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jamesdbeckjr
Newbie
Posts: 19
Registered: 2-23-2006
Location: La Ventana/sisters,oregon
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boat launch balance wheels?
Have new Gregor boat to car top to Baja with the trailer next winter. Upgraded from the will we swim portaboat. Seems like balance wheels are the
way to go to beach launch. Haven't got any response from my last email to the Baja Wheels guy.He may be fishing in Mexico at the moment. I know some
have designed/built their own. Wondered about others experience with the Baja Wheels kit or anything else. Thanks, Jim Beck
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Diver
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4729
Registered: 11-15-2004
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I use something like these with the inflatable tires and bow hitch.
http://www.davisnet.com/Marine/products/marine_product.asp?p...
http://www.eideboatloader.com/wheels.html
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Pescador
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3587
Registered: 10-17-2002
Location: Baja California Sur
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The baja wheels guy is using a plastic spindle bearing and they get eaten in the sand right away. Ken Reeder and his friend Glen who wintered in San
Lucas Cove, made a bunch of sets out of really good aluminum. The cost got too high with the machinist in Montana so they have not made any sets for
a long time. I think that Larry Sovern had a picture of his Gregor just before he sold it on the classified section here at Bajanomad that you may be
able to at least see a picture.
I have asked Ken if there is some possiblity of reviving the manufacture of these wheels but he has not made a hard decision as of yet.
Stay tuned.
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Skipjack Joe
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Posts: 8084
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
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I had the eide boat wheels and they tended to sink in the sand too much making it difficult to pull. They have a plastic sleeve.
The other transom wheels (also with a plastic sleeve) provided with the hyperlink provide good support for a 14 foot gregor but you need to lift half
of the boat weight due to their placement.
The balanced wheels are the way to go. I purchased mine from the maker in Pismo Beach and have used it 2 years without a problem. The plastic sleeve
is a problem with (a) people who try to tow their boats at higher speeds or (b) people with larger, heavier boats, over 15 ft.
One not very obvious difficulty with these wheels, though. They only become useful AFTER you have unloaded your boat from the trailer. You can't roll
your boat off the trailer using the wheels like you do with transom wheels. Guys with heavier boats actually launch their boats first from their
trailer, attach the wheels in the water, and then use the wheels for the remainder of their stay.
The balanced wheels with steel ball bearings are of course superior in construction and are easier to pull in my estimation. They require more
maintenance and you may have to build your own. The cost of putting the whole thing together from the kit was about $500 as I recall.
I was able to launch over very loose gravel at Calamajue (where the other wheels would have sunk) without problems. I also launched at Asuncion over
ankle deep kelp on the beach without too much difficulty. That really wide footprint (10 inches I think) makes a really big difference.
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Mood: optimistic
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Eide "soft terraign" duel wheel set up (4 wheels on the ground)-----
------I have had the above Eide wheels for about 8 years, and tho they do have the plastic (nylon?) bushings, I have had no problems with them. The
one problem that I DID have was the axles are made of 1/2 inch alum stock, which promptly bent. I replaced the axles with 1/2 inch Stainless Steel
stock and have had nor further problems.
I used them with my 14' Gregor.
Barry
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Diver
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4729
Registered: 11-15-2004
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Are you talking about something like this ?
http://www.castlecraft.com/boat_dolly.htm
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Osprey
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3694
Registered: 5-23-2004
Location: Baja Ca. Sur
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Don't know how long your boat is but on our sandy beach I don't see many wheels for tin boats. I drop my 12' Gregor on the beach, push it in by hand,
haul it out with a rope, winch it on the trailer. Some float their boats off trailers. Lots of 14s and 15s around here but no wheels. No real
problems once you figure out the sand/surf/air in tires stuff.
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
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people here that live on the beach and have tin boats...
mount a $10 winch on a post
put 3-4 round logs down
and winch her up
like osprey said "no problem"
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Diver
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4729
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Osprey,
You must be living near some guys that are stronger than me,(or they have friends).
I can't drag my 14' Lund by myself and I'd rather not carry the motor very far either. I like to save my back for more exciting ventures !
I mainly bought the transom wheels so I don't need the trailer when I trailer the camper and truck-top the boat. They do come in handy, beach
launching by myself.
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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8084
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bob and Susan
people here that live on the beach and have tin boats...
mount a $10 winch on a post
put 3-4 round logs down
and winch her up
like osprey said "no problem" |
What do they do for the other direction? Gravity?
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Bob and Susan
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Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
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push
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Frank
Senior Nomad
Posts: 861
Registered: 6-5-2005
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Is it time to leave yet?
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Ok so here are some pics
inside bar
close up next to hull
outside
wheel assembly slides in here
over all view
[Edited on 5-29-2006 by Frank]
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Frank
Senior Nomad
Posts: 861
Registered: 6-5-2005
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Is it time to leave yet?
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I edited my post instead of making a new one, so Im bumping this to the top for Jamesbeckjr.
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jamesdbeckjr
Newbie
Posts: 19
Registered: 2-23-2006
Location: La Ventana/sisters,oregon
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Frank- your set up looks good. Did you weld it up yourself. Are the wheels aluminum atv ones?
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comitan
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Location: La Paz
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Frank has some very good pictures of what it looks like, That is all very easy to do the real problem is the transition of the steel spindle to the
aluminum, when I did mine copying glenns could not get anyone to do the transition so substituted steel which worked fine, but because of rust had to
take a minigrinder and derust it once a season, also just used the widest boat trailer tires I could order from J>C Whitney where I order the
spindles had no trouble boat in or out, it is also necessary to find the balance point, because of different size boats, motors, tanks, gear, I notice
franks is behind the rear sear mine was in front 25HP suzuki heavy.
Strive For The Ideal, But Deal With What\'s Real.
Every day is a new day, better than the day before.(from some song)
Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
“The sincere pursuit of truth requires you to entertain the possibility that everything you believe to be true may in fact be false”
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Skipjack Joe
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Posts: 8084
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
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Looks a lot like mine, Frank. Except the center of balance is about a foot or more further back, abutting the rear seat. My four-stroke weight more
and perhaps there is a different seat layout on a gregor.
My main concern when building it was the amount of stress that's placed on the side of the boat where those holes have been cut. The entire weight of
boat and contents are supported by the aluminum around those two openings. But it's held up without any signs of bowing or anything so I guess my
concerns are unfounded.
I wonder if any of you have welded supports to that transaxle to offload some of the pressure from the sides of the boat. Or has anyone seen damage
created by too much weight left in the boat during towing.
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Frank
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Posts: 861
Registered: 6-5-2005
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Is it time to leave yet?
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My balance point was in the open space between the seats, so I moved the axle forward, and will load the boat for balance. My 4 stroke is heavy but
that axle would of been a pain in the arse.
The spindle was made from a 6" round aluminum plate with a pipe welded to it. I used a 3/4" soild aluminum rod that slides through the pipe with a
couple of washers and cotter pin to attach the wheels
I was thinking of a front wheel, but I'm coming up with blanks.
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jamesdbeckjr
Newbie
Posts: 19
Registered: 2-23-2006
Location: La Ventana/sisters,oregon
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Appears Baja Wheels is now a dead business-disconnected phone and email address doesn't work. Thanks to all for advice and Brian for volunteering
plans and specs. Let me know if anyone else decides to put together kits. Jim
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jamesdbeckjr
Newbie
Posts: 19
Registered: 2-23-2006
Location: La Ventana/sisters,oregon
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boat launch balance wheels
Are you still out there with new email address bcummings? My last mail was returned. Thanks, Jim Beck
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Pescador
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3587
Registered: 10-17-2002
Location: Baja California Sur
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Well you are really fortunate that Baja Wheels is no longer functional as this was some pretty shoddy workmanship that frustrated most people to no
end. I am in Alaska for the summer but I stopped by and talked to Kenny Reeder in Montana and he may be getting close to marketing this setup again.
His son is interested in what they might be able to do along this line. If that happens, I will get the information to you.
I have fished with Larry who sold his boat to Don Jorge and I can tell you the only reason anyone would ever use a transom setup is that they have
never used the real deal. I have seen Larry, Kenny, and Glenn put their boats in over rocks, on soft sand, and almost any other type of bad condition
you might think of and they always perform flawlessley. One note of caution is to keep things clean and lubricated OFTEN.
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