HK wrote:
JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
"Toller" wrote in message
...
- Did the previous owner tell you anything about the wheel bearings?
Do you see something like this in the centers of your wheels?
http://www.bearingbuddy.com/ Or, do you just see a metal cap?

There is a plastic cover over them. Is that adequate since it is
exposed to water so little?

Unless you're talking about the soft plastic cover that can cover
Bearing Buddies, I honestly don't know. Are you sure there's not a
metal cover under the plastic thing? Plastic seems like a weak option
in a place that could brush against a curb.

If the original owner didn't mention when he last repacked or replaced
the bearings, it's probably worthwhile to get it done so you've got a
starting point for a maintenance schedule.



- Before it's too cold to work outdoors without gloves, take a good
look at all wire junctions. Make sure all splices look clean, not
corroded. If they're made with electrical tape over soldered wire
joints, that's sloppy and they should be replaced with crimped
connections covered with heat shrink tubing.

Yeah, they are all covered with electrical tape that is falling off;
expect the connections are pretty bad underneath also. Wouldn't
soldered joints covered with shrink be okay? I did that for my
invisible fence 15 years ago and they are still okay. But it is
probably easier to crimp them anyhow if that is better.

Solder + shrink tubing isn't too bad, as long as you check the joint
for sharp edges that might puncture the shrink tubing, and file or
clip them. Crimps are easier, but you should use a properly designed
tool, and they not so easy to find. The jaws on most tools don't shape
the crimp correctly as it squeezes them, because the jaws are almost
flat, with slight curves carved into them. That's useless. At this
links below, check out the tool, and click on the picture for a closer
look at what the jaws should look like:

http://www.panduit.com/search/produc...2D1570&Ntk=All


or:

http://tinyurl.com/3dmk8f



- Spare ti Got one? Is it secured to the trailer with a cable
lock or some other method?

That's funny actually. Before pulling the boat out I checked and
found the spare was flat. Fortunately it held pressure okay; but the
bigger problem was that it was locked on and I didn't have the key!
When I put the boat in I didn't have the key either, and the tire was
probably flat then also; good thing I didn't need it. Came off in 2
seconds with an angle grinder.

What about propping the front up?!

Someone else chimed in on that last question.



I've never propped up any of my boat trailers so the tires are off the
ground. The trailer is designed so that the weight is borne by the the
suspension and tires, and I doubt whether the tires "know" whether they
have been sitting for two weeks or three months. I make sure the
bearings are properly packed before storage, and that the tires are
properly inflated, and that's it for the trailer.

Once the boat and engine are winterized and the batteries are removed, I
have the boat shrinkwrapped.

I do check on the boat every month. With the rig on its own wheels, if I
have to move it for some reason, it's no big deal to do so.

Harry,

When I had a runabout, and kept the boat stored on the trailer, I ALWAYS
kept the trailer propped up using trailer jacks. The reason I did, was
my father (a mechanic engineer) told me to do it. He was emphatic that
the weight of the tires sitting on one section of the tire over the
winter, would cause the tire to become permanently unbalanced (I think
he said a "flat spot". He also said the tires would crack prematurely,
where they sat on the ground. I also (based upon his recommendations)
made sure the tires were covered with a tarp to make sure they did not
dry rot from UV degradation. Both were very easy to do and took less
than 5 minutes.

Now was he correct, heck, I don't know, but the tires were over 20 yrs
old when I sold the boat and trailer.