Safe double ski trailer for single car garage

[JetSkiJeffC]

It tows as one trailer but splits into two? Is that safe?! I could probably store two single trailered jetskis in my garage that way though.

Found that magic tilt trailer, looks so sketchy! Problem is, two single trailers next to each other will be able 120” wide, way over the 102” limit without requiring a special permit.

[HDAV]

hmm maths not working today...ignore comment

[K447]

It tows as one trailer but splits into two? Is that safe?! I could probably store two single trailered jetskis in my garage that way though.

Found that magic tilt trailer, looks so sketchy! Problem is, two single trailers next to each other will be able 120” wide, way over the 102” limit without requiring a special permit.

I do not have, and have not towed, the two-joined-together ‘divorce’ trailers. There are several companies making them, with the magic tilt design having been around for a number of years now.

My understanding is that each of the single sections is considerably narrower than a typical single watercraft trailer. When attached side by side the resulting width fits within the 102” maximum trailer width allowed on the road. The two inner fenders have a small air gap between them.

The rear cross beams are joined with a special spacer link. At the front the two couplers are joined together by another special link that creates a Y yoke with a single coupler at the tow vehicle.

Because each single trailer section is rather narrow, the bunks hold the hull up above the fenders rather than the traditional single watercraft trailer which often positions the hull lower and between the fenders. This means the narrow trailer must be backed farther down the launch ramp before the hulls would be floating. Similar to how some traditional double PWC trailers have higher bunks than singles.

When going down the road, the paired up doubled single configuration has two closely spaced tires running down the middle of the lane. On an old or rutted road, the center tires might have a bumpy ride where a traditional double trailer would not be contacting the center of the road lane.

Clearly the two trailers latched together must maintain correct alignment across both axles and to the tow vehicle ball. Otherwise it may tow poorly. I have seen reports where the owner says it tows just fine, and others that were not pleased with towing the double configuration. Citing rattle noise, poor tracking.

Apparently it can be a bit of a wrestle getting the back ends of the two loaded singles aligned ‘just so’ to allow the linking hardware to attach properly.

[JetSkiJeffC]

Sounds like more of a headache than what it’s worth. I really want to keep my RXT and get a SX-R 1500 which is only 30” wide. I could easily fit them in a 8’ wide garage but I’d have to make a custom trailer or possibly get the narrow double PWC trailer, they’re just so expensive.

[Outboardjohn]

Hey, Welcome, Jeff!

I don’t know if this is “a solution” for your situation but,

one thing I am looking at is putting together two (or three) of the DIY “bombproof pwc dolly”(ies) the plans for which are in a thread here at GH (and which I will try to paste the link to below).

In essence, getting both skis inside where I want em long-term storage means sliding them off the trailer and leaving the trailer outside (#1 priority for me is skis inside, not the trailers so, the minor inconvenience of sliding the skis off and on between trailers and some well thought out dimensioned dollies (100% by myself) is well worth it, FOR MY PARTICULAR SITUATION. Hope it may assist you, also?

I’m faced with learning how to do more and more work on my own skis which is going to mean me having covered access to them 24/7 and after giving it some thought I’m leaning towards moving our skis onto the aforementioned dollies during our long (Oct thru April) off season and that way I may actually be able to fit not just 2 but possibly, even 3 skis in one side of our 2-car garage.

A lot depends on my getting the height of bunks on the dollies to mate up nicely with the bunks of the Triton trailers (1 single ski trailer and a second, 2-ski trailer) but, if I get it right, it will solve my garage storage problems, fer sure!

Just tossin’ it out there ...

Here’s the thread:
“BUILT SOME BOMBPROOF STANDS TONIGHT”:
http://greenhulk.net/forums/showthread.php?t=76954

And, the detailed Plans and Cut Guide can be found Post # 142 on thread page # 15 : http://greenhulk.net/forums/showthre...=76954&page=15

Thor, keep the bunk carpet occasionally sprayed with silicone and transferring the skis is fairly easy, if I can do it at 150#s anyone can, Lol!

[kazsak]

I was all set to park outside with my double trailer since all my car garages are single bay. To my surprise it fits inside

[SocalFun]

I was all set to park outside with my double trailer since all my car garages are single bay. To my surprise it fits inside

Nice. What's the maximum width of your trailer?

[K447]

... all my car garages are single bay.

To my surprise it fits inside

How wide is each garage door opening?

Clearly wider than the 102 inches of the trailer.

[grumpy_steven]

I have the Karavan (sold the line to Magic Tilt) double/single trailer setup. The individual trailers are much narrower than a standard single trailer, so together they are still within the legal size limit. The individual trailers are aluminum, well-made and tow nicely. Connecting the two trailers takes a little bit of practice, but can be done in 10-15 minutes; disconnecting takes a lot less time and effort. The double setup also tows very well, and the added length of the front bracket makes it easier to load/unload the skis. The two trailers fit into the garage with a lot of extra space to walk between them.


Only two criticisms...
- Accessing the rear bracket to connect/disconnect the trailers requires you to climb under the skis. I keep a moving blanket in the Jeep so that I'm not crawling on the ground. And if you don't let them dry off after riding, expect to get dripped on.
- When on the ramp, I like to step on the trailer's frame rail to climb on and off the skis. Since these trailers are narrower, the frame rail is not in a good position to do this. I was thinking about attaching some sort of steps to the trailers, but have gotten used to the difference.


A tip... Some dealers might attach the trailer jacks to the tongue. This makes connecting very difficult. Move the jacks to the frame rails.