Trailer repair...

May 16, 2012
90
Catalina Capri 22 IL
ugh. Just complaining as checking the trailer for its trip south next week, we found everything needs to be replaced! So new bearing tomorrow, new tires going on today, lights in progress with updated lights coming tomorrow as well. Looking very redneck in the driveway with a rusty trailer on jacks with wires everywhere. Just what I wanted to do.
 
May 23, 2007
1,306
Catalina Capri 22 Albany, Oregon
I feel your pain. In the last 9 months the truck has gotten a new exhaust system, shocks, brakes, and new tires. Over $2500 worth of work on a 1995 Chevy. :shock:
 

HERSH

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Nov 21, 2012
520
Catalina Capri 22 http://www.chelseayacht.org
Yes;

Cars are far more expensive then boats. Have 140,000 miles on my Ranger. Original timing belt and clutch.
Both are expensive when they go.

I use the Ranger as my winter car, and my Mustang the other 9 months.

Taking my boat out next week :-(

Last "race" on Sunday. Reverse PHRF. Then an end of the racing season party.

Hersh
 

shnool

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Aug 10, 2012
556
WD Schock Wavelength 24 Wallenpaupack
I just dragged my "new to me" 1982 S2 7.9 back from Monroe, MI to East Stroudsburg, PA... 550 miles one way.
The seller could not wrap her head around WHY I was focusing ONLY on the trailer when I was there...

Jacked up each axle... spun wheels... repacked bearings on one... then the next axle, found a bad bearing... replaced said bearings... repacked, capped off the one missing a bearing buddy..
Then of course I debated replacing all 4 tires since each was 8-10 years old (visible dry rot). In the end I didn't replace the tires...

My paranoia paid off though, the boat got home. The trailer is STILL junk though. The wheels are the 2 part wheels with removable centers like on mobile homes. The tires need replaced.

Oh and I tested ALL the lights before I left... only 1 worked... so I traveled during the day. I get home and back the thing up, bust the 1 working light (ugh)...

I just put the boat in the water though (with that same trailer - like I had a choice)... I have a replacement trailer oddly enough, and it has working brakes and lights, and the tires look like they are from this decade at least. Its also the much preferred roller trailer, instead of bunk. Now to sell the useless trailer for cheap.

Chris you say truck?
I have a bad glow plug on mine (ran the OBDII on it says number 6).
6 (count them duallies) nearly bald tires on the truck
Alignment out on the truck.
Ugh, 2011 truck just turned over 100,000 miles.
 
May 23, 2007
1,306
Catalina Capri 22 Albany, Oregon
100K miles on a 4 year old truck? Those horses must run you all over the country!

I turned 194k on my 1995 Chevy Silverado 4x4 on the way over to Bend, OR today. That's only 71K on the engine, though. Towed the travel trailer over since I'll be working here for the week. Cheaper than a motel and my own bed, etc.
 

shnool

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Aug 10, 2012
556
WD Schock Wavelength 24 Wallenpaupack
We bought the truck used in February, with 86,000 on it. So 14k in 8 months.

Traded in my old truck which I bought new with 4 miles on it, a 2012... we traded it in February with 46,000 on it.

Funny thing is... we pulled in to the dealer in OH, with the 2012 2500 towing a 9,000lb (empty) trailer.. traded in for the 2011 3500, hitched up to the 9000lb trailer... drove another 600 miles west... bought a bigger trailer, 10,000lbs empty, and towed back 1100 miles home (in a nor easter no less)...

I calculated we towed about 8,000 miles this year, either the horse trailer or the boat. This truck is paying its way being safer to tow with (and more importantly stop), but also getting better fuel mileage (old truck got 6-7mpg towing the big trailer, this one gets 10-11mpg).
 
May 23, 2007
1,306
Catalina Capri 22 Albany, Oregon
stopping is the trick isn't it. I'd like to go up to a 3/4 ton, for the 5000 pound travel trailer, not the boat. Just about rear ended someone on our trip in September. Coming down a hill at 55, plenty of room I thought, until the idiot 2 cars in front of me decided to slow down/turn left without signalling. I was stomping the brakes and cranking up the brake controller like crazy. Managed to avoid the car in front but not with as much control as I'd like. I leave lots of room when going down the hills now.
 

shnool

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Aug 10, 2012
556
WD Schock Wavelength 24 Wallenpaupack
I'm going to say this, and I know what it means (cost wise its an $8800 upgrade on a new truck)... but I'm a believer in exhaust brakes now (requires diesel)... Darned thing has saved my life a couple times. Also I'd rather electric brakes over inertia any day of the week (I know its problematic with boat trailers)...

5000lbs Chris is a crossover point to 2500, from 1500 (my opinion, not by the numbers)... We used to tow a 2 horse bumper pull trailer, 5000lbs all up.. it'd been OK behind a good 1500, but with the 2500, it was NEVER a problem. It's why I am into HUGE overkill on my present horse trailer (max GVWR 16,000)... we average about 14,000lbs on it... my old truck would max out at 14,000, and I was nervous to pull this trailer with it. We went from Gas 2500 to Diesel 3500 dually... trucks max haul/tow is 21,000, so I have some room.. Never felt out of control towing this trailer (as it should be).... It's also why I didn't hesitate to tow the S2 7.9 at about 5500lbs all up with no brakes all the way home (until I could work on the trailer).
 

HERSH

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Nov 21, 2012
520
Catalina Capri 22 http://www.chelseayacht.org
Well, I only tow my boat 10 miles to my club in the spring, and 10 miles back in the fall. Top speed, probably 30 mph.

Stopping is the "main" problem with towing a boat. But if one does not go fast, then trailer brakes are not a big issue.
I went through the brake rebuild on my last trailer ( master cylinder, brake cylinders, hoses) ... For what?

Not going to do it with this trailer. If the master cylinder is old and rusted, then the inside of the coupling, which happens to be the top of the master cylinder, is also rusted. To get the coupling off on most of these trailers, requires cutting with a grinder or a torch as they were welded on. Some of you are lucky and have the coupling bolted on.

In my case, I only tow with a boat on the trailer for 20 miles/year on residential roads. If I was towing on an interstate then brakes would be operational.

Hershey
 

shnool

.
Aug 10, 2012
556
WD Schock Wavelength 24 Wallenpaupack
Hersh, I think others severely overestimate trailering weight. I swear the Capri 22 all up is about #3500, that's well within the range of a typical SUV. Throw it behind a typical 1500ish pickup and you can easily stop that (or should be able to). My state requires brakes on each axle, on ANY trailer with GVWR over 3500lbs. 10 years ago, you didn't need brakes (legally) until you hit 8000lbs GVWR. So it's all just someone's arbitrary requirement (In the name of safety, so I'll take it, but I just thought I'd point it out).

I got a lot of heat over at the Catalina 25 forum when someone stated that the Catalina 25 was #8800 all up on a trailer. The DISPLACEMENT of the Catalina 25 is 4550lbs. So I asked them if it was possible they put 3000lbs of crap on their boats, because NO WAY was their trailer much more than 1200-1500lbs. Answer... they DON'T! They pulled that number out of their keester. The S2 7.9 is 4050lbs of displacement, I swear the trailer is way overbuilt for them because about half of the S2 trailers have 2 5/16" ball (meaning they upgraded the ball to take the load over 6000lbs).

So anyway, I don't think the Capri 22 on a trailer needs brakes if you tow it with a pickup or even larger SUV... it's borderline if you use a Ford Escape, or similar sized SUV. Your state law might say otherwise.
 

HERSH

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Nov 21, 2012
520
Catalina Capri 22 http://www.chelseayacht.org
NY requires that my trailer have brakes. And that I have my trailer inspected annually ( which I obviously do not do).
Between registration ($60) and inspection ($10) a $70/year expense to tow my boat to and from my club once a year.
NY loves to make life difficult, which is why we loose representation in Congress every 10 years. ( People are leaving New York in droves.)

I am going to try registering in Maine. $20/year and no inspection.
Just on principal that the $60/year is outrageous.

http://www.mainetrailerregistration.com ... 7AodAA4A4Q

I have some friends who have done this -- even with a NY address.

Hersh
 

shnool

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Aug 10, 2012
556
WD Schock Wavelength 24 Wallenpaupack
Hersh I registerred my prior boat (Capri 25) in Maine.. For the same reason.. PA requires brakes on each axle (it was a tandem axle), and inspections yearly... I used maintrailerregistration dot com and it IS cheaper. On top of that if you do it when you buy the trailer, its only 5% sales tax not our 6% or NJ 7%.. Its legal to do this (semi's do this all the time).

Stupid part is I did fix all the problems with my old trailer and tuned the brakes, and even with that I never considered changing registration to PA, because it would have cost me another $500 to add brakes to my 2nd axle on a trailer that was already quite safe, being pulled by a truck that couldn't care less if the brakes worked at all. Also I purchased the trailer from NH where they don't title trailers, and its a huge PITA to title an untitled trailer in PA.

So my point? these laws on trailering have everything to do with $$ and nothing to do with safety, despite the ruse they put up about safety.
 
May 23, 2007
1,306
Catalina Capri 22 Albany, Oregon
Had another hard stop going down a hill today and it went much better. The brake controller was set up more aggressively and I only sweated whether the semi behind me would stop in time. :shock:

Spent about 1.5 hours parked on the side of the road while they cleared a triple fatality car vs SUV/Travel Trailer wreck. Car apparently going too fast into a 45 mph corner, lost control and got t-boned. :( Suburban totaled too but no injuries according to the OSP report; trailer tongue either buckled or the hitch sheared off as the back end was way up in the air, in which case the chains did their job.
 

shnool

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Aug 10, 2012
556
WD Schock Wavelength 24 Wallenpaupack
True story, saw a jacknifed pickup truck and dual axle travel trailer one day, when someone cut him off... He rolled the truck, skid marks from the trailer (brakes obviously worked)... Class III hitch with obvious 2" ball, but with anti-sway... truck on its side, trailer still connected and upright... both axles off the ground, and trailer bumper holding the trailer up. No ball coming off on that truck... was a reese hitch.

I was sold on their products after that. No injuries by the way.

This was some years ago, probably 10 or so.