[Rhodes22-list] Trailer Trouble

[Peter Nyberg]

So, yesterday I was towing my boat from Connecticut up to Rockland, ME, as I do several times a year lately.  Shortly after crossing the Maine - New Hampshire border, something about the behavior of the trailer caught my attention, but I can't really say exactly what it was.  When I glanced in the rear-view mirror, the first thing I noticed was a tire and wheel rolling freely down the highway somewhere behind me.  The second thing I noticed was a shower of sparks coming from behind the forward trailer wheel on the driver's side.  I decided that I should probably pull over to the break-down lane. The trailer handled the loss of one wheel pretty well, so fortunately, it was a pretty low drama situation. 

My trailer is a dual-axle galvanized Triad. manufactured for General Boats in 2016. 

I maintain an 'Unlimited Gold' membership with BoatUS, so I called them to arrange for transport for the boat and trailer to a trailer repair shop about 20 miles away.  The bill for the 'tow' was over $700, so I'll come out ahead on my membership this year.

As the attached (I hope) pictures might show, it was the axle itself that failed.  I have the wheel hubs serviced every year, and check them periodically when towing to make sure they're not getting hot, but of course the thing you're checking is not the the thing that fails. 

The trailer shop in Maine is still in the process of figuring out options, but I'm pretty sure that they won't be cheap, and they won't be quick.

Be careful out there,

Peter Nyberg
Coventry, CT
s/v Silverheels (1988/2016)


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