Bramber Trailers ???????

[Jackwabbit]

Things were worse than originally thought; we had the brake drums off to find out why the brakes were sticking on one side. The result was the cables have seized no grease nipples to lubricate them; the brake shoes on the nearside were down to bare metal. The bearings & all the brake adjusters were all ok, now all we have to get is 2 sets of brake shoes, 2 caps, 2 cables & 2 locking nuts. Not too good for a trailer that’s only done a couple of thousand miles in 9 months.

[Jackwabbit]

OUCH ! £125 for brake shoes & cables for both sides & I couldn’t get any cables with grease nipples so we are going to have to go through this again in 9 months time.
Unless anyone knows where I can get cables to fit ALKO brakes with grease nipples?

[Nick Hearne]

Originally Posted by Jackwabbit

OUCH ! £125 for brake shoes & cables for both sides & I couldn’t get any cables with grease nipples so we are going to have to go through this again in 9 months time.
Unless anyone knows where I can get cables to fit ALKO brakes with grease nipples?

No you can't as far as I know, the grease will end up causing friction on the cables!
I replaced mine 2 years ago & B4 fitting poured 3 in 1 down them which I have just repeated 2 weeks ago!
Disconnected from hubs held up by string, then filled the cup at the end of the cable & let it drain down, repeat a couple of times till it comes out the other end!
Very quick job to do as you check the bearings!
Nick

[Jackwabbit]

Originally Posted by Nick Hearne

No you can't as far as I know, the grease will end up causing friction on the cables!
I replaced mine 2 years ago & B4 fitting poured 3 in 1 down them which I have just repeated 2 weeks ago!
Disconnected from hubs held up by string, then filled the cup at the end of the cable & let it drain down, repeat a couple of times till it comes out the other end!
Very quick job to do as you check the bearings!
Nick

The only problem with this is those ALKO hubs, is every time you take off the hub you have to get new caps at £6.99 each & new locking nuts. Which I still have to find before we can put the whole thing back together, and god knows how much they are going to be!
Why should we have to buy two new caps & locking nuts just to lubricate the brake cables? Crazy or what??
Our old Snipe trailer has grease nipples in the brake cables, all it requires is once or twice a year is to pump grease in until it comes out both ends. NO PROBLEM and they are now over 7 years old.

[Nick Hearne]

Originally Posted by Jackwabbit

The only problem with this is those ALKO hubs, is every time you take off the hub you have to get new caps at £6.99 each & new locking nuts. Which I still have to find before we can put the whole thing back together, and god knows how much they are going to be!
Why should we have to buy two new caps & locking nuts just to lubricate the brake cables? Crazy or what??
Our old Snipe trailer has grease nipples in the brake cables, all it requires is once or twice a year is to pump grease in until it comes out both ends. NO PROBLEM and they are now over 7 years old.

OK not so easy but you could get the 3 in 1 in from the other end!
Nick

[geoff]

Also when fitting the locking nuts on the ALKO bearings you need a VERY big torque wrench to get them tight enough. We had ALKO bearings on a trailer and ended up buying a new axle with Bradley bearings that you can get to when you need to.

[Jackwabbit]

Originally Posted by geoff

Also when fitting the locking nuts on the ALKO bearings you need a VERY big torque wrench to get them tight enough. We had ALKO bearings on a trailer and ended up buying a new axle with Bradley bearings that you can get to when you need to.

You are not kidding Geoff, just got the locking hub nuts & asked what they should be torque setting should be “230 foot pounds” blimey we’ve got to get a new torque wrench now, no one’s got one that goes up that high.
Anyway lots of discussions last night at the committee meeting, luckily we have a few members who are on the retail side & some with legal background. They all agree the trailer is not fit for purpose (something about being sold non merchandisable goods) or something.
They are now in the process of composing letters to Humber & Bramber (they are a lot better at things like that than I am) these will be sent by recorded delivery & if we don’t get any reply this time they will be getting in touch with our local trading standards officers (they deal with them all the time during their every day work)
Just as an after thought,
The place I got the brake parts from were very surprised to find we had ALKO hubs on a boat trailer, they asked if we had made a boat trailer from an old caravan chassis. They recon ALKO hubs are totally unsuitable for use in seawater.
Thanks for all the help and advice from everyone, & I’ll keep you all informed of what happens.

[Jackwabbit]

Latest update
Letter received from Bramber to let us know they have received our letter, & they will be contacting Humber to see what they have to say.
As of yet nothing back from Humber.
I’ll keep you all informed of what if anything happens.

[Soupy]

For a novice, where should these be and attached to please, e.g. all round or to some of the boat fixings?

[Jackwabbit]

Originally Posted by Soupy

For a novice, where should these be and attached to please, e.g. all round or to some of the boat fixings?

From my own experience (and what I’m about to say is only my opinion, someone will probably say something different)
When we picked the boat up from Humber it only had 2 straps over the tubes & the winch to hold the boat on the trailer, over the last 9 months & after a couple of problems we now take a different approach.
See below

1. On the front of the trailer attach a length of chain to the winch post, with a large clip to put onto the boat through the eye where you usually have the painter attached. This is just in case your winch decides to do the same as ours, & will hopefully stop the boat rolling off the back of the trailer.
2. Attach a short ratchet strap from the same eye on the boat down to the trailer drawbar. This will stop the front of the boat bouncing up & down.
3. Attach 2 ratchet straps from towing eyes in the transom to the trailer, (if you don’t have towing eyes but you do have an ‘A’ frame you may be able to loop the straps round that instead. (Please check to make sure it a good strong ‘A’ frame if you are going to do this.

If you have a look at page 2 of this thread you can see a couple of pictures of the chain & strap fitted at the front.
I hope this helps you.

[ashbypower]

I totally agree with JackW on this, We however use a stainless rigging bottle screw to hold down the bow, and back this up with the RIBs painter tied in a truckmans knot. Also use the two stern straps. This arrangement held our old boat and trailer together when the axel snapped @ 50 MPH (Indespension trailer).
We never strap over tooobes, it increases wear and if the boat does move vertically the pressure on the tubes could prove to much. All in MVHO


Brian

[Rupert Bear]

Originally Posted by timboli

My first unbraked admiral -2 swinging arms and sixteen rollers,no spare wheel but with locking hitch-cost me a lot less then that new,PM me if you want details,it was under a year ago so I shouldnt think that they have gone up much.

Mine has 24 rollers and four pivoting arms so is fully flexible and adjustable.

[Soupy]

Having had problems previously whilst towing caravans - want to get this right. Many thanks for advice.

[Jackwabbit]

Latest update,
Letter received from Humber to say they are supplying all the relevant information to Bramber.
Took the boat out today (first time after doing all the work on the brakes) arrived at Shoreham on Sea to find another wobble roller (this time at the back of the trailer) had disappeared. The bolt was still in place so it looks as if that’s the 3rd roller spindle to snap, how they expect 6 hollow aluminium tubes with a hole drilled through middle to hold up to 650Kgs of boat I’ll never know.
I wonder how long it’ll be before we end up with a hole in the bottom of the boat, by having 2 of these rollers fail at the same time?

[Jackwabbit]

I have just spoken to Bramber on the phone, they always sound very concerned about problems with their products when I phone. They have agreed to send another spindle & rollers straight a way, (FOC) they also said they would be discussing the problems with their technical department and they would be getting in touch with me next week. We’ll wait and see & I’ll keep you all informed of what happenes.
Hopefully we can get an amicable agreement sorted between us.

[Jackwabbit]

It’s now 14 days since my last post, yes the new rollers arrived a couple of days after I phoned them.
BUT as expected, as for someone getting back to me from their technical department, you guessed it no one has.

The following week we noticed some very nasty scratches almost all the way through the gellcote,
this was done when we launched without noticing the back wobble roller was missing.
This was not done when getting the boat back on the trailer because we had to put a roller from the front onto the back, & the scratches were not noticed because it was getting dark when we recovered it.
Oh well looks like another letter will soon have to go out.

[Jackwabbit]

Well it’s now 4 months since we started to try & get something sorted with either Humber or Bramber. Over the pile of S@!t they call a road going trailer.
More letters were sent to them both a couple of weeks a go & so far we have only received a letter back from Humber, they have stated in their letter that they have contacted Bramber who know nothing about any further problems we have experienced. (probably because it’s been sitting in a container since November & not moved an inch) Even though they had to send me another wobble roller last time the trailer was used. We still haven't had anything back from Bramber.
Its starting to look as if they are hoping we go away and forget all about it, well they can think again we won’t!
The next step is to see if a barrister in our club will compose a legal letter for us then it will be trading standards.

[Jackwabbit]

Update:

Letters finally received from Humber & Bramber.
The letter from Humber states they & Bramber were unaware of any problems util we wrote to them back in October, & they have sold hundreds of these combinations without any problems, the trailer is also well within specification for the boat. Also if we were having problems we should have given them the chance to have a look before carrying out any repairs. When I tried to get something done about the remote cables that broke within the first two weeks of having the boat, (due to bad routing) their response was bring it back to us & well have a look at it, or remove the broken cable & send it back & they will replace it.
The first suggestion was not an option; no one could get the time of work to take the boat the 300mile round trip just for a cable. So we went for the second option, the cable was sent back & a new one came about 4 weeks later.
After this experience with Humber when the trailer broke its first wobble roller I went straight to the manufacturer (Bramber) rather than be expected to tow the boat 150miles with no roller on one side or wait weeks for a replacement. Bramber were very good about it & sent a replacement spindle (FOC) the same day, & when we had another couple of rollers replaced they were again very good they arrived the next day. When the winch post broke we were over 200miles from home & I don’t think there would be much chance of the boat & trailer still being there going by how long things are taking
So I can’t under stand how Bramber can have no knowledge of problems after replacing 3 wobble roller spindles, a pair of rollers, a keel roller & offering to sell me a new winch.

The letter from Bramber dated 03/03/2005 was a little more encouraging, they started by saying they were sorry we were displeased with their product, but they have sold hundreds of these trailers without having any problems. They would also like to discuss it with us one to one but when they tried to phone, (during normal office hours) they were unable to get in touch with our representative, & they would try again next week. The phone number he gave Bramber & Humber was his company number & the phone is manned Mon to Fri 8am to 6pm. He hasn’t been contacted so far & that was 19 days a go now, so he now wants to take it a step further & contact the small calms court.
Bramber have also got my mobile number because they phoned me once saying the person I needed to speak to was on holiday but they would get him to contact me as soon as he came back. (You guessed it he didn’t)
I have also received a PM from someone on this forum who has had the same problem with the winch post on a Bramber trailer, & he has written to Humber about the problem so I find it strange they have never had any problems before.
So the saga continues.

[Jackwabbit]

Latest update,
We finally heard from Bramber Yesterday, they want us to take the trailer for an independent report be done at their expense.
Not quite sure how independent it will be though, because they have told us where to take it.

[xpertski]

just a little bit worries as i have bought a humber ocean pro 6.3 from humber, and i think it has a bramber trailer, certainly dont want any problems takin the boat 12 hours to the north of scotland...