Ok now dont laugh, but I have been thinking after reading the posts about
launching and retrieving a boat from a boat trailer. What would you all
think about a trailer in which the boat sits on a set of rails and the rails
slides into the water to launch the boat ? The way I vision it is you would
back the trailer into the water, but not as far as normal, then the rails
slides the boat into the deeper part of the water? Just a thought crazy I
know

thanks
Ed

"Ed H" wrote in message
...
Ok now dont laugh, but I have been thinking after reading the posts about
launching and retrieving a boat from a boat trailer. What would you all
think about a trailer in which the boat sits on a set of rails and the
rails
slides into the water to launch the boat ? The way I vision it is you
would
back the trailer into the water, but not as far as normal, then the rails
slides the boat into the deeper part of the water? Just a thought crazy I
know

thanks
Ed


Sounds like a lot of rust and hinges waiting to freeze up to me.
My little boat I keep up but I don';t often trailer her around, so I have a
really awful solid rust used trailer. The wheels turn, but that is all I can
say for it. I keep the boat on a lift on my neighbors dock.

.. What would you all
think about a trailer in which the boat sits on a set of rails and the
rails
slides into the water to launch the boat ?

I can see it working good for lighter boats, but the mechanism and weighting
for heavier boats might present some problems, not to mention the additonal
cost and maintenance of the movable rail setup.
Here's one potential problem:
Many vehicles have the parking brake only on the rear wheels, so if you set
the brake and then use the extender rails to move the boat back the trailer
tongue weight is reduced and may even go negative with a larger boat. If
the tongue weight is reduced enough, then the vehicle might slide backwards
somewhat. Oops.

On Wed, 27 Apr 2005 03:55:20 -0700, "Ed H" wrote:

Ok now dont laugh, but I have been thinking after reading the posts about
launching and retrieving a boat from a boat trailer. What would you all
think about a trailer in which the boat sits on a set of rails and the rails
slides into the water to launch the boat ? The way I vision it is you would
back the trailer into the water, but not as far as normal, then the rails
slides the boat into the deeper part of the water? Just a thought crazy I
know

thanks
Ed

Quite a few years ago, I designed and built a similar unit.

I modified one of those flat-bed wrecker trucks, to hold a boat. I
could back up to the water, and easily "trailer" the boat via
hydrolics.

I sold the patent for a seven digit check.

I think maybe a telescoping (trailer) tongue would do the trick ...
hydraulic? electric? pneumatic? That way the wheels stay under the load,
there's weight on the trailer hitch, easy to maintan, ... and so on.

"Ed H" wrote in message
...
Ok now dont laugh, but I have been thinking after reading the posts about
launching and retrieving a boat from a boat trailer. What would you all
think about a trailer in which the boat sits on a set of rails and the
rails
slides into the water to launch the boat ? The way I vision it is you
would
back the trailer into the water, but not as far as normal, then the rails
slides the boat into the deeper part of the water? Just a thought crazy I
know

thanks
Ed

That doesn't help when the wheels go off then end of the ramp.

--
frosty

bowgus wrote:
I think maybe a telescoping (trailer) tongue would do the trick ...
hydraulic? electric? pneumatic? That way the wheels stay under the
load, there's weight on the trailer hitch, easy to maintan, ... and
so on.

"Ed H" wrote in message
...
Ok now dont laugh, but I have been thinking after reading the posts
about launching and retrieving a boat from a boat trailer. What
would you all think about a trailer in which the boat sits on a set
of rails and the rails slides into the water to launch the boat ?
The way I vision it is you would back the trailer into the water,
but not as far as normal, then the rails slides the boat into the
deeper part of the water? Just a thought crazy I know

thanks
Ed

Geez, yer right ... although, I would not call what you describe as being a
launch ramp :-)

I keep forgetting, not everybody that trailers uses a vehicle with 4 L, and
a trailer with rollers. And about the end of the ramp ... if it's real
dramatic, a few rocks (did that at White Lake) takes care of that..

"frosty" wrote in message
...
That doesn't help when the wheels go off then end of the ramp.

"frosty" wrote in message
...
That doesn't help when the wheels go off then end of the ramp.

bowgus wrote:
Geez, yer right ... although, I would not call what you describe as
being a launch ramp :-)

I keep forgetting, not everybody that trailers uses a vehicle with 4
L, and a trailer with rollers. And about the end of the ramp ... if
it's real dramatic, a few rocks (did that at White Lake) takes care
of that..


All the lakes near me have been waaaay down for years,
and it's common to see a ramp that doesn't even reach
the water. Big rainy season though! Was just on Mohave
and it was waay back up. =`:^) Good time to buy a boat!

--
frosty