I need to replace the 3" channel that runs from coupler back to first cross beam. It has rusted pretty bad for about 1 foot from the cross beam and the u-bolt that holds it to the cross beam doesn’t really catch anything now. Any recommendations on where to have this fixed? Preference would be something close to Folly. Only there on weekends so would have to drop it off and then pick back up in few weeks. Thanks in advance for your recommendations!
Tommy’s Trailer Shop in Mt. Pleasant or Fields Ornamental in N. Charleston.
www.scmarine.org
www.joinrfa.com
Luke 8:22-25
I bought a piece of 3" aluminum tubing (square) to replace mine from Fields Ornamental Iron. No more rust issues and it was a pretty easy fix. New galvanized sguare “U-bolts” and new galvanized bolts from the same place. Got out for well under $100. Every other place I called quoted over $100 just for the piece of aluminum tubing. 1/4" thick walls, 3"x 3" x 7’ was $48 if I recall correctly. Pro tip…take cash.
19’ Sea-Pro CC
“Swagger Wagon”
Yamaha 115 - 2 stroke
14’ CMF Skiff
25 Johnson - 2 stroke
14’ Heritage Redfish
“There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.”
Ernest Hemingway
Ross marine can get you fixed up.
Thanks all. TexasRed - There was no issue with switching to aluminum? A quick research on the web and it seems like the aluminum would not be as rigid unless you increased the wall thickness of the square tube significantly. What I saw showed need for 30% - 50% greater thickness for aluminum over steel to maintain similar rigidity (not sure that’s a word!). Maybe you did increase the wall thickness when you went to 1/4", which would be about a 32% increase over 3/16" if that’s what you had before? But I can just stay with galvanized to avoid that issue, which would probably be even cheaper. It’s only 4 bolt holes to drill (2 at coupling and 2 at i-beams) so pretty basic (no welding required). It’s only a 3000# trailer so not super heavy duty or anything. The $200 saved (hopefully) would be nice to put towards new guide-on posts that gave out last year and whatever is sure to break next year!
Phin - PS, I did just rewire it also and used your recommendation using extension cord so thanks for that tip. Another advantage of the 3-wire extension cord is I could also homerun the ground wire for each light and not deal with it failing after rusting at the trailer frame connection.
If you only need parts, then I would go to Fields. If I needed someone to do the work on my trailer then I would go somewhere else…
If you ain’t hooked, you ain’t doing it right.
14’ Duracraft w/twin 25 Johnsons
http://www.myspace.com/myduesouth
The tensile strength of the 1/4" aluminum is pretty good. I was able to use aluminum because the distance from the “Y” (where the I-beams) meet the tongue to the ball hitch is only 24". Much longer than that, and aluminum might not have worked. My galvanized tongue walls were only about 1/8" thick. So going with 1/4" wall thickness was an increase in thickness by 50%.
Came out looking pretty good and seems very strong. Seems I find every patch of rough road no matter where I trailer my boat. And, so far, it’s holding up real well.
19’ Sea-Pro CC
“Swagger Wagon”
Yamaha 115 - 2 stroke
14’ CMF Skiff
25 Johnson - 2 stroke
14’ Heritage Redfish
“There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.”
Ernest Hemingway
Dickie at Fields would know if it’d hold or not, among many other things they build trailers there too… I know them well, have done business with them for over 25 years…
Sea Hunt Triton 177
115 Yamaha
nice job …tex
Thanks, Tex. I have same trailer so that helps my decision!
No problem. Glad to help. Thanks Jan.
19’ Sea-Pro CC
“Swagger Wagon”
Yamaha 115 - 2 stroke
14’ CMF Skiff
25 Johnson - 2 stroke
14’ Heritage Redfish
“There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.”
Ernest Hemingway