Trailer maintence for trip
Submitted by AaronC on Thu, 2012-04-26 08:26
Hi guys,
Heading to exy in a month and just wondering what sorts of extra maintence and parts i should be taking wih me on the trip north.
My trailer is in pretty good condition at the monent and is always washed down/ inoxed after every use. It is a dual axle Trailit tralier. Thi is my first trip away with the new boat and just needing some advice.
It regularly does the trip to Lano with no probs but 15 hours is a little different than 1.5 hours.
Is it worth getting someone to come out and service it or can i do most jobs myself? First timer remember!!
Cheers
just dhu it
Posts: 1081
Date Joined: 14/05/09
bearings
The main items we do as follows wheel bearings , bearings buddies if fitted , tyres and spares good condition i carry two spares on a long trip in case blow out occurs between major town s , trailer brakes working and brake paads are wearing evenly , lights and plug
then go through trailer and check springs and shackle bolts , and then check all of the upright support for rollers etc , last of all check the whinch and rope along with the safety chain, a good tie down strap over the transom area is a must on long trips . ensure you have correct spare bearings etc before leaving as well
allrounder
Posts: 1853
Date Joined: 10/11/08
The one seems to get missed
is that the splitpins that hold the rollers on are all there and in good nick.I have seen a boat part sink in exxy when they towed it from perth and lost a roller on the way.It wore a hole the size of a 50 cent piece in the hull and a quick trip to the hardware store for a fibro repair kit and a day of missed fishing and they were good to go again.
So tell me have you got your info from years on the water or hours on the internet?
CCC
Posts: 539
Date Joined: 29/03/10
Well I have some experiance
Well I have some experiance in this area, 23000km+ in 18 months on my trailer. Before every big trip, big for me is over 500km round trip. I replace/repack the wheel bearing and pack a new one ready to go. Never done a wheel bearing on the road yet. Tyres let people down, your tyres may have heaps of tread but if they are old once they get on the hot roads up north there weakness will show.
Tyre pressures play a big part. I boost them up for long trip as the boat is normally carrying more weight.
Make sure brakes are all in good nick but be carefull not to over adjust as I have a few mates that have left Perth and heated wheelbearing due to dragging brakes
Last but not least is to make sure the boat is well strapped down. Dont just rely on the winch post make sure the if the winch post bolts fail the boat will stay on the trailer. Seen boats on the road up this way due to post failures.
CC
Iceman
Posts: 747
Date Joined: 17/03/09
RAC
If you are a member of RAC get top cover as it will cover you and your trailer for up 100kms if you breakdown. saved me a couple of time when issues with car as they will arrange to tow trailer .
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chris raff
Posts: 3257
Date Joined: 09/02/10
spare towball and if you
spare towball and if you don't already do so , a piece of 4 x 2 between your motor leg and rams...
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davidbland50
Posts: 392
Date Joined: 24/07/11
Tyres
As CCC said, don't forgo the tyres. They may have good tread but check their age. On the sidewall of the tyre you will find a five or six digit number impressed. The last four digits are the week and year the tyre was made. ie. 1205 twelfth week, 2005. Any tyre over four years is starting to be suspect.
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