Warning for Aussie users about the new aluminum trailer.

[fireant]

I just found out I live less than 1/2k from a new owner !
He bought his in February. (Hi Greg if you're reading this)
He has a brand new aluminium trailer with the torsion bar suspension.

The thing is ... guess what ? the inside tread on his tyres is on it's way out too.
His wheels looked bowed out just like mine.

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... 11&t=16895

I had a look along the axle but I could not see any obvious bowing along that, but his wheels are "camber out" (if that's the right term).
So I am buggered if I know how it's bent exactly. Could it be the torsion bar itself ? I kind of doubt it.

He has done one trip so far from Perth to the Kimberleys and back. He mentioned he went via Shark Bay and Lake Argyle. I don't know just how far that all is, there and back but I guess it's a few thousand kilometres.

He had a blowout on one of the new tyres too.
The result of the blow out was a cracked brake disk, cracked the fibreglass fender (when the tyre hit it) and a destroyed rim... ugly.

I asked Greg if he had ever towed it with ballast and he said no.
He also owns a tour company and tours the Kimberly with tourists so I suspect he knows how to tow on those roads.

I have been to the USA ... the interstates (freeways in aussie lingo) there are like billiard tables (the ones I went on anyway) our roads are ... errrmm.... not quite that good.
So in my opinion it's the roads doing the damage. And the trailer is just not good enough for our roads.
I know the dealer Klaus here in W.A. is working on offering a dual wheel trailer option for owners and I think this would be a smart thing to get if you are getting a new boat.

I also know I am getting another axle put on my steel one when we go up there !

Phill

[vizwhiz]

He needs one of your handy safety ladder arrangements!

[BrazDaz]

Hey Phill
My guess is Your mate probably towed his 6 or 7 thousand kilometers there and back most of the roads are pretty good by our standards, mu guess is that when the wheel hit the road at time of blow out it bent something. I have herd of a new axle being bent after hitting something. I replaced my tyres for fear of blow out but since then I only tow 3km to close ramp or 8k to the far ramp.
Darren

[fireant]

Possible .. I suppose.
I guess it could put both wheels out of camber ....

[FLembo18]

I just found out I live less than 1/2k from a new owner !
He bought his in February. (Hi Greg if you're reading this)
He has a brand new aluminium trailer with the torsion bar suspension.

The thing is ... guess what ? the inside tread on his tyres is on it's way out too.
His wheels looked bowed out just like mine.

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... 11&t=16895

I had a look along the axle but I could not see any obvious bowing along that, but his wheels are "camber out" (if that's the right term).
So I am buggered if I know how it's bent exactly. Could it be the torsion bar itself ? I kind of doubt it.

He has done one trip so far from Perth to the Kimberleys and back. He mentioned he went via Shark Bay and Lake Argyle. I don't know just how far that all is, there and back but I guess it's a few thousand kilometres.

He had a blowout on one of the new tyres too.
The result of the blow out was a cracked brake disk, cracked the fibreglass fender (when the tyre hit it) and a destroyed rim... ugly.

I asked Greg if he had ever towed it with ballast and he said no.
He also owns a tour company and tours the Kimberly with tourists so I suspect he knows how to tow on those roads.

I have been to the USA ... the interstates (freeways in aussie lingo) there are like billiard tables (the ones I went on anyway) our roads are ... errrmm.... not quite that good.
So in my opinion it's the roads doing the damage. And the trailer is just not good enough for our roads.
I know the dealer Klaus here in W.A. is working on offering a dual wheel trailer option for owners and I think this would be a smart thing to get if you are getting a new boat.

I also know I am getting another axle put on my steel one when we go up there !

Phill

I guess it's safe to say that you didn't drive the roads of Pennsylvania while you were in the US. It makes me wonder, all the time, exactly where does my gasoline TAX $ GO !????

BTW- My cat , Pepper, finds your roaming ANT Gif very amusing.

Frank L.

[Gater Dunn]

Cat ?.... I've swatted at the darn thing a few times

[Boblee]

Not sure how many k's our steel trailer has done now but it would be well over 30k the original tyres are basically crap and should be replaced asap and even the steel axle will bow if loaded to excess.
When I managed to bend the axle back (castor LOL) this trip I took the opportunity to also take the camber out by bending it up in the middle note to bend these axles either accidently or on purpose is a major job especially in transit working beside the road but fortunately we found a helpful opal miner with plenty of machinery to make a temporary press out of LOL.
Axle now much better than new and in fact it worked out better than having twin axles (in this case) as unless both axles were as strong as the single we would have had to remain right there or get transport but as it was we were able to limp 450k's plus on the two spares which were by then totally scrubbed out until finding somewhere to get the job done or do it ourselves.
We would have had to wait in Coober Pedy a minimum three days with no guarantee of getting the job done then so used a ten ton jack and a bit of aussie ingenuity and were back on the road, the simpler the suspension the better.
Note we have travelled much much worse roads than you will see between Perth and the Kimberlies and would recommend making the trip either to explore the Cambridge Gulf or the coast between Derby and Whyndham but definitely get local or good info first.