Rufus' Tandem Trailer

Dave Diefenderfer

Dave Diefenderfer

Well-known member
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Rufus has been on the quest to accumulate the most decoys and the most boats... and is doing a very good job! Of coarse I help him by finding things that he "must have".... I am surprised his wife lets me come around!

Rufus talked about how cool would it be to have a rig of South Bay boats.... grassed and stacked on a tandem trailer.... ready to roll at a moments notice, to where ever the birds were working.... so I first found him a second hull. Then I found him a trailer for a platform.... then he took over with the logistics and the finances!

I expect Rufus will fill in the details....

Here is what I know:
The front box is designed and fitted to store 2 outboards, on swing out racks for easy access. There is additional storage for a couple 3 gal gas tanks, along with the battery to power the electric winch which will raise and lower the top boat after the bottom boat is launched.

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Dave, thanks for showing up for the upload today! The trailer was originally designed for a 20 foot fiberglass striper boat, but we found a fabricator up in West Virginia who modified it to take two fourteen foot South Bays and strengthened it for a lockable motor box to keep outboards out of sight and secured while it resides in the RV lot (homeowners association does NOT understand the whole duckboats on the curb thing). Standard 2,000 pound winch lowers and raises the upper bracket; winch has its own battery inside the box and there is a direct hookup from the truck to the winch as needed. Current configuration has two South Bays and the Schellinger mini sneak box (see the thread ref. brant hunting on Long Island). The mini sneak is upside down for the moment until we figure out a cover and traveling bracket configuration -- it can travel on the South Bay using flotation noodles for cushioning in the meantime. Hope to have the whole rig, including the upgrades to the boats, completed by this fall for some road trips. Thanks to all those who provided advice and guidance (and those wonderful pictures) of their tandem trailers over the years -- definitely influenced this rig! All the best, and see you at the ramp, Rufus
 
Beautiful rig, I certainly appreciate the concept. Mine is not nearly so tall. Having everything loaded and in my case in the garage ready to drop the hitch on the ball and hit the road sure makes it easy.
 
Rufus,

That is one of the best tandem trailers I have ever seen. You have done well!
I think you have raised the bar for duck boat trailers to new heights.

Good luck with it
 
Tom, we played around with the height dimensions before Rufus went of to the fabricator.... we wanted enough head clearance so we coupld pop the cover off the lower boat and load in decoys and such without banging our heads... then the extra clearance allowed for the pond box to maybe slide in too. We are already noodling out a light weight frame that would be removable to slide the pond box onto rather than setting it on the lower hull. I think there maybe enough room. There is some adjusting yet to do, but that will wait for nicer weather when the beer is cold, and not the outside air!
 
Nice work guys. Looks like a really good setup, cant wait to see it in action. Whens the Ceremonial Boat launching ?
 
Rich, thanks! The F 250 was up in the storage lot with the Lance camper already mounted, so we went withe the readily available 150 -- did well! Hope to see you up on your stomping grounds next season. Best, Rufus
 
Very nice, well conceived and executed, design. Now you need a tender boat to sleep in on the marsh.

There was a rig from the Detroit Metro area I saw a several times hunting Lake St. Clair that deployed a TDB 17' Classic off the main trailer bunks and a Bankes Hercules, using a hinged mount system similar to this set-up off the top rack. I always saw the rig being towed, so I never had the opportunity to inspect the design at the ramp. It sure looked like an efficient and practical approach to getting these duck rigs to the marsh edge.

I wish I had the opportunity to get some dimensions off that trailer complex, since I eventually moved to a 1,700lb capacity trailer for my TDB 14'. I never ended-up at the same ramp complex as this rig.
 
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Great work Men!! Looks incredible! I hope to get together on a southbay boat hunt this year. I couldn't beer i mean bear to part with it. Rufus i'll get the measurements as soon as this snow lets off! we have 4 inches on the ground now.
 
Dave and Rufus
Late getting aboard (had to go to new computer) and just viewing the two of your masterpiece (The Tandem Trailer) now. When you two get together the sky is the limit. What a great concept for a tandem trailer. What's next on your "to go list"?
Wis Boz
 
I must also say that the conception, design and implementation of this trailer is phenomenal. You guys have done some tremendous work.
 
Well, Dave is still working on his Susquehanna river boat, both of the South Bay boats on the trailer need some TLC and maybe a modified cockpit on one, the old aluminum canoe is finally going to get its industrial grade pontoons and be turned into a shallow water menace for the early goose season....and on and on and on. I am amazed the wives don't just shoot us and leave!
 
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