Trailer maintenance

When’s the last time you thought about anything but greasing the bearing buddies? I’m guilty of this as the other woman was basically trouble free. The new boat had diet that included salt water and it had the issues that came with it. Bunk brackets last weekend gave me the chance to see just how it wasn’t maintained. Two of my six bunk supports did nothing, rusted in two. Looked at the spring setup and wasn’t impressed with those either, picked up the parts today. Also found that my new hub had a bad inner seal and got that as well. Tires in a few months will take care of the mechanical stuff and then I’ll rewire it with LED’s including marker lights. I usually solder my connections so the salt doesn’t bother them near as bad.

Take a few minutes and look yours over including looking for tire delamination or separation. Know a member that replaced 3 expensive good year marathon in a short time from this. Bad to have issues on the road when you can address them in the driveway if you pay attention.

And with it fast approaching, Merry Christmas everyone. Hope it’s a Crappie one

I redid my trailer last year. You are right ! much easier doing it at home than on the road. I had to help rescue one of my friends from the road side when he had problems. just glad that he wasn't too far from home. Good advise Tim.

A little helpful note. If you are trailering your boat down an interstate and someone passes you and honks their horn you should pull over as soon as possible. I thought they were just being friendly. Ha. Later I stopped for gas and one of my hubs was beyond help and tore up the spindle on the axle. Thanks Skeetbum for the reminder about maintenance. I will be heading to Lake Talquin in a few weeks.

Good tip. A lot of time the trailer is overlooked until your setting on the side of the road.


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After you rebuild a good dunking in the river on the way home from the brine sure helps get salt off trailer parts. I run motor and flush it while there too. Just back in farther than you did in salty and pull forward and back a few times to rinse her good. Has really helped mine not get beat too bad by the salt. Leaf springs are first to show signs of corrosion.

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New tires last spring, just replaced the bunk boards the week I got here. I launched my boat and one of the boards broke in half, turns out it was rotting and could not see under the carpet.

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replaced both tires last spring because trailer was shaking(noticed in rod holders), trailer still shakes, while following trailer saw that wheels were different sizes, one wider and taller(both are st205/75d14). the larger one came from Wally and the smaller one from a local trailer repair center) am going to order a matched set of carlisle tires like used to be on trailer and lasted until out of date.

New tires a couple of months ago. Replaced the carpet on the bunks a few years ago. I need to do a better job of stapling it . I will take the air compressor and the stapler to the launch on a trip when it is warmer

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Originally Posted by Mike1234

Good tip. A lot of time the trailer is overlooked until your setting on the side of the road.


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X2!


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Back a bunch of years ago, while doing a multi-hour boat towage, I witnessed a truly incredible phenomena...Interstate speed @70 was easily being maintained by myself and a boat trailered rig I was following for the last 40 miles or so. After observing smoke and sparks, I saw his driver's side trailer tire separate from its hub. The driver apparently was oblivious to any "unnatural" handling characteristics, so I sped up to give him a heads up!! As I closed in on his opened driver's window, his radio was mega-blasting(apparently causing his inattentiveness). Talk about coincidence...Kenny Rogers was singin' "You picked a fine time yo leave me loose wheel"!!:Rofl:santarotfl

u2s

I switched to the composite runners the last time I replaced them. They work great, don't damage anything from sliding across them and all home improvement stores have them in whatever width you need.

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Originally Posted by DockShootinJack

New tires a couple of months ago. Replaced the carpet on the bunks a few years ago. I need to do a better job of stapling it . I will take the air compressor and the stapler to the launch on a trip when it is warmer

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Originally Posted by RobAnderson

I switched to the composite runners the last time I replaced them. They work great, don't damage anything from sliding across them and all home improvement stores have them in whatever width you need.

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runners? we talking about the bunkers? replaced one side bunker and now need to do the other as it looks like a wet noodle. going to replace it soon but with conventional wood and replace carpet.

If you go to a lumberyard and order Cypress boards to make your bunks with you will never have to replace the bunks. May need to re carpet and replace hardware, but the cypress will long outlast the owner and rest of trailer. Not overly expensive to order either.

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Originally Posted by hdhntr

runners? we talking about the bunkers? replaced one side bunker and now need to do the other as it looks like a wet noodle. going to replace it soon but with conventional wood and replace carpet.

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Runners /bunkers it's all the same material and concept. Composit boards don't wear

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Originally Posted by huntinslabs

If you go to a lumberyard and order Cypress boards to make your bunks with you will never have to replace the bunks. May need to re carpet and replace hardware, but the cypress will long outlast the owner and rest of trailer. Not overly expensive to order either.

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JS cypress on hi way 46 between Sorrento and Sanford. They cut it from the trees so if you can’t get what you need there it isn’t available.

I slapped a new axle, springs, and hubs on my trailer earlier this year.

New springs make it sit so much higher I have to back way down the ramp. One of these days I'm going to flip the axle to over the springs.

FWIW, if you have a Northern Tool near you, they have a pretty decent selection there. Even have prelubed hub sets.

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Originally Posted by skeetbum

JS cypress on hi way 46 between Sorrento and Sanford. They cut it from the trees so if you can’t get what you need there it isn’t available.

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Also Bucks lumber in Longwood and even Lowe's can order it for ya.

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Originally Posted by shuorc

replaced both tires last spring because trailer was shaking(noticed in rod holders), trailer still shakes, while following trailer saw that wheels were different sizes, one wider and taller(both are st205/75d14). the larger one came from Wally and the smaller one from a local trailer repair center) am going to order a matched set of carlisle tires like used to be on trailer and lasted until out of date.

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Shu, my original tires that came with new Trailer back in 2015 were bias ply & always had a slight vibration, but never got worst, researched a lot when noticing uneven wear & most reviews basically said bias ply is the way to go unless you travel further distances...my experience now tells me the opposite, purchased steel belted 8 ply from ebay & had mounted at Costco, $10 a tire...smoothest riding ever now & the wear appears much better at this point & also should mention I had the original tires re-balanced, when I had the slight vibration in the beginning, so attribute the wear issues & vibration to the 6 ply bias tires that were always kept at recommended 50 psig, just something to consider for those in need of tires...