Trailer modifications

Nice rig!

Do you have a crane to unload with?

Why not just have a 35 foot long trailer, with skiis in back. Caster dolly wheels for the back section, detach for launching big boat.

Or just rent a jet ski for a couple hours & get it out of your system . . .

There was previously a trailer on my lake that the whole upper level pivoted down to water level . Pretty cool .

SNobsessed wrote: I'm at a loss on how you launch the jet skiis from 10 foot above the water. Winch only pulls.

Gary S wrote: Back her in deep.......

Or,

Back her in deep.......

Yea, I saw that and communicated with the guy. He would need a replacement trailer for his boat, plus cash to equal $5500 for the value of the trailer. Not a bad deal if I could afford it, and could find a trailer

make two trips...LOL...that's what I have to do, but our cabin is only 4.5 hours away. So we always pull the Nautique up first, and then 8-10 days I come back home, check on things at home, pay bills, etc, then pull our double jet ski trailer back up. Then they are both up there.

You're assuming I want to go on vacation with my wife :-)

Actually I'm not married. My daughter was going to pull the jet ski, but she's not staying as long. That means not having as many toys!

I would look at the cost of fabricating the special cradle & consider that it may be cost effective to just buy a 2nd waverunner & leave it at the lake.

Used one's can be had for a couple thou.

Using the hitch extension will change the weight and leverage on your hitch but your trailer is light so maybe that will not even be an issue.
I have seen trailers on the highway set up exactly as you seem to wish. Tandem trailer with a platform above the boat carrying jet skiis or wave runner. Cool set up when done correctly.   One I saw was set up to pivot back, load your wave runner and it pivots up above the boat. Very nice set up. I did not look close to see if it was hydraulics or winches that gave it the lift.
Good Luck with your project, what part of Idaho are you headed to?
Mark

depends on the payload of the truck.....I have seen a few trailers in FL that have a hyd lift for the skis that hold them above the boat pretty cool concept. there was one for sale on craigslist years back.

If you went with a sled deck you could make a cradle for the ski to rest in and the height would probably clear the front of the trailer.



or go cab over like this

Thanks Pete, I should have mentioned that the jet ski is 10.5' long

Hey,
Every year just before summer vacation, I start thinking about how I can get the Nautique and Jet ski to our cabin in Idaho from California. Some years I've been lucky in that a friend has pulled the jet ski up there for me. But I'm always trying to figure out how to put them both on a single trailer.

I've considered putting the jet ski in the back of the truck, but with a 6.5' bed, it'll extend past the end of the tailgate by 30". I'll have to use a receiver extender, and even then it'll look like the Beverly Hillbillies (for those of you old enough to remember that TV show)

One of my ideas is to build a rack on top of the Nautique trailer and hoist the Jet ski on and off. I've got a hoist at my house to load it and the marina in Idaho will take it off with a fork lift. I then disassemble the rack (tubing) and launch the boat.

Unfortunately my Nautique (DHM) trailer is single axle and can't carry the load. The 176 and trailer is about 3000 lbs. The Jet ski and frame work would add another 1000-1200.

Do I change out the axle to a 5200 lb single axle, or modify the trailer to add a 2nd 3500 lb axle?

My gut tells me that the 5200 lb axle would be the cheaper way to go,. I enjoy the mobility of a single axle, given that I have to navigate around a lot of trees where I store it for the winter and being able to move it in my driveway. . I've never towed a tandem long distance and don't know of the advantages.

Thanks,
Don