launching wheels questions

[achilles2011]

Hi, I was hoping to get some input on the 2 wheel units I was considering-
the Davis wheel-a-weigh vs these sold at Defender (they may be the Italian Trem wheels but no info from Defender). http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|294|101765&id=1518999 .

I deflate and fold my boat each trip (11'2) and so the wheel/strut assembly has to come off. I've used the Davis wheels on my prior boat and they worded well but that transom had a different layout (was taller) I called Defender regarding their wheels and best as they can tell (the salesperson on the phone went and looked at them), they do not come off (which I find surprising).

The reasons I was considering the Defender wheels over the Davis were:
1. Higher weight rating 440 vs 300
2. The larger bracket of the Davis requires holes to be drilled in the hypalon overlying the transom below the waterline (where the floor glues to the transom) and it also covers part of the hull identification number. I suppose I could drill new holes in the bracket to avoid drilling below the waterline, but the hull ID number would be partially covered.

Anybody work through a similar choice or have experience with the defender wheels?

 

[slance]

Re: launching wheels questions

Hi Achilles.

If you call Defender and speak to Bruce, he works in their Inflatable Boats department. He has the most experience installing those Italian wheels, which come from Ceredi, not Trem. Bruce will tell you that the standard kit from the Manufacturer, comes with legs that are affixed to the transom brackets vis-a-vis a bolt and locking nut. It you replace that bolt with a locking ball pin or other quick release pin that fits, the legs become removable.

Hope that helps.

For what it is worth, the ones Defender sells are Stainless Steel. Something that I could not easily find when I was looking into the product.

Best,

Stephan

 

[ZIZON]

Re: launching wheels questions

Buy one of this, you will not be dissapointed. it is very steady and nice design

 

[zodiac340m]

Re: launching wheels questions

Oh my, those are some nice launch wheels. Where did you get them? What are they called and how much? How did you install that bimini? mine broke before we could even finish installing it a couple weeks ago. Brand new and the two white pegs that is supposed to go inside the oar thingy broke snap off. I see that yours are installed at about same area? If not how did you get it on that boat. I tried and it wont stick with the suction cup.s

 

[abdiver7777]

Re: launching wheels questions

FYI - Those wheels posted by Zizon are nice and robust but have a few pitfalls.
1: They are small diameter so they wont be easy to drag through sand or over rocks
2: They dont lift the back of the boat very high which limits how high you can lift on the front of the boat while pulling it so skag clearance isn't good.....

I like my standard Zodiac or Defender type over those.........

 

[zodiac340m]

Re: launching wheels questions

i also got the zodie and tho the wheels seem small they managed wonderfully over sand and rocks and pebbles with no problems. and they lifted the boat really high so the bow could have been lifted very high.

 

[achilles2011]

Re: launching wheels questions

Hi Achilles.

If you call Defender and speak to Bruce, he works in their Inflatable Boats department. He has the most experience installing those Italian wheels, which come from Ceredi, not Trem. Bruce will tell you that the standard kit from the Manufacturer, comes with legs that are affixed to the transom brackets vis-a-vis a bolt and locking nut. It you replace that bolt with a locking ball pin or other quick release pin that fits, the legs become removable.

Hope that helps.

For what it is worth, the ones Defender sells are Stainless Steel. Something that I could not easily find when I was looking into the product.

Best,

Stephan
View attachment 109305View attachment 109306

Thanks so much Stephan,
that is extremely helpful information- I thought there should be a way to make those detachable given the single attachement pivot.
Do you use the whees on your boat?
The Davis can be found for half the price, so I'm not sure if it is worth the extra cash
best,
Achilles

 

[achilles2011]

Re: launching wheels questions

Buy one of this, you will not be dissapointed. it is very steady and nice design

Thank you Zizon,
those are excellent but I don't believe they are easily detachable for folding.
you've set up your bought great !

 

[zodiac340m]

Re: launching wheels questions

Thank you Zizon,
those are excellent but I don't believe they are easily detachable for folding.
you've set up your bought great !

is your bimini mounted in the area where the oars go? How did you get it to hold so well. Mine broke because the pegs were smaller than the hole in the oar area.

 

[ZIZON]

Re: launching wheels questions

i'm not going to advertise this wheel but it's really cool, it is easily detachable for folding. i often leave the wheel down while driving the boat, it is easy when you out to the sea and get back to shore.
http://www.beachmaster.co.nz/demonstrationvideos.htm

 

[ZIZON]

Re: launching wheels questions

is your bimini mounted in the area where the oars go? How did you get it to hold so well. Mine broke because the pegs were smaller than the hole in the oar area.

ok let me get you some ideas how i did it.

 

[zodiac340m]

Re: launching wheels questions

it seems permanently affixed? Your flooring is alu? Mine is wood. I love how you installed those seats, that is way cool. And the compass. That is even cooler. Didnt think of the transom for the compas. Are the seats removable or you have your boat set up and only add air when needed? How come you have so many d rings? Did you also put them on yourself? I see you have the ladder attached to a d ring inside. I have all sorts of stuff and only two tow d rings on my zodiac. I wnat to add more but not sure if its a good idea. But then if not, I cant use many things as I have no place to tie them to except the handles. How long is your boat? WAIT, your boat is in your living room? I am glad I am not the only one who has done that Your bimini is permanently attached to the alu flooring by means of the beam you have there? then you put the pegs into the ore area? It seems a better quality than this piece of crap I got. Cuz mine is alu with plastic pegs, and as soon as I put them in this hole that was WAY too big, it popped. I argued with the dealer that it wont stay and he said it will, bleh, it didnt. So now I have 129 euros of gabage that is broken and cant use as I cant get a part for it.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: launching wheels questions

Zodie, that sib comes factory delivered with lots, lots of d'rings, too many for my taste, most of us had our first inflatable sibbing in our livingroom with the consent of the masterhouse for some time. Not good to have front bimini alum posts resting on oar locks, unless they are very high quality, the round portion that holds the central pin must be metal. Plastic ones eventually will break with time and bimini weight while cruising at sea.

Happy Boating

 

[zodiac340m]

Re: launching wheels questions

Zodie, that sib comes factory delivered with lots, lots of d'rings, too many for my taste, most of us had our first inflatable sibbing in our livingroom with the consent of the masterhouse for some time. Not good to have front bimini alum posts resting on oar locks, unless they are very high quality, the round portion that holds the central pin must be metal. Plastic ones eventually will break with time and bimini weight while cruising at sea.

Happy Boating

So I got a piece of garbage then? I wonder if I can make a foot for it and try to attach it someone without putting the pegs into something. I have two suction cups for them but they do not stay on the zodiac as its not a smoothe surface. Any ideas? If not I have wasted my money on this piece of grabage that I now cant use. The end piece with pegs can be removed and I have since dont this. I see Alu ones or steel on ebay but not the end peg piece. Any ideas of how to attach a part at the bottom of the bimini pole and have it tied to the zodie? I found a website last night that showed this being attached with cable ties. see link. Scroll down for pics and you can click and enlargen them for view. Of course this is a bit different to the one i have.

http://www.boatstogo.com/suncanopy.asp

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: launching wheels questions

Don't know the Zodiac bimini, if possible post some pics to have a look, and the part that's broken. The more pro piece that secures poles to tubes are completely different, have alum pieces that rests against tubes, but need a vertical rope tie to secure properly.

Happy Boating

 

[zodiac340m]

Re: launching wheels questions

Don't know the Zodiac bimini, if possible post dome pics to have a look, and the part that's broken. The more pro piece that secures poles to tubes are completely different, have alum pieces that rests againt tubes, but need a vertical rope tie to secure properly.

Happy Boating

This is the garbage I got but not from ebay, I may as well have bought it from ebay. http://cgi.ebay.de/Bimini-Sonnenver...997?pt=Bootsteile_Zubehör&hash=item2566620d9d

the bottom does not show the two pegs that go into the so called oar holes. That is the part that is broken off. If not, how can I secure it with just what you see?

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: launching wheels questions

Ich wei? nicht Deutsch sprechen...LOL!! If possible, contact buyer from ebay and let him know that sent his expensive bimini without oar pegs and that you want them normally all bimini has pegs embedded into pole's extremes, you could snap a short thicker pole piece to both extremes and secure with a passing screw & nut, on the opposite end, drill a passing hole on both extremes to match oar pegs (oar pin lock) diameters.

Happy Boating

 

[zodiac340m]

Re: launching wheels questions

Ich wei? nicht Deutsch sprechen...LOL!! If possible, contact buyer from ebay and let him know that sent his expensive bimini without oar pegs and that you want them normally all bimini has pegs embedded into pole's extremes, you could snap a short thicker pole piece to both extremes and secure with a passing screw & nut, on the opposite end, drill a passing hole on both extremes to match oar pegs (oar pin lock) diameters.

Happy Boating

No, I didnt buy it on ebay. I bought it from the Boat dealer whom I had real drama with. It seems most stuff I got from him was garbage. This included. I am trying to load pics but its giving troble. Will try once more. Here are the pegs that are broken. I removed it from the main white piece sticking out from the pole. The begs are way too thin for the oar holes. It popped during installation cuz the pegs were siginificantly smaller than the oar holes and in harnesing the bimini the pegs popped.

 

[CapeAnn]

Re: launching wheels questions

Sorry to see the effects of dubious engineering. I also had a look at the Boats to Go instructions. Without real solid engineering I can see many of these contraptions being more of a hassle than a true asset. Personally, I take a large umbrella for myself & my passengers. Or use weather-proof anoraks. The umbrellas stow out of the way when not in use, inexpensive and can be retrieved if they go overboard...which they often do. Downside - looks goofy.

Cheers,

CapeAnn

 

[ZIZON]

Re: launching wheels questions

No, I didnt buy it on ebay. I bought it from the Boat dealer whom I had real drama with. It seems most stuff I got from him was garbage. This included. I am trying to load pics but its giving troble. Will try once more. Here are the pegs that are broken. I removed it from the main white piece sticking out from the pole. The begs are way too thin for the oar holes. It popped during installation cuz the pegs were siginificantly smaller than the oar holes and in harnesing the bimini the pegs popped.

replace all plastic parts with this

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Bimi...at_Parts_Accessories_Gear&hash=item415a1bf35a