MacGregorSailors.com

pokerrick1 wrote:I don't believe you guys should be allowed to "get together" anymore - - - for your own good

Rick Less in Las Vegas

It's OK, everything was kosher. Ray was there.

Versatile wrote:

kmclemore wrote:I will say that the Mac trailers are indeed minimum standard... it's actually a shame, since the boat is pretty dang sturdy.

On mine, the axle beam bent in a sway (down in the center) such that the wheels were substantially cambered out at the bottom and it pretty much ruined the first set of tires I had on it. I had to manually re-arch (bend) the axle beam with a bottle jack, and using a spirit level at the two wheels I managed to get them reasonably vertical. Not sure how long the fix will last, but so far (about 3000 miles) it seems to have worked. But the axle should never have been so flimsy... it really was marginal for an unloaded boat, and once you get stuff on board and any mods, you're way over what it was designed to handle.

On the opposite of the brilliant mind of TAW02, the statement of kmclemore reflects knowledge and experience. That’s exactly the problem I encounter … but should not be.

Three quarter of the boat’s weight rests on the centre of weak axle … bends … etc !

The support of the winch structure bends as well …

And finally, if you have to break “hard” at 30 mph … downhill … on asphalt … so the bow finally rests on the safety v rubber knuckle … There’s something wrong somewhere !!!

Any ordinary seaman would understand that, but it seems that there are exceptions to that rule !

So here I am (the brilliant mind)

SO WHERE'S TRAILOR BOY

Kelly Hanson East wrote:I distinctly recall you asking me to pass the cold spotted dick....

You guys are too much!!! Remind me not to eat at the restaurant you were at... Timmay!!!

Au contraire the food was sublime, the service impeccable, the company to die for, and the price surprisingly less than you might think...


...and diverse to boot... with Gentile, Jew, and Idiot all represented...

Kelly Hanson East wrote:... with Gentile, Jew, and Idiot all represented...

I wasn't there - - - was I I don't remember

Rick Less in Las Vegas

I have a 2008 M and Mac Aluminum Trailer. With little gear and no ballast you can easily see the tires are not vertical and tilt out at the bottom. The tires have worn unevenly in the inside from the trip from Colorado to Windsor, ON.

Before a long trailer trip I took the trailer with boat to a reputable trailer dealer. He jacked up the trailer, removed the wheels and inspected everything. It was all safe but it still went off vertical when put back on the pavement.

While I recall? the axle is rated for 4000 lb? and the boat and motor should be less than that, the dealer recommended going to a higher rated axle or tandem ($1000 to $1,500). He said the tires should be upgraded which would help. He showed me around the lot where several trailers have the same wear and are in worse condition from being overloaded.

I went on my trip, everything was ok but there was more wear on the tires, the off angle looks terrible. All this while I minimized supplies on the boat or placed them aft for more tongue weight.

Possible Solution: I noticed the pad at center of the boat directly over the axle seems to take more weight than the two pads over the frame on the outside. This weight on the center directly on the axle rather than on the outside pads on the frame close to the wheel axles causes a higher bending moment than if the weight were better distributed closer to the hubs.

I will make modifications to lower the center pad and raise the outside pads to distribute the weight (less on center pad more on outside pads). Perhaps this simple modification will allow the tires to run "true".

While it appears safe and it does tow and travel well, I don't like the look and am disappointed. An axle with another 1000 lb rating would have solved this.

Hamin' X wrote:It is not as if this is not a known situation, as you should have discovered by doing research before your purchase.

~Rich

You seem to be quite a MacGregor expert, since that 2007 boat was bought in December 2006 and the aluminium trailer was not in production at the time of purchase ... nor there was any mention of any kind on any web site concerning that cheap and unsafe trailer!

So how could I do any research then ?

March wrote:

Seems to me that the trailer actually does meet minimum standards of quality, at the very least. It's not exactly "falling apart," at least not in the picture posted above. "Short period" is also underdetermined. What is it? One hour? One week? My trailer is 10 years old and is only beginning to fall apart. I'm still using it.

MacGregor's reputation does not rely on the quality of the trailer. He's not into trailering business. His reputation is largely due to the balance between price and features offered, by striking the appropriate compromise of many variables: sails versus engine, weight versus room, ease of handling versus convenience, quality versus price. The trailer is one variable among many. One gets what one pays for. One wants more, one pays more--and gets an upgraded aluminum trailer. Or beefs up the existing one, for one's own peace of mind.

Yep, you're not the only one complaining about the quality of the trailer. In the other camp, there are thousands who use it gleefuly and thank their lucky stars that they have it at all, at that price. The law of competition gives a clear upper hand to the latter.

Just for your own knowledge, MacGregor advertises a “Trailable Sailbot” … which is a Sailboat that comes along with a trailer included in the price ! So the trailer should be able to tow the sailboat for a period of more than 3 years before the axle bends and wheels canter and scrap the tires !

The trailer has a maximum of 2,000 miles on highways … but will have to be rebuilt already after only 2,000 miles …

The competition will love to know about the MacGregor trailer !

Man~ana wrote:I have a 2008 M and Mac Aluminum Trailer. With little gear and no ballast you can easily see the tires are not vertical and tilt out at the bottom. The tires have worn unevenly in the inside from the trip from Colorado to Windsor, ON.

Before a long trailer trip I took the trailer with boat to a reputable trailer dealer. He jacked up the trailer, removed the wheels and inspected everything. It was all safe but it still went off vertical when put back on the pavement.

While I recall? the axle is rated for 4000 lb? and the boat and motor should be less than that, the dealer recommended going to a higher rated axle or tandem ($1000 to $1,500). He said the tires should be upgraded which would help. He showed me around the lot where several trailers have the same wear and are in worse condition from being overloaded.

I went on my trip, everything was ok but there was more wear on the tires, the off angle looks terrible. All this while I minimized supplies on the boat or placed them aft for more tongue weight.

Possible Solution: I noticed the pad at center of the boat directly over the axle seems to take more weight than the two pads over the frame on the outside. This weight on the center directly on the axle rather than on the outside pads on the frame close to the wheel axles causes a higher bending moment than if the weight were better distributed closer to the hubs.

I will make modifications to lower the center pad and raise the outside pads to distribute the weight (less on center pad more on outside pads). Perhaps this simple modification will allow the tires to run "true".

While it appears safe and it does tow and travel well, I don't like the look and am disappointed. An axle with another 1000 lb rating would have solved this.

Thank you !

That's exactly the problem … that nobodies seems to admit.

The axle is too tiny for the weight of the boat. Actually, the rated axle is correct if you only pull the boat from the factory to the container, then from the container to the dealer ! But as soon as the trailer will bump on the road … too late.

Then, arrange yourself with your problems ! Who cares ! Rebuild the trailer at your own expenses … and make worldwide free publicity for the MacGregor trailer !

I am not a professional photograph, but I hope that the problem is clear enough !

The axle is bent, scrapped and will have to be replaced only after 3 years and 2,000 miles, by anything easily more intelligent that the MacGregor factory’s one … but at my own expenses.

Since the MacGregor trailer is wrongfully design, make sure to address that problem written on your contract … if you ever want to join the club !

... and it is not the only faulty design problem on that aluminium trailer !

Yep, one can't quite tell from the pictures that the axle is "bent, scrapped and will have to be replaced" after 2000 mile. Maybe a professional photographer might help in this respect? The photograph simply shows that the wheels do not fall vertically on the grassy surface. As Ma~ana pointed out in the post that Verastile rushed to embrace so readily, this is a common "problem" with many traielrs, not only those that are "wrongfylly design" by McGregor. He mentions trailers on the lot that are equally "intelligent that the MacGregor factory one's" and sport the same problem, and are even in worse condition. It's hard to tell how overloaded the boat is; the tarp under the canopy conceals everything else


If the problem is indeed written on your contract, it can be addressed very easily. A lawyer will be able o help. Is there a warranty on the trailer that stipulates the trailer will last for at least 2 years and 2000 miles, whichever comes first, even when the boat is grossly overloaded? I don't remember having read anything of the sorts in mine.

Could it be a question of a bad item ( a bad axle) among a whole batch of good ones? If that is the case, and you have the warranty, no big deal: McGregor will replace the axle for free, I am sure. It's not a matter of "bad design," but a bad axle.

Versatile;

You are as frustrated with your trailor problem as I have been in believing your claims

Yes, I'll be honest with you, I did not believe a word of what you were saying because I have a 2007 M26 with the deluxe aluminum trailor with surge brakes, boarding ladder and galvanized torsion axle and is rigid and true as railroad tracks. Tires are straight and true and she trailors beautifully.

However, I see your pictures and I am ASTOUNDED in what I SEE

YOU ARE SO RIGHT. YOU HAVE A PROBLEM

There is something different here. Something is not right I assure you. From what I can tell from your pictures, you have a genuine 26M aluminum trailor.

There are TWO versions of this trailor. The standard trailer has an aluminum frame, a painted torsion bar axle, fiberglass fenders and a bow stand with no boarding ladder.

The deluxe trailer is similar to the standard trailer, except that it has surge brakes, a galvanized torsion bar axle, aluminum brake caliper holders, zinc plated disc brake rotors, and a boarding ladder near the trailer hitch.

I am wondering if there is also a difference in loading capacity between the two versions in terms of axle size and weight handling capacity. The M26 weighs 2550 lbs empty. The deluxe trailor is rated for 2 tons or 4000lbs. This should tell you that your trailor should not be 'sway-back' under such a load as an empty M26. Yet ... aparently from your pictures, she is terribly overloaded

And now I see from yet another member of this discussion group (Man~ana) has also experienced similar drawbacks with the aluminum trailor. This has made me think twice about trailor reliability and whether or not it has something to do with the differences between the two trailor versions. That is, the Standard VS the Deluxe models. Is it possible that you gentlemen have the Standard Model And if so, would this explain a diffence between load capacities?

Big T

Hi Versatile-

Sorry to hear about (and see!) your problem.

A couple of questions...

Is it possible that the boat was trailered with the ballast full and the yield strength of the axel exceeded (bending it)- giving the negative wheel camber? When the weight is removed (draining the ballast) the axel would not straighten again?

I think the weight of a full ballast would exceed the capacity of the trailer by a considerable margin. If the springs then bottom out the rated load capacity of the axel becomes significantly reduced, compounding the situation.

When you purchased the boat did you notice the camber problem and make mention of it at the time?

- Brian.

I have just had a 08 M on an alloy trailer leave here, and as I was thinking of you, I took note of the trailer.
Yes, the axel does have a very small bow in it....but it bows upward, not downward, when the boat is off the trailer.
When we craned the boat on to the trailer, the axel 'seemed to flex', downward, sort of straightened out, but it was so little it was hard to tell.
The wheels sat on the ground 'properly', not like your picture.

Are you sure the trailer has not been overloaded at any stage?
We left the ballast in an x once, and it was a tandem, and it didn't look to flash....tyres were a bit squared off but only at the bottom. There is some weight in that ballast!!
Cheers
Phillip

crawl under your trailer read the part # on the id tag which is welded to the axle,it should read MACM003 UFP or something close. google Unique Functional Products the manufacturer of the axle and brakes.These people seem to be very customer consious and might step up with a new axle for you or a discount on a larger one, they make one with same dimensions but 6000# shipped to your door for less than 350.00 in az at least.You can do a simple axle swap in 2-3 hrs easy in your drive way. don't look for macgregor to do much for you as they're reputation is non-existant. Ray