Fishing Rhino

You can navigate around, but it's a painful process. Don't click on the particular forum. Click on the latest topic/post, in the second column. That will open that thread. To see the next topic, click on next topic at the bottom of the page and it will open. Kinda clumsy, but for those who are wanting to check things out, it will get you around the "bug".

You might be onto something with the ground. If none of the lights, regular tail, brake, or signal lights are working, chances are it is the ground. For whatever reason, the ground on that one trailer hitch is probably not making sufficient contact between tow vehicle and trailer. Apparently the plugs on the other two do, for whatever reason. No ground = no lights.

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_52348_225010000_225000000_225010000_225-10-0 I'd still use chocks on slopes. The trailer jack is designed for vertical loads, not lateral forces.

My paddlin' canoe. My larger, more stable, trolling motor canoe. Well, what little you can see of it with the rod rack and the trolling motor behind me. My latest acquisition.

Quickest, easiest and probably the cheapest is to get a small tube of 3M5200. Clean the area an inch or so around the hole thoroughly on both the inside and the outside. Put a good sized dab on the hole and then press it through the hole 'til you get a drop or so on the opposite side. Put a piece of packaging tape over it, then spread it out just a bit, a half inch diameter spread would be fine. Do this by putting a piece of the two inch square piece of wax paper over the drop. Spread it, then press the edges of the tape down around the 5200, and then put a piece of wide packaging tape over it, and press it to the hull. Do the same on the inside. You'll be able to use the boat as soon as you are done. If the 5200 gets wet before it sets up, it will not be affected.

Thanks for the info. I'll wait 'til I get there and purchase it at a WalMart or other agent.

One more example of corporate stupidity from the bean counters regarding this trailer. It has a fold away tongue. The retaining clip that prevents the pin from sliding out is connected to the pin handle with a thin steel cable. Why do they use a plain steel cable which is already rusty rather than one made of stainless steel. We are talking about eight inches of cable. Wouldn't cost them a dollar more to use stainless rather than something that rusts. Disgusting.

Here's an interesting thought for your consideration. Education is universally touted as the solution to all of our problems. Perhaps it is. But, then again, are not most of our elected "leadership" college educated, many with graduate degrees? How many of those "in charge" are high school drop outs? Which is really more important, edumacation, or common sense?

I'll be ready to find 'em. Or, at least I hope I will. The Humminbird 898C SI arrived yesterday. Read, re-read, and re-read the installation instructions again. I'm now comfortable to begin the actual install process on Wednesday. My plans are to leave here no later than next Thursday no later than 2:00 a.m. and have a leisurely drive, stopping in the Bristol/Knoxville area for the night, or at least part of it. Want to arrive in the Pickwick area around daybreak, get the lay of the land, grab some breakfast, and go prospecting. Have my 'bama license, but its beginning day is Sunday. So, I'll grab a TN license online or when I get there so I can start fishing on Friday, perhaps Thursday if I take off Wednesday morning. Anyone wanting to join me on Friday send me a PM.

My local BPS guys were VERY helpful on this front. I got a lot of great info out of them. Maybe they are the exception to the rule, but I was very pleased with the sale and the hour long walk through of the boat, trailer, maintenance, etc. Dude knew his stuff, no doubt. I suggest that you check the wiring that goes to the tail lights. See if the wires pass through holes in the frame with nothing to protect them from chaffing, and then shorting out your wiring. Maybe your trailer has rubber grommets or some other form of protection at those places. Mine did not. My walk through was fine, but it did not include a thorough examination of the package.

What size waters do you plan to fish on a regular basis. While you can fish the largest ponds/lakes in a small boat, you are limited by weather, and the distance you may need to travel. If you want to stand while fishing, you will need a boat that is reasonably stable, particularly since this is your first boat. Find something that is reasonably priced, and in decent shape. You see people fishing from tubes, kayaks, canoes, jon boats and larger. It all depends on preference and your goals of where you would like to fish. You can usually get a better deal in a private sale, provided you know what to look for. You are also more likely to get a pig in a poke in a private sale than buying from a dealer. While some dealers don't care, most want you to be satisfied with your purchase. It's how they make their living. In a private sale, the seller is not dependent upon selling boats. A small boat with a trolling motor will open a whole new world, greatly expanding your fishing horizons. It will also be easier to tote around, launch and reload onto your vehicle or trailer. Get your feet wet in something that is reasonably stable. It may suit you to a tee. When you are ready to move up to bigger and maybe better, you'll know what you don't like about your first boat, and what you do want in a boat.

Drive slower. If you have a drive which would normally take five hours, leave an hour earlier and do it in six, particularly if your vehicle has a gas engine. Keeping the air filter changed can more than pay for itself. Keep your tires at the max of their recommended operating range. Someone already mentioned not towing with the boat fuel tanks full. Along that vein, travel as lightly as possible. I'm torn about towing with the boat covered. I've heard that it can destroy the sparkly finish on fiberglass boats because road grit gets between the cover and the boat, no matter how tight you get it, and will do its abrasive dirty work. But if that is not a concern, a tightly covered boat will have less wind resistance, particularly at highway speeds, and take fewer $$$$$$ to tow.

Some of it is the dealer, but the problems ofbeing penny wise and pound foolish lies with the manufacturer. The wires running through holes in the steel frame of the trailer with no rubber grommets or any type of chaffing gear being the prime example. There can be no excuse for cutting corners on critical components. And this from the opening page on their website when you click on boat showroom. Build the best boat possible for the best price possible. No compromises, no excuses and no shortcuts. That's the TRACKER® way.

My season? Not good at all. Started out great in early March. Went to GA the last week of March and caught very few. One lunker made it a worthwhile trip. Haven't done any serious fishing since. Wife had surgery, so I've had to stay close to home. Did get the new boat wet last week and started the break in process for the engine. A buddy went with me, and we did make a few casts, just to try out the trolling motor and get used to the boat, but not a bump. I don't count that as serious fishing. It was just a break in the boring break in process. Will finish breaking in the motor this week, and finally get a chance to do some serious fishing, maybe. Wife is doing well, and able to function without a lot of help, so I may be able to get out a few times before I head to Pickwick for the road trip.

You're close, but it was actually a glitch in the van de graaf generator

The side lights/marker lights should come on with the taillights. Since it works perfectly on another vehicle, it has to be a problem in the wiring on your truck. How old is your truck. Is it factory wired for the trailer connection, or did you have it tied into your tail light wiring. I just had a problem with my new truck, and found that it had two separate fusing systems for the truck and trailer wiring harness. Check your owners manual for fuse locations. My trailer connections were in a fairly large box with may other fuses. The trucks tail light fuses are behind a panel in the cab. Most trucks in the past five to ten years are wired to the rear bumper, even if they do not have the trailer package. I would think that all factory installed trailer wiring would be separate from the truck. You don't want problems with the trailer taking out your trucks tail lights and vice versa.

That's precisely why I wanted to run it some before taking it on a 1200 mile run. Hopefully get all the bugs out of it. None of the things are big deals, as far as getting them resolved. Just should not happen on something new. The grease fittings are replaced. The pivot is greased as is the surge brake. Wheels had plenty of grease, but I'll give them another shot before I head south. At least it has a decent greasing system. Zerx fitting on the end of the axle. A channel brings the grease into the area between the inner seal and the bearing. The grease flows outward from there through the outer bearing. Clean up the excess that oozes out the end, put the rubber plug back in and done. To me, it's not a big deal. Was a commercial lobsterman for over 25 years, as captain of my own boat. Did just about all the maintainence on it, and know just about all the things that can go wrong, particularly in a salt water environment. But the inexperienced person who gets something like this will have nothing but headaches down the road, and some major expenses.

Returning home from its maiden voyage, my buddy who was following told me the trailer had no brake or turn signals. Hmmmm. Find a place to pull off the road. Peek at the wiring and a plug was disconnected. Good put it back together, and the problem would be solved. Nope. Left turn signal and brake light OK. Right side, no go. Get it home. Put a voltage meter on the connections of the plug with the flashers on. Only one contact showing intermittent voltage. The other, nothing. But all the lights on the truck are working properly. Has a wire that was connected during the hitch install come loose? Call the installer. Bring it in next Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, I continue to ponder. Is it just possible that since the truck is wired to the rear bumper, it has trailer circuits that are separate from the truck? Pull out owners manual and check the various fuses. Sure enough, it does. Number one fuse in the box beneath the hood is for the trailer's right brake and signal light. Pull the fuse. Yep, it's burned out. The trailer plug must have contacted the trailer frame while it had juice and shorted, causing the fuse to break the circuit. Replace the fuse. Good to go, right? Well let's not be hasty. Check the plug with the four ways flashing. Voila, I now have two contacts showing intermittent power surges. Great! All I need to do now is plug the harness together and all is well. Until I check and still have no brake or signal for the right tail light on the trailer. The trailer has the sealed tail lights so I pull it out, take it into the garage and test it with my trolling motor battery. Aha! The tail light works, but the filament for the brake and signal lights does not. Get a new light, install it, and finally, at long last, everything works. What are the odds that the fuse and the light would go at nearly the same time. The short was in the plug that went to the right side light, so it could not send electrical current to blow the brake light. It was working when I left home to go to the pond. So it must have burned out somewhere along the route before the plug disconnected.

I've resolved the wiring issue on my own. 5/8" heater hose worked perfectly. Took a three inch length and sliced it lengthwise to receive the wires passing through the holes. Then rolled it tightly around the wires. Made for a snug fit when worked into the trailer holes, and the washers. No way the wires will chaff at those places now. Moved the ground wire to the top of the plate, where it is now protected, or shielded from road debris. It is fortunate that I have had decades of experience with boat that operate under much harsher environments than bass fishing, and have learned that protecting the conductors of electricity and vital fluids is of the utmost importance, as well as how to isolate various components from shock can make a huge difference in their durability. None of them require exotic or expensive materials. Most can be obtained at your local automotive or hardware store. Only a few can be found exclusively at marine supply shops. I am still developing a punch list of things to correct. Won't cost more than twenty bucks and a couple of hours time. What is aggravating is that it should be necessary at all.

TP, tire pressure? I've got a gauge in the console of the truck. It's a nice one with a large dial and a button on the side to release excess pressure. Learned about them when I was involved with a local race team. Wouldn't be without one.

I'm going to get a pair or two of wheel chocks, and the safety reflectors as suggested. Bulbs would be a waste of time. The trailer has the sealed lights. Picked up a spare light today. Going to get a pair of Bearing Buddies, but will still perform the checks for heat buildup, and loose nuts at each stop, plus check to make sure the lights are ok. Will also put a wrench to the nut on the hitch ball. The other thing I must do is to protect the wires where they pass through the trailer frame. No grommets or any other type of protection to prevent the chaffing of the insulation on the wiring. Wouldn't be fun trying to rewire a trailer at any time, let alone on the road. Thanks for all the sage advice. It is much appreciated.

A Nitro Z7.

I found something on the new trailer that came with the Nitro Z7. All of the wiring passes through holes drilled in the framework and washers that are welded to the frame. Not a single one of these places had rubber grommets or any other type of protection to prevent the chaffing of the insulation where the wires pass through these metal components. Guaranteed that over time, left as they are, shorts will be the result, and, you will be looking at rewiring the trailer. Save yourself some grief and get some rubber grommets to prevent the wires from chaffing. If you cannot find the grommets, get a length of heavy rubber tubing, such a fuel line. Cut three or four inch sections, split them and place aroung the wires with the midpoint of the protector placed at the hole in the steel frame. A few wraps of electrical tape to hold the hose in place and you are good to go. Also, inspect all plugs. On my new trailer, they were dry, and a thin film of corrosion had already formed. Use dielectric grease liberally on the contacts. It will seal out moisture. Should you need to separate the plugs, you will have no problem. Grease these plugs at least once a year. More often for the plugs that are submerged on a regular basis. One more thing. The ground for my trailer is on the tongue, beneath it, and of all things, on the bottom side of a plate where it is exposed to road debris and who knows what else. It is clamped with a small bolt. To protect this vital part of the electrical system, it should be mounted on the topside of the plate, which is easily accessible. I will move that ground to the protected area. It really galls me that to save a few cents or a couple of bucks, that corners like this would be cut. I'd rather pay five or ten bucks more for a trailer, than to have to rewire it down the road. The more miles the trailer is towed, the sooner it will become a problem. Trust me, BPS has already gotten an earful.

I have to admit it. I was thinking about the things that would keep me rolling, not the things I would need if I had to stop. Thanks, plenty of good advice. The truck is set. Oil changed, rotors turned and new brake pads on the front, plus given the once over. Vehicles I'm well used to travelling with. Have a good flashlight, and other gear in the truck. It's the trailing thing I'm not experienced with. I have enough experience driving with trailers, but never had to prepare them for the problems that can crop up.

You're living in the past. The tradition of the bride's father/family paying for the wedding is becoming a thing of the past. Because weddings have become more elaborate and expensive, it is fairly common for parents of the bride and groom to share the cost. Hate to burst your bubble, but there it is.