The cost of trailer maintinace
I've seen a couple of blokes doing changeling their wheel barings by the side of the road lately.
It's been about 18 months since I got my new boat/trailer, so finally fitted some barring buddy's, was a good call there was a limited amount of grease left in there. Also tightned the nut up an extra notch, removed all the wheel nuts and put antiseize on em and pumped the tyres up (down to 20 psi)
It reminded me of a story I thought id share about how much a simple wheel barring cost a mate of mine.
On arrival to the point peron ramp I noticed my mates drivers side wheel on the trailer was sitting on a bad angle and pointed out that I think his wheel barring was looking a bit worse for wear! So we desided to launch the boat go for a fish then change the barring after while the boat was off the trailer. Long story short after not catching anything going to the shop and changeing the barring when we returned to pull the boat out it had sunk alongside the launching jetty. We scull dragged it back up into the trailer with the winch on my 4x4 and he had to spend quite a few $$$ on rewireing all the electrics, buy another outboard for it and obviously repairs to the hull where the leak was.
Could of saved a few bucks if he had kept his trailer in better condition!
Made me think about how my bilge pump was wired up to I no longer have a switch between the power and the float switch it's just hard wired to the battery! Another consideration I think all people purchasing older boats should consider is does the boat have any sort of floatation? I hate to think how it could of ended had the boat gone down while we were out on the water!
Bewdey Fellaz
beeroclock
Posts: 742
Date Joined: 22/08/12
Had the same crap with wheel bearing
Got to the ramp for a one week holiday on Rotto with the Mrs, Kids and a boat full of camping gear, clothes etc and as I was reversing the boat down the guy next to me pointed out that the trailer wheel was about to come off it was at that same horrible angle your were talking about wityh your mates. I didnt hear the bearing collapsing on the way to the ramp cause we had loud music on in the car all the way. As i was reversing I thought I heard a strange noise but decided it was probably the chains connecting the trailer to the hitch rattling. From then on I always carry 2 full hub setups so its a quick easy change.
Tradewind
Posts: 756
Date Joined: 18/09/12
I learnt the hard way as
I learnt the hard way as well
Coming home on the freeway last year I noticed a lot of smoke coming from the left hand bearing.
Immediately pulled over and I was just so lucky it didn't seize while travelling at speed
The tow however on a sunday ended up costing over $350 then further towing the next day to have the bearings replaced.
Batty
Posts: 348
Date Joined: 24/11/10
Happened to us Sunday at Gracetown
We launched from gracetown on Sunday, came back at 2pm (which is early for us) retrieved boat and heard this funny noise, on Futher investigation bearing had collapsed. We had driven from Busselton, reversed it in and not heard anything!! Pretty lucky really. Brother in law shot to Busso grabbed some new bearings back on the road by 5.15pm.
Funny thing was the Jockey wheel had seized up so I had took if off the night before when she was hitched up, we've not used the boat for a while, I had a gut feeling there may be more problems so I threw 2 jacks in and a full tool kit, lucky, It saved time having it all ready for when he came back with the bearings.
Thanks to Ian a local Gracetown lad, he kindly brought me some bricks and a log so I could jack the boat up as there was no jockey wheel, he even came back with a box full of bearing and a hub just in case.
I think we'll carry more spares from now on
Gav
Lifes a game but fishing is serious !!!
big blue
Posts: 57
Date Joined: 25/03/10
Dura Hubs
http://www.durahub.com/