Newbie Trailer, pls help!

[wellcraft_175]

Hello,

Wow, what a resource this place is! Hope some of you guru's out there can help me. I have a 1992 wellcraft 170 17 footer speedboat on a single axle trailer. The trailer is apparently galvanised, and is a "rollercoaster." Whether that is a brand or a spec I dont know! Anyway, have been swatting up on cleaning and servicing jobs that need doing to boat, but don't know what to do about trailer. I hose it down after a salt water launch, and know how to do wheel bearings, but this is my first braked trailer, and have no idea how to service brakes! As I am a newbie, I have probably not given you nearly enough info, so please ask without taking the pee too much!

Many thanks for any help!

Steve

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[gonfishing]

Hi Steve
welcome to the mad house!!!
Always a good idea to strip the wheel bearings down on a fairly regular basis I used to do mine every 6/8 wks wash them out in diesel and regrease with a good waterproof grease depending on usesage of course, also not a bad idea to keep a spare set of bearings in the tool kit you never know!!!
The breaks on this type of trailer can be a real pain and that is where most of your maintence will be, you will need to keep all cables and linkages well greased and if you can don't leave the trailer with the brakes on for any length of time otherwise they will sieze on Ahhhh!!!! Also make sure all the rollers turn freely and if not strip them of and grease up the spindles get them sorted asap it makes life just that bit easier launching and recovering,check these after launching the boat is best!! Finally visually inspec the trailor for signs of wear and tear particularly any welded joints look for signs of cracking etc, clean off any growing areas of rust and or just discolouration and paint the area with a cold galvanising / zinc paint.Also have a look here for all your spares etc

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.towsure.co.uk>http://www.towsure.co.uk</A>

Good luck and have fun

Julian

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[gjgm]

The bowden cables often cause the problem as they corrode and then the brake springs are no longer strong enough to pull the shoes back off the drums. But DONT grease them, as it makes it even worse, but try WD40 or so. Alternatively, the cables are pretty cheap anyway...Check the winch, the webbing - you dont want that breaking when your boat is half on and half off the trailer.. there goes your outboard/sterndrive. When towing, the trailer suspension is to protect your boat, so only secure the boat front and back to stop in moving in those directions. Dont ratchet the boat down onto the trailer- its not going to bounce off! On a journey stop after 5-10 miles to check all is well with the breaks and bearings, warm is ok, maybe even hot if there s alot of hills, but scorching means its knackered. And let the bearings cool before putting the water in the cold sea.
A "old school" car mechanic/MOT centre will be able to help with a service; the mechanics of this is extremely crude. Another EU rule preventing a superior alternative. Check the nose weight at the hitch isnt more than 50kg....

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[wellcraft_175]

That's great guys, thanks for the info! The bearings I can handle... I think! Just found out there is a place called Indespension literally 20 mins from me in Halesowen, so I can hopefully get some bits and pieces from there.
GJGM, are the bowden cables the ones that run from hitch/handbrake to middle of boat?? This is my first "proper" boat really, before I had an ickle jet boat, so my nice big wellcraft is a little different!! Is there a dummies guide to brake service somewhere? I presume they are drum not disc. Oh, and Julian, thanks for the welcome. As soon as the nice weather comes round again, I shall get the boat off the trailer, resist the urge to take it for a blast and play with those rollers!

thanks again for the tips guys

Steve

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[Geoff2]

Steve,

I'm a newbie myself, 3rd post and I think I can help. Your brakes are drum brakes and work off the towing hitch. Basically when the car stops, the trailer trys to go into the back of your car. This compresses the hitch which in turn pulls the brake cables and pulls the brakes on. Usually there are two greese nipples on the top of the tow hitch, which allows the overrun brake system to work. As for brake adjustment, usually on the back of the drums there is either a square nut or a slot for an allan key. Turn this I think clockwise for tightening up the brakes untill you hear the drums gently rubbing the shoes. Easy really, plus all the other greesing the rest have said.

Good luck

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[wellcraft_175]

Geoff, that's brilliant. i was hoping it was something semi-simple like that! Greasing is no problem, it's just the adjustment bits. That will hopefully help me out no end!


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[jimbouy]

The indespension catologue has several pages on serviceing, with photos.

www.indespension.co.uk.

tel 01204 478500.

<hr width=100% size=1> "It is a pleasure to give advice, humiliating to need it, normal to ignore it"

 

[lanason]

Welcome to the place of all things boaty. More importantly welcome the the world of Tralier Boating. I tow as well, so have look at the pics below. Your right the Wellcraft will be "big" compared to a wee jet boat. Have you towed anything of any significance before ???

I will be moving the boat tomorrow on the drive, so I can get the caravan out. I'll find out if the wheels still go round. /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>Adrian <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/kelisha>Kelisha</A> I never snub anyone accidentally

 

[BarryH]

If your leaving it on the drive for any length of time its best to take the weight off the wheels. Stops the tyre sidewalls cracking.

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[truebrit]

Two more tips!, As Barry H mentions it is best to take weight off tyres if parked in one place for any length of time,but the weight causes "flat spots" on the tyre causing a bobbing motion at speed, its sunlight that causes sidewall crazing,either cover the tyres with binlimers or similar or better still remove wheels and put them in your shed/garage/kitchen. Also when you have stripped brakes apart,drill a hole in an unused part of the backplate (the bit that carries the brakeshoes) about 10mm diameter, so that after youve launched your boat and dipped your nice serviced brakes in nasty saltwater you can squirt a jet of water through the holes . I have found that doing this after each "dipping" helps extend the life of the brakes considerably. I use one of those cheap garden hose multispray type hose ends set to jet but unless you aim very carefully tend to get 50% of the water in the face! I am going to make a hose end out of some small bore copper gas tubing to fit in the holes more tightly so I only get 20% in my face in future. Finally,welcome to trailer boating,youll have a great time.

<hr width=100% size=1>Mike....... V8s are sweet music

 

[lanason]

Actually I do move it every few weeks - so I know things are fine. !!

Famous last words eh !!!

Now the caravan that a different matter cus the boat blocks the caravan in - But it IS a caravan and not a boat - so who cares.

<hr width=100% size=1>Adrian <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/kelisha>Kelisha</A> I never snub anyone accidentally

 

[lanason]

Moved boatwith the 4x4, no sweat - but had to pull the caravan out by hand - now to get the hose pipe and wash bucket working - flippin windy here tho.

<hr width=100% size=1>Adrian <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/kelisha>Kelisha</A> I never snub anyone accidentally

 

[wellcraft_175]

God, I leave for the weekend, come back, and find all this! Nice one guys, is there any point in people buying manuals with help like this!! I have got 2 wheel locks on the trailer (single axle, one on each side.) Will this stop the tyres going bad? They are protected from the sun by the wheel locks, so fingers crossed!! As for moving the boat every now and again, ehem, think I might have failed on that point! Oh well, I shall know for next year!
And yeah, I tend to agree with you guys out there, a trailerable boat seems a lot more "me" than anything else. I went to the boat show in london this year, and was aghast by the size of the boatys there! scary or what?!?! Either way, I can't see myself having a non-trailerable boat. My lovely wellcraft is just around 18 foot, so going from my ickle 14 footer jet boat to this is a bit of a change!! Not got much experience towing, but am getting there now. Have the privelege of living in the middle of nowhere, so I can play at reversing into drive all day without a big tailback forming!
Whilst I'm on, as you may have guessed, I have a 175 on the back (a yamaha v6 to be exact.) I've still not had the bottle for full throttle on this. Took it to saundersfoot, near tenby, in south wales, and got to just under 50mph (according to the yammie speedo.) What sort of top end can I expect on this? It's just a bit too scary for me at the moment!!
Anyway, thanks for all your replies guys. It is most definitely appreciated!!!

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[BarryH]

Top speed will be relative to the speed the fuel gauge drops......been there done that with a straight six merc outboard. They used to call them "The tower of power" I called it "A tower of woe"
Depends on loading really go a damn sight faster when the boat is light. Would have thought with a light boat flat conditions, you wish!, you should hit the mid 60's easy.
Re the brake cables. Lube them with silicon. I change the aerosol head for one off a wd40 tin and use the little plastic tube to spray it in. Been running fine for the last 6 years.

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