Determining how safe a trailer might be??

[CatFisher]

Greetings LOU Community!!

I could really use some help, if some of you would be willing to try...

Quickly, my girlfriend and I joined the LOU forum this spring when we found our way into our first "boat", a 12 foot Sears fiberglass row boat and 40 lb electric motor. We also picked up a decent little trailer shortly thereafter. Although we've been using our rig all summer, we still feel like we're new to boating, and more importantly towing.

So on to my question; we've come across an old boat and trailer we're really considering. The boat is a 1969 16' Penn Yan Tornado with a 115 hp Johnson OB, in great shape mechanically, and priced right for our meager budget. However, our concern is with the trailer it sits on. I have no idea what make the trailer is, but it's a beefy, dual axle trailer that in it's prime would easily tow this boat. Today, the trailer looks to be horribly rusted pretty much everywhere. I've brought both my girlfriend, and a trusted friend, to see the rig. Both my "expert" friend and the previous owner say the rust is just on the surface, and they feel that with just a little love (such as air in the tires, etc.), the trailer will be more than safe, at least to go the 8 or 10 miles to my house. On the other hand, my girlfriend feels that the trailer is totally unsafe, and I am somewhere in between on it.

I know this is difficult without actually seeing this trailer, but my question to the good folks here at LOU is how can I really determine the integrity of this trailer? What should I inspect to help determine its road worthiness? Any info or advice on this would be greatly appreciated. Obviously, safety is my biggest concern.

Here's some more info, and I'll try to post some pictures of the trailer in just a few minutes. The boat and trailer were used extensively in the 2008 season, but they have been sitting exposed in a driveway ever since. The trailer is covered everywhere in a layer of rust (frame, wheels, jack, coupler, winch, everything rusty), however we can't find any places where it's completely rusted through or soft. Although rusty, the winch and front jack actually turn quite easily. It has dual axles, and the wheels are rusty, but they do seem sound to me. The tires look like they are in good shape, the previous owner says they were new in 2008, but I worry that they've been just sitting since then. One tire has a slow leak, but we have been assured it's just needs a new inner tube. The owner says the lights all work, but I have not yet verified that.

If it helps, we believe that when new the hull of this boat weighed 705 lbs, and the motor about 320 lbs, putting the whole load at let's just say 1100 or 1200 lbs with gas and gear and whatnot.

I know this is a difficult question to answer, but any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you in advance for your help!!

- CatFiaher

[CatFisher]

Some pics...

The wheel on the left is the one that has a slow leak. The jack is just keeping weight off that bad wheel.

Thanks again!!

- CatFisher

[HPORT]

CatFisher,

The main thing here is do you want the boat bad enough to take the trailer?

If you do, then you have a trailer that with a little work will be a good trailer for your 10 mile commute to the ramp.

1st thing you need to do is get the boat off of it and look it over very well, then if good, scrap it down, paint it with a rust stopping / inhabiting primer and paint it with a Rustoleum paint, white is good as you can see it better when under water.

2nd get a lighting kit for it, the old lights are worthless and you will spend more time chasing problems then its worth.

3rd get 4 new tires ( if the old ones are dry rotted) and grease seals, pull the bearings and see if they are good. If not, replace all the bearings, they are probably 1" bearings which are cheap and sold everywhere.

4th trailer winch, if it still securely latches, then get a new strap or cable.

5th Trailer coupler, does it still latch correctly, if so lube it and your go to go.

I've done this a few times over the years, trailers are ease to restore if the frame, axles and suspension are in good shape. Figure spending about $500 to get it in good shape.

John

[skipper19]

Hopefully and by the pictures, it looks like it is only surface rust.

#1 take a small hammer and go along and tap the frame and tongue and watch for large flakes falling off. Also when doing this listen to the sound the hammer makes as it taps the steel. It should still have a ring to it. If it is dull and dead sounding for a long portion anywhere it is a sign of rust gone further than surface and probably inside the frame rails.

#2 Use a tool like a screw driver or a knife to scribe on the frame in different places as well and see that shiny metal is just a "scratch" away. Inspect the welds and make sure they are solid looking and not full of pin holes where water can leak into the frame tubes. The frame is the most important part of the trailer, it is the backbone of the trailer and will determine if you should keep looking for other faults. Like the foundation under a house, the frame of the trailer is the first place to go to look for problems and if there is, keep walking.

#3 Axles and their fastening hardware, although replaceable if necessary, they can be expensive and a certain amount of grunt work to replace. However in some cases if there are other underlying problems such as hub and bearing assemblies you might be better off in just replacing the axles as an assembly with new springs and hangers as well. So check all those items and determine if the hardware is good and maybe the axles are fine if all you need do is change a few hangers if they are worn and have play in them. Don't be afraid to take a hold of the wheels and the spring and give them a good shaking, or even a bar to put some leverage on shackles to check for looseness.

#4 As mentioned above by John, everything else is just a given to replace such as the lighting, wiring and tires, hitch , winch etc.. The frame can be scraped or sand blasted and in some case if the rust is just light surface you could paint the metal with rust remover or even vinegar will remove some rust. Just be sure to paint it and make sure the hitch is solid with good mounting hardware, after all you don't want it to come off the tow vehicle, and then everything else might just be the least important in that event. Be sure to look at those hubs and bearings for any play and they dont make any grinding sounds or feel "catchy" any where when turning the wheels. I would clean and repack them with good marine grade bearing grease to be sure there would not be any problem later anyway.

Hope this helps add a little to your inspection, if you know someone who does inspections on trailers, that person may be of some physical help in your determination of the structural and safety integrity of the trailer first hand.

Mark

[FSNmachine]

Yes do as the others before me have said. You will want to particularly scrape and check at the welds where the weight is like the tongue to frame and where the spring shackles are welded to the rails.. I bought a used boat this spring and always like to know what I have so it got new bearings and bearing buddies on all 4 wheels. My tires are good but unless ti is 10 miles or less to the launch an investment in new tires would be good insurance.

[CatFisher]

Wow, thanks so much for the great advice!!

Unfortunately, I was still not able to strike a deal with the owner, and I think we are going to have to pass after all, but this was definitely a learning experience, and I will be using all this great advice as I continue to shop for our new boat. Thanks again to all of you who considered my questions.

- CatFisher

[rolmops]

There are a few additional questions that are in order.they have to do with boat and engine. Did you hear the engine run?Did you take it for a test drive in the water?.Do you know the compression in the cylinders?

That boat seems very small for a 115 horse engine. I wonder whether it is rated for an engine that seize.There should be a small metal plate on the boat giving the maximum ratings.

As far as the trailer is concerned.Those wheels do not belong on that trailer, they are a smaller size and with those rims as rusty as they are you must use inner tubes because tubeless does not work well on older type rims.The bearings inside are probably just as rusty

As for the tires,if those are 2008 tires then I am 2008 as well.

Those tires cost about $40 a piece times 4 makes $160 dollars without the inner tubes,never mind the installation fee.The trailer is not worth the $160 tires.

And then the most important question.Are the boat and trailer registered? insist on seeing the registration.It will show you when it was last registered and used.Do NOT buy a boat without papers,the DMV will make it very hard for you to register a possibly stolen boat.

I feel that you are either being taken for a ride,or the owner believes his junk pile to be a jewel!

For more information about that boat and trailer you should go to a website called :

www.iboats.com

and browse through all their forums.They have a forum on trailers and trailering,and they have a forum about these boats as well.This browsing will be well worth your while.

[Mickey Finn]

Looking at the distance from the tires to the fenders, I would agree that the trailer was supposed to have bigger tires on it.