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Old 05-26-2012, 12:42 AM   #1
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I'm going to install a rack under my 30SK to hold my 10' Port-A-Boat. I plan to make wide "U" shaped brackets and attache them to the frame. My boat weighs around 50 pounds over its length. My question is:

What's the best way to attache these brackets? I'm considering drilling holes and tapping them but I don't know if the frame is thick enough for that.

Also what about the membrane under the trailer, what's the best way to deal with that?
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Old 05-26-2012, 09:40 AM   #2
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The Darco underbelly fabric is already held in place with aluminum trim and self-tapping screws. So, I would just use some of the existing screw locations, but you may need longer screws due the extra thickness of your brackets. Do you plan on carrying the boat crossways using both frame rails or front to back with both brackets on a single frame rail?
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Old 05-26-2012, 11:44 AM   #3
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The boat will run back to front. The brackets will only be about 24" wide. Since I'll be going through the Draco I won't be able to drop the whole thing.
I really wonder if "screws" will hold the weight. That would certainly be the easiest but...
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Old 05-26-2012, 12:21 PM   #4
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I don't think I would use screws. If you wanted to use some or all of the present screw holes, just drill them out a little bigger to accommodate a 1/4 or 5/16 hardened bolt.



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Old 05-26-2012, 01:41 PM   #5
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The racks will be in the middle of the trailer. If I drill holes for bolts I'll have to cut holes in the Draco for access to the nuts. How is the best way to patch these holes if I do it this way?
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Old 05-26-2012, 11:02 PM   #6
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The sides of the frame running front to back are I beams you can access the outside of the beam without going thru the cover.The interior gussets are a lighter weight channel. The factory seals holes in the liner with coroplast,they frame aroud the hole with aluminum strips and screw it together.They make a bolt with a modified head shaped somewhat like a T you could bolt downward and stick the bolt through the fabric and put the nut on the frame side.Or do away with the fabric and go to coroplast under there altogether. You will see the factory one look at your slide motor access.I have a post either here or the cruiser section showing the coroplast mod even if you only wanted to do the sections you cut it would probably work.
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Old 05-26-2012, 11:55 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mapachoo



The sides of the frame running front to back are I beams you can access the outside of the beam without going thru the cover.
Run your hangers/supports all the way across the bottom of the trailer. Use the outside of the I-beam to bolt to, like Erik stated
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Old 05-27-2012, 01:00 AM   #8
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The problem with running brackets all the way across is I don't need that much space. The boat is only about 24" wide. I was thinking about a U type bracket that had ends that hung down about 6" and were 24" wide. I thought I could mount them to the cross members of the trailer frame.
I've never seen the trailer frame so I may be way off base. What are the cross members made of?
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Old 05-27-2012, 10:30 AM   #9
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There are two types of cross members. Those supporting the tanks are thin gauge formed steel with a flange that the tank or plywood support sits on. The standard cross members are a zig-zag steel rod with maybe 1" angle steel welded along the bottom edge and the top edge. They sit on top of the lower edge of the I-beam, so about 1/4" higher than the bottom of the I-beam. Spacing between cross members varies, nothing more than 48". Too risky to use the tank cross members, you might put a hole in the tank. If you push up on the fabric from front to back you should easily locate each crossmember and be able to tell which type it is.

I agree that bolts are better than screws, but I would use U-bolts, that way you don't need to hold the bolts while tightening the nuts. You could cut a slit in the fabric the 24" length of the bracket, meaning side-to-side. This should give you enough working room to insert each U-bolt. Use tape to seal the slit and then a 24" strip of aluminum flat stock to protect the tape, the nuts will clamp the aluminum up tight against the underside of the crossmember.
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Old 05-27-2012, 01:48 PM   #10
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Well done Larry, that's exactly the kind of information I've been looking for. I think the idea of "U" bolts is a perfect solution.
Is there any risk to the "zig-zag steel rods" holding up 65 pounds spread over three brackets?
Thanks again, I sure do love this forum, wonderful people!!!
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Old 05-28-2012, 04:47 AM   #11
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As I recall each of the cross members has 1" angle steel welded the full distance between the I-beams on both sides of the zig-zag rod at the bottom and again at the top. There is plenty of strength to support the small amount of weight you are talking about. When you locate the crossmember you should be able to feel the 1" flange, then the 1/4" gap for the rod and then the 1" flange on the other side.
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Old 05-28-2012, 06:41 AM   #12
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You may want to look at 3/8" self-tapping bolts (like the ones used on stabilizer arms) that don't require nuts, and can be torqued down tight.
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