Author Topic: It's getting warm out ! (Read 2753 times)

beerjet · « **on:** May 10, 2009, 09:18:56 PM »

First and foremost, lets look over the always neglected trailer before we make any trips huh.
Saftey chains.
Couplers.
lubed bearings .
lights.
TIRES TIRES TIRES!
Check your fuking broken down ass tires!

feel free to add

-beerjet-

78centurian · « **Reply #1 on:** May 10, 2009, 09:23:39 PM »

give the slew crew a hollar....get them pumped up for river season

GT Jets · « **Reply #2 on:** May 10, 2009, 09:27:33 PM »

Don't forget about winch cables and the ever popular winch straps...

Make sure also that there are no major cracks in the frame and/or hitch....A locking reciever pin is advised also, lost one at Shasta once, that sucked, cost me $60 to get a new ball and reciever

Check your attatchment of the hitch twice...don't assume someone else did it $:-\$

Thanks beerjet, good thread!

beerjet · « **Reply #3 on:** May 10, 2009, 09:29:44 PM »

Quote from: 78centurian on May 10, 2009, 09:23:39 PM

give the slew crew a hollar....get them pumped up for river season

I'm lost brah....

No sweat Glen, I was thinkking about ALLLLL the way home today .

-beerjet-

IRRebel · « **Reply #4 on:** May 10, 2009, 09:31:48 PM »

Quote from: beerjet on May 10, 2009, 09:18:56 PM

First and foremost, lets look over the always neglected trailer before we make any trips huh.
Saftey chains.
Couplers.
lubed bearings .
lights.
TIRES TIRES TIRES!
Check your fuking broken down ass tires!

feel free to add

-beerjet-

Check your wiring, stuff some petoleum jelly into the connectors, check for hanging wires and piss poor connections (Like the el cheapo quick connectors). Don't forget all tow vehicle inspection points. Check your receiver bolts, ball tightness and hitch pins. Check the hitch and latch itself and oil/grease it up a bit.

Oh and yeah, check your fuking broken down ass tires! AGAIN!

Also check your bunks and fender guards, we don't want any horror stories over something silly like that.

What did I miss Omar?

Ray

Wait, already know what I missed, check for loose axle u-bolts, cracked or missing leaf springs and bad, gone or cracked shackle bushings. Lets face it, most of our boats are old, and so are the trailers.

beerjet · « **Reply #5 on:** May 10, 2009, 09:49:55 PM »

Quote from: IRRebel on May 10, 2009, 09:31:48 PM

Lets face it, most of our boats are old, and so are the trailers.

Thats why I brought it up. we get so caught up in getting our shit running and forget about that cheesy rusted out "saftey chain" or half assed coupler that barely does it's job.
I'd rather spend a weekend at home bullet proofing my trailer than a day on the side of a hot ass road with the wife and kids barkin my ear off.

-beerjet-

GlassCutter · « **Reply #6 on:** May 10, 2009, 09:53:53 PM »

Why would they do that ?

IRRebel · « **Reply #7 on:** May 10, 2009, 10:10:36 PM »

Quote from: beerjet on May 10, 2009, 09:49:55 PM

Thats why I brought it up. we get so caught up in getting our shit running and forget about that cheesy rusted out "saftey chain" or half assed coupler that barely does it's job.
I'd rather spend a weekend at home bullet proofing my trailer than a day on the side of a hot ass road with the wife and kids barkin my ear off.

-beerjet-

With ya on that. The Moo's trailer is all ready and like new. The Blue one, well, needs some minor attention, although I'm on top of it (My couple years running the QC dept at U-Haul's Tech Center haunting me) and glad you brought it up, because I plan some long hauls with it this year (Might even take it instead of the Moo for my fathers day week tour, jury's out on that still).

The Moo's ready for anything.

GREAT THREAD!

Ray

Marcsrollin · « **Reply #8 on:** May 10, 2009, 11:02:41 PM »

Get your transmission serviced and you oil changed! Let's not forget the tow rig.
Towing is hard on some vehicles.

beerjet · « **Reply #9 on:** May 11, 2009, 09:01:11 AM »

Quote from: Marcsrollin on May 10, 2009, 11:02:41 PM

Get your transmission serviced and you oil changed! Let's not forget the tow rig.
Towing is hard on some vehicles.

Especially if you dont have a warrantee

-beerjet-

HDriderTH · « **Reply #10 on:** May 11, 2009, 09:04:42 AM »

...and dont forget those tires. Rod, a couple years ago had to buy a set out in the middle of the desert.

Ultra460 · « **Reply #11 on:** May 11, 2009, 08:40:34 PM »

Don't forget to torque your lug nuts! I check mine every time I head out.

Had a wheel fly off the trailer on the way back from lake tahoe last year. That sucked!

Pretty sure some fine citizen loosend my lug nuts while the boat and trailer were parked on the street the night before I left.

btnhtillidie · « **Reply #12 on:** June 05, 2009, 09:57:24 PM »

Also while at the lake or river remember to take off the Transom straps that hold the trailer to the boat. I didn't know the trailer would float too.

COORS HEAVY · « **Reply #13 on:** June 05, 2009, 10:56:30 PM »

CHECK HINGES AND DRAIN PLUGS ON YOUR COOLERS TO.

beerjet · « **Reply #14 on:** March 26, 2010, 10:45:59 PM »

And please read it all, tons of great suggestions1

-beerjet-

Marcsrollin · « **Reply #15 on:** March 28, 2010, 06:11:13 PM »

If you drive a GM vehicle with a 4L60E transmission GET A TRANS COOLER INSTALLED!!!! Now that my work is doing transmission rebuilds I have seen A TON of 4L60E's with 30k or less on them go out. Check those pieces of shit!

We did 19 of them last month alone and 90% of them had less then 60k on them. One had 12k on it.

76NORDIC · « **Reply #16 on:** March 28, 2010, 06:30:42 PM »

That's what ya get for driving those crappy chebbies

Willow Wog · « **Reply #17 on:** April 04, 2010, 12:53:05 PM »

Double, tripple, quadrupple check your lug nuts. I lost a wheel in march and it wasn't pretty. it hit a passing truck. I checked them before I left home, Checked them again when I got there and left em for the weekend. Well about 10 minutes after pulling out of the water on sunday at topock BAM trailer on the ground, tire bouncing off a dodge and axle dug into the asphalt! Im pretty sure someone loosened, stole or something to them while it was parked at topock marina or the avi parking lot, Im thinkin a pissed off local or something.. point in fact im going to check them before it rolls after every stop from here on out I may have been able to save my brand new tire and wouldn't have a f@cked up fender now.

IRRebel · « **Reply #18 on:** April 04, 2010, 01:27:23 PM »

Quote from: willowog on April 04, 2010, 12:53:05 PM

Double, tripple, quadrupple check your lug nuts. I lost a wheel in march and it wasn't pretty. it hit a passing truck. I checked them before I left home, Checked them again when I got there and left em for the weekend. Well about 10 minutes after pulling out of the water on sunday at topock BAM trailer on the ground, tire bouncing off a dodge and axle dug into the asphalt! Im pretty sure someone loosened, stole or something to them while it was parked at topock marina or the avi parking lot, Im thinkin a pissed off local or something.. point in fact im going to check them before it rolls after every stop from here on out I may have been able to save my brand new tire and wouldn't have a f@cked up fender now.

They weren't in a stolen golf cart loaded with fireworks at the AVI were they???

Ray

Willow Wog · « **Reply #19 on:** April 04, 2010, 01:48:05 PM »

I have no idea ray... I do know they were tight when I got to the avi thursday night and lost the wheel sunday afternoon on route 66... I ended up leaving the boat out there at my buddys place in golden shores because the threads were way to fucked to get new lugs on. I brought the hub home with me and got new studs and bearings in it yesterday. I bought new bearings for the otherside also might as well do em all at the same time since im there. This trailer has a wierd greasing system ive never seen before, It has a grease zerk on the end of axle that puts grease right in the middle of the hub in between the bearings. pretty ingenious if you ask me. alot better than the bearing buddys that only get the outer bearing

GT Jets · « **Reply #20 on:** April 04, 2010, 02:08:47 PM »

Quote from: willowog on April 04, 2010, 01:48:05 PM

I have no idea ray... I do know they were tight when I got to the avi thursday night and lost the wheel sunday afternoon on route 66... I ended up leaving the boat out there at my buddys place in golden shores because the threads were way to fucked to get new lugs on. I brought the hub home with me and got new studs and bearings in it yesterday. I bought new bearings for the otherside also might as well do em all at the same time since im there. This trailer has a wierd greasing system ive never seen before, It has a grease zerk on the end of axle that puts grease right in the middle of the hub in between the bearings. pretty ingenious if you ask me. alot better than the bearing buddys that only get the outer bearing

Just a fact for you, Bearing Buddies have little to do with "greasing" the bearing, it is more of a consistant pressure thing for keeping the lube from being ejected and from sucking in water while in the lake during launching....

IMHO, remove the zerks and install some Bearing Buddies, I did my buds 38' toy hauler and he says there has been no salty water in the hubs after crossing the river at Pismo any more, used to happen all of the time, He tows with a four wheel drive Diesel F350 Dually Crew and we installed a pressure system to the differentials too, it works badass...

GT

Willow Wog · « **Reply #21 on:** April 04, 2010, 02:21:50 PM »

Quote from: GT Jets on April 04, 2010, 02:08:47 PM

Just a fact for you, Bearing Buddies have little to do with "greasing" the bearing, it is more of a consistant pressure thing for keeping the lube from being ejected and from sucking in water while in the lake during launching....

IMHO, remove the zerks and install some Bearing Buddies, I did my buds 38' toy hauler and he says there has been no salty water in the hubs after crossing the river at Pismo any more, used to happen all of the time, He tows with a four wheel drive Diesel F350 Dually Crew and we installed a pressure system to the differentials too, it works badass...

GT

Interesting info there glenn. I trust your knowledge and will do that.

Nixonnow · « **Reply #22 on:** October 30, 2010, 10:13:27 AM »

And make sure the damn license plate isn't barely on there. Tighten the bolts up and use nylok nuts. Make sure the jack is in the up position and locked up before driving off. And that the jack is properly secured to trailer frame.

GlassCutter · « **Reply #23 on:** October 30, 2010, 10:59:41 AM »

Dunno if you can check for this kinda crap, but I know you don't want to have it happen to you.

Nixonnow · « **Reply #24 on:** October 30, 2010, 11:11:11 AM »

Everybody on the site should read this thread. Very useful tips here. And now that the season is over can start working on checking and double checking everything.