Check your trailer tongues everyone!

[dustoff]

As everyone is getting ready for the summer, I wanted to share a trailer issue I had to fix last year. I have a MacGregor-made single axle aluminum trailer that came with the boat in 2011. Photos below. My steel box beam that inserts into the aluminum frame had completely rusted out.

This was difficult to see because it was hidden inside the frame. I only noticed when my wife said the tongue looked like it was sagging from the weight when I pulled the boat out of the marina last fall.

If I had been on a long trip or hit a strong bump while driving, it most certainly would have wound up with the trailer tongue separating. I doubt the safety chains would have helped either.

Fortunately, it didn't, and I was able to repair it very affordably. Luckily, I have a friend with welding and metal-working equipment, so all I had to do was order a new box beam the right length. But for such a simple job, a local welder wouldn't have charged too much. I salvaged the ladder and welded it onto the new box beam. I chucked out the original jackstand (which was on its last legs too) and got a bolt-on one. Also got a new bolt-on surge brake coupling. Just for good measure, I ran new wires and waterproof LED lights, knocked all the rust off of the axle hubs, and painted them.

Don't forget to do some trailer maintenance.

[Russ]

Wow! That's some scary stuff.

The box beam is the weakest part of the trailer and a known failure point on older steel trailers. This is the first I've seen on the aluminium trailer, however, it's not surprising as the steel bits are the same.

Typically, they rust from the inside out which makes it difficult to notice unless you have a way to inspect inside the beam.

Thanks for posting. I will inspect mine as we all should.

[Be Free]

You need to check your "all-aluminum" trailers as well. This u-bolt holds my aluminum tongue to my aluminum trailer. Looks good from this angle.


This is what was hiding underneath. The nuts had almost completely rusted away.

[tuxonpup]

I just replaced the surge brake coupler and jack stand on my original 1996 steel trailer. The tongue hadn't rusted much, but the coupler was totally frozen up and we had a 350 mile towing trip pending. Here's the completed replacement the next morning as we packed it up for departure:

[Russ]

Another aluminum trailer tongue failure.