Trailers by Indespension

Jim@sea said:
If I was new to boating I would expect a boat trailer to be "Dunkable" not everyone has the mechanical knowlege to take off a bearing cap and check the bearings.
Certainly I would raise the matter with "Trading Standards" as to whether the trailer you bought was "Fit for the purpose" unless the trailer had a warning stating that the trailer was unsuitable for immersing in water you could have a case.
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You know - that's a very good point. Some of us have been around this problem for so long, and have devised our own strategies for dealing with it, that we've completely forgotten about the 'consumer protection angle'.

There's absolutely no reason why a 'dunkable' trailer shouldn't be subject to the 'fit for purpose' test - especially as the one in question was actually recommended for that precise purpose.
 
Be careful what you wish for! I'm all for manufacturers not being allowed to get away with fobbing consumers off with goods that aren't "fit for purpose", but on the other hand, I don't want to have to pay an eyewateringly large sum of money for a "marine" suspension unit either. If, because I do all my own work, I prefer to use cheap ordinary "road" components and replace them regularly, I wouldn't want to loose that option. Banging the "consumer protection" drum too loudly is liable to lead to much tighter terms and conditions, maybe even legal requirements, (like routine inspections & servicing by authorised agents) and so on.
 
:):D

YEP Electrosys has hit the nail on its head - :)

anybody buying a boat trailer would expect the trailer to stand up to the job of 'launching a boat into water', wether a dinghy or much larger boat.

unless its a 'brake back' trailer I cannot see how one can launch a boat without getting the wheels and hubs into the water and floating the boat off the trailer.

would suggest that any trailer manufacturer who does not state that their trailer is NOT SUITABLE for entering the water when launching is selling a product under 'false' and missleading information, and therfore 'not fit for purpose'. Especially when its known by the manufacturer that their trailer has bearings that are not suitable.
 
Capt Popeye said:
:):D

YEP Electrosys has hit the nail on its head - :)

anybody buying a boat trailer would expect the trailer to stand up to the job of 'launching a boat into water', wether a dinghy or much larger boat.

unless its a 'brake back' trailer I cannot see how one can launch a boat without getting the wheels and hubs into the water and floating the boat off the trailer.

would suggest that any trailer manufacturer who does not state that their trailer is NOT SUITABLE for entering the water when launching is selling a product under 'false' and missleading information, and therfore 'not fit for purpose'. Especially when its known by the manufacturer that their trailer has bearings that are not suitable.
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Well, one issue might be that the OP has had his trailer sitting about (rusting) rather than using it. If the frame was rotting, I think that would be unfit for purpose, but no trailer bearings are immune from corrosion by seawater. You would also have to prove why the bearings collapsed.. maybe the handbrake was left on. (I am not saying it was, I am saying how would he prove the reason for the bearing to collapse).
Personally, I would expect the bearings to give up at some point. The fact that they did so to the extend of needing a tow home might suggest the OP didnt take normal checks (ie wheel temp after 10 miles etc).Bearings giving up on a boat trailer is a given; its up to the owner to do the monitoring.
 
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Well it is all very interesting stuff. I do not have a breaked trailer so it's just the wheels.

I did think about getting a combination trailer but the one recommended as a road and launch trailer was more expensiveand therefore I would have thought better.

I realise that servicing will be necessary just like on a car wheels running on the roads. On their website Indespension say book in for a servicing every 6 months or 6000miles. I am up to 4 months and a week and around 600 miles.

Prodave - you launch once a season. I can't do that unfortunately. I don't live by the sea and I am trying out different areas to find out where I might like to maybe find her a parking spot. She is modern construction of glued clinker ply. I chose this for several reasons. It's light-ish, as a novice sailor and woodworker I thought I could handle ply better and not have to steam in ribs etc and as she isn't in the water for more than a day at a time she won't have to go through the swelling up and shrinking pain.

So which brands of trailers get the thumbs up?

I have attached a picture of my boat if you are interested.
 
Thanks Pete

She might only be a little plywood dingy but she is very precious to me and has taken a year of my life to build so in my book she is irreplacable. I would never have taken chances with the trailer had I been aware things could go so badly so quickly

Fiona
 
Do you know the weight..you might get away without brakes- is the trailer and boat under 750kg.
Re trailers..seperate the frame from the rest, bcz the trailer guys dont make brake parts !
I am guessing the frame is OK?
My suggestion.. see if they will do a favour on replacing the bearings.. maybe labour,maybe parts as a good will gesture.Otherwise, any under the arches garage can do this-so can you, in fact ;)Neednt be a pricey trailer place.
You did right trying to flush;maybe it helps a bit. Do check the rig after a few miles, or regularly on a longer journey. If anything is sticking , then the wheel heats up on friction, and that will boil the grease out, as I mentioned, so keeping an eye on this can at least prevent the bearing totaly failing. Also, if the boat is off, jack up the trailer and spin the wheel. A bit of grind isnt unusual, but if the wheel rocks when spinning the bearing is going/gone. If there is a grease nipple, get a grease gun, but dont pump in so much grease you break the seal!
Use the handbrake and check that the cables spring back when you release handbrake, and that they arent sticking in the cable tubes. There are return springs on the wheel hubs, but at some point they cant compete with rusting cables.
So, keeping an eye on it on it all, and some periodical checks should mean you spot anything early.And maybe carry a spare bearing-maybe Mr AA can fit it, or at least a local garage could if you had the bearing with you.
Personally, spinning the wheel was the best indicator for me.
Ah, one othet thing. dont launch upon arrival. If the bearing is hot, the drop in temp when it goes into the sea causes a vacuum and sucks in sea water-not what you want. Either let it cool, or aid it a bit with a hose.
 
I think the trailer companies could get away with saying that they sold the trailer for freshwater use. I had a small boat and I used that for over ten years without changing the bearings once. Freshwater just does nothing if you keep pumping a bit of grease in now and again. When I take the drums off my new one, which has been submerged just twice in the briny, I dread to think what I will find!
 
CreakyDecks said:
I think the trailer companies could get away with saying that they sold the trailer for freshwater use. I had a small boat and I used that for over ten years without changing the bearings once. Freshwater just does nothing if you keep pumping a bit of grease in now and again. When I take the drums off my new one, which has been submerged just twice in the briny, I dread to think what I will find!
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I think the point is this company sold the trailer without informing the OP what the care and maintainance was if it was used in water especially salt water.

When you consider the almost chuild like warnings you get with most products these days giving no proper and sensible instructions was perhaps foolhardy by the company.

ps I have always found indespension very expensive but the service can also be excellent in my experience
 
It's not a braked trailer. The boat weighs under 100kg complete with rig etc. The trailer spec on the brochure says capacity 575kgs.

As far I am concerned "Marine" means the sea. The company who sold it to me are from Axminster and knew we launched into Lyme Regis Harbour. They have sold several trailers to students at the school. Either there have been no other failures or no-one has made a fuss. Or my trailer has a one off problem.
 
Yes I reckon they have always been cool but only because It takes me so long to rig up and get ready to go not because I knew to do it.

Thanks so much everyone this forum thing is great.
 
:):D:):D

thanks for the boat pic :):D

fantastic to see such workmanship and dedication to the build :D

can I ask if the Trailer Manufacturer or Supplier supplied any Care instructions or Cautionary Notice's with the Trailer?

obviously not I presume :eek:
 
gjgm said:
OK
well make sure the hubs have cooled before launching is all I can suggest.
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It's also important to check the hub temperature after 10 minutes driving(also good to check the boat is still strapped down securely and hasn't moved on the supports; the vibration of towing tends to cause settling and straps to loosen) and again every 200 miles or so.
 
A little bit of history if anyone's interested (yawn ....):

A Swiss bloke called Neidhart invented the elastomeric suspension we now call 'Indespension' back in 1942. He took out a patent in 1948 after an engineer called Rohr, the founder of Rosta AG took an interest, and Rosta duly went on to manufacture units which revolutionised small trailers and caravans, as well as having many industrial applications.

How 'Indespension' came to corner the market in the UK is beyond me - maybe they licenced the idea from Rosta ? But there's no mention of Rosta in Indespension's published history of their company. Strange.
 
Capt Popeye - no I didn't get anything from the supplier not a thing. This is whats bugging me now. Being told later what I ought to have done. I am a stickler for reading instructions so I would definitely have done so if I had had any.

Penfold - I do always stop and check the straps and lights etc. Never been on a trip more than 120 miles or so and always have a coffee and check stop en route. At least I did something right:):)
 
fifi said:
It's not a braked trailer. The boat weighs under 100kg complete with rig etc. The trailer spec on the brochure says capacity 575kgs.

As far I am concerned "Marine" means the sea. The company who sold it to me are from Axminster and knew we launched into Lyme Regis Harbour. They have sold several trailers to students at the school. Either there have been no other failures or no-one has made a fuss. Or my trailer has a one off problem.
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An unbraked trailer is a nice simplicity to have, I wish my boat / trailer combination was light enough not to need them.

Being so light it should be easy to jack up the trailer to service the hubs even with the boat on there, so you need to practice the art of stripping and re greasing the bearings and keep a stock of suitable split pins and bearings. It needn't take long to do each bearing.

Of course lets not forget that with such a new trailer it could simply have been a defective part that has failed and might have failed even if never immersed in any kind of water.

But do get used to checking them AND replace them at the first sign of ANY problem.

I nearly had disaster on my own trailer. It was in pretty poor shape as I bought it (with the boat) but all the bearings seemed to tighten up okay, although one was a bit noisy.

When I got the trailer home from launching the boat in the spring, and I started on my program of refurbishment, I jacked up one side to overhaul the bearings and found one wheel completely wobbly. Upon dismantling the bearing shell had disintegrated to nothing. This was the one that "seemed" okay but a little noisy. Thankfully I think it gave up on the way home, empty, and being a 4 wheel trailer, it made it home with only one good wheel on that side.

My trailer now has new bearings and in future will get new ones again even if they "seem" okay but a little noisy.
 
:):D

ah well - it seems clear to me that the Trailer should have a sign to state that ' these bearings are not suitable for imersion in water ' clearly marked upon the trailer

without any such sign I would say that the manufacturers are negilgent as the product clearly is intened to be used a boat trailer and boats and water go together - might be interseting to look at any product info / advertising to see if the trailer is shown launching a boat into water:confused:
 
Capt Popeye said:
:):D

ah well - it seems clear to me that the Trailer should have a sign to state that ' these bearings are not suitable for imersion in water ' clearly marked upon the trailer

without any such sign I would say that the manufacturers are negilgent as the product clearly is intened to be used a boat trailer and boats and water go together - might be interseting to look at any product info / advertising to see if the trailer is shown launching a boat into water:confused:
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http://www.indespension.co.uk/b2c/jsp/boat-trailers.jsp

" Boat Trailers
Whether you need to launch or retrieve your vessel, look into Indespension's comprehensive range of boat trailers; "
 
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