Trailer Maintenance

[Nigel]

After a hefty bill for a service to my Roller Coaster 1 today, I am sure someone here must have the ultimate tip for prolonging the life of the mechanism of braked hubs that doesn't involve a complete strip down after every launch.

I had a new axle fitted to the trailer two years ago and since then, having learnt my lesson, I have religiously:

1. Tried not to put the hubs in the water at all (just about possible at Portsmouth Camber Dock with a swing beam at the back of the trailer).
2. Always washed down the trailer thoroughly after every launch with fresh water.

Even so, this time a pad had come apart from the shoe and jammed inside the hub

Talking to one of the mechanics today, they mentioned the possibility to fix inlet tubes into the back of the hubs so that you could just connect a hose and get fresh water directly into the inside of the hubs,

Has anyone tried this, or have any comments as to whether this is likely to help?

Thanks

Nigel

[matiboy]

Tempting to say remove the shoes, but I guess this is not the best advice unless you are pulling the trailer with a chieftan tank

I always found the brake shoes would seize after sitting around for a while, bit of a pain but sometimes jacked up wheels off the ground when left for a while so the wheels could be periodly turned

again in these days of technology amazing that we cant get a system that actually works

[wavelength]

one of the lads in local boat club (he is also the mechanic who fixes just about every outboard etc in morecambe bay) has drilled back of brake and fitted flushing tubes he got from the states. Fushes out with fresh water every trip and swears by it.
Someone else has reportedly drilled thru brake drum front where the spare hole is in wheel and flushes thru this (but I haven't actually seen it). Problem here on our local shingle and sand beaches is if tiny pebble gets in drum thru an unblanked hole its gonna cause shed loads of problems and could sieze the wheel.
Me - I have just had the drums off again and knocked the shale off and sprayed the WD40 carefully around the back plate etc. - But they will still sieze on if I dont keep moving the beast regularly.
Come on Keith - no such problems with a sib - at leat not a little one!

[Mike C]

I always wash mine out with freshwater but I don't have a specialist tube! Just look at the back of the hub and look for a little rubber bung, about the size of a 5p on mine. Prize it off and squirt the hose up it for a minute or so, then replace the bung. You have to get on your knees but it made my brakes last three times as long.

Happy kneeling

Mike C

[geoff]

I now try and keep the wheels out of the water when ever possible. I have found that even on a fairly shallow slipway it is possible to launch and recover with just the trailer tyres in the water with a bit of practice. Have a look under useful tips on my web site.

On the cruise to St Malo last week-end I noticed that a lot of people were using brake-back trailers and launching off the side of the slipway. At first I thought the French could not reverse and that the whole thing was going to slip off the side. They reversed the car down the ramp and then swing the back of the trailer over the side of the ramp. Next the boat is launch into deep water and the trailer is a good few feet from the water. Unfortunately I did not see anyone recovering a boat.

Has anyone on the forum got experience using a brake backed trailer and is there a good reason why you seldom see them in the UK?

[Nigel]

Thanks Guys - It sounds as though ity's worth trying. We'll try this at the weekend and see what we can come up with. If there is already a hole in the back of the hub then there should be a way to fit a tube.

I'll report back in 6 momths or so to tell you if it worked

Geoff - I think there are pictures elesewhere on the Forum of launching boats over the side of the slipway - Looks a bit hairy, though!


Rgds

Nigel

[wavelength]

Hi geoff
launching over side is in rib gallery about 3 pages back under "wavelength-fleetwood-last weekend" sometime mid april, piccies by graeme. We use roller coaster 1 which is not a break-back. Used a break back on a 5.5m tornado last weekend but it was actually far better and less traumatic when the break back part was locked - lots of rattling and banging of rollers when the break back facility used.
Main point is make sure that back rollers are not far enough apart laterally to allow the V of the bow to clout the ironwork as it comes off.
Lots of launching this way here cos the tide run across the jetty can make it rough on a calm day (4 knots ebb last weekend). Angling boats, bayliner, phantom 18- we put em all in like this and drive 'em back on again over the side at times.
Dave

[Richard B]

Originally posted by wavelength
drive 'em back on again over the side

I'd like to see this! Maybe I should come on one of your courses

[wavelength]

steady on now Pepper we have to get t'stocks serviced again before we have another southerner and t'whippet is still gnawing on t'bones of t'last un.
I think our "poser in residence" Simon is working this weekend so if conditions are right I'll get some piccies of him driving one on. Mind you you'll have to put up with the Oakleys etc even if there's no sunshine to be seen.
Dave M

[wavelength]

Having made a **** up of posting the pics on the gallery all I can do is direct you to our web site on the page headed up up and away. I need an idiots guide to posting pics.
By the way the photos were taken last sunday when it was apparently blowing a hoolie on the south coast. - Absolutely flat calm here. I expect we will get our fair share of wind soon though!
I'll put em on the gallery when I work it out

Dave (in need of idiots guide) M

[Richard B]

Crikey, Dave - not only does the recovery manoevure look "bold" but you've got to do it very quickly with those double-yellow lines on the slipway!

(PS - have you read JK's notes on how to post pictures in the gallery?)

[wavelength]

the traffic warden had floated away out of the picture by the time the camera button was pressed!
I'll grovel to john and have him remove the post from the gallery and then try again when I get time (though I'm frightened of it now!!!)
Dave (idiot in need of a guide)M

[wavelength]

OK I've done it - pics are on the gallery - it was a lot better after I dried the seawater out of the computer!