Do You Have Any Boat Trailer Questions

(wakeworld) · (wakeworld) **Join Date: Jan 1997** 04-04-2005, 9:02 AM

We're currently working on an article about boat trailers and we'll be interviewing the president of one of the trailer manufacturers. What kinds of questions would you like us to ask?

byerly137pro 04-04-2005, 9:56 AM

Something about exceeding the weight capacity of the trailer.

(brianmiller) · (brianmiller) **Join Date: Aug 2003** 04-04-2005, 10:55 AM

why the don't most of them put a spare tire mount on the trailer.

(acurtis_ttu) · (acurtis_ttu) **Join Date: May 2004** 04-04-2005, 11:01 AM

oil bath hub/wheel bearings.

(tahoe) · (tahoe) **Join Date: Mar 2002** 04-04-2005, 12:11 PM

I'd like to know if they are working on anything for added security. I'm always biting my nails when I leave our boat/trailer out. That one little hole for a padlock on the tongue isn't much for a professional theif.

(skibum69) · (skibum69) **Join Date: Aug 2004** 04-04-2005, 12:34 PM

Chris, there are better locks such as this one.

(big_xstar) · (big_xstar) **Join Date: Nov 2004** 04-04-2005, 12:53 PM

How about if they can make trailers stronger to hold the extras capacity of like lead and such so we dont have to take all the weight in and out of our boats.
I like the trailer lock question, but I think Chris was asking is if there are better locks for when our trailers are hooked up to our trucks, just sitting in the parking lot while we are on the lake or worse if over night with the boat on the trailer hooked up to the truck. Those gorilla gaurds work well when your trailer is sitting by itself though

(skibum69) · (skibum69) **Join Date: Aug 2004** 04-04-2005, 1:11 PM

That makes sense, I don't even have a way to lock my MC trailer when it is hitched up, I have one of those square couplers. I was thinking have they thought about doing anything different with the brakes.

(big_xstar) · (big_xstar) **Join Date: Nov 2004** 04-04-2005, 1:18 PM

Jason they do sell a lock for the square couplers. I have one on our MC trailer. Just go to any MC dealer or boat shop. They should have them in stock.

(tyler_o) · (tyler_o) **Join Date: Nov 2004** 04-04-2005, 1:20 PM

Maintenance tips and tricks like:

What's the best way to lube the trailer jack?

Should I ever have change out the brake fluid/bleed the brakes?

Is there any maintenance required on the braking actuators?

Can you over fill a hub with grease (aka How to avoid blowing a seal)?

Should I rotate the trailer tires?

(blastmaster) · (blastmaster) **Join Date: Aug 2001** 04-04-2005, 2:07 PM

ask why some mfg's use drop axles and others use straight axles and how ride height is effected. Is one better than the other if you have steep driveway?
Are disks better than the drum?
Are torsion axles better than springs?
Box tube or channel iron? Is one trailer stronger than the other? Which weighs more?

Great topic for an article Dave.

Rick

(Message edited by blastmaster on April 04, 2005)

(breadbutta) · (breadbutta) **Join Date: Dec 2003** 04-04-2005, 4:45 PM

Dave,
Great, how about trailer hub alignment options? I found my trailer had a helacious tire wear issue and had to purchase four tires while out on vacation. Time that could have been better spent on the lake, but I would have never made the 350 mile trip home. The guy at the tire shop knew nothing about trailer axle alignment.
Also: checking for cracked welds, brake bleeding 101, trailer light wiring, standard vs. removable vs. foldaway, importance of leveling.

Thanks!

(three6ty) · (three6ty) **Join Date: Feb 2004** 04-04-2005, 4:58 PM

Tyler,
I didn't know any one could blow a seal?????
Not that any one would want to!!!

(wakeboardwade) · (wakeboardwade) **Join Date: Apr 2004** 04-04-2005, 6:05 PM

i can, and i also want to!

(three6ty) · (three6ty) **Join Date: Feb 2004** 04-04-2005, 6:51 PM

OHHHHHHH K!!!
Thanks for that wade!!!!

Thats a pretty picture!!

(levi) · (levi) **Join Date: Feb 2001** 04-04-2005, 7:41 PM

I'd also like to hear about the oil bath hub option.... I'm tired of grease on my rims.

(troyl) · (troyl) **Join Date: Feb 2002** 04-04-2005, 9:36 PM

I would like to see an upgraded SS trailer jack that would last more than a season or two.

(clubmyke) · (clubmyke) **Join Date: Aug 2004** 04-04-2005, 10:17 PM

better non-rust finish...

jmo52 04-04-2005, 11:13 PM

TSO~ Yes you can blow out the seals if you put to much grease in the hubs. A couple of pumps(2-3) is all you need.

Rick H~ Disk brakes are better than Drum. Better performance, easier to maintain(as far as flushing if you use in salt water, easier to change pads instead of shoes, available in cadium plated and SS. All in all a better system, less things/parts that would fail.

Bruce~ you can have a trailer out of allignment, and it sounds like you do.

Levi~ what kind of caps do you have on your hubs? I assume you have a bearing buddy type system( a spring loaded cap with a zirt fitting). you can get "bras" for them so it does'nt sling grease.

snowake 04-04-2005, 11:49 PM

How about...
galvinized trailers: why are some parts NOT galvinized or made with stainless steel? parts of so-called saltwater trailers rust!!
those of us in seattle that put our trailer in and out of saltwater all of the time would like to know why ALL parts are not made with rust proof materials.

Kati

obsurfer 04-05-2005, 1:12 AM

Mother neptune eats everthing!

(wakeguru) · (wakeguru) **Join Date: Feb 2003** 04-05-2005, 6:17 AM

How the heck do you get those oil bath hubs off to change out the fluid (MC Trailer)? And, I wish they wouldn't have made the fenders out of fiberglass! They've oxidized and polishing them is almost impossible.

(jklein) · (jklein) **Join Date: May 2001** 04-05-2005, 8:58 AM

Moving tandem trailers around in your garage is a major PITA.

I would like to see a trailer with a set of 4 hydraulic casters (two per side) so you could easily pump it up using a bar (similar to a hydraulic floor jack bar) and easily spin the trailer around in your garage. I would pay an extra 500 bucks for that.

A real cheap solution would be to just weld four square brackets on the four corner points where four casters on square tubing with a spring loaded thru hole pin could be manually lowered and raised once the trailer is jacked up into position with the customer's own floor jack. I'd pay an extra 250 dollars for that.

If two of the casters could be locked into a parallel position with the tires and also act as the low wheels near the rear of the trailer so when you are going up a steep driveway, the metal part of the trailer does not scrape, that would be even better. Now you've killed two birds with one stone.

(dtb) · (dtb) **Join Date: May 2002** 04-05-2005, 10:42 AM

should trailer wheels/tires be balanced?

(wildcatx2) · (wildcatx2) **Join Date: Mar 2005** 04-05-2005, 1:45 PM

Why can't they come up with a better way to attach a trailor to a truck. Everything else in this industry has been improved over and over, but the trailor hitch is still a B!tch to hook up by yourself. It's still a metal on metal connection. And could someone hunt down the person who thought we needed 20 different sizes of hitch. Really, what's the difference between a 2" and 1 7/8" in strength. I think its just another way to sell more products.

(bob) · (bob) **Join Date: Feb 2001** 04-06-2005, 5:21 AM

Dave, you can ask why some companies put the brakes on the front axle of a dual axle trailer when what i read elsewhere stated to put them on the rear so when the suspension pivots the rear wheels dig in instead of the front wheels just lifting?? Makes more sense but i still see some on the front and mine came that way till i moved them. I also concurr with TSO (tyler_o) and Kati Wright (snowake), their questions. Ive got an aluminum trailer but the springs look like they want to fall off after 600 hours boat time, mostly salt/brackish. You might also have him go over the importance of getting an aluminum or galvanized trailer if you will be using in salt and the importance on rinsing the trailer just as much as your boat if used in salt.

(bob) · (bob) **Join Date: Feb 2001** 04-06-2005, 5:26 AM

John, buy a convertaball set up from online or an rv store, three balls, one mount for them. One pin to push out to swap balls and all that is needed is a pen or pencil to swap them.

(buzz_grande) · (buzz_grande) **Join Date: Mar 2004** 04-06-2005, 7:42 AM

I have an Extreme "galva-tube" trailer, but was told the fenders are not galvanized. What's up with that?