A recent post mentioned hull failures on trailers without cradles. I am trailering my H14T on a trailer that just has rubber rollers. Does a lightweight boat like an H14 require trailer cradles?
Many thanks
Trailer cradles
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Posted: May 11, 2009 - 12:45 PM
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Posted: May 11, 2009 - 01:35 PM
Not so much hull "failures" as "soft spots" and problems. Think about it - the entire boat weight sitting on four, roughly 1-inch square, spots on your hulls. Probably not the best thing with any boat of any weight. That's how mine came and I made four foot-long cradles by cutting and 18-inch scrap piece of sewer pvc pipe in half, bolting a galvanized bracket to the bottom and lining it with indoor/outdoor carpet. Same piece as the from the storage tube. Probably cost all of $50 and a half-day's work.
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Posted: May 11, 2009 - 01:52 PM
Thanks for the feedback Doug - great advice. -
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Posted: May 11, 2009 - 02:53 PM
where it is true... its probably better to have the weight distributed... its very rare for there to be a problem with regular rollers.
If you live where it snows ... there can be significant weight accumulated on top of your cat with snow... but in all my years.. i have never seem hull failure in that spot of a boat from trailers. (except on line and with snow)...
that being said.. i have cradles on the back of my trailer (where my sterns are). the front of the boat (bows) come to a point and have much more strength than the stern part of my cat.
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Posted: May 11, 2009 - 03:02 PM
Thanks Andrew - it sounds like I'm probably OK with my H14 in sunny California. -
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Posted: May 11, 2009 - 03:06 PM
I would be worried about using PVC pipe cut in 1/2 as well... that is not meant to take a 400 lb boat on a trailer.. making turns, with potholes and UV rays degrading the pipe and its strenght.
They sell craddles (made of fiberglass and resin) that are meant to carry those loats... and i would trust that alot more
