Lenny
09-15-2004, 09:11 PM
Scot Van A has "prodded" me into relaying some of the troubles I encountered with this trailer and a DONZI 18. Seems like a hot topic lately. Anyways, without slandering, I will try to show some things that would help in its' design for use on these boats.
THIS IS NOT A PLACE TO SLAG THEM, ONLY MY CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM AND TO POINT OUT SOME ISSUES WITH THESE HULLS.
First, of issue to me is the length. I have the Model 1935S, good for 3070 pounds and a larger boat than the 18. As you can see, the end of the boat is unprotected, hangs out over the bunks for over 30". Why not run the aluminum I-beam back a bit more, add an additional cross member and beef it up a bit? http://www.donzi.net/photos/00510009.JPG
The front cross member and its' adjustability don't even come close to supporting the boat. In fact, they create a wedge that jams the hull between the two bunks. I had this welded and made up to help here. It is perfect. When the time comes for something different, I will simply remake the front support to accomodate it.
http://www.donzi.net/photos/bunks.jpg
Also, I added a keel roller so that it is a little nicer than driving over the carpet and offers some support under the hull as opposed to letting it twist side to side. http://www.donzi.net/photos/00510018.JPG
http://www.donzi.net/photos/00510019.JPG
Then I added this piece of 3/4" polystyrene so that it is impossible to drive on and get out of whack. It will make the boat fall on top of the keel roller and align you so that you can drive forward and hit the bow stop and also be locked between the carpeted supports.
http://www.donzi.net/photos/polyethylene.jpg
http://www.donzi.net/photos/00510022.jpg
http://www.donzi.net/photos/00510023.jpg
Then, to get the bunks to fit the rear perfectly, I had 2" aluminum machined in 1/16" increments, 1/2" hole, in order to get a perfect rake to the bunks. http://www.donzi.net/photos/00520005.jpg
Keep in mind I have an overhead hoist in use here and have raised and lowered it about 20 times. The fit is perfect with what I have to work with.
Everything on the winch stand is in the most forward position and you can see how close the winch handle is to hitting the bolts that hold the winch to the stand. It is like an 1/8". Also I had to cut about 6 inches off the stand support so that it didn't hang down towards the ground and redrilled it. Watch the fingers. http://www.donzi.net/photos/00510016.JPG
I do not like this style of winch, maybe it is just me. http://www.donzi.net/photos/00510017.JPG
Below is from their website and my comments.
Quote:
Stainless Safety Cables and Hooks
These were NOT(and still not) on mine
Quote:
4" x 6" Carpeted Cypress Bunks Adjustable Spacing in 2" increments, Angle 0° to 30°
NOT enough and additional spacers are required to be made in order to get it to accept the hull perfectly. Also, once you get the rake desired for supporting the hull, the long bolts have to be "tweaked" as in they get a long curve in them to compensate for the angle. This keeps the nut from sitting flat against the underside of the "C" channel and SS being brittle, you can snap a bolt once you get the required angle. Been there...:rolleyes"
http://www.donzi.net/photos/bunkadjuster.jpg
Quote:
Front Adjustable V Guide With Carpeted Cypress Bunk Boards
BARELY ADJUSTABLE, not even remotely close for the entry on a DONZI. Here is how mine looks now.
http://www.donzi.net/photos/goodbunk.jpg
Quote:
Tripod Design Winch Stand for Ultimate Strength
It does wobble a bit to Port and Starboard and all that secures it is two small "L" angles and the raker supports back. There is a lot of lateral movement due to having to bring an 18' footer so far forward and you lose the support by the trailer width on the two angled back tubular supports since now there is only about a foot between them.
http://www.donzi.net/photos/support.jpg
Quote:
3,000 lb. Tongue Jack Milled into the Center of the Main I Beams
IT is a pain to remove wheel when trailering and if your hitch is low you can't get it off without help...you have to raise it enough to get it on top of the ball, then lower it on top, then keep lowering it to the point where there is enough room underneath to pull the wheel off the shaft. Then reverse all this again. A swing-away is ten times easier.
Quote:
4" x 6" Carpeted Cypress Bunks Adjustable Spacing in 2" increments, Angle 0° to 30°
On the innermost hole locations front and back they should be on 1" increments to get inside the inner strakes nicely. Being that they are on 2" centers and you want the boatcentered on the trailer, you have a choice of "where it is" or 4" wider. We need an option of two inches wider. this only affects the innermost 2 holes.
http://www.donzi.net/photos/holespacing.jpg
Quote:
Stainless Steel Fasteners 100% Standard
Yes, but no washer on anything and many of the nuts are tightened so that the shoulders carve up the aluminum upon tightening
http://www.donzi.net/photos/nowasher.jpg
http://www.donzi.net/photos/support.jpg
Quote:
10,000 lb. Winch Strap Standard
My winch handle was not even tightened up, and with the amount of deflection that is thrown on the offset, you miss the winch stand by about 1/8". You can hit the support while cranking a boat on unless you're carefull.
And just to prove that I have this one, and it is not some unconstructive slander, here is my registration. http://www.donzi.net/photos/scan001.JPG
THIS IS NOT A PLACE TO SLAG THEM, ONLY MY CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM AND TO POINT OUT SOME ISSUES WITH THESE HULLS.
First, of issue to me is the length. I have the Model 1935S, good for 3070 pounds and a larger boat than the 18. As you can see, the end of the boat is unprotected, hangs out over the bunks for over 30". Why not run the aluminum I-beam back a bit more, add an additional cross member and beef it up a bit? http://www.donzi.net/photos/00510009.JPG
The front cross member and its' adjustability don't even come close to supporting the boat. In fact, they create a wedge that jams the hull between the two bunks. I had this welded and made up to help here. It is perfect. When the time comes for something different, I will simply remake the front support to accomodate it.
http://www.donzi.net/photos/bunks.jpg
Also, I added a keel roller so that it is a little nicer than driving over the carpet and offers some support under the hull as opposed to letting it twist side to side. http://www.donzi.net/photos/00510018.JPG
http://www.donzi.net/photos/00510019.JPG
Then I added this piece of 3/4" polystyrene so that it is impossible to drive on and get out of whack. It will make the boat fall on top of the keel roller and align you so that you can drive forward and hit the bow stop and also be locked between the carpeted supports.
http://www.donzi.net/photos/polyethylene.jpg
http://www.donzi.net/photos/00510022.jpg
http://www.donzi.net/photos/00510023.jpg
Then, to get the bunks to fit the rear perfectly, I had 2" aluminum machined in 1/16" increments, 1/2" hole, in order to get a perfect rake to the bunks. http://www.donzi.net/photos/00520005.jpg
Keep in mind I have an overhead hoist in use here and have raised and lowered it about 20 times. The fit is perfect with what I have to work with.
Everything on the winch stand is in the most forward position and you can see how close the winch handle is to hitting the bolts that hold the winch to the stand. It is like an 1/8". Also I had to cut about 6 inches off the stand support so that it didn't hang down towards the ground and redrilled it. Watch the fingers. http://www.donzi.net/photos/00510016.JPG
I do not like this style of winch, maybe it is just me. http://www.donzi.net/photos/00510017.JPG
Below is from their website and my comments.
Quote:
Stainless Safety Cables and Hooks
These were NOT(and still not) on mine
Quote:
4" x 6" Carpeted Cypress Bunks Adjustable Spacing in 2" increments, Angle 0° to 30°
NOT enough and additional spacers are required to be made in order to get it to accept the hull perfectly. Also, once you get the rake desired for supporting the hull, the long bolts have to be "tweaked" as in they get a long curve in them to compensate for the angle. This keeps the nut from sitting flat against the underside of the "C" channel and SS being brittle, you can snap a bolt once you get the required angle. Been there...:rolleyes"
http://www.donzi.net/photos/bunkadjuster.jpg
Quote:
Front Adjustable V Guide With Carpeted Cypress Bunk Boards
BARELY ADJUSTABLE, not even remotely close for the entry on a DONZI. Here is how mine looks now.
http://www.donzi.net/photos/goodbunk.jpg
Quote:
Tripod Design Winch Stand for Ultimate Strength
It does wobble a bit to Port and Starboard and all that secures it is two small "L" angles and the raker supports back. There is a lot of lateral movement due to having to bring an 18' footer so far forward and you lose the support by the trailer width on the two angled back tubular supports since now there is only about a foot between them.
http://www.donzi.net/photos/support.jpg
Quote:
3,000 lb. Tongue Jack Milled into the Center of the Main I Beams
IT is a pain to remove wheel when trailering and if your hitch is low you can't get it off without help...you have to raise it enough to get it on top of the ball, then lower it on top, then keep lowering it to the point where there is enough room underneath to pull the wheel off the shaft. Then reverse all this again. A swing-away is ten times easier.
Quote:
4" x 6" Carpeted Cypress Bunks Adjustable Spacing in 2" increments, Angle 0° to 30°
On the innermost hole locations front and back they should be on 1" increments to get inside the inner strakes nicely. Being that they are on 2" centers and you want the boatcentered on the trailer, you have a choice of "where it is" or 4" wider. We need an option of two inches wider. this only affects the innermost 2 holes.
http://www.donzi.net/photos/holespacing.jpg
Quote:
Stainless Steel Fasteners 100% Standard
Yes, but no washer on anything and many of the nuts are tightened so that the shoulders carve up the aluminum upon tightening
http://www.donzi.net/photos/nowasher.jpg
http://www.donzi.net/photos/support.jpg
Quote:
10,000 lb. Winch Strap Standard
My winch handle was not even tightened up, and with the amount of deflection that is thrown on the offset, you miss the winch stand by about 1/8". You can hit the support while cranking a boat on unless you're carefull.
And just to prove that I have this one, and it is not some unconstructive slander, here is my registration. http://www.donzi.net/photos/scan001.JPG