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08 September 2014, 17:19
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#1
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Member
Country: UK - Scotland
Length: 5m +
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 184
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Repeated failures of mudguard bracket
Hi Folks (sorry it's a dull one)
Wonder if you can help out. I have a 5 month old trailer that has had 4 instances of the mudguard brackets failing. The failure looks to be metal fatigue caused by the weight of the guard wobbling as I drive. It's failed twice on a motorway and I've been forced to tie it up from the hard shoulder - not a good experience
See the photo attached.
Does anyone have any recommendations for brackets / solutions to stop this happening. I've been told that this isn't happening to any other owners of this trailer type, just me...
The manufacturer suggested I'd been standing on the guard - ffs i'm 6ft 3 and don't need a lift up.
Cheers
Chunk
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08 September 2014, 18:00
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#2
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Hampshire
Boat name: Altea 2
Make: Narwhal
Length: 5m +
Engine: 90 Mariner
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 855
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they only look like 10" plastic mudguards though?... maybe it's the pic, combined with dodgy eyes!
It looks like a manufacturer that I recognise. They used to do a mudguard step, that bolted on to where that L-bracket now sits. It may be worth asking if they have any in stock, as they're a much more substantial bit of kit.
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08 September 2014, 18:08
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#3
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Sticks, N.Yorks
Boat name: Tamanco
Make: Honwave 3.5AE
Length: 3m +
Engine: Tohatsu Outboard
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 1,176
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Not a cheap fix those steps, have you seen the price ?
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08 September 2014, 18:48
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#4
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: London/Oxford
Make: Ribcrafts
Length: 5m +
Engine: 150hp/2x115hp
MMSI: 235090215
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 2,250
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Are you standing on it to get into the boat?
Chris
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08 September 2014, 19:27
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#5
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Member
Country: UK - Scotland
Length: 5m +
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 184
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Thanks TrailorGuy, will call and ask.
Not standing on it, I'm big enough to leap on without touching it (also the tubes overhang so not sure that would possible). The tubes don't touch it when launching, recovering or towing. From what I can tell it can only be either inclusions in the metal, fatigue or a combo of both.
Cheers
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08 September 2014, 20:32
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#6
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Member
Country: UK - Scotland
Length: 5m +
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 184
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TrailerGuy - as you said, when I took the mudguards off they were pretty light plastic. For all you budding metallurgists  just been out to remove the brackets. Happy to hear your thoughts - see the photos below.
Will send one off to be checked for inclusions and the other back to the manufacturer and see if they'll help out with replacements.
Cheers
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08 September 2014, 21:03
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#7
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Wakefield
Boat name: Bouncer
Make: Redbay Stormforce
Length: 6m +
Engine: 2x Honda 100 Hp
MMSI: 235025718
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,177
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Probably cheap quality mild steel it's just torn apart near the bend which is a weakness.
I would pop down to a fabricator and get some new ones knocked up a bit thicker
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08 September 2014, 21:06
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#8
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Wakefield
Boat name: Bouncer
Make: Redbay Stormforce
Length: 6m +
Engine: 2x Honda 100 Hp
MMSI: 235025718
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,177
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Probably cheap quality mild steel it's just torn apart near the bend which is a weakness.
I would pop down to a fabricator and get some new ones knocked up a bit thicker.
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08 September 2014, 21:40
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#9
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Member
Country: UK - Scotland
Length: 5m +
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 184
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Mick, I'd agree. Just annoying to have spent £2k on a trailer less than 5 months ago and then for the dealer and the manufacturer to imply that its my fault...
...Not best pleased 
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08 September 2014, 22:42
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#10
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RIBnet admin team
Country: UK - England
Town: The wilds of Wiltshire
Boat name: Dominator
Make: SR5.4
Length: 7m +
Engine: Yam 85
MMSI: 235055163
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 13,069
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Weld them back together and put a small triangular gusset in the 90 degree angle. Problem solved.
If the manufacturer is that full of crap (and I agree with you, they shouldn't have failed) I wouldn't be going back to him!
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08 September 2014, 22:53
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#11
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Wakefield
Boat name: Bouncer
Make: Redbay Stormforce
Length: 6m +
Engine: 2x Honda 100 Hp
MMSI: 235025718
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,177
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chunk
Mick, I'd agree. Just annoying to have spent £2k on a trailer less than 5 months ago and then for the dealer and the manufacturer to imply that its my fault...
...Not best pleased |
I would be giving them some grief and try and get some money back
I have made hundreds of brackets like that in my blacksmithing days
To me its the cheap shite they are made from
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09 September 2014, 00:00
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#12
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Member
Country: USA
Town: NorCal
Boat name: SHARKY
Make: AB
Length: 4m +
Engine: Honda BF75 & BF5
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,108
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Quit hitting stuff! 
The thickness of the bracket is probably okay, if they had another piece or two of metal tying the angle together. It is the "beer can effect" as shown by the ragged edges. They wobble with the wind resistance probably more than the weight. Try to hold the flap in your hand out the window at speed and you will quickly see what I mean.
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09 September 2014, 01:40
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#13
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Royal Wootton Bassett
Length: 8m +
Engine: 250
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 8,047
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09 September 2014, 09:32
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#14
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Member
Country: UK - Scotland
Length: 5m +
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 184
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter_C
Quit hitting stuff! |
Lol, it was just a small dog...left a poodle on the road  (sorry)
Nos, going to get some made up today, thanks for the pointer re: the triangular gusset. I'll call the manufacturer - to be fair to them it is the dealer who has relayed the comments to me 2nd hand. I haven't spoken to them directly yet.
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09 September 2014, 09:49
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#15
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Member
Country: UK - Scotland
Length: 5m +
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 184
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Quick update, spoke with the manufacturer and they were very happy to help. No questions or quibbles and already had a resolution for the problem.
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09 September 2014, 09:54
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#16
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Hampshire
Boat name: Altea 2
Make: Narwhal
Length: 5m +
Engine: 90 Mariner
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 855
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Nice result
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09 September 2014, 10:23
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#17
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RIBnet admin team
Country: UK - England
Town: Cambridgeshire
Boat name: Nimrod II
Make: Aerotec 380
Length: 3m +
Engine: Yam 15 Tohatsu 9.8
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 8,994
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I know you're sorted now but....
I've often noticed vibrating mudguards as I pass by trailers on the motorway or watching them on B-roads so the last trailer I made myself (well I fitted everything to a bare spine) I used galvanised angle about 35mmx35mmx4mm. It was "self-bracing" and I could see in the mirror is was nice and rigid even at motorway speeds.
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10 September 2014, 11:51
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#18
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Member
Country: UK - Scotland
Length: 5m +
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 184
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Thanks for all the responses folks.
Just to finish off with an example of good service. I bought the trailer as a package with a new RIB earlier in the year, the UK distributor has been in touch to say he'll swap out the trailer for a new custom one from a different manufacturer. Excellent support and service - big thankyou for the offer. 
EDIT: Just to confirm I'm not slating the quality of the current trailer, its good, just had poor brackets fitted originally which when broken makes it illegal to tow...
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10 September 2014, 18:58
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#19
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: Wakefield
Boat name: Bouncer
Make: Redbay Stormforce
Length: 6m +
Engine: 2x Honda 100 Hp
MMSI: 235025718
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,177
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chunk
Thanks for all the responses folks.
Just to finish off with an example of good service. I bought the trailer as a package with a new RIB earlier in the year, the UK distributor has been in touch to say he'll swap out the trailer for a new custom one from a different manufacturer. Excellent support and service - big thankyou for the offer.
EDIT: Just to confirm I'm not slating the quality of the current trailer, its good, just had poor brackets fitted originally which when broken makes it illegal to tow... |
Great result can't fault that
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11 September 2014, 08:12
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#20
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Member
Country: UK - England
Town: yorkshire
Boat name: little vicky
Make: avon ex RNLI
Length: 3m +
Engine: tohatsu
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,310
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Repeated failures of mudguard bracket
We had the same problem at work with cheapo mudguard brackets snapping exactly in the same way all within a few months of each other , in the end we finished up making our own from some thick walled steel tubing/pipe never had any trouble after that & no one was standing on them it was just the road/ wind vibration that caused it .
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