Help... how to tilt a driftboat?

lilnorthfork · 02-17-2004, 09:49 AM

I want to store my db tilted so all this rain can run out and into my neighbor's yard. Not really, but what is the easiest way to tilt a boat on a non-tilt trailer? I did it by continually adding blocks under the trailer jack until it was high enough to prop a board under the tongue... there must be an easier way. Thanks. lnf

[ 02-17-2004, 10:50 AM: Message edited by: lilnorthfork ]

02-17-2004, 09:53 AM

Now I've never done it but I would shift the boat back on the trailer until it tilts. This is just a guess though.

FishinMission · 02-17-2004, 09:56 AM

Keta nailed it....Hook the boat trailer up to your hitch...and slide the boat back far enough that it tilts back when you unhook it. Hopefully it's not full of water and too heavy to do that.

Mark

illbfish · 02-17-2004, 10:33 AM

I placed a sawhorse under the tounge far enough back to place the back of the boat on the ground. [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img]

Rubber Robin · 02-17-2004, 12:19 PM

Block the wheels and put a sawhorse under the trailer tongue.

I also put a 5 gallon bucket over the end of the trailer tongue to keep the rain off the hitch and trailer plug. The less weather that the trailer light plug receives, the better.

lilnorthfork · 02-17-2004, 12:29 PM

Thanks for the ideas and caution. I should have paid better attention in H.S. physics class.

lnf

fishin62 · 02-17-2004, 12:32 PM

loosen winch, pull boat from the transom and the boat will slide easy back until trailer tips, just leave it until you need it again, no lumber or props for the kids to knock loose and get hurt.

greenbuttskunk · 02-17-2004, 12:39 PM

I usually just hire somebody to lift it for me when it's raining. :grin: Hey LNF, welcome to all the fun little boat dilemas.
GBS

02-17-2004, 12:40 PM

Crabbait,
Ouch, that doesn't sound like a good thing :depressed: Good point, we don't want to make any dentist richer.

Tanner · 02-17-2004, 01:01 PM

Quote:

I placed a sawhorse under the tounge far enough back to place the back of the boat on the ground.

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">This is the easiest solution. Go to Home Depot and buy a set of the cheapo aluminum saw horse legs and a 2 x 4 go home, cut the 2 x 4 to a 4 foot length. Clamp on the saw horse legs and you have a great tilt stand for your driftboat trailer. NOTE: MAKE SURE YOU BLOCK THE TRAILER TIRES. This is much less hassle than trying to tilt your boat 1/2 way off of your trailer.

crabbait · 02-17-2004, 11:08 PM

Use extreme caution if you use the trailer hitch to pull the trailer out from under the boat. When you go to disconnect, the trailer won't want to release from the hitch. When it does come off it will want to go up really fast. Don't have your chin over it!

I recommend that you tie the back of the boat off to something sturdy, then pull the trailer forward slowly either by hand or with a tow rope connected to the vehicle. As the weight transfers to the back of the trailer the tongue will start to raise slowly. Have chocks handy to keep the trailer from going farther than you want. When the back of the boat is on the ground and the trailer tongue is up and stable, chock the wheels and untie the trailer.

Physics are powerful things. Think clearly about "what will happen if" before you start tugging.

[ 02-17-2004, 12:09 PM: Message edited by: crabbait ]

spinner53 · 02-17-2004, 11:24 PM

My trailer seems a bit long, so i have to push the boat back about 3 feet to where IT IS BALANCED OVER THE AXLE, I leave it there while I clean and move it around. to Tilt it I simple lift the tongue end and prop a 2 by 4 under it. Once it's in the Garage, I crank the winch to bring it fwd, this gives me another 3 feet behind the boat (this reduces any friction from my better half re space)

Fishing freak · 02-17-2004, 11:24 PM

Maybe my trailer is differant, but all I do is block both wheels (front and back of wheels) and prop a 2x4 under the tongue. Make sure that the drain hole in the back of the boat is not flush on the ground.

Beaver1 · 02-17-2004, 11:36 PM

A sawhorse is an easy solution. Or a couple of 2x4s nailed to create a post for the tounge to set on.

[ 02-17-2004, 12:37 PM: Message edited by: Beaver1 ]

daveg · 02-18-2004, 07:17 PM

I got a buddy who actually mounted a trailer ball to his house and leaves his DB tilted with plug out. He planned ahead when building the home and added blocking to lag into.

DownTime · 02-18-2004, 08:25 PM

Be careful if you have kids around.Like F62 said.My son and a friend were playing around my driftboat(even after being warned not to by mom and dad)and knocked it off the sawhorse.Fortunately no one was hurt!

Just scared several of us.

JB

lilnorthfork · 02-18-2004, 10:00 PM

The sawhorse/2x4 makes sense as a support, the problem is getting the tongue far enough off the ground to begin with. Today I slid the boat back far enough that it tilted on its own... piece of cake. Should be easy to winch it back on the trailer when it is time to roll. Seems much safer than supporting the tongue as I did in the first place.
Greenbutt - Time to move to a bigger driveway, heh?!

Riverkeeper · 02-18-2004, 10:05 PM

Got a big tree in your yard (you must, that's why they call it forest grove)? Toss a rope over a limb, loop it around the tongue and hoist 'er up.

You do park the boat on the lawn in your front yard, right?

ssteelheadsteve · 02-18-2004, 10:05 PM

Buy a vented tonneau/mooring cover.
Keeps other eyeballs out.Keeps out dirt and rain.
One of the best things I have bought in over 30 years of driftboating.

YaHoeeFishOn · 02-19-2004, 10:58 AM

My friend set a 4 ft piece of 6" pvc pipe in ground . He back's his trailer along side his house . He has a toung jack with wheel on his trailer , We set wheel into top pipe . The pipe is a heavy schedule pvc 40 ? 60 ? its about 3/8 thick in 6 inch diamiter. Whith chucks and and pipe he's set . It my job to help him set it on pipe after I wash all eggs and shrimp fall out, I've tossed all over his boat. With 50 lbs tounge weight and good set blocks his boat won't move, but he doesn't have a kids in his yard.

3riversBob · 02-19-2004, 12:36 PM

A lot of great ideas for you, but here is one more, and what I would do IF I had a db.

Disconnect trailor, pickup trailor until desired height/angle is achieved, ask wife to hold it for minute, go into house grab a beer, watch ball game.

Be sure and thank her! :smile:

Bob

lilnorthfork · 02-19-2004, 02:35 PM

I tried that with my kids but they aren't tall enough yet.
My boat/trailer must be front heavy. Deadlifting the tongue is a back exploder.
Artwo - Clever idea. How do you get it back down without breaking your back or dropping it?
RK - great idea. I ran out to the back yard to test it out on the biggest tree. Only problem is it is a 130 year-old Sequoia and the lowest branch is about 30' up.

This is great stuff... maybe it should be a contest or something. How about the winner gets to take me fishing in my boat. :grin: Any other ideas?
SSSteve - the cover idea is way too sensible a solution for a guy like me. Besides, it would cost more than the boat and I'll need that money for back surgery from lifting the trailer.

lnf

k9jeff · 02-19-2004, 02:50 PM

There is a product called a "Kick Stand" which is made for driftboats to life the tough in the air for storage. They were at the boat show this year,, kind of a neat deal.

Artwo · 02-19-2004, 03:52 PM

lilnorthfork,
You didn't ask about getting it back down, just about getting it up in the air :grin:

Actually it's alot easier to let back down but you need someone to pull the sawhorse out. I can do it by myself but it's ocward.

k9jeff,
Do you remember who made the "kick stand", I'ld be interested.

[ 02-19-2004, 04:54 PM: Message edited by: Artwo ]

Mikeymoto · 02-19-2004, 10:08 PM

So save a messed up back, get a high lift bumper jack. About $39. on sale for the 4' one and you can lift a lot with one of those. :shocked:
MM

k9jeff · 02-19-2004, 11:39 PM

attwo,, I am not sure, but I think it was jake meyer -541-741-2055 located in springfield. I dont know much else about them, but he had them at the boat show. Kind of a neat rig.

[ 02-20-2004, 12:39 AM: Message edited by: k9jeff ]

Artwo · 02-19-2004, 11:59 PM

This is how I have always stored my DB outside from day one.

After a day of fishing, egg goop all over, fish blood all over inside :grin: . I back it into its spot, disconnect it from the truck, block the tires, remove all the gear and wash it out with the hose. Once the inside of the boat has quite a bit of water in it I lift the tounge up and slide a sawhorse under the trailer back where the first trailer frame cross member is at. All the water inside moves to the back and actually lifts the tounge for you, makes it very effortless. Once it's up on the sawhorse I finish my clean up and I'm done.........very simple to do by your self. Make sure your drain plug is removed so all the water can drain out while it is up or you'll get that green stuff growing in there very quickly.