[ZARDOZ]

I have been recently asked about the home made PWC dollies I put together. I thought I would share my carpentry skills with anyone who is interested. The dollies I built only cost $37.50 each, and they hold my 800# Yamaha XLT's with no problem at all.

The measurements are as follows:

bunk length = 6 feet
two bottom boards = 4 feet
each cross-member board = 42 inches
each upright board = 18 inches
four steel ball bearing wheels came from Menards

I saw a picture of a similar home made dolly and decided I could build one myself. The angles were decided upon so that the bunks would be approximately the same height and width as the bunks on my trailer. I can basically pull the trailer to the garage door, wheel the dolly to the trailer, hook the winch to the PWC, and winch the ski onto the trailer. A one-man job. Dollies were necessary because I cannot put the tandem trailer and both jet skis, which measure 8.5 feet across, through my 7.5 foot wide garage door.

The angles, height, width, length, etc. could all be changed to fit your particular needs. A miter saw to make the cuts is a great help.

You can tell more about the dolly from the pictures, as pictures were all that I had when I planned the dolly. The carpet is old scraps I had lying around. You don't need indoor/outdoor, as the dollies stay inside and do not get wet.

Steel wheels are recommended, as I originally used rubber wheels which collapsed under the weight of my PWC.

Hope this helps someone save some money. These dollies have made life easier for me, and have kept my PWC's out of the harsh winter weather.

Zardoz

former sea doo owner, will never own one again

 

[ZARDOZ]

Somebody asked me for pictures of the dolly I had made. I had posted them on another thread and they couldn't be accessed. I'm bumping this thread just so the pictures can be viewed.

Zardoz

 

[t.50682/]

That was a whole lot cheaper than my pvc stand.

 

[Dave in DE]

Zardoz, thanks for the post it's a very solid dolly and well built. I built one today with a few changes too suit my needs.
I glued and screwed the cross sections and uprights together as separate units. and bolted them to the base with wheels, the bunks also bolt on. I used 1/4" bolts and T nut to bolt it together. this allows me to assemble and disassemble as needed. and can be put in my garage attic out of the way.

Dave,

Zardoz, hope you don't mind if I post some pics of the changes I made to make it disassemble. don't want to step on any toes or take away from what you created.
I just want to show an option.

using Zardoz's figures but I shortened bunks to 5' (my preference) and added a 2x8 along the base to allow for bolting in of uprights/cross frames. all bolts for wood frame are 1/4 x 20 x 4 1/2 and used 1/4 20 x 9/16 spiked T-nuts. use a 13/16 spade bit to counter sink the T-nut about a 1/2" into the board, and then before inserting the T-nut use a long 5/16 drill bit to through drill the hole.

I attached the 2x8 to the edge of the base 2x4 with deck screws and glue. then temporarily attached the uprights of the cross frame in location on them with 2 screws each that will be replaced later by bolts. then built the cross frames with glue and screws. once the cross frames where done I temporarily screwed down the bare bunk board and used the same countersunk T-nut on top and bolt up from bottom then removed and wrapped the bunk. then I went back and removed one temporary screw at a time from the side of the upright and drilled it for a bolt and T-nut.
I also added tie downs loops on all 4 corners
Also once assembled be sure to number/mark your frame and bunk locations for reassembly. as they may not fit a different location. see pic 4 at far left the bunk # on cross frame and bunk. pick 3 cross frame location number

6/12/18 updated lost pics from photobucket.

 

[ZARDOZ]

I added a chain with a clasp/hook at the end onto "the front" of my dollies. The chain is used when putting the machines on the dollies. I found that while the dollies will meet up with the trailer and not move when I am winching the machines onto the trailer, the dollies have a tendency to move and roll away when you are trying to put the machines on them.

When trying to load the machines onto the dollies, the dollies would roll back before the machine was totally on it, which made me think they were going to crash to the ground, causing panic and worry. Now after the dolly and trailer are pushed together to unload the machine from the trailer, I take the chain at the front of the dolly, wrap it around the back of the trailer and hook the clasp, and quit worrying. The chain keeps the dolly from rolling away and makes the job of loading the ski onto the dolly much easier. Sometimes I am limited on obtaining assistance, and
while I can winch the beasts onto the trailer from the dollies, I cannot move the machines from the trailer to the dollies by myself. With the connecting point being a chain, the varying distance between the dolly and the trailer can be taken care of by using different links in the chain to which to connect the clasp.

I thought of attaching a winch to the garage wall in order to winch the machines off the trailer and onto the dollies, but haven't got that far yet. Winch strap would have to be fairly long.

Hope this makes sense.

Z

 

[t.50682/]

Also try spraying the carpet on the carts with some silicone spray, and wipe off the excess. Might make them slide a whole lot easier.

 

[Lee Taylor]

Here is a product that does what it says times 100. Be careful. It can make runners TOO slippery. If there is such a thing.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/LIQUID-ROLLERS-10-OZ/47716787?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=282&adid=22222222227034942899&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=56802195338&wl4=pla-88556483858&wl5=9010491&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=111838817&wl11=online&wl12=47716787&wl13=&veh=sem

 

[JetDocdad82]

Zardoz, thanks for the post it's a very solid dolly and well built. I built one today with a few changes too suit my needs.
I glued and screwed the cross sections and uprights together as separate units. and bolted them to the base with wheels, the bunks also bolt on. I used 1/4" bolts and T nut to bolt it together. this allows me to assemble and disassemble as needed. and can be put in my garage attic out of the way.

Dave,

Zardoz, hope you don't mind if I post some pics of the changes I made to make it disassemble. don't want to step on any toes or take away from what you created.
I just want to show an option.

using Zardoz's figures but I shortened bunks to 5' (my preference) and added a 2x8 along the base to allow for bolting in of uprights/cross frames. all bolts for wood frame are 1/4 x 20 x 4 1/2 and used 1/4 20 x 9/16 spiked T-nuts. use a 13/16 spade bit to counter sink the T-nut about a 1/2" into the board, and then before inserting the T-nut use a long 5/16 drill bit to through drill the hole.

I attached the 2x8 to the edge of the base 2x4 with deck screws and glue. then temporarily attached the uprights of the cross frame in location on them with 2 screws each that will be replaced later by bolts. then built the cross frames with glue and screws. once the cross frames where done I temporarily screwed down the bare bunk board and used the same countersunk T-nut on top and bolt up from bottom then removed and wrapped the bunk. then I went back and removed one temporary screw at a time from the side of the upright and drilled it for a bolt and T-nut.
I also added tie downs loops on all 4 corners
Also once assembled be sure to number/mark your frame and bunk locations for reassembly. as they may not fit a different location. see pic 4 at far left the bunk # on cross frame and bunk. pick 3 cross frame location number

6/12/18 updated lost pics from photobucket.

By any chance do you have a list of materials for this project ?

 

[Dave in DE]

I should have made one as I built mine but didnt.
When I built mine from zardoz's plans. I took the measurements he lists for the length of each piece and multiplied it out to figure how many 2x's I'd need to do the job.
Witch version are you building and I will out a rough list with minimal waste real quick.

 

[JetDocdad82]

I should have made one as I built mine but didnt.
When I built mine from zardoz's plans. I took the measurements he lists for the length of each piece and multiplied it out to figure how many 2x's I'd need to do the job.
Witch version are you building and I will out a rough list with minimal waste real quick.

I'm going with your version probably with out the ability to take it apart and minus the wheels at the moment. Think eventually once I have and idea of what I need for a single stand I might make a double stand so I can put both them up while I work on the trailer or for winter storage

 

[Dave in DE]

Ok. If my figures are correct. to make Zardoz's version with the side supports for the uprights like in version 2 (mine). You'll need. (this is minus the wheels).
7) 2x4x8
1) 2x8x8
1) pound 2 1/2 inch deck screws.
Then doing a 5 foot bunk your scrap from those become 4 of the uprights. Then the 2x8 gets cut in half and added along the sides of the bottom board. This creates an L shape. This helps strengthen the uprights. Like the 2nd version.(my build) The rest get cut to to zardoz figures in his list toward the top of his post. Only he lists as 6 foot bunks all other figures are what I cut to.