently took an aluminum I-beam trailer for a 21 foot boat, cut it down and modified it for my 16 foot duracraft. I noticed my new trailer seems to 'float' over potholes, it doesn't jerk and bounce like the old steel frame one did. But I'm not using a torsion axle, I'm running leaf springs. I think it's the aluminum frame itself that does a better job of dampening the ride.


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## riverbud55 (Sep 8, 2013)

Thanks guys, wished I would have done a few things different, think I could have got the boat lower on the trailer by 2'' but oh well will serve its duty, hoping on day to get a bigger jon one day should be able to get a 1652 on it ,,,,,,,,, man why does a person have to have a frign lock?,,,,,,never think about those kinda things I guess,,,, but I do know where I use it and keep in Arizona people have a tendency to shoot 1st and ask questions later :wink: only place I know were a dude walking down your street with a ak-47 says "GoodMorn n" to you and introduces himself as your neighbor,,I had just moved in and was working in the yard and he stop by on his way out into the desert for some target practice ,was a nice guy  ,,,,,,,,,,,,....

I was thinking may just try to paint it white (will hide the alum.) anyways to help cool it down in our 120*+ days man that alum still gets hotter then hell,,, but I like the alum look with the unpainted boat,,,also matches my big ol North River boat


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## PSG-1 (Sep 8, 2013)

I wouldn't paint it. Get a good lock, and then buy a letter stamping set, then, stamp your boat's hull ID # or some other type of identifying numbers on it someplace inconspicuous. 

Just my .02


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## New River Rat (Sep 15, 2013)

[url=https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=328163#p328163 said:


> Kismet » 02 Sep 2013, 12:00[/url]"]That's.....beautiful.
> 
> Get some bigmutha lock for that trailer. I'm in Wisconsin, pretty honest guy, and *I* want to steal it! :?
> 
> ...




X2 :evil:


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## BCOWANWHEELS (Oct 7, 2013)

THIS WASNT YOUR FIRST RODEO...NICE JOB PAL


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## KRS62 (Oct 8, 2013)

You need to get into the trailer building business! Not sure how much you spent on that, but it looks fantastic. 

KRS


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## bassfisherjk58 (Oct 11, 2013)

WOW! That is an awesome trailer.Congrat's. I'm with the other guys,I wouldn't paint it.Again nice job.


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## riverbud55 (Aug 26, 2015)

Well time for a update,,, last year picked up a new G3 1548 VBW so had to do some mods to the trailer,,,, had to fab up a new bow stop to fit the modifed v hull,,,,then had to trim the finders back to fit and match the angle of the wider beam of the g3,,, built some guide on useing 1-1/2 SQ .120 tube and a formed channel holding some trex wood.....

Trailer been working really good,, tow and launch with no problems,,, not as good mileage that I was hoping for,, gets just less then 30 mpg towing at 60 mph


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## Johnny (Aug 26, 2015)

Bud - between you and PSG, it just re-ignites my urge to go out and buy a MIG/TIG welder !!
Back in the early '70s to mid '80s, I was on some Submarine Tenders while in the Navy.
I had the opportunity to hang around the welding shops and learned how
to weld stainless and aluminum on the Nuclear Level - LOL not much call for that
kind of precision in my last 40 some odd years and have forgotten way more than I have learned.
But it is very rewarding to learn how the molecules of metals can be coaxed into melting together.

AWESOME JOB !!! and it goes out to PSG as well, another gifted fabricator.


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## Kismet (Aug 26, 2015)

Awesome job, indeed!

Wonder....would some sort of front fairing on the boat give you better mpg on towing? Imagine the semi-trailers with the windshield up on top of the tractor cab...sort of like that, except removeable for boating.

Dunno. Just a thought.

Beautiful rig.

=D>


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## lckstckn2smknbrls (Aug 26, 2015)

What does the trailer weigh?


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## lucescoflathead (Aug 29, 2015)

That's some of the best aluminum welding i've ever seen. Great job.


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## floridabrahmer (Aug 29, 2015)

nice job on the trailer, the tdi's are definitely cheap on fuel


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## jethro (Sep 1, 2015)

Looking at all your toys I think if I had your money, I'd burn mine. Very, very nice.


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## sharphook (Dec 4, 2016)

Hey that trailer is Huge Fantatic!!!
Sharphook


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