I need a couple custom wagons made for pulling behind a tractor, AND, able to fit on my boat.
A key constraint, is that I want these wagons to fit onto my boat, which is a landing craft with a front ramp.
October 1, 2013 update. Roger found ATV wheels are abundant, and he’s welding up the whole cart by himself. Stronger steering, on springs, damn heavy already. Impressive work, and I’m thrilled that such a thing can be built in my own shop.
July 20, 2013 One purpose for the wagon is to be for carrying people and luggage.
A second purpose, I think would be beneficial to be super-strong for heavy lifting, and design it to hold a generator, a hydraulics machine, a crane capable of lifting heavy things onto and off the cart down to ground level. And I envision places to bolt on other modules that change the functionality do to other jobs.
A third purpose, is garbage handling. The island needs a kind of dumpster on wheels, that can be filled and transported by my boat, then meet up with a proper garbage truck and lift and dump the whole thing into whatever comes to Thetis Island or Chemainus:
The trailer hitch aspect, will need to be able to stick out beyond the front of the boat’s opening, so that tractors or trucks can back up to the boat, and hitch up. But that means, when the boat ramp is closed, the hitch has to tilt upward.
Another design requirement, is to hold these wagons stable when they are riding in the boat, and not just with wheel blocks. I envision a cart with a crane, being able to tie up alongside a floating dock, and be able to use the crane to lift things from the dock, over the side, onto the boat. So the wagon must be strongly bolted to the boat itself.
The wagon ought to have, not only a trailer hitch, but a 3-point hitch that my John Deere tractor can hold more securely. So an attachment for a 3-point hitch, as well as an ordinary trailer hitch, AND, an attachment for a 300CX loader, which is the front of the John Deere tractor. And maybe the far end of the cart needs steerable wheels, to the tractor can push it from behind while the carts own wheels do the steering.
August 1, 2013 update. I made these markup pictures to help me remember a few things. The red arrows show the 4 hinges that hold the ramp onto the boat. The ramp, and those hinges, could be broken or bent, if a heavy-laden cart goes over. So I’ll need to bring along an extra stack of wood timber wedges to go under the ramp, to give it enough strength.
Another consideration. Roger wondered how much clearance was needed above the wheels for something to go higher than the sides/ overlap the sides of the boat. Turns out that more than 35+3 inches is needed, because of the angle of the ramp.
Sept 5, 2013 update. Derrick Haarsma (cell 1-250-816-0065) of Haarsma Waste Innovations, drives the garbage truck on the Thetis Island route. He comes once a month in the winter, and the bins are very full throughout the island, and he tries to collect garbage of the whole island and be able to catch the next Ferry sailing. So he doesn’t have much free time. But he proposed that boat ramp in the end of telegraph harbor. He drives past there anyway, and he offered to drive down that ramp, and pick-up/dump the dumpster from near the water’s edge. But I would need to move the dumpster off my boat, to be ready and waiting.
The ramp from the water, to waste pickup point.
Now the cart has an extra set of little wheels on a hydraulic drive system, so it can move itself on and off the boat.
Nov 12, 2013 update. I found a picture of a wagon with a crane, probably similar to the size that I’d like, and Roger is planning to build it from scratch.
Also making Charcoal is of mild interest today, see charcoal kilns, ring kilns and the biochar retort,
November 15, 2013 update. Here are more pictures from inside the boat, with measurements, for the Roger’s use when planning a crane for the wagon and boat.
January 9, 2014 update. Update photo of build progress.
March 20, 2014 update. The wagon is back from getting its brown paint powder coating. Hydraulics are being worked on.