Author Topic: Danger trailers  (Read 5466 times)

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Offline BN

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Danger trailers
« on: September 29, 2013, 01:19:58 PM »
All through the years that I have been restoring boats, I find people with trailers that cause concern. Why spend a fortune restoring, then put it on a trailer that is either not fir for purpose or truly past its sell by date. This section is to discuss trailer problems.
1953 Albatross
1958 Dowty Turbojet
1965 Mitcham Jetboat
1968 Mitcham OB

Offline Crabtreeengineer

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Re: Danger trailers
« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2013, 06:15:58 PM »
Indeed, i think we are all guilty to a certain extent of ignoring our trailer. The weakest item on many trailers are the bearings & stub axles.

For many of the popular & common trailers i can supply replacement weld in stub axles for DIY installation & also offer a full axle repair service.

Offline BN

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Re: Danger trailers
« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2013, 07:41:11 PM »
If you put you contact details and a location together with your company name, I will put a small ad on the 'news titles' that are at the top of the forum.
1953 Albatross
1958 Dowty Turbojet
1965 Mitcham Jetboat
1968 Mitcham OB

Offline enginuitytriumph

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Re: Danger trailers
« Reply #3 on: January 04, 2014, 09:56:50 PM »
Just got another trailer for my Jetstar... It's a 4 wheel 2 axle trailer built by 'Streamline'. It looks great, it will need the usual wheel bearings & brakes, but that's not what I want to know.
 I looked at the commission plate & it's suitable for up to 2 tons. My boat only weighs a lowly 940 kgs. If I use this trailer, will it be too 'bouncy' ? I know that you don't have to use a van fully laden & it drives fine, but it's something I know little about !     Any answers / advise would be great.  Thanks... Mark
If you don't know where to start... start somewhere, the rest falls into place.

Offline BN

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Re: Danger trailers
« Reply #4 on: January 05, 2014, 09:45:18 AM »
Hi Mark, the rules are quite simple. Your boat is over 750kg (940kg), so you need a braked trailer. The towing vehicle has to have a towing capacity, which exceeds the gross weight of the trailer and the boat. For instance if your trailer weighs 500kg and the boat 1000kg, the towing capacity of the car/van must be 1500kg with a braked trailer. A Land Rover is a hybrid, so has slightly different rules and you need to check your tow vehicle towing capacity, because few can tow 2 tonnes now. For instance a 2 tonnes transit cannot tow a 2 tonnes trailer.

Now to the bounce or no bounce. If the trailer capacity is 2 tonnes (or 2000kg approx.), then it will be a little harsh, especially with an outboard on the back, yours is a jet, so that is less of a problem. What it does allow is that you can put a large amount of goods in the boat, including fuel and you could be nearer to 1250kg in your case, so it is still a little harsh, but on the safe side and less bounce at that weight.

What you could do is to replace the second axle (un-braked axle) with a 500 or 750 kg system and reduce its capacity to 1500kg, that will take the stiffness out of the suspension, which is what many trucks do with the smaller wheels behind the normal wheels. You would obviously have to stick with normal wheels, preferably the ones it has now.

As an example, a Suzuki Jimny has a total towing capacity of 1300kg braked, but it can only tow a 350kg un-braked trailer. It cannot tow a 750kg un-braked trailer.

The good old Land Rover can tow 3500kg braked, but the LR does not weigh 3.5 tonnes, there is more, but hope that answers your question?
« Last Edit: January 05, 2014, 09:57:27 AM by BN »
1953 Albatross
1958 Dowty Turbojet
1965 Mitcham Jetboat
1968 Mitcham OB

Offline enginuitytriumph

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Re: Danger trailers
« Reply #5 on: January 05, 2014, 08:39:22 PM »
Well yes & no !! yes I think it should be OK, but both axles are braked ? ( or were when it was made ! ) My Land Cruiser can tow 3500kg, but as it weighs 2800kg I will be very careful not to attract too much attention!  It was really the 'Bounce' I was worried about as I don't want it to damage the boat, or 'skip' when going round a corner with a bump in the road, as that could be disastrous !!!
  However, I will try it as it was for free & all I have to do is replace the usual bearings / brakes & unsieze the various moving parts!
thanks.... Mark  :D
If you don't know where to start... start somewhere, the rest falls into place.

Offline BN

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Re: Danger trailers
« Reply #6 on: January 06, 2014, 09:45:39 AM »
First the vehicle is perfect and I had forgotten you had a proper towing vehicle  ;) so it will not cause problems. My Jimny when towing the Dowty, is interesting as it looks like a Dinky toy towing a ship, but is perfectly legal! Size in that case does not matter.

You do not need both axles braked, just the leading wheels for your boat and the trailer can be re assessed if you need. It will not hop around corners, because it is like sports suspension, unless with too much speed  :o

Bottom line, is that the trailer as is, could be a little too harsh, but I doubt if it will cause you a problem  :D and I wish I had a LC right now for towing  ;D
1953 Albatross
1958 Dowty Turbojet
1965 Mitcham Jetboat
1968 Mitcham OB

Offline ChrisB

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Re: Danger trailers
« Reply #7 on: June 27, 2014, 09:14:53 PM »
Living on the coast something that I see time and time again from your regular I've got more money than sense brigade is.....

They have just driven 50 odd miles or more, at a billion miles an hour, because their over priced chelsea tractor doesn't even notice the fact they have a ton of boat and engine on the back, they scream up to the slip way, jump out and its off with the straps and back the whole kit straight into the water in under 5mins of their arrival  :o

Now all axle bearings will run at a temperature regardless of how well maintained they are and the worse they are the hotter they run, regardless of how good the seals are, you plunge a hub into water that's above the temperature of the water and as it cools rapidly it will start to pull a vacuum and very quickly just pull water straight into your bearings  :'(

So if you are one of these types, just take 30mins or so to allow your axle bearings to chill a bit before giving your trailer that quick dip and you will find your bearings will last much longer and you'll spend less time having to re-grease them or worst replacing them  ;)

It amuses me watching them, its like they feel its a race to get the boat into the water in as shorter time as possible, they then spend the next 30mins faffing about checking stuff out loading the boat with gear, why not do this while your waiting for your bearings to chill and before the boats even in the water.

 

Offline BN

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Re: Danger trailers
« Reply #8 on: June 28, 2014, 11:33:53 AM »
All very good points. What a lot of people do not realise also is that all trailers should now be plated and need a spare wheel. I always take a wheel together with spare suspension unit (with hub), as it is easier and cleaner to change the lot than just a bearing.
1953 Albatross
1958 Dowty Turbojet
1965 Mitcham Jetboat
1968 Mitcham OB

Offline BN

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Re: Danger trailers
« Reply #9 on: June 28, 2014, 12:25:53 PM »
Talking about towing, how about the picture below, taken from my in car CCTV. I have written to the Highways Agency and expressed my serious concerns. The 40 tonne artic being towed by a 2 tonne Mitshubishi was an open top grain tanker, who's loads are always unstable like moving sand only worse and the bus was full of children.

The public stand no chance if the 'officials' break the law.
1953 Albatross
1958 Dowty Turbojet
1965 Mitcham Jetboat
1968 Mitcham OB

Offline ChrisB

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Re: Danger trailers
« Reply #10 on: June 28, 2014, 07:15:55 PM »
All very good points. What a lot of people do not realise also is that all trailers should now be plated and need a spare wheel. I always take a wheel together with spare suspension unit (with hub), as it is easier and cleaner to change the lot than just a bearing.

Presumably the old stuff doesn't need to be as it runs on Grandfather rights  :-\ must admit I'm not sure I'd go as far as carrying a complete unit, spare tyre yes.


Talking about towing, how about the picture below, taken from my in car CCTV. I have written to the Highways Agency and expressed my serious concerns. The 40 tonne artic being towed by a 2 tonne Mitshubishi was an open top grain tanker, who's loads are always unstable like moving sand only worse and the bus was full of children.

The public stand no chance if the 'officials' break the law.

That really is pretty scary, one has to hope that it was a drive issue and not engine because the air tanks would have only lasted so long for braking  :o
Definitely a picture worth saving for that time HA decide to get shirty on a minor misdemeanour

Offline BN

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Re: Danger trailers
« Reply #11 on: June 28, 2014, 08:52:12 PM »
The trailers now have to be according to the law, there are no grandfather rights on those. All must have a spare as well now. The units are small on most of the trailers I have apart from the braked units, then I take bearings and the obligatory wheel, plus a full tool kit of course.

The truck was just ridiculous, but the only good point is that once the air has gone, the brakes apply.
1953 Albatross
1958 Dowty Turbojet
1965 Mitcham Jetboat
1968 Mitcham OB

Offline boatmad

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Re: Danger trailers
« Reply #12 on: December 05, 2018, 05:09:39 PM »
That looks like a VOSA vehicle and as they do not have a recovery service, I suspect they were towing to the nearest safe place just to clear an obstruction.
PETER G.

Offline BN

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Re: Danger trailers
« Reply #13 on: December 08, 2018, 02:10:00 PM »
That looks like a VOSA vehicle and as they do not have a recovery service, I suspect they were towing to the nearest safe place just to clear an obstruction.

Possibly, but to tow a 40 tonne truck and downhill, is not good  :o
1953 Albatross
1958 Dowty Turbojet
1965 Mitcham Jetboat
1968 Mitcham OB