Have You Inspected Your Trailer Lately?

**Fishtaco** · 07-20-2009, 03:12 PM

I pulled 45 miles on paved roads, then 9 miles on dirt roads to one of my favorite little spots to fish this past weekend. trailer pulled well, no problems. As I approached the ramp turnoff, I heard a squeaking noise coming from one of the tires and thought I had a bearing fail on me. Turned out the axle was busted and the squeak was a tire rubbing the trailer frame.

This is a picture of the patch I put on it. I used the pole light ell and u-bolts/nuts that you can buy to help guide your boat on the trailer when loading. This was good enough to allow me to launch, fish, haul out, and drive home safely (successfully?).

This is a picture of the patch

This is a close up of the band aid. Notice the use of sockets as spacers. This is a tiny axle and I needed to pull the while thing up nice and snug but the u-bolts didn't have enough threads on them.

This is a shot with the band aid removed. The break is just to the right of the leaf spring u-bolt.

Another shot of the break. This one gives you a little better idea of how bad this could have been in a very short time.

This is a shot showing the tools and materials I used to make my temporary repair.

A shot of the broken axle from the other side.

The axle removed from the trailer and and the break laying open just by gravity. I just laid this up on the barrel and it opened itself up this wide.

You can see this is a light duty axle. I plan on replacing it with a galvanized axle, possibly a 1000lb'r, but I'm not sure. I'm checking to see who has one in stock.

I'll keep the hubs and one wheel. The bad one will become a spare, as the tread was worn on the inside somewhat, and there is a small area of damage on it. It'll work as a spare to pull a few hundred miles on if needed, but not as a prime tire anymore.

The hubs were replaced this year and the leaf spring/axle attaching hardware was replaced this year as well. I'll replace the leaf springs with the new axle.

I guess the moral of this story is if you have an older trailer, It doesn't hurt to inspect them thoroughly, but I had just gone over this one and replaced what seemed to need replacing. The axle looked good when inspected, just a lot of surface rust.

I'm lucky this didn't turn into a big mess on the side of the highway.

Have you inspected your trailer lately?

**sparky** · 07-20-2009, 04:51 PM

You were awful brave driving that home. Had the same thing happen a couple of years ago going down a dirt road. The tire flew off and down went the trailer. My spindle broke right where it goes into the the axle housing. No one around would put a new spindle in it so had to buy new axle. Only trouble was no one had one to fit my trailer. Could order one but would take 2-3 weeks. Went to Tractor Supply since they were the only ones that had some axles on hand. The guy that waited on me was great. We got one that was about a half inch shorter than the original. He told me to put it on the trailer and get the boat home and than bring the axle back. Just make sure to spray some black paint on it where it mounts to the trailer before returning.

My axle had a round housing. You might want to check Tractor Supply for an axle they were running about $200, this was on a trailer than was hulling a 18 footer.

**rivercat01** · 07-20-2009, 05:50 PM

Wow, thank God no one was hurt and secondly your fishing boat didn't end up as a wadded up mess on the side of the road. Nice patch work!
My trailer is galvanized but what about the axel...

Was your axel put into salt water allot? the rust seems very extensive...

**Fishtaco** · 07-20-2009, 11:02 PM

I don't know. It might have been. The boat is a 1977 Collins Craft flats skiff. They were built in Pace, Florida. So... could be. I've only owned the boat and trailer for about 3 years.

I just think its a cheap trailer and a cheaper axle. I'll put a galvanized axle in there and not have to worry about it. Just a shame to spend that kind of money on something like that.

**1perchjerker** · 07-21-2009, 12:38 PM

Fishtaco, don't want to butt into your business but you may want to check out:
CHAMPION TRAILER PARTS SUPPLY.
They have the Galvanized Spindle-Lube® Axles plus all other parts for trailers. They are located in Slidell, La. on Lake Ponchartrain (salt water) so they know about corrosion and how to slow it down by galvanizing.
1perchjerker

**Fishtaco** · 07-21-2009, 03:04 PM

Yup, I've priced their axles and springs and the parts needed to install. I really like their stuff, but to be honest, I'm seriously thinking about replacing this trailer.

I'd have to replace the hubs to use one of their trailers, as they are 1-1/16" spindles and mine is a 1". That is putting me in the $220ish+ range. I still have to replace a wheel and with all that and shipping, its getting about 30-35% of the cost a brand new Haul-Rite painted trailer.

The least expensive trailer I've found new is $790. That is a mill channel steel (three sided steel). The Haul-Rite is a box steel.

With hopes of a new boat in the not too distant future, I'm stuck on investing in this old trailer or just scrapping it and getting a new one that will haul this boat and the new one.

Bleh!

**Hanr3** · 07-23-2009, 10:36 PM

I acquired my current trailer becasue the previous owner had a similar problem. He broke a leaf spring, which twisted the axle, broke the bunks and tossed his boat into the ditch on teh side of the road.

I made my own axle from the tongue of another boat trailer. Had to make a small metal shim so the bearing spindle would be a tight fit. Then drilled a hole and ran a bolt with nylock nut on the end through the axle and spindle. New springs, straighten the frame, strip the paint/rust and couple coats of primer with several coats of paint, a new wiring kit, new tires, cleaned and repacked the bearings, and took care of the winch. Basically rebuilt the entire trailer from end to end. On my second season and my only reqret is not getting 4 lug 12" tires. I got the 4 lug 8".

Link to my boat trailer and boat build thread.
TinBoats.net • View topic - '67 14' Alumacraft Shallow V and Trailer remodel.

Well worth the money to refurbish the current trailer. Made a great winter project.

**MaggiesMaster** · 07-27-2009, 11:55 AM

Good advice!:D None of us goes fishing as much as we'd like, and a little inspection every so often may very well save a trip.

**Fishin Addiction** · 07-27-2009, 01:07 PM

That's some good Mcguyvering!!

**Crappie Reaper** · 07-28-2009, 07:15 AM

I remember your post Hanr3 on tinboats. You were doing your rig about the same time I was building mine.

As for the trailers, you guys running an old rust bucket of a trailer are asking for a disaster in time. Take the time to lift your boat off of the trailer and do a close inspection of it. Get that rust and paint blasted off of it and prime her properly. You'll be glad you did.

Proper maintenance of boat and trailer make those days of fishing more trouble free.

Great job on improvising on your trailer to make it through the day.

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