# Cox Trailer Rebuild



## moberg12

My boat build has been on hold due to the crappy home made trailer the boat came on. I got to the point were I didn't want to put the boat back on the trailer until the trailer was redone. Well the original trailer was pretty much junk. It was home made and I couldn't find any replacement parts for it. 






I cut it up and got $34 dollars for it at the salvage yard

A couple weeks ago I answered a craigslist ad for a Cox trailer with a free boat. I sent an email and a couple hours later I was the proud owner of a new boat trailer and crappy fiberglass boat. I had no intention of taking on a fiberglass boat resto so the old boat went directly to the dump the next day. In case you missed it that story can be found here: https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=22571

On to the new project, I'm going to use this thread to document the restoration of my new Cox trailer















fully adjustable





The axle will be replaced





I will be using 2 u bolts per side when it goes back together. 

I plan to start tearing the trailer down tomorrow. The plan is to grind it down, prime and paint, new axle, springs, all new hardware, and bunks. In its current state it looks like it will be about 1ft. short for my boat, even with the winch post moved forward. I plan on lengthening the tongue with a fulton folding tongue kit. 

Feel free to share your comments and ideas.

Thanks for looking


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## JonBoatfever

Definatly a fixer-uper... mine was like that except and ugly rattle can blue.


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## lckstckn2smknbrls

Is there anything wrong with the axle? If not you could save a few bucks.


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## jasper60103

moberg12 said:


> ... In its current state it looks like it will be about 1ft. short for my boat, even with the winch post moved forward. I plan on lengthening the tongue with a* fulton folding tongue kit*.
> 
> Feel free to share your comments and ideas.
> 
> Thanks for looking



Nice project.
Just wondering, can you mount the winch post to that extension, and will it support the weight?


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## moberg12

lckstckn2smknbrls said:


> Is there anything wrong with the axle? If not you could save a few bucks.



Nothing is wrong with the axle, it just looks a little light duty for my liking!! I'm replacing everything while I have it apart!! The reason I scrapped the old trailer was I couldn't easily find parts for it. My goal for the new trailer when it is all finished is the ability to replace any part with something sold off the shelf!!



jasper60103 said:


> Nice project.
> Just wondering, can you mount the winch post to that extension, and will it support the weight?



The winch post won't need to be mounted to the extension. I have enough length the way it is to fit the boat, but the bow and winch post would be so close to the coupler that the boat would be very close to the back of my Jeep. My thought was that adding about 2' to the tongue would give me a buffer and give me more maneuverability. That way I won't have to worry about the boat smashing the back of my jeep. Unfortunately I've run into the problem before trying to turn around in a tight spot, to make it worse I was driving my Dad's truck at the time. Let me tell you Toyota Tundra rear bumpers aren't cheap!!!!

I'm not completely sold on the fulton kit yet either. 2"x3" tubing is not very expensive, and the tongue is just bolted on. It might end up being more cost effective for me to just buy a new piece of 2"x3" a couple feet longer. I just have to make sure the tilt mechanism can be transferred, if not I'll go with the fulton kit


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## jasper60103

jasper60103 said:


> Nice project.
> Just wondering, can you mount the winch post to that extension, and will it support the weight?





moberg12 said:


> The winch post won't need to be mounted to the extension. I have enough length the way it is to fit the boat, but the bow and winch post would be so close to the coupler that the boat would be very close to the back of my Jeep. My thought was that adding about 2' to the tongue would give me a buffer and give me more maneuverability. That way I won't have to worry about the boat smashing the back of my jeep. Unfortunately I've run into the problem before trying to turn around in a tight spot, to make it worse I was driving my Dad's truck at the time. Let me tell you Toyota Tundra rear bumpers aren't cheap!!!!
> 
> I'm not completely sold on the fulton kit yet either. 2"x3" tubing is not very expensive, and the tongue is just bolted on. It might end up being more cost effective for me to just buy a new piece of 2"x3" a couple feet longer. I just have to make sure the tilt mechanism can be transferred, if not I'll go with the fulton kit



Yea, I'll be watching this thread closely because I'm facing the same dilemma. I need about a foot or so more tongue. I could adjust the wench post forward a little more, but then the rear lift gate on my van wouldn't clear the boat. 
I don't have any welding skills, so a bolt-on extension would be the easiest for me. Thanks for sharing.


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## moberg12

jasper60103 said:


> Yea, I'll be watching this thread closely because I'm facing the same dilemma. I need about a foot or so more tongue. I could adjust the wench post forward a little more, but then the rear lift gate on my van wouldn't clear the boat.
> I don't have any welding skills, so a bolt-on extension would be the easiest for me. Thanks for sharing.



Just thought I'd update. I called my local metal supply company and 2"x3" steel tubing runs $3.75 per foot. The fulton kit is $80. It makes more sense for me to just replace the entire tongue piece with new tubing, I only need 9' to be 2' longer. I just have to figure out the tilt mechanism. Lucky for me I know a welder that does great work dirt cheap. 

Looks like I'll save a bunch of time by not grinding down the old paint and rust on the old tongue!! 

Jasper, give your local metal supply company a call along with a couple welders, I'm sure you could get a new tongue welded in for less than $150 total cost!!

edit: looks like only the latch mechanism is welded to the tongue tubing. I should easily be able to grind it off and have it welded to the new tubing. 

I do have 2 questions!

1. I planned on using rust-oleum rust reformer to prime the trailer, do you guys think that will work, or should I use self-etching primer?

2. the current tongue tubing is 1/8" thick. Do you think that is good enough or should I go with a bit thicker tubing?

Sand blasting starts tomorrow!!


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## moberg12

Well I had some time Saturday to start work on the trailer. 





Being able to do this was quite handy!





The sand blaster was a very helpful addition to the grinder. 





Before





After










Well that is as far as I got. I didn't want to leave the bare steel exposed so I at least got it painted with rust reformer. I had plans Sunday so the back half will have to wait till this weekend.


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## jasper60103

Wow, that sandblaster cleans it up nicely. It will look brand new when you're done. Great progress. 
When can I drop mine off? LOL. Thanks for the update.


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## moberg12

Well I picked up the new tongue piece after work today. 9' of 2"x3"x3/16" for a total of $47!! The old tongue was just 1/8" but the thicker stuff was only a couple dollars more. 9' plus the coupler and I will end up with just over 2' to play with. 

Unfortunately the girlfriend is out of town this weekend so I'll have to spend it working on the trailer :mrgreen:


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## moberg12

Well I guess it is time to update this thread. The last couple of weekends I was able to get some real quality work in on the trailer, and finally got it finished yesterday. 

-new paint
-all new hardware
-new spring bushings(old springs were in good shape)
-new bunks and carpet
-new coupler
-whole new tongue tube
-new rollers
-new winch
-new jack
-new hubs
-new lights (only thing left to install)

Got the boat on the trailer yesterday and adjusted the bunks and rollers. I'm still planning on replacing the axle in the near future. I've got the page bookmarked just need to place the order. In the meantime I can get back to finishing my boat. 

On to the pics:


























I think it turned out great!!


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## Gramps50

Looking good


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## fool4fish1226

It did turn out great =D> nice job


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## overboard

I have the same trailer, only its galvanized. the axle also has a camber in it, don't know if you need to replace that axle. I'm hauling a 1654 tracker grizzley on it and dont seem to have any problems. 
may do what you did, and extend the tongue. I had thought about doing that for awhile, just never got around to it.
nice job on the trailer.


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## moberg12

overboard said:


> I have the same trailer, only its galvanized. the axle also has a camber in it, *don't know if you need to replace that axle*. I'm hauling a 1654 tracker grizzley on it and dont seem to have any problems.
> may do what you did, and extend the tongue. I had thought about doing that for awhile, just never got around to it.
> nice job on the trailer.



Everyone keeps telling me that, so I might just leave it! The trailer came with an old fiberglass boat on it that weighed 780lbs without an engine, and it didn't seem to have any trouble with that load. I doubt my finished boat will weigh that much. Part of me thinks replacing 40 year old parts is still a good idea though. 

My boat is also 16' and I didn't like how much of the boat would of been hanging off the trailer. I would have had to move the winch post almost all the way to the coupler to get it where I wanted, and that would have left a very un-maneuverable trailer. I think the new tongue and the welding only ran me about $50, it was well worth it. The old tongue was also pretty badly bent. I may still need to ad one more keel roller, there is a pretty large gap between the last roller and the bow stop. 

Anyone have any thoughts on upgrading to 12" wheels??

Thanks for all the compliments!!


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## Ringo Steele

I have the same trailer as yours. The original wheels on mine were 12". (My uncle bought it new in 1971.) If I recall correctly, it is rated for 800 lbs. Be sure to check the rust between the undercarriage and the trailer frame. I little in there will eventually eat up the frame (as me how I know! :roll: ). Yours is looking good now! Mine needs some serious TLC (and a little steel replacement too!)


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## moberg12

Ringo Steele said:


> I have the same trailer as yours. *The original wheels on mine were 12"*. (My uncle bought it new in 1971.) If I recall correctly, it is rated for 800 lbs. Be sure to check the rust between the undercarriage and the trailer frame. I little in there will eventually eat up the frame (as me how I know! :roll: ). Yours is looking good now! Mine needs some serious TLC (and a little steel replacement too!)



That makes sense, the little 8" wheels look a bit small under those fenders. Somewhere along the line my wheels must have been switched then. Right now my tires have just a bit of dry rot. I don't mind towing it around town but I want to get some new ones before I take any long distance trips. I got two extra 8" wheels when I bought the trailer so I could save money if I keep the 8" wheels. So what is the advantage of larger wheels and tires? I don't mind spending a bit extra if it will be a noticeable upgrade. 

I had the entire trailer apart during the resto. There was a bit of surface rust where the fenders bolt to the frame but nothing the grinder couldn't take care of. It's now all freshly coated with paint that should keep the rust at bay. It is a crappy design though, and I will probably take it apart again in a couple years to check for rust. As rusty as it looks in the before pics surprisingly I only broke one bolt during the dis-assembly!


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## Gramps50

I had a spare on my trailer that was dry rotted and it wouldn't hold air so be careful with your dry rotted tires.

The smaller tires/wheels will make more reveloutions per mile than the larger 12" tire and wheels. The 8" wheels/tires will run hotter than the 12" wheels/tires. Also it puts more stress on your wheel bearing too.

In many cases you can buy the wheel & tire for very little more than just a tire alone. If you have room under the fenders I think I would go with the larger tires/wheels


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## JMichael

Depending on the road conditions where you tow your boat, larger diameter tires will give the boat a smoother ride on rough roads.


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## moberg12

Got the lights wired up tonight, now it really is done!! Well I do still have to get it titled and registered so 99.9% done 8)


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## moberg12

Boat is finally on the trailer Woohoo :mrgreen:


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## lbursell

Nicely done. I do like that Ford Blue.


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## novaman

Beautiful boat & trailer combo, Ford blue or not =D> By the way is the dog in Your postings a Visla, or Weimaraner? Looks alot like a Weimaraner I had 35 yrs. ago.


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## moberg12

novaman said:


> Beautiful boat & trailer combo, Ford blue or not =D> By the way is the dog in Your postings a Visla, or Weimaraner? Looks alot like a Weimaraner I had 35 yrs. ago.



The color is actually International blue, I used Ace rust stop enamel. 

She is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever.


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## bigwave

Gotta love our labs, my old boy is 12, English Lab. His name is Sir Hershal Big Boy BLue, aka Hershey.


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## moberg12

bigwave said:


> Gotta love our labs, my old boy is 12, English Lab. His name is Sir Hershal Big Boy BLue, aka Hershey.



Chesapeakes are a lot like labs, they just come standard with a bit more awesome!! 

They have a different personality than a lab. A chessie has no issue with chewing off the face of any intruder or stranger messing with them or their family. Their will to retrieve is simply outstanding, and you can multiply that when you add water. You only have to be around one for a short period of time before you realize that's no lab.

Just to clarify I'm not hating on labs, I have a 9 year old black lab. He was my first dog as an adult, in my mind there will never be a better dog!! His lazy butt hasn't so much as chased a tennis ball in years though.


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## inlovewithsurfin

your trailer looks amazing! boats not too shabby either!  great job!


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## GrogHog

In stead of extending the tong why didn't you just lengthen the bunks an extra foot?
Trailer looks great. 
Depending how far you haul your boat 12 are great it will sit up higher


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## moberg12

GrogHog said:


> In stead of extending the tong why didn't you just lengthen the bunks an extra foot?
> Trailer looks great.
> Depending how far you haul your boat 12 are great it will sit up higher



After I got the trailer home and inspected it I found that the original tongue was bent, so I was going to have to replace it anyway. By lengthening the tongue and not extending the bunks the weight of the outboard it supported directly down to the bunk mounts and then to the frame of the trailer. The boat fits on the trailer perfect now, I can even put my weight on the transom now that the motor is mounted and the tongue doesn't lift off of the jack!! 

I have also decided that 12" wheels will be purchased soon!! I'm too busy spending money on the boat right now though.

Thanks again for the compliments, it was a fun project. Now I'm always looking for cheap trailers on craigslist, I think I could make a decent profit fixing these old trailers up.


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## azekologi

I think that a picture this beautiful finished masterpiece deserves to be put in the "Post a Pic of Your Trailer" thread. 8)


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## outboard-man

moberg12 said:


> GrogHog said:
> 
> 
> 
> In stead of extending the tong why didn't you just lengthen the bunks an extra foot?
> Trailer looks great.
> Depending how far you haul your boat 12 are great it will sit up higher
> 
> 
> 
> 
> After I got the trailer home and inspected it I found that the original tongue was bent, so I was going to have to replace it anyway. By lengthening the tongue and not extending the bunks the weight of the outboard it supported directly down to the bunk mounts and then to the frame of the trailer. The boat fits on the trailer perfect now, I can even put my weight on the transom now that the motor is mounted and the tongue doesn't lift off of the jack!!
> 
> I have also decided that 12" wheels will be purchased soon!! I'm too busy spending money on the boat right now though.
> 
> Thanks again for the compliments, it was a fun project. Now I'm always looking for cheap trailers on craigslist, I think I could make a decent profit fixing these old trailers up.
Click to expand...


HI moberg12

I have a mid 50's cox trailer for my 14 ft crestliner boat and need a roller and bracket. NO luck so far any ideas?? Also it has 8 inch wheels and I notice you are "upgrading" to 12". Is that something feasible for my trailer? Thanks for your time,


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## dahut

Great work!


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