A trailer warning for everyone!

[water_buoy]

I towed the boat to Lechlade today for a nice evening trip up the Thames followed by a pub dinner ... However when I went to back the boat up to the slipway I could hear a knocking noise, I thought "ah the jockey wheel must have dropped a bit and it's catching the ground" oh no, I got out the car to find this ...

Another few miles up the road and there could have been serious trouble so I was lucky really!
So I just thought I'd prompt a few others to check your trailer bearings if you haven't yet this year, this trailer was new about 18 months ago so I wasn't too worried about it but thinking back I have done a lot of miles (obviously a few too many) and not checked it well enough.
My boat will now be sleeping under the stars until I can fix it instead of her normal cozy workshop

ooh and no evening river trip either

[Classic fever]

Only 18 months old - wow, quite scary

Have you used it in salt water?

[water_buoy]

Yeah I thought that wasn't long but I have used it in salt water several times plus I reakon I've done about 3000 miles with it since new. Does that sound about right or was this a case of a faulty bearing perhaps? I thought it odd as I haven't even been through a set of tyres yet

[se7en]

Most people grease them every time its put in the water......... I have always found grease to be a little better at lubrication than water........!!

[Rapier]

Very scary, did the bearing cage collapse? 3k miles is a lot. Most of my saltwater ones get swapped out once a year and I use only Renolit Aqua grease - after a similar mishap in the motorway services en route to Bedfordshire and a horror story of David K's involving a wheel coming off while overtaking a lorry.

[water_buoy]

Most people grease them every time its put in the water......... I have always found grease to be a little better at lubrication than water........!!

Ah that will do it then ... Only greased it twice since I've had it Another lesson learned with a lucky escape!

I presume the cage has collapsed as there is a pile of swarf and flat sided roller bearings now in the hub, inner bearing seems to still be intact and just the outer one that's gone.

I think I will be swapping them once a year from now on

[Rapier]

Am not a fan of those bearings, but save money and just clean and grease them on a regular basis. Wait for the hubs to 'cool' before you dip them and a lot here grease them both before and after immersion. A kind gentleman on this site showed me how to set them up initially, but I have to say I do lose track with 3-4 trailers and often do mammoth round trip drives like Falmouth that new bearings and hubs just give me extra peace of mind when I am on the road for 14 hours.

[Sea-Jay]

Good grief!! it must have been a good pub lunch, the trailer's upside down!

[water_buoy]

Good grief!! it must have been a good pub lunch, the trailer's upside down!

When I saw the wheel there was only one thing to do

[water_buoy]

60 odd quid saw me two new hubs today complete with new bearings and all is sorted they are both packed with marine grade hub grease now!
I'm pretty sure this was just in experience on my part, they were well under greased on removing the second hub (which was also slopping around) I found some pretty dry looking grease clumps mixed with plenty of water.
I'll definitely be taking better care of them from now on