Dorsey trailer prop guard rollers

[shouse]

Hey, I have a VERY steep driveway and trying to mod my Dorsey trailer (2000 Air Nautique) in a way to get it up the driveway. I think rollers are going to be the only way to get this done. Unfortunately it looks like Dorsey is no longer making boat trailers (I think they were bought out?). California Trailer works makes prop guard rollers but they're designed to mount to the prop guard and dorsey's prop guard is not structural to support half the weight of the boat (axle will definitely go airborne).
Trying to get ideas of if anyone knows where i can still source the Dorsey skid rollers that they used to sell, or knows who might be in the business of replicating the design or something custom. I'm going to contact California Trailer Works, but not sure if they do things THAT custom. Any help appreciated. Thanks


The hill.

[BrickBrock]

Could you use a draw-bar that positions the ball very low just for getting the boat up and down the driveway?

[shouse]

I have a hitch in the front (vehicle in the picture isn't mine), i was planning on pushing the boat up the driveway. I was going to buy a low drop (12") hitch to see if that helps some, but I don't think that will be the deciding factor. Also worried it will just cause the front to scrape.

[Treybizttu]

I need to find the number for the place but my bosses wife had casters added to the cage of her old roadrunner/moomba trailer that came out nice. It's in lewisville somewhere.


Edit: That looks like a Pro Air? Find it locally?

[shouse]

Thanks, yea a number or shop name would be quite helpful. Yup, pro air. Found it right down the street in Eagle mountain lake area. This is what dorsey was manufacturing before they went out of business (?).

[Neverenough]

Had same issue with our Dorsey. Still was the best built trailer we've had. Road Runner is in Lewisville I think and there is another trailer shop off of 121 and Minis. Can't remeber the name but any welding shop could add the roller like on the Boatmate. It's not great but would work and be cheap.

I miss the Dorsey. By far best loading and pulling trailer for me.

[Neverenough]

Also Mcgills is who Buxton uses them for trailer stuff. They are in Lewisville and are good.

[kend]

I had the same issue with the same boat. I tried an adjustable height hitch from Harbor Freight and that helped some. This year I put a 1" pvc in the gutter and poured just over an inch of concrete so the trailer wheel does not dip as low (I have a single axle too; help when turning the boat around once you get it back there). The concrete did the trick and I can get in and out without dragging/scraping driveway now. The color blends in in a few months to where it is not noticeable...I did not ask the city first.

[jbach]

structural, smuctural. I'd bolt some casters on each side of your prop guard and rock on. if you're really worried about it, have a fab shop build up that prop guard with another piece of 1/4" steel, weld it on and paint it.

[Treybizttu]

McGills is who did the moomba trailer.

FYI, roadrunner is defunct now as well.

I've got a magnum tandem that was built in Austin and out of C-Chanel. I'm going to do a little updating this winter but anything I don't feel comfortable doing I will probably farm out to Mcgills. I like the trailer casters as well but my boat spends half its life at the lakehouse on whitney that is nothing but gravel and dirt roads; I'm not sure how well the casters would do on that.

[BrickBrock]

If it is just on the curb, you could look at bridjit dot com. A guy in my neighborhood has a set of these and I am sure the suspension on all of his vehicles appreciates it.

[shouse]

If it was just the driveway, I'd probably slap down some 2x6's and use as a ramp, but i don't suspect my problems will stop there. I scraped 3 times just getting out of the neighborhood. I think i need a legit set of rollers, and possibly even some additional spacers to add to the leaf springs. Here's what Dorsey did that I'm thinking about trying to get replicated. Doesn't look too bad, found that Hamilton casters look like the best bet to source.

[shouse]

Do you think 1/4" flat stock would be acceptable to fabricate something as shown above that can support 1/2 the trailer weight (other 1/2 on hitch) in the scenario that the wheels go airborne.

[NautiqueJeff]

Another way to go would be to double or triple your bunks, then modify your prop guard so that it doesn't hang so low.

[kend]

I had thought about lifting the boat height and cutting a couple of inches off the prop guard; best way seemed to be changing the leaf springs out. I decided against this because it means you need to back in further when launching which would not be good for my vehicle height -but if you launch at a good ramp or drive a 4wd this may work.