Trailer wash down
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: The Briny Bar
Forum Description: The place for general chat on saltwater fishing!
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=117835
Printed Date: 21 Jun 2026 at 11:44pm
Topic: Trailer wash down
Posted By: Tzer
Subject: Trailer wash down
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2016 at 7:17am
|
Looking at setting up a wash system for trailer have an idea in my head but interested to know if any one else has done something to their trailer. |
Replies:
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2016 at 8:03am
|
I originally put irrigation hoses thru the chassis, The idea was just connect the hose and have it spray put inside. Worked ok, not fantasic, but ok. Then got a petrol water blaster... far faster and more effective.... Soap up and go for it. Do the whole boat.. clears do from a distance, fine on carpets bilges , even upholstery. I think what helps even more is simple maintenance after the boat has more or less drip dried... Marine CRC or lanolin based aerosols.. quick spray around wheel nuts, rollers, electrics, winch etc .. and include boat stuff. Steering, trim, bimini domes ... And every 4 or 5 trips, a liberal spray around the trailer with fisholene...including inside rails wheel hubs etc. I think there is more to keeping a trailer long lasting than just wash down....and the 'extra' is only minutes by the time one picks up a aerosol can walks around few squirts and put back on the shelf. More "working hard at being lazy" sort of thing |
Posted By: MacSkipper
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2016 at 8:44am
I do similar but with a good mains pressure hose with adjustable spray pattern and wash around springs and wheels etc. I played around with tubing and sprinklers under trailer but prefer a hand directed spray with a good adjustable spray head. Ditto lanoline or similar on trailer parts every few months and treat surface rust before WOF inspection. ------------- Good fishing trip nothing breaks, great trip catch fish. |
Steps wrote:Posted By: Potty
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2016 at 8:50am
|
Tzer I used to use one of those saltaway units, they were ideal because you could quickly spray the trailer straight after launching the boat. The negative was they didn't last that long. The ideal would be a permanent 20 litre unit mounted on the front of trailer with a plug in coil hose. Quick and easy to use. ------------- Love fishing, love my job. It's a bloody shame that they clash. http://www.legasea.co.nz" rel="nofollow"> 
|
Posted By: Tzer
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2016 at 9:30am
|
Thanks guys, I am pretty fussy when it comes to keeping boat & trailer clean but just looking at a more easier (lazy) way of dealing with trailer, brakes as well as underneath of hull. |
Posted By: Snapfish
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2016 at 9:54am
| If you really want to get serious and you do a lot of beach launches...block up trailor ends with rags and fill with waste oil on a decline. Paint outside of trailor also then drive down a dusty road until thoroughly coated...then pull out rags and drain...works a treat but trailor looks ****e....But no more rinsing-Winning |
Posted By: Catchelot
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2016 at 4:40pm
Craig silly suggestion but also a lazy one, do you have any fresh water rivers/lakes where you can drop the trailer in the water for a few minutes. A mate in rotorua does this on the way home after an outing from whakatane drops it in a lake, job done...
|
Posted By: Tzer
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2016 at 4:47pm
Short answer Al is no. I forgot to mention that although the trailer is alloy but i still like the idea of having some sort of wash down. As fisherman we all tend to over look the care of the trailer until its to late. |
Posted By: SNOWKIWI
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2016 at 5:59pm
 I was just thinking along those lines, when I read this post. An old mate of mine swore by welding a plate on both ends of the rectangular/square hollow section, drilling & tapping a hole in one end for a plug, then filling with "waste oil" putting a threaded plug in the hole, adds a bit of weight, but you only have to worry about the outside of the chassis then!!! ------------- http://www.legasea.co.nz" rel="nofollow"> It is to be observed that 'angling' is the name given to fishing, by people who can't fish. |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2016 at 6:41pm
|
My only concern is water blaster spray getting where it shouldn't and
detergent washing out lube, but point taken about washing salt away - it
sounds like you go around afterwards and lubricate anyway? When using a 3000lb water blaster one uses some common sence .. I dont use saltaway... but foam up with CT18 detergent. Yes I grease motor , steering etc every 2 or 3rd trip out, plus basic stuff above.. basically cause its easier to give things a light spray than fix a bloody broken wheel stud on the side of the road cause its corroded up if have a puncture dealing with trailer, brakes as well as underneath of hull. Is yours ally or glass?.... If glass a 10% soln of straight rust kill (phosphoric acid) in water... moisten a rag and wipe on... moisten not wet... phosphoric acid... any acid and galv/ zinc, magnesuim, ally dont mix well |
Posted By: Reel Deal
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2016 at 7:16pm
|
does the fisholene get dirt struck to it?. If I remember where I used it on my car doors many years ago it would become a tacky mess instead of r hole I must admit ------------- The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men's lives the hours spent on fishing - Assyrian Proverb |
Posted By: Reel Deal
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2016 at 7:17pm
|
*rusty hole ------------- The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men's lives the hours spent on fishing - Assyrian Proverb |
Posted By: Snapfish
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2016 at 8:24pm
| Fisholene costs money and stinks and waste oil free stinks a bit less but keeps salt water off...bonus...if not worried bout aesthetics but function its def a good option...anyways fishing on west coast of aks off the chain at mo snaps to 10 lb and heaps of em and minimal sharks at 35m...chur |
Posted By: Potty
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2016 at 8:44pm
|
The major damage is done when the trailer is parked after launching, setting up a system where you can quickly spray the trailer with saltaway would be the best. ------------- Love fishing, love my job. It's a bloody shame that they clash. http://www.legasea.co.nz" rel="nofollow">
|
Posted By: edge01
Date Posted: 07 Jun 2016 at 8:57pm
|
Craig silly suggestion but also a lazy one, do you have any fresh water rivers/lakes where you can drop the trailer in the water for a few minutes. A mate in rotorua does this on the way home after an outing from whakatane drops it in a lake, job done... I would be careful doing this. Its hard on the bearings and hubs. Ok if you can change them or do your own bearings I spose. Problem is that the trailer hubs are really hot when they are dropped into the fresh water and they will inevitably suck some water in as they instantly cool. Good way of washing the inside of the box sections though. |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2016 at 7:45am
|
does the fisholene get dirt struck to it?. If I remember where I used it
on my car doors many years ago it would become a tacky mess instead of r
hole I must admit Many years ago.. The modern fisholene has de natured fish oil.. doesnt smell and a lot of the colour gone. I have used it for 40 over yrs, and made it when it was batched in NZ... pre non flammable days. I have experimented with different treatments over the last 5 yrs as surface rust appears... rust kill, quality zinc epoxy etc. The best to date is the above plus a regular light coat of fisholene....and where that fails, clean back to good steel, POR 15... quality epoxy galv, and occasional fisholene. Fisholene costs money.. cheaper than repairs or new trailer and a can will last a good hitting those suspetable spots. After the trailer has dropped off the boat, the water evaporates, leaving salt deposits.. the salt its self is not a problem.. it is when it is wet electrolysis take place....damp in high humidity weather....So get rid of the salts when home is essential...and to get those salt deposits off surfaces and in nicks and crannies, box sections is the secret. Even with products like salt away, spray on soak, rinse off , I would still get a little fine salt deposits on boat surface.....hit with good blast of fresh water, nothing ..... Problem is that the trailer hubs are really hot when they are dropped into the fresh water and they will inevitably suck some water in as they instantly cool. Correct, which is why boat trailers have double seals in the rear and 'buddies' that maintain positive pressure in the hubs IF maintained and used correctly... how many actually re pump the buddies with a grease gun with a QUALITY marine BEARING grease on a regular basis? As to filling channels with oil... yep that 'idea ' has been around for decades, and more... in the last 1/2 century I have only heard of ppl doing but never actually seen or know someone who has a trailer like that.... Back in the day, spraying the tractors, farm vehicles with a mixture of waste oil and a little turps (thins enough to enable to spray it.. wonder how I know that) was common....but drop a trailer in at a ramp and watch the oil slick spread out, and mess up the hulls of other boats around, let alone the environmental damage... If one uses a hand pump up sprayer, puts the nozzle on the end off a stick with a reasonable hard wall tube so can extend down the insides of channels and regular spray fisholene... would be the way to go... or on a brand new trailer or very well washed, do the same with POR 15 3 good coats. I think alloy trailers are a 'different kettle of fish' rather than rust....stress and cracking due to the nature of the alloy, espec at welds and alloys used. Brakes, keel rollers, wheel nuts, winches, winch bearings, electical connectors, hitches , back side of hubs etc...wash off well, spray marine crc/ lanoline or similar and DO NOT leave the hand brake on... and ideally if leaving parked up for winter... chock up so weight off the tyres... old school .. one used to see caravans chocked up.. espec with old cross ply tyres ...but also bearings last far longer if not left loaded in the same place. A set of the same identical bearings (eg classic HQ holden/ classic chevy) in a car will last out a good 50,000 miles....a loaded trailer parked up a lot, couple yrs at most and very low mileage. And Korean / Aussie or USA made bearings.. NOT chinese.. and carefull with USA packed bearings...often they are packed in the USA, box made in the US but bearing stamped made in china. |
Posted By: Marligator
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2016 at 8:22am
|
Edge01 "I would be careful doing this. Its hard on the bearings and hubs. Ok if you can change them or do your own bearings I spose. Problem is that the trailer hubs are really hot when they are dropped into the fresh water and they will inevitably suck some water in as they instantly cool." Isn't this what happens every time you put the boat in the water anyway, as your bearings heat up getting to the boat ramp then you back it straight down into the saltwater and they suck saltwater in if you do not have enough grease in the bearings, hence the reason why bearing buddies were developed in the first place to stop this happening. ------------- http://www.legasea.co.nz" rel="nofollow">
|
Posted By: widerange
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2016 at 8:40am
|
I'm mystified as to why your hubs are heating up that much. In my experience properly lubed bearings don't get that hot. Maybe if the hubs on your trailer are that hot the brakes are dragging?
|
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2016 at 6:30pm
|
Next time you go to the ramp, reach inbehind the hub and feel the warmth of the bearing housing.... No they should not be hot, but they do warm up. Now take a MT bottle, a smallish water bottle, drop it in a bowl of water sealed about the temp u feel your hubs are... When air inside is wamed, close the bottle, put upside down in a bowl about 15 deg (thats about the sea temp now) Then open the top (face down)... if possible about the same depth as your lowest hub in the water at the ramp. This is all bucket chemistry, but its still very surprising just how much water will be sucked in.... Marine/ water rear seals are heavier than std Grease seals and designed to work with buddies. Buddies are spring loaded....the hub warms up and any expansion is taken up by the spring. Drop in cold water, temp drops, pressure drops...spring lets volume drop. The marine rear seal holds this pressure build up, other wise buddies dont work... Std seals the buddies will just blow grease out around your hub in the inside....not hold pressure, then drop cold water, they take a big breath...of water. |
Posted By: edge01
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2016 at 7:06pm
Have you ever felt how hot your hubs are when you stop at the ramp?? They are reasonably warm, enough to turn the grease inside them into liquid anyway. don't forget that they do cool slightly while you are getting the cover off the boat, undoing straps, engine, bungs, waiting to launch etc etc, as opposed to just backing her straight in to a fresh water source without any delay. Like I say its only fresh water so its not as bad as salt. Even with double seals the water will still get in. Bearing buddys are a great invention alrite. I give mine a couple of pumps of grease every 5 trips or so. Had the same bearings in my trailer for 5 years so must be doing something right
|
Posted By: widerange
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2016 at 7:32pm
|
Have you ever felt how hot your hubs are when you stop at the ramp?? Yep. I am speaking from experience as I had ongoing issues with bearing failure due to another reason I'll not go into. I can tell you though,that water wasn't getting sucked in by temp variation under normal operating conditions. bearing buddies, bla Let me give you all a tip. Oil filled hubs!
|
Posted By: edge01
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2016 at 7:46pm
| ah, never had anything to do with oil filled hubs. how do they allow for heat expansion and contraction of the air inside the hubs |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2016 at 8:23am
|
Would be interested in knowing the issue u had to go to oil filled hubs....which are pressure sealed. Bearing failures 1/ chinese bearings where they have a higher lead content in the steel alloys for cheaper tooling in manufacture 2/ chinese bearings with poor width measurement tolerance so when torque up the std spacer will have the bearing either fractionally loose or fractionally tight 3/ over tighten or too loose on install 4/ Transportation over long distance by rail... or badly balanced or flat spots on a tyre 5/ contamination..spot of grit or moisture either during install or thru seals 6/ incorrect grease or not correct bearing grease 7/ long periods of sitting with weight on in the one place |
Posted By: MacSkipper
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2016 at 10:51am
------------- Good fishing trip nothing breaks, great trip catch fish. |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 10 Jun 2016 at 9:11am
|
Interesting steps you mentioned 4/ transport by rail & 7/ long
period sitting - any idea what distance (is south island Invercargill to
say Auckland long enough as that would be common with Stabicraft
etc?) and how long sitting in one place ie 4 weeks or 4 months or
longer?
The rail issue originally surfaced in the USA shipping on rail from assembly plants to dealers, with bearing rumble on and shortly after delivery to the customer... I also understand from several leyland dealers in NZ in the late 60s and 70s.. early bearing failure was common also shipping from Wellington plants to Auckland by rail. Sitting... it used to be common practice for caravan and boat owners in the 60s and 70s to chock axles in the off season. Many caravans would be sited at labour week end then brought home for winter at easter or Queens birthday... While on site they also chocked and levelled.... to prevent tyre flat spots and bearing loading in the same spot. Radials do not flat spot as such... pumping up to max pressure and running they will re form because of the softer walls... Cross plys will flat spot, when over inflated will feel ok , but when put back to normal running pressure will deform back. I DO NOT KNOW if modern cross ply construction is still prone to this. Flat spots... watch how tyres drag on a duel axle when turn a tight cnr....hit the anchors on a braked trailer, or forget to latch the brakes off when revering, espec up a hill. So checking bearings....check for ANY play in the wheel.. should be NIL.....Spin the tyre, put your hand on the chassis or mud guard and listen / feel for ANY rumble....and feel the tread of the tyre as it spins for any out of round. Chocking trailers is usually more easy than most think. Drop the jockey wheel right down....couple axles under the rear of the trailer....now wind he jockey wheel up and the weight comes off the wheels, tyres bearings |
Posted By: MacSkipper
Date Posted: 10 Jun 2016 at 3:22pm
|
Thanks Steps - like the idea of using an adjustable jockey wheel to check bearings - have heard the same idea for adjusting motor height with a block under skeg of motor and removing bolts.... ------------- Good fishing trip nothing breaks, great trip catch fish. |
Posted By: widerange
Date Posted: 10 Jun 2016 at 7:19pm
|
"Would be interested in knowing the issue u had to go to oil filled hubs....which are pressure sealed." Pressure sealed? Uh?
I didn't say I had issue with oil filled hubs. Was meaning I think oil provides better ,more reliable and cooler? lube than grease. With or without bearing buddies. |
Posted By: Big -Dave
Date Posted: 10 Jun 2016 at 9:27pm
|
Quality grease will not melt under normal use in bearings, even with disc brakes. although a disc braked hub gets hotter if you have been using the brakes, but they will cool quickly too.. given the huge number of boat trailers regularly dunked in cold water after a trip to the ramp, i doubt water ingress with the proper marine seals is an issue. bearing buddies have proven to assist, improve bearing life, but they are not recommended to be used with the marine type seal, as opposed to the conventional double lip oil seal which will retain the pressurised grease. buuttt....i have used bearing buddies with marine seals successfully for years. Had the odd issue with the bearing buddie itself, the odd few shots of grease and my bearing survival rate has been fine. ------------- you can't fix an idiot with duct tape, but it does muffle them for a while... |
Posted By: Capt Asparagus
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2016 at 2:36pm
|
My mate Pete has got rid of his oil filled bearing on his trailer in OZ, as they blew out too often on long (500km plus) hauls....not the bearings as such, but the see thru caps you use to monitor the oil. Swapping out a set of bearings, my word, that was a fun thing to do at 1 a.m. on a servo forecourt at kalbarri two years ago.... :-) ------------- It is only my overwhelming natural humility that mars my perfection. Captain Asparagus, Superhero, Adventurer. |
Posted By: MacSkipper
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2016 at 2:50pm
------------- Good fishing trip nothing breaks, great trip catch fish. |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2016 at 8:30am
|
I live out at Huia end of a windy hilly road on side of Manukau Harbour
in Akld - not uncommon over summer season to see several trailers with
snapped axles or detached wheel etc sitting by side of road with or
without dejected owners AND Quality grease will not melt under normal use in bearings, even with disc brakes. I recomn 99% these failures are Not due to being oil filled, or having not having buddies, snapped snapping wheel nuts, whatever... but simply down to lazy, to nil maintenance, expired WoFs and incorrectly adjusted / installed bearing and elcheapo grease I ask how many have a pot of quality Brand MARINE BEARING grease and a pot of QUALITY Brand MARINE LUBE grease sitting on their shelf in the workshop? EG stuff like evinrude triple gaurd bearing and triple guard lube.. on is red the other blue. No? got a pot of the pale blue crap stuff they sell at mitre 10/ bunnings/supercheap? Or have a couple grease guns filled with lube and bearing grease How many, including your local automotive workshop actually have marine grade grease on the shelf? OH that adds another $20 on the bill....over std auto grease. Ask to see the pot of marine grease they have in stock... Failures, like most failures are the human end of things... not the mechanical And being human nature, when a failure happens its blamed on the 'tools' anything but the actual reason of failure. |
Posted By: MacSkipper
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2016 at 12:43pm
------------- Good fishing trip nothing breaks, great trip catch fish. |
Posted By: fauxpas
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2016 at 10:16am
|
Why can't they make trailer chassis out of C section rather than BOX section? would make it a lot easier to combat rusting. |
Posted By: Fishy11
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2016 at 12:38pm
Strength difference for starters.... If a trailer is well made, maintained correctly, and washed thoroughly you shoudln't be having rust issues. |
Posted By: Betty Boop
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2016 at 5:02pm
Good observation. I have Walu sitting on her O/E "C" section trailer supplied in Jan '73 and its been maintained correctly. .......ie; nothing particulary special other than regular wash-down, wobble rollers and s/s Duratorque carridge added.  ------------- Last week I joined an Anti-Social support group........They won't talk to me! Papamoa fi-Glass Viscount |
Posted By: edge01
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2016 at 8:48pm
| I think that the next one that I make will be c section , maybe stainless steel construction. I've often wondered why we don't do air bag suspension instead of duro torques or springs. mite have to do some more investigation........ |
Posted By: Betty Boop
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2016 at 9:11pm
|
We built tubular speedway chassis using s/s, however found they work hardend and cracked, due to vibration and continual stress...... ------------- Last week I joined an Anti-Social support group........They won't talk to me! Papamoa fi-Glass Viscount |
Posted By: kitno
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2016 at 9:15pm
| Would small gauge "I beam" work? Very strong and easy to wash. |
Posted By: Fishy11
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2016 at 9:58pm
Would you not have thought of that beforehand? Like what would be the pros of running stainless? the chassis is going to be painted anyway. Not 'hating' but it's pretty common knowledge that stainless isn't going to be as strong (for the same size, wall thickness, weight etc) especially in that scenario as mild steel or chromoly. |
Posted By: Betty Boop
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2016 at 10:15pm
|
Trueeeeeeee.....we were young, dumb and full of cum in the mid 70's lololol :-) ------------- Last week I joined an Anti-Social support group........They won't talk to me! Papamoa fi-Glass Viscount |
Posted By: Fishy11
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2016 at 10:16pm
Seen a few done out of I beam, or H beam, you can make anything strong enough if you try hard enough like the C section trailer/s mentioned, but looking at weight vs strength for a boat trailer the box section is generally going to be stronger overall for the same weight, material & wall thickness especially when you start talking torsional strength. Not that I beam & H beam can't be incredibly strong when used correctly in a design(used for buildings of course) can take insane loads say verticle or horizontal but will be a big differerence between strength each way depending on what way the I/H beam is used. 'True' box section on the other hand will be equally strong all 4 sides/directions of loading. Seems like trying to fix something that isn't broke, if you look after your trailer correctly you shouldn't have issues. ( i don't mean 'you' specifically Kitno when i say that by the way). I'm also no expert, but is reasonably basic knowledge and basic physics. |
Posted By: MacSkipper
Date Posted: 14 Jun 2016 at 8:03am
------------- Good fishing trip nothing breaks, great trip catch fish. |
Posted By: OuttaHere
Date Posted: 14 Jun 2016 at 8:41am
I feel like you've hit the nail on the head here - my old man's trailer is about 25 years old, was a backyard build but has so much galv on it that it's not funny. No rust to speak of on the structural bits... though a few modifications over the years that weren't galv have gone a wee bit rotten. Doesn't get any washdown beyond a good spray with a hose.
|
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 14 Jun 2016 at 11:41am
|
The galv on the old trailers.. mine included looks very different in the crystal structure of modern hot dip galv trailers. I have researched, talked to a lot of ppl about this but nothing really seems to fit the difference. Some say it is the thickness, others the prep, others recon electric charge method.... Which the latter crystal structure sort of matches....but apparently this method has less thickness. The old trailers dont tend to have 'drips'/ dags nor seem to show any remains of them where may have been knocked off. If on drops a little phosphoric acid (cleaning brown off glass hull or anti rust soln) the drop sort of reacts different on the old galv and even old modern hot dripped. So what the hell is the ACTUAL difference between modern hot dipped and the old trailers? |
Posted By: Fishy11
Date Posted: 14 Jun 2016 at 1:23pm
|
Yeah interesting about the galvanising, I have a vogager that is around 15 years old, the biggest thing i notice compared to alot of trailers i see when launching at the ramp etc is how shiny and bright the galvanising still is on mine, and seeing trailers that are 2,3,4 years old and the galvanising has gone really dull, and looks to be very thin. I don't use salt away or anything like that on it either, maybe it works maybe it doesn't but from seeing mates boats and trailers, many who are less than half the age of mine and use the stuff i'm not that impressed with it to be honest |
Posted By: MacSkipper
Date Posted: 14 Jun 2016 at 1:25pm
 so why should the trailer last longer? Personally I'd like to think I can keep my boat and trailer going for 20 years if I want to... ------------- Good fishing trip nothing breaks, great trip catch fish. |
Posted By: mattyroo
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2019 at 5:22am
|
Tzer, did you ever end up doing anything? I'm looking at doing something right now, a bit of a dual purpose system... One to wash the trailer down, and two to wash the boat down. What I'm thinking of is a 1000l IBC mounted on the back of my tow vehicle with a little 4 stroke pump, which can deliver up to 100l per min at 2.5bar - not that I need either of those capacities, but having it all available is good. I could go for an electric pump, with lower capacity, but cannot always get electricity. I did think of using an inverter, as I have the battery capacity. Anyway, I think my final choice will be a petrol powered pump. I'll then have about 20m of layflat hose that I can use to wash either the boat or the trailer, for the most part it will be used for washing the boat, as we don't have huge volumes of water or any pressure where I keep the boat, also good for when doing long trips away and there is nowhere to wash down. Just get up on the roof and open the nozzle wide. I'm thinking to mount a irrigation hose with plenty of nozzles, that will wash the trailer down, run it along inside the chassis and do a loop at the brakes to flood them and the suspension. This will mainly be used for when the boat is on the trailer, as it is a b!tch to get at the brakes when on the trailer. Any thoughts appreciated.
|
Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2019 at 7:17am
Thats what I have - seems to work OK - but my trailer is showing some age. But it does not get inside the box section - I stick the hose in there. Just plug the hose in to a garden snap lock connector on the trailer and unload your fish while the trailer washes. Alan ------------- Legasea Legend member |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2019 at 7:42am
|
I put garden irrigation hose inside the box section of mine.. Was not happy with the result. To work well the direction the hose holes are laid so squirt the inside walls rather than hit the bottom side and just run out along the bottom , did not clean the walls or the inside bottom side of the box section well at all. Could not get the irrigation hose to lay well and reliably. The other issue stared to notice was the water under the hose area did not dry out well. Was going to set it up with black polyprop hose and proper irrigation wide angle spray nozzles but never got around to it. I simply poke the hose up into the box section from each end to the 1st bend... and shake it as it slides up. And after every 3 or 4 trips, poke the 3000lb petrol water blaster wand up. As to brakes inside hubs springs shackles etc.. one gets to know where and what angle to to do blind from the outside with a good hose nozzle.. As added general protection, lanocote in a pot, thinned so can paint with bit turps / kero/ thinners .. what ever.. Start on the outside, and work around just getting to the areas can reach easy.. Then lay a couple sheets ply or similar under the trailer/ boat start one end, get comfortable on you back and work up to the other end .. Dont put on where you grab things or hold on to.. Does not take as long as you would think. The most critical areas are welds/ gussets, cross members and axles, springs shackles, and get well into the back of the hubs and wheels. Also the inside of the mudguards, espec down the middle where stones go up from the wheels.
|
Posted By: mattyroo
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2019 at 8:56am
Sounds like you used a soaker hose, correct?
We usually go out for days at a time, so I want to be able to wash down the trailer directly after launching, such that it doesn't corrode while we'er out. Mine is an ali trailer with folded c sections with a return on the inside at top and bottom, not box section. My main concern s flooding the brakes and the suspension, rather than getting inside anything. |
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2019 at 10:06am
|
Sounds like you used a soaker hose, correct? Yeah Flush directly after launching...on a busy morning at the ramp? When we get home, I have a gone in 30 secs connect to hose sprayer...and GT 18 detergent...simply foam everything up (except clears) , and if dont get time that evening , leave over night.. Another foam u in morning and hose or water blast... GT 18 is designed to be able to be left and dry.. Something like that maybe? Biggest issue with brakes, be disc or drum espec on trailers and classic cars not driven thru winter, stored.. is leaving them on when parked up.., they have a habit of jambing up. |
Posted By: Big -Dave
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2019 at 2:19pm
|
I've been giving this stuff some thought lately. I'm looking at building new trailer, and the question of C sections versus box, sealed or open. I am leaning towards box with holes so I can get a hose in to use a rustproofing wax with fisholene in it to take care of what is unseen. Make it all bolt together so stopping and rehgalving is easy. Brakes, I went stainless and they seem to not give me any grief other than new pads at least once a year. I don't care if the Galv looks aged.. Although a hose thing to rinse the brakes might be a go. One connection with a couple of nozzles ------------- you can't fix an idiot with duct tape, but it does muffle them for a while... |
Posted By: Titahi
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2019 at 5:21pm
|
I plumbed some lawn pop up sprinkler heads into the concrete pad the boat lives on, boat gets backed into its usual spot, turn em on and they sprinkle away whilst cleaning and unloading the boat.......... proved very effective to date ------------- "I love standing by the ocean and just knowing what its for" |
Posted By: Kandrew
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2019 at 8:08pm
| That’s an awesome idea could even just slide a sprinkler under the boat while I’m cleaning the gear out |
Posted By: Big -Dave
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2019 at 8:45pm
I have considered backing the boat over a lawn sprinkler while it is running, just slowly back it over as I put it away. At the moment though, I back the boat and trailer in a river on my way home from the beach, run the motor and soak the brakes and trailer, run the motor for 10 min use the wash down hose to rinse off any more salt in the boat.. Then tow another 30 min home so it's all dry and done. ------------- you can't fix an idiot with duct tape, but it does muffle them for a while... |
Posted By: Reel Deal
Date Posted: 14 Feb 2019 at 10:03pm
|
Big Dave you couldn’t do moire !! ------------- The gods do not subtract from the allotted span of men's lives the hours spent on fishing - Assyrian Proverb |
Posted By: mattyroo
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2019 at 3:48am
100%. Will have a switch on the truck that runs the pump, hit that directly after launching and soak everything automatically for a few mins whilst driving to park the trailer. Automate these things, such that you don't hold anyone up. Also, by flushing whilst driving the wheels/brakes get spun therefore getting a better soak. I have tried to put a bit of thought into this.
|
Posted By: mattyroo
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2019 at 3:50am
Yeah, good idea. I have seem where some people put one of those oscillating sprinklers under their boat and just move it around. Good idea if you have plenty of water. One of my biggest criteria in any system I do, is that I can do it immediately post launching, as if I head out for 5 days, it will be sometime before it gets done.
|
Posted By: mattyroo
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2019 at 3:55am
Do you mean CT18 Truckwash? I use the CT20 Wash and Wax on the boat, which is better for the painted hull. Both wonderful products. I buy them by the 20l drums. the CT18 I use for everything, and I mean everything, except the boat.
|
Posted By: Mr Moritz
Date Posted: 15 Feb 2019 at 2:00pm
|
I bought one of these. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA5Fby4hbyg%20" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA5Fby4hbyg
|
Posted By: Steps
Date Posted: 16 Feb 2019 at 9:20am
|
Do you mean CT18 Truckwash? Yep CT18I am leaning towards box with holes so I can get a hose in to use a rustproofing wax with fisholene in it to take care of what is unseen. Basically you are looking at how the antirust (tectyl ??) installeras used to do cars (and chassis) a few decades ago... With open end box section and a pump up garden sprayer... the nozzle on the end of a plastic hose attached to a long stick.. to the sprayer... then poke down each end of the the box section to the 1st bend/ join. Cross members angle ... That just leaves the axles which if anything will be the 1st to start to fail.. Fisholene is good used that for many yrs.. now go to lancoate .. solid still and thinned down...and can be sprayed thru a good quailty sprayer..... Or if have a compressor...and preferably a pressure spray gun... From when I wash boat down, and not done so at the ramp... by the time one gets home the salt has dried pretty well... to get it off requires a good blast directly with the hose or use a brush... I like the idea of garden sprayers under the boat when parked...personally I would be looking at 2 of those clicker irrigation sprayers, where they swing back and forth and have a reasonable pressure stream behind them. At the moment though, I back the boat and trailer in a river on my way home from the beach, run the motor and soak the brakes and trailer, run the motor for 10 min use the wash down hose to rinse off any more salt in the boat.. Yep its nice being able to do that... hence why I upgraded the washdown / live bait tank pump to a 70 psi diaphragm pump a few months back |
Posted By: Big -Dave
Date Posted: 16 Feb 2019 at 11:25am
My panel beater mate has the proper tectyl gear.... Talking with my son this morning about building the trailer, said I might use the welder to put my name in big letters along the draw bar or side of it, who might steak a trailer with BIG DAVE welded in to it and visible to all... ------------- you can't fix an idiot with duct tape, but it does muffle them for a while... |