Trailer Maintenance - with 2.5T boat still on (Part 1)

[zmk1962]

Hey Raiders,

As per my last few posts, I may not have been getting out on the briny much due to being too busy ... but that does not mean I didn't poke around the boat or the trailer in the drive way !

I have been keeping an eye on the two trailer posts that support the rear wobble roller bogeys as they were showing signs of internal rust coming through the gal way more than any other part of the trailer.  It always concerned me that these were not manufactured with weep holes and so could never really be flushed with fresh water. 

Anyway with fishing being off the radar for some time, I took the opportunity to draw up schematics of the posts and had a buddy in the metal business fabricate replacement ones.  The big issue though was how to replace the posts while the trailer was dry - so that when I removed the old post I could also clean up the trailer cross members and add a decent coat of cold gal.... so floating the 2.5T boat off at the ramp was not an option ! 

So after a bit of thinking, talking to folks like Frank, some research and some drinking -  I decided on the strategy below.

The pictures tell the story. Hopefully this is helpful for others that may be pondering on how to do the same. 

Picture of the problem riser posts with rust clearly showing through:

 

The replacement posts - with weep holes:

 

 

So it turns out if you drop the front of the trailer - the back rises .... and you can chock the stern:

 

Then jack the front of the trailer until the hull is off the rear rollers. Choose a strong cross member near the bow to minimise any trailer flex. The wood chock was added for safety so that I did not rely on the jack: 

 

Rollers are free !

 

Cleanup and cold gal underway:

 

To be continued due to picture size limit ......

Cheers 

Zoran

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 7, 2019 by zmk1962