Dart 15 Forums

Hi All

Anyone Built a Trailer Box, and what materials did you use for example plywood at the local timber merchants when I asked and told them what it was for outside getting wet, dragged the length and breath of the country in the rain and came up with something, cant remember the name some initials I think like "rft" or some other abbreviation which is supposed to be exterior grade, can you tell me what this is and is it suitable.

has anyone got any plans for a box 2.24 x 1m.?

I can see the advantages to a hinged lid and to a sliding lid the former when the boats are on and you need a spare wheel or a box full of rope that you forgot to put in before boat went on etc.

Remember I sit at an Apple Mac for a living I'm not a carpenter, But Joinery I can do.

Hi there Steven, yes I built one last year, sorry no plans but I used 2 sheets of 8' X 4' Exterior Grade Ply.

The reason for using 8 X 4 was so that I could get the suppliers to cut the sheets for me.

One was cut into 2 making 2 X 2' X 8' they now make the top and bottom.

The other was cut into 4 making 4 X 1' X 8' they make up the sides and ends.

The ends have to be cut out of one of the 1' X 8' lengths.
I used 1.5" X 2" for the corners.
Once I had made a box 8' X 2' X 1' I then cut it all the way round about 4" from the top. And stuck a 3" piece of ply all around the cut allowing about 1" over lap on the bottom part and 2" on the top, to stop any water getting in.

Will try to take some pictures next time I am at the club and send them to you.

Regards

Chris

Cheers Chris

You have set the grey matter working now, I couldn't work out how you get a lid to fit well, wasn't thinking "outside the Box" you could say

Hi Steve
The box described by Chris ends up a bit small if you want to be able to fit in 2 boats worth of bits plus other odd items like some spares, etc.
It is better to buy 3 sheets of exterior grade plywood and get a decent size box. You could think about using a bit thinner grade (e.g 6mm) for one sheet so the lift off lid is not too heavy. At all the corners it is worth scewing (brass screws) and glueing (exterior grade glue) the plywood to some beading (e.g 20mm x 30mm) to make the corners strong.
Cheers
Bob

Folks,

How would one go about securing it to the trailer? a few U-Bolts through the bottom and around the metal bits?

Also knowing my DIY skills it would all disintegrate as soon as I went past 30mph

Martin S.

Yes I used 4 "U" bolts and reinforced the floor locally with double thickness of plywood.

http://www.towsure.com/category/7237-Bo ... d_Brackets

Cheers
Bob

Hi Steven forgot to mention that I used 8m ply.
If you think about it the distance between the skeg and the bottom of the beam is about 16", I always have two boats on the Trailer and with the dimentions given managed to get all the bitts in the box, Rudders, Sails, Tillers, Wet suits and the rest. And thats for two boats.

Ask Ervin

Regards
Chris

With the width of the box this enables me to put a couple of masts (Broke) neach side of the box.

Chris

Steve

Mine follows Bobs size, but probably not as well made / finished.

I'm re-lidding my box as the 8mm in 1 sheet disintegrated, I've used 12mm this time, but decided to split the lid so it isn't subject to so mich bending & abuse. Haven't quite worked out the geometry of the hinging yet!

I keep re-screwing the rest of the box back together & will no dount have to replace the sides & bottom in a few years as they are all rather waterlogged & soft now!

Charles,

Not sure if you know but you can get steel piano hinge in about 1 metre lengths. I have used this before.

It comes undrilled so you can drill it at regular intervals and use 6mm stainless steel bolts to fix through the ply - with washers on the nut side so you do not end up with screws pulling out of the ply.

It stops the flex of using short hinges and makes the thing more secure. Paint it with hammerite to stop rusting.

Steve

Thank you all

You have all been good enough to think about this and have filled my head with the most marvellous trailer box ever.

Great idea of a front hinged section with the piano hinge but wont it let water in?

Have been talking to the father in law about helping as he is quite an accomplished DIY'r.

Hi Steve

There's a bit of chat above about getting two boats on one trailer. Is there any chance you might be doing the same thing this year?

Robert

Hi Steven, yes will most likley be two up at some stage this year.

If you go to http://www.shanklinsailingclub.com/2007 ... index.html

You can see two up.

Also Picture no 69 you can see the Box.

Cheers
Chris[/url]

Hi Chris
They are a super set of pictures from our Nationals at Saundersfoot last year. The team pictures of Shanklin are excellent and there is even one or two of the tractor driver (Stuart Pierce) driving the go-karts! Well done.
Perhaps Martin can do a link from our picture gallery on this website?

On the trailer box my experience is it give better access to the box when the boat is on to not use a hinge but to have the lid in 2 halves. The front half can then lift totally off with the boats on the trailer.

Cheers

Bob

Sorry wasn't advertising the reply was ment for Robert's question regarding 2 up and Stevens about the Box.
Chris