trailer length increasing

[gim]

I have owned my boat since 2015.  Over time, I have slowly noticed that the bottom of the transom has gradually shifted further and further back on the bunks after I load it. The other day I observed the transom actually sticking behind the back of the trailer bunks after I loaded it on the trailer.  I kept thinking that I must not have the boat far enough forward on the bow roller.  Then I'd go double check and it was snug tight.  Hmmmm

 

Well two days I just happened to glance at the support beam for the bow on the trailer.  I noticed it had slid back about 4 inches!  This must have occurred gradually over time.  So I took the boat to a local access last night, unloaded it, docked it, and then took care of the problem.  I loosened the u-bolts that hold it to the frame and moved it back forward to its original position.  Seems to fit better in the garage again!

 

Which brings up another point.  In the photo I attached, you can start to see a little rust on the bottom of the support beam.  Should I be concerned about this?  What are the chances it rusts all the way through?  I feel like I need to address this too now.

[A-Jay]

I'd say you should most definitely address it right away !

And here's your answer . . . . 

A-Jay

[TnRiver46]

I hear a rust police siren coming up the road……

[casts_by_fly]

ha!  I love Ajay's solution.  I concur.

 

In the case that you don't, this is your winter project.  Pull the U-bolts and the upright off the trailer.  hit it with a wire wheel to get all of the rust and then prime it with rust proof primer and paint.  That should stop the rust and problems. 

 

Then again, if you're going to that effort, you might as well paint the whole trailer, right?  Then its all the same color and matches like new.

 

But if you're going to all that effort, you might as well just trade it in for a new boat...

[gim]

7 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

Pull the U-bolts and the upright off the trailer.  hit it with a wire wheel to get all of the rust and then prime it with rust proof primer and paint.  That should stop the rust and problems. 

 

I like this solution the best.  Even though a new special edition Ranger may be ideal.

 

I have another question while we're at it.  In the photo you can see that there is even a little more room on the frame to go further forward with the upright support beam.  Is that ok or should I just put it where it originally was?

[Darth-Baiter]

great powers of observation!  can you just add a tack weld once you position it?  then paint it all to prevent some rust?

 

after doing all the rust mitigation mentioned above, of course.  

[A-Jay]

31 minutes ago, gimruis said:

 

I like this solution the best.  Even though a new special edition Ranger may be ideal.

 

I have another question while we're at it.  In the photo you can see that there is even a little more room on the frame to go further forward with the upright support beam.  Is that ok or should I just put it where it originally was?

Not sure how much, or even if it would effect the towing 'posture' enough to notice,

but moving the load forward on the trailer,

often changes the tongue weight. 

Proper tongue weight is the key to safe towing.

That was mostly just a PAS

as I'm almost certain you know that.

Unless there's a distinct 'reason' to change it from the original position,

I would not. 

A-Jay

 

[airshot]

Mine does the same thing over time, about two inches each year.  I just move the winch stand ahead that couple inches then hook up the winch and crank the boat forward, no need to take the boat off the trailer.

[Bankc]

I wouldn't worry about the rust.  It's just surface rust.  A little bit of surface rust actually helps to prevent deeper rust from forming.  That's why you'll see a lot of outdoor steel sculptures and architectural things that are rusted on purpose.  

 

Though, if you want, you can get some rust conversion spray paint.  Just hit that spot with a stiff brush, clean it with some soap and water (or something to get the dirt, grime and any oil off), and spray that paint on and it'll stabilize any rust left behind.  

 

And I'd leave it in its original position.  It should have been balanced so that it has the proper tongue weight when loaded which will not only be safer, but do less damage to your truck's suspension over time.  

[Darth-Baiter]

i was thinking about this discussion.  on all of our steel bridges, we silicon seal all the seams to prevent water from entering  (best we can).  we dont want water where pieces can vibrate and move against each other.  just a thought. 

[gim]

I am going to do a more thorough job of removing the surface rust, priming it, sealing it, and then painting it this winter when I have time.  Although I don't feel as though the support itself is compromised, I would feel better about addressing it with a longer term solution.  Its not hard to do and winter time has a lot more free time in this neck of the woods.

 

I also know that I'm going to keep a closer eye on ensuring that it doesn't gradually slide backwards too.  That support is in a specific spot on the frame for a reason and it should be there for optimum load capacity while driving down the road.

[airshot]

Once I realized mine was moving, I properly positioned the winch stand and painted a couple marks so I can tell more easily when it moves.  About two inches over a season, so slide the stand back to the marks then winch the boat back up....same again when it moves a couple inches.

[gim]

Update on this.

 

When I was loading my boat for the final time last weekend, the support itself began to come apart from the frame where this hairline crack had formed from rust.  Luckily, I had someone with me and they yelled "stop!" as I was driving up the access.

 

We looked at this closely, and the flat portion that attaches to the frame is essentially almost completely rusted through on both sides.  I slowly backed into the water again, shifted the outboard into forward, and nudged the front of the boat forward so that it was against the roller, and that the support was sitting flat on the frame of the trailer.  Then I had my friend get in the truck and very slowly drive out while I held the front of the boat to the support.

 

Luckily, this worked.  The boat is now sitting correctly on the trailer for the winter, adequately tied down.  I took it into the service center yesterday for winterization.  They do not weld at this service center, so after they are done with it, sometime this winter, I am going to completely remove that support from the frame and bring it into a welding shop to be fixed.  I can remove it while the boat is sitting on the trailer, so that is convenient.

 

This could have been a lot worse.  If I had been alone, it would have been much more difficult to get the boat on the trailer correctly.  That vertical support may have also became completely removed from the frame too.

[TnRiver46]

Seems like somebody on here was always making fun of me for having a rusty boat trailer………..

[gim]

My trailer frame is painted black, so the issue wasn't super noticeable, initially.  Back in August when I noticed it had slid, I saw the very slight sign of rust but at the time I didn't think it was cracking through.  I just thought it was surface rust.

[airshot]

Yep....it pays to do a thorough inspection at the end of each season so repairs can be made over the winter, at least that is what I do.  

[Alex from GA]

Another thought is are you using lithium batteries?  That puts more weight on the front of the trailer so the 5-10% might not be true.

[Woody B]

(Everyone) Going forward always pay attention to the bunks hanging out under the stern of your boat.   The winch stand moving a little isn't a big deal.  (until it's rusted in two)  The hull hanging over the end of the bunks isn't good.   This could crack a fiberglass hull.  It also could bend, or crack aluminum.   A dent on the underside of the hull near the stern will probably have a big impact on performance.   

[gim]

6 minutes ago, Woody B said:

Going forward always pay attention to the bunks hanging out under the stern of your boat

That’s how I initially noticed the issue. The transom was sticking beyond the back of the bunks.

[Susky River Rat]

@gimruis the black painted trailer will allow water to get behind the paint. The paint will hold the moisture in making it rust faster and less noticeable. Did it happen to crack at a weld?

[gim]

9 hours ago, Darnold335 said:

Did it happen to crack at a weld?

Yes.  That's exactly where it cracked.

[Susky River Rat]

@gimruis the corner toe of the weld? Did it separate? I don’t think it was a rust issue than. 

[gim]

17 minutes ago, Darnold335 said:

@gimruis the corner toe of the weld? Did it separate? I don’t think it was a rust issue than. 

I guess I am not familiar with welding terms.  If you look at the photo I posted above back in August, you can see where the flat portion meets the vertical support, and the rust line forming.  That is where the crack is.  It definitely rusted through.

[Susky River Rat]

@gimruisIt looks like there was a hole there already from an incomplete weld.  Water would get behind there and sit.

[gim]

Maybe?  I don't have any recollection of what it looked like 8 years ago when I bought the boat/trailer.  It was brand new, so I can't really compare it from that point to now.  The only visual marker is the rust line, which I noticed in August.

 

Regardless, this problem will be addressed this off-season.  I'm just glad it didn't turn out worse than it did.