CUSTOM BUILT BOAT TRAILER 5.5M 8 WHEEL TWIN TRANSIT DOUBLE AXLE SPARES REPAIRSSpares or repairs, towable but chassis needs rebuilding.This was purchased second hand in 2002 from a Bristol boat yard. It had been custom built by an engineer for a 25ft power boat. It was used here for a Shetland Alaska 600, fully fitted with engine and accessories this is probably around 2 tonnes. It carried the 600 from Aberystwyth in West Wales back 200 miles to Devon. Since then it has been used twice a year most years for launching and retrieving in the sea at the start and end of the season, although often the boat has been craned onto it. In that time it has been repainted twice (it isn't galvanised). This spring the boat was trailered 30 miles to a marine engine specialist for an engine service, but on the way back the trailer chassis began to collapse. It was braced a bit to take the boat down to the harbour where it was craned into the water.
As the photos show it would need a considerable amount of work to repair the chassis. The design has 2 box sections on each side attached to the axles, welded in place (it is all welded together in construction, except adjustable parts) which connect to the backbone section via braced outriggers. The box sections have bent over the axles and the outriggers have started to collapse. The C section on the bottom of the backbone is lighter steel which has become corroded and weakened too. The axles do not connect directly to this part, rather they pass through it. They are made from large square box section welded to the ends of the Transit axle ends that hold the wheel hubs. These axles are oil filled and seem in good order, as are the wheels, which are heavy steel. The tyres vary, one is very cracked and perished, one is quite new, others fall in between in condition. 2 were recently treated with Oko as they were going down. The long C section that forms the hitch bar would always flex a little in use, and it is slightly bent up where it meets the main chassis. The ball hitch is an over - run brake type and it did have hydraulic brakes once, but these were not connected when the trailer was purchased. The brake shoes have been removed and are still stored here in the shed so they can be included in the sale too.
The jockey wheel was bought new and winds up and down, but proved to be quite lightweight so when the boat is on the trailer it is lifted with a jack and blocked. The jockey wheel also has a small chunk missing from one side of the rubber tyre which may be visible if you look at the photos carefully.You can tow this trailer away but it would not be suitable to transport a boat without repairs. An interesting project or parts donor for an existing chassis. The 8 wheels would make this a handy low ground pressure trailer for use on soft surfaces. No lights are fitted, it was used with a separate lighting board.
It is located in Brendon, near Lynton and Lynmouth, North Devon, South West England.
Probably it was originally constructed in the 1990's, as LWB Ford Transits had double rear wheels in the 80's and up to the early 1990's so at this time these axles would have been readily available.In it's current position the distance from the bow post to the rear of the trailer is 5.33m, but it could be moved 30cm further forward and has been positioned there in the past too. The C section centre channel used to extend about 75cm further back but was cut off as this wasn't needed for the Alaska 600. The width over the tyres is about 1.96m. The tyres are 195R14 and 185R14 sizes.
Viewing of the trailer is welcome by previous arrangement through eBay messages.