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Nomad trailer for ramp launching

4K views 3 replies 2 participants last post by  Travelnik 
#1 ·
Hi Everyone:

I have been working diligently to retrofit (basically rebuild) a replacement trailer for my Nomad, soon to be rechristened "MAGGIE". The old trailer was a single axle, tow stern first, short unit. The new trailer is tandem axle, tows bow first and is 6 feet longer without the extension. I custom fitted her to the boat, fabricating many of the pieces myself. I also fitted her with stainless and Dacromet coated Kodiak disc brakes. She almost seemed like she wanted to go on the trailer when I had her lifted. I had calculated and measured for the proper tongue weight and was aiming for 12%. When she was loaded, 10.99%! I need to make guides and wire the new LED lights and then she will be (Hopefully) towed to her home port where she will reside on her trailer and await adventures. My dream is to be able to tow her anywhere and launch from many ramps. I will sling her where that is not possible. I have attached a few pictures.

Regards,

Kent
 

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#2 ·
Very nice.

I do have a question though, why didn't you run the two keel sections all the way back?

My Nomad is on a flatbed trailer, and I am planning to run some steel channels for the keels and skeg like you did, but I was thinking that it would help the boat to slide on the trailer better with full length steel channels.
 
#3 ·
Hello:

If you think about the orientation of the trailer compared to the boat when the trailer is sitting on the decline of the ramp and the boat is floating horizontally, full length channels serve no purpose. Even though I have installed a bow eye and have a tall reinforced winch post, I never plan on winching my boat onto the trailer very far. I can winch it forward because my winch is above my bow eye so I am effectively lifting the bow and driving the stern into the water, more closely approximating the angle of the submerged trailer. The front of the keels would be digging into the channels. You need enough depth to have the front of the keels contact the correct place on the channels so when you drive up the ramp, the boat then settles on the trailer in the right spot to give you the proper tongue weight. This is how I have designed the trailer and it works well. This spring I added extensive trailer guides and a skeg guide so retrieving should be fool proof. Drive the boat between the guides until the bow makes contact, let the motor stay in forward idle and walk forward to attach the safety chain. Go astern and kill engine, walk back to the bows and climb down onto the forward part of the trailer. Drive up ramp. Done. I can launch and retrieve on very shallow ramps with my set up which includes a 6 1/2 foot extension. Thanks for the interest.
 
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