Boat Trailer Step Mod
 

I run the boat all winter long, so as the cold weather was making it's way towards us this winter, I devised something I wanted to share here with you. Climbing on and off the bow of the boat onto the trailer onto the ground in the cold weather can be dangerous. Especially for a larger person like myself. The front deck is smooth aluminum and can get very slick, just like the trailer tongue and even the ramp. I wanted to try and make it a little safer for myself because I usually hit the water alone in winter.

So beings I am a truck dispatcher by trade and have connections I acquired an aluminum truck step. This one in particular is made by Peterbuilt and is supposed to mount on the fuel tank of a truck. You can walk into any heavy truck dealer and buy something similar in the price range of $25 to $45 in my area depending on the size of the step and the make of the manufacturer.

I wanted to place it on the winch mount halfway down from the deck to the tongue of the trailer to help have a safer exit from the boat. It is heavy aluminum and has real nice corrugated treads stamped into it and grips your shoe very well. Luckily for me, the bolts that hold the winch mounting plate were in the perfect position for the step to share the same bolts instead of drilling new holes into the winch mount frame. So I mounted it on the opposite side of the winch handle, drilling the side of the step with the required holes in the right location.

I also took a piece of 2" x 2" x 1/4" aluminum angle and drilled it and cut it to length to fit inside rail of the step to reinforce it and make it sturdier and also for the bolt heads to hold against and not warp the thinner step material. I am very pleased with this mod, it works very well and makes boating life just a little easier and safer.

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sweet idea! would be good for more than just winter. even wet smooth metal can be slippery as hell

Yeah I think I am going on close to 2 years now with it, it's holding up nicely. :)

is it stable enough?

I been climbing down off of it for almost 2 years and I am around 330 LBS, it works. :D

well you cant beat that........ it just looks like it would keep spinning everytime you step on it. what are you fishing for in the winter?

There are two 3/8 bolts and nuts and there is a length of aluminum angle hidden under it, it's very sturdy. Winter is a great time to float around with the sonar and underwater camera to learn the bottom of the river. I've seen stuff I could not even imagine. One area looks like an old cobblestone road laid out, and its right in the middle of the river. Love to drift around with that camera. :)

how deep is it? maybe some scuba gear is in the future

I would love to do that. It averages 10 feet here with spots to 14 or 15 at the deepest, not very deep at all. And it is a pool in the river right above a dam so current is minimal most of the time. Under 1.5 kcfs.

I used to record some of the video but it is a hassle because I got to have the laptop wired up on the boat.

hell, it looks like its a gopro project. it would be cool to see whats under there

Yah, I just heard of those. That dude I told ya about in IL he just got one for a hundred bucks and been taking vids.

you have to post some video of it.

My hero:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_GNkj6TncE&feature=plcp

WERDDDDDDDDDDD :cheers:

There he is!!! :eek:

AHAHA, I just realized you posted one of my videos

you must be slacking if others are posting YOUR videos first........

Not everyone can be a non-slacker like you...but I'm sure as hell trying. lol.

haha, you have been busy here