| NEAR Prindle 19 tragedy #36497 08/07/04 07:18 PM 08/07/04 07:18 PM |
Joined: Aug 2004 Posts: 3 HeyDanno OP
stranger
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Posts: 3 | I sympathize with 'jfint'. I too lost a wheel bearing on my 'new-to-me' Prindle 19 trailer when towing my cat back from the seller's home. Of course, being my first trailer I didn't know anything about wheel bearings or what to check for. Fortunately for me... the wheel bearing burnt up and imploded JUST 1 block from my home! But (and this is a BIG but - no pun intended) that was AFTER towing the thing over 1,000 MILES from Northern CA to Seattle!!! What are the odds?? The good Lord was definitely looking out for me that time. Immediately afterward I learned everything (I think) I need to know about my trailer wheel bearings. I bought all new hubs, bearings and even wheels at $200+ dollars. Then I tore the old stuff apart and took photos of every step of the rebuild process (which I hope to post online with a tutorial some day). I think the key for a newbie is: if you don't know anything about wheel bearings and you're going to pick up a new boat... AT LEAST buy a grease gun and fill up the bearing buddies with grease. If the trailer does not have bearing buddies (mine did not) run to the boat store on your way to the seller's home and BUY two bearing buddies and a grease gun. Install them on the spot and squirt your bearings full of grease. In my case (although I was really upset at the time) I was very, VERY fortunate. The catch 22 is that... most novice boat owners know NOTHING about trailer bearings. The only way most learn is only after one burns up on them tragically. Sincerely, -Dan | | | Re: NEAR Prindle 19 tragedy
[Re: HeyDanno]
#36498 08/07/04 07:42 PM 08/07/04 07:42 PM |
Joined: Jul 2004 Posts: 241 Simi Valley, CA jfint
enthusiast
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 241 Simi Valley, CA | Wow, I don't think that I've ever towed a light trailer more that about 500mi. Horse trailer yeah, but that is a completely differnet deal, with more complex hubs(though not that much more), and brakes. If you go that far to pick up a trailer you should deffinately take some bearing grease and re-pak that bearing, its super, super easy on littel trailers if you don't mind getting your hands dirty, and if your uncomfortable any tire store will do it fore pretty cheap. I've been checking around, and since even after the wreck my bearing was still good, no one has been able to tell me how to check for what went wrong with mine, only thing to say is make sure that there are no obvious cracks in the hub casting.
I hope everyone with busted boats gets the running soon, I hope to put mine back together this saturday(not today) and get it back in the water on sunday. With an luck, I'll have it tunned up in time to go to a reggatta in Santa barabara the followign weekend. But hey we'll see.
Anyone going to that Wine & Roses reggatta in Santa Barbara??? | | | Re: NEAR Prindle 19 tragedy
[Re: jfint]
#36499 08/08/04 10:50 AM 08/08/04 10:50 AM |
Joined: Oct 2003 Posts: 248 Colorado SteveT
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 248 Colorado | I had the berrings on my trailer disintegrate on the way to Hobie Mega Nationals from Colorado. I stopped at a tiny gas station in Pig Fart, Arkansas and while making a trip around the trailer noticed the hub resting on the bare axle - not good. It was pouring rain and I had visions of leaving the boat and driving around for hours looking for a place to fix it. As I stood there getting wet and looking around in desperation, I spotted a big blue building 200 yards away with a big sign that said, "Truck and Trailer Repair." It was my lucky day. Three hours later I had all new berrings and was standing on a sunny beach in Ft. Walton
H-20 #896
| | | Re: NEAR Prindle 19 tragedy
[Re: HeyDanno]
#36500 08/08/04 12:47 PM 08/08/04 12:47 PM |
Joined: Aug 2004 Posts: 3 HeyDanno OP
stranger
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Posts: 3 | I think maybe I sounded kind of preachy by inferring that most people don't know anything about trailer bearings and that bearings are usually always the problem, etc., etc. Oh well. There is one thing I am sure about though: I certainly didn't know anything! lol | | | Re: NEAR Prindle 19 tragedy
[Re: HeyDanno]
#36503 08/09/04 03:47 PM 08/09/04 03:47 PM |
Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 805 Gainesville, FL 32607 USA dacarls
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 805 Gainesville, FL 32607 USA | A new A-cat sailor has quite rough rubbed spots in the white gelcoat from all 4 cradles on his new boat. He is not happy. The short pile stock carpet on these cradles was apparently very tough stuff: put soft (yellowish) polyurethane foam sheets in between, or canvas or ???? Please Use Something!
Dacarls: A-class USA 196, USA 21, H18, H16 "Nothing that's any good works by itself. You got to make the damn thing work"- Thomas Edison
| | | Re: NEAR Prindle 19 tragedy
[Re: dacarls]
#36504 08/09/04 09:37 PM 08/09/04 09:37 PM |
Joined: Jun 2001 Posts: 12,310 South Carolina Jake
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 12,310 South Carolina | The "marine" carpet (intended for use inside of boats) works great on cradles. Soft, supple, and water proof it will be supporting my new F18 as soon as I finish my new cradles. Available at a home improvement store near you.
Jake Kohl | | | Re: NEAR Prindle 19 tragedy
[Re: HeyDanno]
#36505 08/12/04 01:05 PM 08/12/04 01:05 PM |
Joined: Jul 2001 Posts: 1,200 Vancouver, BC Tornado
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,200 Vancouver, BC | When I sold my old SC tornado to a guy from Vancouver, BC, he drove down to Los Angeles to collect it. I took the trailer in to a trailer place the day before his arrival and paid ~$100 for completely new bearings/hubs, installed! At that price, why bother doing the work yourself!
Mike.
Mike Dobbs Tornado CAN 99 "Full Tilt"
| | | Re: NEAR Prindle 19 tragedy
[Re: Keith]
#36507 08/15/04 01:01 PM 08/15/04 01:01 PM |
Joined: Jun 2001 Posts: 12,310 South Carolina Jake
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 12,310 South Carolina | Tires do have a date stamp on them and you can expect them to be reliable only 5-7 years. I found this to be true on my RV (at 6 years old but great tread, I kept loosing tires).
Jake Kohl | | |
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