BajaNomad

Transom wheels

mcfez - 8-25-2010 at 07:48 PM

I have a 12' Gregor all-welded Aluminum Fishing Boat. I am seeking information from the Pro s here about what is the best brand / style for the boat. Yes...plan to roll it over sand as well as cobble.

I have seen these "orange balls" attached to some boats as I drive down the freeway.....are they a sort of Transom wheels as well? Cannot find them on the net.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

mcfez - 8-25-2010 at 09:25 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by fishabductor
I ca hookyou up with these. http://www.ezlaunchwheels.com/

I am somewhat of a distributer with them, however I have not sold any sets since I had the talk with the owner over the last year. I can have them drop shipped to your home.

I use them on my 15'6" bayrunner that weighs probably 2x your gregor

I have a set of those orange ones too. They are available for sale, but they are with me in BCS.

[Edited on 8-26-2010 by fishabductor]



The orange ones you have....how long would it be before you could get them to me (Sacramento Ca)?

Easy Launch "V" Bow Wheel assembly with 29" handle. Is this the third unit at the bow?


Perhaps you can email me deno@kissmygrass.com or yankeeirishman@yahoo.com......with details on your cost, shipping , bla bla bla. Thanks for responding to this post.

[Edited on 8-26-2010 by mcfez]

mcfez - 8-25-2010 at 10:28 PM

I think a bow unit is important too....

Okay...leave the orange fellers on vacation in Cabos

[Edited on 8-26-2010 by mcfez]

b1 - 8-26-2010 at 04:54 AM

McFez, a Pro I am not. But I do have some relevant information about and experience with EZ Launch boat wheels. When I bought mine in 2006, the bow assembly was about $14.00 less than the transom set. Transom set is easy to install but my boat required some shim in order to function properly. The bow assembly takes some additional doing/engineering. My atv has now replaced the use of the bow set. These EZ Launch transom work well. Please let me know if you need more information.






Pescador - 8-26-2010 at 08:49 AM

I am real reluctant to enter this discussion but having spent many years as a tin boat specialist, the answer has always been to mount wheels on the center of gravity of the boat. A guy by the name of Ken Reeder from Montana and a friend of his developed this system of launching and it is far superior to any of the other systems in use. I have seen a single person of small stature launch over 12 inch or so beach rocks from where the road ended and that was with all equipment, motor, gas, fishing tackle, and everything else.

wheelaunch.jpg - 45kB

b1 - 8-26-2010 at 09:42 AM

Pescador, thanks for the input and information. I am not trying to advocate Ez Launch over any other. It was what was abailable at the local marina in Boise at the time. I like what you have to say about the wheels in the picture you show. Do you have a website or a vendor contact info? thanks, b1

tin boat launching

wsdunc - 8-26-2010 at 11:52 AM

I used a more basic system, 3 or 4 boat bumpers maybe 2 feet long and 8 inches in diameter. Place one under the bow, and pull the boat up on it, then place another, and another. Keep pulling, and when one squirts out the back bring it around to the front again. I know this is crude, but with this a couple of people could beach launch a 15 foot gregor loaded with gas, tacke, etc. Depending on where we were launching from we either threw the rollers into the bow, or just left them on the beach for the return. If you chose to try this get lifetime bumpers (West Marine?), as this is hard on bumpers.

Skipjack Joe - 8-26-2010 at 01:05 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by fishabductor
The only reason I didn't like these wheels is that they take up a lot of room on the boat and the kit is expense. I also didn't want to cut holes in my hull. I have many friends with this system and they all love it.


If you want to add the wheel on the bow you still have to cut holes in the hull.

And if you don't add a wheel to the bow you need to lift 1/2 of the weight of the boat and it's contents to move it anywhere (the motor's sitting on the transom so you're not lifting that weight). Oh, you're using rollers to avoid the lifting? Shari's beach house is 200 yds from the launch site. So now you roll it to a trailer and then drive the 200 yds.

I don't know, the more difficult the launch the less likely you'll want get up and go fishing.

I believe the boat wheels sold in the kit these days are aluminum so the problem of sand grinding away the plastic is no longer an issue. It never was for me.

mcfez - 8-26-2010 at 01:24 PM

You are so right too, Pescador. Why? I operate a landscape company. We use wheel barrels intensively. The new hire'ees always load those da**m barrels to the max...front to rear...then they can left it off the ground without a lot of grunting! We teach then to load the center to front only...not the rear...and it becomes so "balanced'.....a ten year old kid can haul barrels! Looks like the3 same idea will work on a boat. Thanks for that input.

BTW: all views from everyone is really what I am looking for here. I promise not to define you with words such as "smuggler"




[Edited on 8-26-2010 by mcfez]

Skipjack Joe - 8-26-2010 at 03:30 PM

mcfez,

If you do decide to go with the setup pescador is suggesting send me a U2U. I've had mine 5 years now and can give you some valuable suggestions during installation. For example, weld those side plates to the square axle tube rather than using epoxy and you'll have fewer problems down the line.

Build the axle inside the rear seat rather than in front of it.

etc. etc.

comitan - 8-26-2010 at 03:49 PM

Skipjack Joe

I'm certainly with you on that wheel system I built my own set close to 20 years ago but we used LB weld and had no problems, I have always been told that Alum. boats are made from Tempered alum. and if you weld it you take the temper out and it will crack at the weld?

msteve1014 - 8-26-2010 at 04:02 PM

I also have the easy launch set up on my 12 duroboat. I have been very happy with the whole thing. The price was good, they were easy to install, it folds up, out of the water in 30 seconds, and we have had no problems rolling the boat to the water. Those other wheels may be better to move the boat, but they cost alot more, are alot more work to install, and do not just fold up out of the water, out of the way while you are fishing.

monoloco - 8-26-2010 at 04:52 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by fishabductor
Quote:
Originally posted by wsdunc
I used a more basic system, 3 or 4 boat bumpers maybe 2 feet long and 8 inches in diameter. Place one under the bow, and pull the boat up on it, then place another, and another. Keep pulling, and when one squirts out the back bring it around to the front again. I know this is crude, but with this a couple of people could beach launch a 15 foot gregor loaded with gas, tacke, etc. Depending on where we were launching from we either threw the rollers into the bow, or just left them on the beach for the return. If you chose to try this get lifetime bumpers (West Marine?), as this is hard on bumpers.


It is much cheaper if you want to go this route to buy a bunch of cheap kids plastic/rubber play balls and then sew up a 4-6' sack of heavy canvas in which you place the balls. if the balls are 8" dia. make the sack 9" and then tie the open end shut. these burrito rollers will support the weight of a 23' panga and 70hp outboard. And they are cheap and easy to make. Maybe someone here as a photo of a set.

I have an request in with EZ launch wheels when I get the current wholesale prices I can figure out a cost. I should be able to beat store retail prices.

[Edited on 8-26-2010 by fishabductor]
I used to use those bags with the balls to pull my boat up in Los Barilles. I would just put the balls in my sail bags, worked great, when I'd leave I'd just give the balls to some local kids and put the sails back in the bags.

Pescador - 8-27-2010 at 08:00 AM

Ken Reeder and his buddy used to market and sell these units but there was not enough interest to make it a worthwhile enterprise. Then the guys at Bajaenterprise started marketing a set of wheels, but used plastic bearings which went bad after only a couple of uses. Ken used to make his from ATV wheels, machined aluminum inserts, and 6061 aluminum. Basically what you did was to take a piece of square stock and mount it on the balance line with just a little weight on the front of the boat. Then you cut two holes just slightly larger than the stock on both sides of the boat where the square stock would extend out slightly more than flush. Then you mounted a flange which was sealed with waterproof 3M motor mount adhesive/sealant. Then you took square tubing which was slightly smaller than the original stock and welded an "L" bracket which became the axle. One end stuck in to the square stock on the boat, the other end of the L had the axle welded to it with a machined aluminum axle or spindle. Then they used ATV wheels which would operate with low pressure as the main wheels. You would launch this boat with the wheels in place and when you were deep enough then you would just pull the wheels out of the side of the boat and be on your way. When you had the wheel axle in place the weight of the boat held them in place.
We had a guy who had one of these and he forgot that he had the boat on behind and he drove the unit 23 miles into town before he remembered that the boat was behind.
The one thing that was necessary was to grease and clean the bearings at least yearly since they were submerged on every launch.
I have used this on beach launch, rocky launch, surf launch, and it performed very well on all of those.
I am not selling anything here, could not get you one if you wanted it, but just passing on information.

mcfez - 8-27-2010 at 12:10 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by fishabductor
Ok..

here are the prices for the EZ launch wheels. I am offering a special Nomad price below retail. These units can be drop shipped to the states only.

EZL-01 Transom Wheel Set (Blue or Black) retail $261.60 BN special $230
EZL-03 “V” Bow Wheel W/Handle retail $197.12 BN special $175
EZL-05 Twin Hull Bow Wheel W/Handle Retail $216.03 BN special $190
EZL-11 Inflatable Boat Bow Dolly (Blue or Black) Retail $185.22 BN special $165

Prices do not include drop shipping to your location.
I can only accept Payments via Paypal.

Thanks,
Fishabductor.


Fish...this include shipping?