When we started looking around for a really good set of transom wheels to fit our True Kit inflatable boats, we were left a bit disappointed. We found some large wheels that would get over the rocks and sand, but would also get in the way of the outboard. We also found small plastic wheels that wouldn't even look like getting through the sand and would crack and break if they even looked at going over rocks!
And none of the available wheels had a good system for removing them on and off the transom, so at the end of your boating session, you could pack your boat away in your car or motorhome.
So (as we are known to do!) we set out on a year-long task of design, testing and development of our own wheels. These became our world-leading, fully removable QuickLok Dinghy Wheels.
Our Requirements for Wheels Were:
1. Must be fully removable from the transom in 5 seconds so the boat can be packed down to the size it would be without wheels
2. Must have a decent-sized pneumatic wheel that would smooth out the bumps and coast through sand and rocks, as well as boat ramps and roads
3. Must not get in the way of the outboard when in the UP position - so many of the "big name" wheels do this, and it is not always obvious when you are buying the wheels
4. Must be built strong and from quality materials that are suitable for marine environments - you would be surprised at how many marine parts are not made from marine-grade components
With that wish list written out and tucked under our arms, we set forth on the (longer than we expected!) journey to develop the best transom wheels for inflatable boats. In fact, they became the best transom wheels for all small boats and are now used by many other top dinghy manufacturers.
We cut, bent, and machined parts from aluminium, plastic and stainless steel. We pulled our True Kit dinghies up and down stairs, over rocks, hard sand and soft sand, in the water and on the road. No challenge was too tough. We built them, pulled them apart, re-machined and re-built them again and again as we refined the design.
Eventually, we settled on marine-grade stainless steel (known as stainless 316 or A4). This is known as the premier material for marine components. It gives a nice balance of strength and corrosion-resistance. And while more expensive than a plastic equivalent, a stainless component can be much smaller and will last virtually forever. A 4-stud pattern was created that each wheel base would lock onto with a unique keyhole locking system. Attaching and detaching the wheels really only takes a couple of seconds each, so it actually exceeded our brief.
So now, with a set of our QuickLok Dinghy Wheels installed on your True Kit dinghy, you can pull your boat up the beach on your own. Launching and retrieving is a breeze when you let the wheels do the hard work instead of carrying the boat.
We make the QuickLoks in-house at True Kit, so you know that they are built properly and each one is individually tested before it leaves our doors!
Praise for our QuickLok Dinghy Launching Wheels:
"I am finding the Quicklok wheels very useful to launch the boat. Very clever, unique and elegant design, they click into place in down or up position, and when in the up position/when the boat is underway, they are designed to lock on and not fall off. Can be removed from the boat in the down position for easy storage. Easy to retract when on water by flipping them without having to remove and reposition the entire wheel. Worked well on sand, and I am impressed by the quality of manufacture and design. They look built to last and form an integrated, well-thought-out solution. I would recommend these wheels. I don't think there is anything else like them on the market. Didn't get in the way of my outboard or transom fishing rod holders. Brilliant!"
