Beach dolly for scuba tanks

[divezonescuba]

The tongue weight Issue is fixed now that I have moved the wheel axle point out past the back of the end of the platform. I think that I tried 4 or 5 progressively distant positions before reaching something that I considered acceptable. Of course moving it that far back introduces some potential lever issues of it own with respect to the axle support.

A significant disadvantage is how much truck bed space it takes up. Much more than the foldable ones. It will be necessary to pack around it to fit everything in. I am calling it the beast.

One other thing I was worried about. Since it is such a long distance between the water and the truck, I didn’t want to have to walk it back before the dive to secure it. So what I decided to do is temporarily lock it to the fence / rope in the scrub.

I will be trying it out next week. Hopefully, the balloon tires will not melt in the parking lot and on the walkway before I get to the beach sand. Since it is all stainless, I am going to drive it right into the water and float the rig off and on. The only time I should have to lift the rig is at the truck.

As Mr. G used to say “we shall see”

 

[The Chairman]

A significant disadvantage is how much truck bed space it takes up.

When I drove a truck, I made a bracket for the bed cover. I made a different bracket for my van. The wheels were designed to be easily removed by taking out a pin on each side. Room is always a precious commodity.

 

[lairdb]

A significant disadvantage is how much truck bed space it takes up. Much more than the foldable ones. It will be necessary to pack around it to fit everything in. I am calling it the beast.

Any chance of combining only the wheels-and-platform portion of The Beast with the folding dolly?

 

[divezonescuba]

I this works, that could be the next mod. There is a rail fitting for a gate that might work and make it more compact.

also, if I cut off the bolt heads, I could probably use cotter pins to take the wheels on and off.

 

[Sevenrider860]

You have a lever arm problem. The weight of the twinset is so far ahead of the fulcrum point that tipping doesn't get it to be above the fulcrum. Try putting a milk crate on your existing platform, then the twinset on that, and see if that makes a balance difference that improves the usability.

ETA: Also/or, consider a second set of wheels, that land in the overcenter stable position and spreads the load on the sand. (That reads like word salad -- sb 1 for a sketch.)

ETA2:
View attachment 645797

I think that is why there is a shelf on the model I use.

https://sharkbitescuba.com/overview

 

[The Chairman]

I tried one of those sharkbitescuba dollys right after I built mine. They are probably fine for Aluminum tanks, but my LP120 tanks put a lot of strain on my arms. It's all about the COG for me.

 

[ajtoady]

I would hinge the bottom attachment points at the platform and handle.Use some 1/8" stainless cable from the handle down to the platform at the far points. Would help being foldable and the cables would give some constraining support to the tanks.