any downside to using my trailer as the bed on an airlift?
 

I will never use my trailer again, so am planning to fab my own airlift, basically a cage system to hold the plastic 55 gallon drums, then was going to bolt my trailer on top as its fits and supports the hull perfectly. if i ever need to haul my boat the marina has one i can borrow. Its an anodized alum 3 axle trailer... any downside to doing this? Thx for any advice, rm

I would be worried that the trailer would fall apart.....most trailers at the end of their life cycle are getting tired!

Phil, slow down on the weed I think its frying ur brain .....

"Only those that attempt the absurd achieve the impossible" lol.

Dont just bust my baalls pls point out the down side brother.

It supports the boat perfectly, its anodized aluminum, in perfect condition, my boat its never going to be towed to another area, i will never sell it as the colombians build a pos boat! It would save me a bunch of time.

I will build the frame out of steel sections that bolt together., then epxoy paint it, my partner has about 100 empty 55 plastic drums i will interconnect with air lines using only brass hardware, i have two compressors on the island for my nail guns so i will plumb the dock for air...

http://www.calboatlift.com/

scroll down to the shoremaster lift has a rear view of a boat with twin outboards... i would,box in the 55 gallon drums instead of using some high dollar 35ft long plastic tanks, i would make a stout frameworķ using 4 runs of 2x6 hd. Square tubing for the backbone then 2x2 3 /8th angle to box in the tanks and done!... i built my own chassis for my blown 48 ford anglia so this would be a piece of cake in comparison!

It would take 30 years for the trailer to oxidize to ashes, if you guys think thats an issue i will epoxy primer and paint it too!

Steel cage + aluminum trailer + salt water= major corrosion fast. Better do a helluva job insulating the dissimilar metals from each other.

It would take 30 years for the trailer to oxidize to ashes, if you guys think thats an issue i will epoxy primer and paint it too!

Strips of conveyor belt, stainless hardware, the trailer where it contacts the steel,beside it will be out of the water 99% of the time, after i launch the boat i will raise it so its only in the water very short periods of time...

Btw thx for the heads up on the dissimilar metals... thats why i created the thread for some of u guys to point out things to consider in the project...

I love out of the box thinking!! I would say "go for it"

Any idea the buoyancy of a 55 gallon drum? What's the boat + trailer + cage weigh?