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I'm STUMPED~ How to get toon off of trailer on land.

Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2017 11:10 am
by RonKMiller
I'm going to be refinishing my 1988 tritoon logs with an unconventional approach, and need full access to them for the job.

I'm using Nyalox wheels mounted on a drill to remove existing oxidation and scale. Nyalox wheels are nylon threads coated with aluminum oxide abrasive - no way I can introduce steel rotary brushes to aluminum. So far this is working great and leaving a lightly abraded finish to the aluminum. Perfect for applying Aluthane paint. I'm expecting a very abrasion resistant finish looking similar to galvanized metal. At $100.00 a gallon this MCU (moisture cured urethane) should work well to put a new "skin" on the top and seal them and keep crud from sticking. This stuff is so aggressive if you get it on your skin you can't get it off. You have to wait for new skin to grow! It's full of solvents and aluminum platelets - a true metallic paint.

http://www.epoxyproducts.com/aluthane.html

The problem is I can't figure out any way to get the trailer out from under the boat! I considered using two steel I beams and putting them between the top of the logs and the floor cross way, then using concrete blocks on the end of the beams - but there is NO support doing this. I also considered running straps under the logs and somehow jacking the boat up, but this would require digging support posts deep into the ground and filling with concrete.

I'm stumped. Any clever ideas out there?

Re: I'm STUMPED~ How to get toon off of trailer on land.

Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2017 11:30 am
by Jayjoans
Engine hoists on all 4 corners? Could probably pick 4 up at a local rental outfit.

Re: I'm STUMPED~ How to get toon off of trailer on land.

Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2017 11:57 am
by RonKMiller
Hmmm, not a bad idea! Just not too sure they could handle 4,000 lbs, and yes, that's what my boat weighs... but I'll check it out. It sure would be nice to lift it evenly - and all at once - just four people needed. Thanks!

Re: I'm STUMPED~ How to get toon off of trailer on land.

Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2017 12:36 pm
by sunedog
I used to have a trailer that fit between the toons. (Like a scissor trailer, but no lowering mechanism.) When I needed to have access to the bottom to remove everything to replace the carpet with vinyl, I used a floor jack to jack up each corner and then used cribbing to hold it up. When I had all four corners up, I was able to pull the trailer out.

Not sure how I'd do it with my new bunk trailer. I tried to lift each side a few inches last Fall when I was cleaning the toons, but had little success. I was using a floor jack and blocks of 2 x 4 scraps. I ended up giving up because it felt dicey.

Re: I'm STUMPED~ How to get toon off of trailer on land.

Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2017 12:38 pm
by badmoonrising
The best, safest way to do it if you have a marina near you with a travel lift. I had my previous boat, a 32 ft Party Cruiser painted, the marina sat it on blocks.

Re: I'm STUMPED~ How to get toon off of trailer on land.

Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2017 12:59 pm
by mpilot
Don't know if you want to spend a chunk of change but this is how some of the dealers got their boats off for the boat show...maybe see if any near you have something like this they would rent you.

http://www.gohoist.com/

Re: I'm STUMPED~ How to get toon off of trailer on land.

Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2017 1:57 pm
by Jayjoans
[quote="RonKMiller"]Hmmm, not a bad idea! Just not too sure they could handle 4,000 lbs, and yes, that's what my boat weighs... but I'll check it out. It sure would be nice to lift it evenly - and all at once - just four people needed. Thanks![/quote]

Technically, each hoist would have to be able to handle 1000 lbs, and I think that most hoists can handle at least double that. So even if the rear was heavier than the front I think you'd be OK. Question would be whether or not they'd be tall enough to hook to the eyes before you started to lift. Even crappy Harbor Freight has 2000 lb hoists. Once you got the trailer out you'd of course want to set the boat down on something or at least put in hefty jack stands to catch it if one failed.

http://www.harborfreight.com/2-ton-capa ... 69514.html

Re: I'm STUMPED~ How to get toon off of trailer on land.

Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2017 4:10 pm
by Bamaman
Tie a heavy tow rope to a tree and tie off the rear end of your pontoon boat with the other end. Then put something under the back end that'll keep the pontoons off the ground. Dealerships often use big chunks of styrofoam.

The pull the truck and trailer forward. The boat will come off on the ground.

Then the big problem is figuring how to get it back on the trailer without scratching painted logs.

I'd suggest using NAPA metal brightener or commercial aluminum boat/pontoon clearner (acid based) to start with on the crud. Maybe you don't have to go to extreme measures to get it clean.

Re: I'm STUMPED~ How to get toon off of trailer on land.

Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2017 6:34 pm
by Radartom
The way I have heard to do it is load the pontoon on the trailer with about a foot hanging off the back side. Get some 2x4s ready to be cut at the house. Bring the boat to where you want to work on it and drop the tongue of the trailer to the ground, and build cribbing to the height of the back of the toons. Next raise the tounge of the trailer high enough to get a 4x4 between the trailer and pontoons at about the mid point if not further forward. Build more cribbing to support the 4x4 and lower tounge of trailer and pull it out. Build another set of safety cribbing to support the front of the boat, and have fun.

Re: I'm STUMPED~ How to get toon off of trailer on land.

Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2017 9:02 pm
by RonKMiller
That's a great approach and makes a lot of sense. Seriously labor intensive though and I'm a lazy booger. Maybe use multiple cheap Harbor Freight jack stands padded with carpet between the bunks instead? (They'll even take them back for a full refund within 90 days.)

I would need to inch it forward and adjust the jacks as I go. Might take some time but one heck of lot easier than building cribs. Not sure if it would work though. I'm thinking I need to distribute the weight evenly over multiple points - as in a dozen per log - or risk splitting one. 36 jack stands might do it. (12 per 28 ft. log, it's a tritoon)

Hmmmm... now we're getting somewhere!

Re: I'm STUMPED~ How to get toon off of trailer on land.

Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2017 8:33 pm
by NonHyphenAmerican
A buddy of mine has a winch truck and a fork lift.

Fork lift on one end and winch truck on the other will safely lift most things.

So if you're a lazy booger, find a buddy with a winch truck and a fork lift that can help you out.

Re: I'm STUMPED~ How to get toon off of trailer on land.

Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 7:13 am
by BobG
Shoot, I was gonna say high speed in reverse, with all the straps off, and slam on the brakes... Wait - I just DID say that!

Re: I'm STUMPED~ How to get toon off of trailer on land.

Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2017 6:19 pm
by RonKMiller
I was typically overthinking the problem. My solution was to raise the toon - and lower the trailer. Duh.

My toon is now "flying" a foot above the trailer on 4 Harbor Freight underhoist lifts. Rated at 4,000 lbs. each. My rig weights 4,000 lbs. total so I have a safety factor of 4. It's secure enough that I feel comfortable working under it after shaking it back and forth pretty hard. It's solid.

I popped the bunks off to give me better access to the bottom of the logs as well as cored the trailer tires to lower it even more. I've put a little pressure back in to keep the rims off the beads.

Now on to the cleaning and painting - what a mess... Donning a 3M dust mask, goggles and Tyvek suit for protection from the aluminum dust. No way I want that in my lungs or on my skin.

I'm retarded enough already LOL!!