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Hi! I bought a Weta last fall, which I still haven’t even tried out. Still a few long months to wait until winter and ices on lake are over and I can go sailing.
So, the boat will usually be on the shore of our summer cottage. If I ever want to move it somewhere else by car, I first have to get the boat and beach dolly moved to a larger yard on a hill, where I can load them onto a road trailer. The climb isn’t long, but it’s steep enough that it can’t be pulled by hand, and you can’t get to the shore by car, as the path is in pretty bad shape. I have an ATV that can do it without any problems. It would be most convenient if the beach dolly could be easily and reliably attached directly to the ATV’s towbar.
When I was looking for a boat to buy in the fall and was browsing some sales website, I remember seeing a photo of a DIY “adapter” for a beach dolly in an ad somewhere. I can’t find the picture anymore, and I don’t remember it exactly. Plywood was used for it, but the structure seemed easily removable, so no need for weatherproofing. Anyway, it seemed sturdy, I remember.
Does anyone have a good and tested idea on how to do that?
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Yeah, I’m looking for something like that. Would be nice if I could buy a finished product. I’m just wondering how to attach it, since the dolly’s drawbar is not straight but fork-shaped.
I found this one myself,
https://www.merseatrailers.com/store/Trolley-Coupling-Bracket-for-Launch-trolley-coupling-p156595141It looks handy, but unfortunately it doesn’t seem to fit directly and requires a bit of modification to the trolley anyway.
However, it would be good as a model if I could make it myself. Metalwork is quite foreign to me, and I don’t have welding equipment or the skills. I have better tools and knowledge for woodworks. But maybe it would be sturdy enough with just bolted joints. Buying from a metalsmith would also work as a made-to-measure order, if I just could find a small workshop that would do individual work.
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Wheelez have a European distributor in Spain.
I use a modified garden fence post bracket to secure the front of the trolley to the trailer.
The one I currently use is similar to this but I don’t install the bottom bolt cover so the side plates are longer.All I do is drill 4 holes for the U bolts which secure the bracket to the trailer.
It occurs to me you could do something similar to attach the trolley to the drawbar of the the hitch either using U bolts or through bolts.
TIP: Cover the securing bolt with a piece of plastic pipe to prevent it chafing on the aluminium trolley
Or get someone to make up a custom bracket with sides set diagonally to match the V angle of the trolley, similar to the images below.
You might find someone to design and create it through the Maker services here
There’s a Helsinki metal workshop which has done projects for trailers here
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This hitch kit from Wheelez may work
https://wheeleez.com/product/wz1-atvhk/
There’s also this to add an extra wheel at the front.
https://wheeleez.com/product/caster-assembly-complete-with-wheel-mounting-bushing/
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