[Rhodes22-list] Trailer Trouble

[THOMAS POLISE]

Wow, what does a new double axle trailer cost? 

> On Sep 10, 2023, at 1:50 PM, Peter Nyberg <peter at sunnybeeches.com> wrote:
> 
> I feel I owe the list the final chapter (I hope) in this story.
> 
> I picked up my boat and trailer from Brian's Trailer Repair in Berwick, ME on Friday, almost exactly 6 weeks after having lost a wheel on the Maine Turnpike on my way to Rockland.
> 
> Long story short, we decided to replace pretty much everything that makes a boat trailer a trailer:  new axles, hubs, springs, disc breaks, tire rims, actuator, break lines, plus other miscellaneous hardware and lots of labor.  At every point where I was presented with options, I chose whatever seemed most robust, which I'm sure also meant most expensive.  The total bill came in at about $7,000.
> 
> I hope to get in one more week long cruise starting in a few days, but we'll have to keep an eye on hurricane Lee. 
> 
> Peter Nyberg
> Coventry, CT
> s/v Silverheels (1988/2016)
> 
>> On 2023-07-21, at 21:39:35 EDT, Peter Nyberg wrote:
>> 
>> 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)
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> <a 
>> href="http://rhodes22.org/pipermail/rhodes22-list/attachments/20230721/5e2e51fe/attachment.jpg" 
>> target="_blank">Axle.jpg</a> 
>> 
>> <a 
>> href="http://rhodes22.org/pipermail/rhodes22-list/attachments/20230721/5e2e51fe/attachment-0001.jpg" 
>> target="_blank">Wheel.jpg</a> 
>> 
>