Combo Hitch Hauler/ Beach Cart Design - Please Critique My Plans

red_ak_ranger

red_ak_ranger

Location
Texas
SO I used to own a first gen hitch hauler from EZ SKI and unfortunately left it at an old apartment garage while moving. And Lake Travis in Austin is so low that launching is risky due to no concrete ramps reaching the water. I am trying to design a hitch hauler that has the beach cart attached using removal bolts similar to used on a hitch receiver.
Would you please comment and critique the design so I can improve it. I attached a PDF which can open up larger in better quality.

1684529719447.png

Additionally, some questions/comments:
1) any advice on how to find the beach tire/axle combo. Especially if there's a way to salvage this from something else.
2) hitch hauler will be 2" tube steel - is there a recommended thickness?
3) ski cart should be aluminum tube? That's what the beach carts are made of correct? OR are they stainless steel..
4) A detail missing from the above is that the Yellow "beach cart" section will be connected horizontally via the handle and the axle/tires section. But, when in transit, there will be removable bolts holding it firmly to the hitch hauler section while the handle and axle end pieces are removed.
 

Attachments

  • Hauler-Cart Design.pdf
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Quinc

Quinc

Buy a Superjet
Location
California
For beach tire/axle combo, I used riding lawn mower tires(18" or 20") and a 3/4" aluminum gokart axle or any 3/4" steel pipe. For the beach cart itself you can use steel and paint it. Mine is made of steel.
 
red_ak_ranger

red_ak_ranger

Location
Texas
Quinc said:
For beach tire/axle combo, I used riding lawn mower tires(18" or 20") and a 3/4" aluminum gokart axle or any 3/4" steel pipe. For the beach cart itself you can use steel and paint it. Mine is made of steel.
Click to expand...

Thank you - any chance you could clarify a bit for me? lawn mower tires/wheel is easy to understand but every gokart axle seems overbuilt and way too wide.
Here's an example of an axle that's 27" wide and 3/4, and I believe would connect to the lawn mower tires/wheel using cotter pins? https://www.amazon.com/Agri-Fab-24615-4-Inch-Diameter-45-0293/dp/B00FMXDK3O?ref_=ast_sto_dp
And the axle would be held in place via something similar to this clamp?
1684534104965.png
 
Quinc

Quinc

Buy a Superjet
Location
California
You can cut the axle down to the size you need.

I used these to hold the axle:

But if you want to be less complicated you can weld the length you need on each side of your cart, drill a hole through the end of the axle for your pin.


I found my tires with rims on Craigslist for 20$ each. You could get away with smaller if you dont plan on using on soft sand.

 
red_ak_ranger

red_ak_ranger

Location
Texas
Quinc said:
You can cut the axle down to the size you need.

I used these to hold the axle:

But if you want to be less complicated you can weld the length you need on each side of your cart, drill a hole through the end of the axle for your pin.


I found my tires with rims on Craigslist for 20$ each. You could get away with smaller if you dont plan on using on soft sand.

Click to expand...

That's easy, attach bearings and run 3/4" axle through them. IF needed, drill hole, and purchase rims (specifically not requiring a hub, most seem to be 3 or 4 lug).
In this example video showing the removal of the cotter pin, is it literally nothing more than what appears to be a large brass washer and a cotter pin?
 
fx1mark

fx1mark

Location
Alabama
A beach cart loads the ski lengthwise and it's balanced so you are only lifting a small percentage of the weight of the ski. The way yours is designed you will have all of the weight of the ski plus all of the heavy steel you need for the hitch mount on the end you are lifting. You would need to build the hitch mount and then with the ski on it determine the location for the axle so that it's balanced with a slight majority of it on the end you are lifting. (kind of like a jet ski would be on a trailer) I built my cart with lawn mower wheels and found out the rear wheels were driven by the axle and had a keyway fitted to the axle and no bearings. I went with the front wheels which had bearings. I drilled holes in the ends of the axles for small clips like are on the hitch pin. My cart will work on grass but It wouldn't work on sand.
 

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fx1mark

fx1mark

Location
Alabama
Here's the thickness of the steel on my motorcycle hitch hauler. Since you are building it custom, I would make the steel insterted into the reciever the full depth of the reciever for maximum strength.
 

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red_ak_ranger

red_ak_ranger

Location
Texas
fx1mark said:
Here's the thickness of the steel on my motorcycle hitch hauler. Since you are building it custom, I would make the steel insterted into the reciever the full depth of the reciever for maximum strength.
Click to expand...
Assuming your hauler is 2" square tubing, the thickness (4.16 MM to .164 IN) potentially is actually 3/16" steel (.188IN). Caliper may need adjusted. But I am going to shoot for 3/16 then.
1684547422316.png

fx1mark said:
A beach cart loads the ski lengthwise and it's balanced so you are only lifting a small percentage of the weight of the ski. The way yours is designed you will have all of the weight of the ski plus all of the heavy steel you need for the hitch mount on the end you are lifting. You would need to build the hitch mount and then with the ski on it determine the location for the axle so that it's balanced with a slight majority of it on the end you are lifting. (kind of like a jet ski would be on a trailer) I built my cart with lawn mower wheels and found out the rear wheels were driven by the axle and had a keyway fitted to the axle and no bearings. I went with the front wheels which had bearings. I drilled holes in the ends of the axles for small clips like are on the hitch pin. My cart will work on grass but It wouldn't work on sand.
Click to expand...

The cart would sit "dead center" on the hitch hauler centerline, and is 20" off the ground which does mean that getting it properly on the hitch may be a bitch. I don't have a solution until I see how hard it is to load and lock in place with pins.
 
Pro-pulsion

Pro-pulsion

Location
Ontario, Canada
Add gussets as long as possible under the rails from the 2x2 square tube. It will give a huge boost in strength and help reduce if not eliminate any flexing from road bumps or loading and maybe add 1/8" thick flat bar strapping closer the the ends to help keep the rails from spreading open over time. It's a minimal increase of weight for a maximum increase in strength. While you're in there, if you're using hollow structural square tube for the rails, find the corresponding size of round or square to fit inside it and add removable slide in L shaped extensions. They'll not only help you have a visible perimeter of the ski in the mirrors but also since your ski is now going to be used as your bumper, caging it in for it's protection would be a wise idea. All you need to do is make the protective slide in extensions the same way the whole unit slides into the towing receiver. I'll personally never go with a hitch hauler just because my little trailer is a protective perimeter for the ski and for the boat launches I go to, it gets the ski in further than the truck can safely during low water times at the end of the season :)
 
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