Fab1

A trailers frame will rust from the inside out if made from RHS usually being contained to the rear third of the trailer where it is submerged underwater during launches/retrievals. The main problem areas are the rear most crossmember,the second from the rear and the back third or so of the side rails as these are the areas that are submerged during the launch/retrieve process. Other common areas for rust which will lead to component failure are the springs,axles,u bolts etc.This photo shows a trailer with badly corroded leaf springs which have led to a leaf breakage and should be replaced with a set of new galvanised ones and those leaf spring hangers I'd replace while I was there.This shows a trailer with rusty mudguard,side rail,axle and u/bolts.I can tell you from this photo this trailer will take a lot of work and expense to get up to scratch.Here's a photo if the inside of my side rail.This is what you want,minimal corrosion all the way throughout.Here's a photo of a used trailer with good condition axle,springs,wheels and frame.Mine. Check the integrity of all welds when inspecting the trailer frame paying particular attention to the winch post as they can crack/break right at the base.This is exactly what has occurred here. Cont pt 4.

With wheels the main thing to keep an eye out for is rust,dents,cracks,broken/split welds,missing/broken nuts,missing weights etc. I won't go into great depth here as rust is obvious enough if you are unlucky enough to be dealing with steel wheels. Most wheels will be either alloy,powder coated alloy or galvanised steel these days. Alloy wheels will tend to crack and galvanised steel will tend to buckle/dent. This is a common place for an alloy wheel to crack. This is an example of a dented and cracked alloy wheel,look for similar in galvanised steel. Later on when I crawl underneath the trailer is when I look at the insides of the wheels/tyres for damage and finally jack the trailer up for a quick bearing inspection. Have a quick look that all the wheels haven't got missing wheel nuts,weights,dust caps/buddies or broken studs also. Basically look that the wheel has minimal corrosion and is as it should be. Pt 3 will be the trailer frame and accessories.

My Bin that has moved up to Qld a few years ago is taking the plunge and getting into boating/fishing and has asked if I can give him some tips on buying a used boat,so I will be making up a list of things I look for with photos to send to him and thought I'd share on here also. This is a question that is commonly asked so I thought I'd share what I've learnt over the years that may help others looking at purchasing a used boat giving them a bit more confidence and knowledge in what to look for.A lot of this stuff will cross over into doing used car inspections also. First of all I take a small torch,note pad,pen,rag,empty lid,screwdriver/s,spark plug spanner and compression gauge. Here goes. When I am presented with the boat by the seller I like to start with a quick walk around the whole boat taking note of anything that grabs my attention to be inspected further a bit later. The first thing I ask myself is does the boat look like it's been taken care of overall and is it in the condition described by the owner in the add? Does the price asked fit in with the market value of the boat being looked at? Keeping in mind at all times the CONDITION plays a big role in the money being asked as well as engine options and any extras. This is where homework on your part comes into play.(Know the market). Once you've decided whether you walk away there and then (You'll know as soon as you see the boat)or have decided the boat warrants further inspection I like to start from the ground up. I like to have a set routine so I don't miss anything and will always start at the tyres,wheels,trailer,hull,engine in that order. Tyres-What to look for? I look to see that all the trailers tyres are the same brand,size,tread pattern and are all showing the same wear pattern. They should have no visible cracks,splits,bulges,cracked valve stems,dry rot,etc. This tyre above is showing the classic signs of dry rot with all those cracks running across the sidewall and should be replaced ASAP.This tyre has them in between the tread blocks and should also be replaced.This valve stem above has very bad cracks when bent back and should also be replaced ASAP.This is what a bulge in the sidewall of a tyre looks like and should be replaced immediately and not be driven on. Also check the manufacturing date on the sidewall of the tyre falls within the last 5years or so. In this example the numbers 1411 tell you that the tyre was manufactured on the 14th week of 2011.The first two digits in this case 14 always represent the week and the last two 11 the year. So in this case April 2011 which would make this tyre almost 6 years old going by today's date and should be discarded. That's just the basics on common things that happen to tyres to keep an eye out for. In pt 2 I'll share what faults to look for in wheels. If anyone has tips to help someone out feel free to add them. Cheers.

Well done mate!Im sure plenty of the freshwater fishos will appreciate the tips,time and effort you've put in to this article. Cheers.

Gone Fishing Four old timers were Fishin and one remarked how for Christmas this year he'd love to wake up on Christmas morning, roll out of bed and without an argument go directly to the lake, meet his buddies and go fishing. His buddies all chimed in and said, Let's do it! We'll make it a priority, figure out a way and meet here early, Christmas morning." Months later, that special morning arrives, and there they are on the lake. The first guy says, "Boy this cost me a fortune! I bought my wife such a diamond ring that she can't take her eyes off it." Number 2 guy says, "I spent a ton too. My wife is at home planning the cruise I gave her. She was up to her eyeballs in brochures." Number 3 guy says "Well my wife is at home admiring her new car, reading the manual." They all turned to the last guy in the group and he is staring at them like they have lost their minds. "I can't believe you all went to such expense for this Fishin trip. I slapped my wife on the butt and said, 'Well babe, is it sex or Fishin?' and she said, "Take a sweater..."

The company's rod's would be Intresting I'm guessing.Lol.

now I've seen it all.

I'd say the tradies know something.

At least you managed to get out mate.It certainly beats anything else. I can only imagine how the waterways have been after the recent rains. Thanks for sharing.

Bloody Mongrels at it again.Hope he was covered by insurance. Did he have any security measures in place and where they home at the time?

As the others have said,a pair of beautiful fish there mate.

In my opinion nothing beats a day out on the water mate with a good feed on board even if you don't catch anything which we do often enough. Be thankful that the weather gods kept the rain away for you this weekend to have a crack. Im itching to get out for a night fish. Cheers.

You'd be surprised how many people that rockfish from different ethnic backgrounds can't swim let alone save themselves when they end up in the drink. You wouldn't get me in a boat let alone go rock fishing if I couldn't swim.Then again I have common sense . The family's and friends are the last ones left grieving when it's all said and done.

Good job there mate. You need to make yourself up some wedges to sit on the crossmembers to level whatever plank/board you'll use.I used a solid square length of nylon on my old boat. A lot of the manufacturers have them as standard or optional.My trailer came with the walkway but I find it a bit narrow at around 8" wide. My solution was to add grip tape every where I walk as I stand on the walkway and trailer rails at the same time as well as climb over the bow and through the windscreen. One of the best mods I did to the trailer was putting that tape on as I slipped and nearly lost the Crown Jewels prior to that. If you make a walk way try to make it at least a foot wide so it's not such a balancing act.Cheers.

Does it matter that much if there's 1" of water left in the bilge after using the bilge pump/s? Those bungs are one more thing that can fail in my opinion but it's entirely up to you if you want to install them. Cheers.

The old milk crate comes to the rescue again.Top stuff!I hear they make great billy cart seats for kids.Oh the memories I've got from the old billy cart days not to mention my scars. Cheers.

Sometimes cheap n nasty is all you'll ever need mate.If it's functional and meets your needs it's a winner in my book. My mrs wishes I had one of everything mate.I'd say the same is true with you guys and all your fishing gear.

The esky will be more stable also being rectangular.The glued foam or a simple cushion will be welcomed by the buttocks.

Good job there mate.If those ground nuts are scraping on your legs get yourself some acorn nuts like these as they're nicer on the legs.Also if you want to push a bolt through foam next time try using a length of hollow tube first to push through and twist which will remove a foam plug for easier fitment of the threaded rod. Off the top of my head if you want that bucket to swivel and be padded I'd get myself a swivelling bearing like this , attach a plywood board to it then u/bolt that bucket to the board. (If you want you can leave the bucket separate and just sit the bucket on top of the board). Have you thought about mounting a pedestal and seat where you have the bucket?You could still mount it to be removable using wing nuts that sit flush with the floor for when it's not in use. For the seat there's options from a simple cushion to cutting out a round piece of ply,padding it and covering in vinyl,the choices are endless. Cheers.

His surname could have been Simpson.

First of all you need to workout a little more as an aluminium boat should be able to be lifted with one hand.lol.You can buy tongues with different offsets/drops to help raise the nose on your trailer like this one.Try the wreckers and a few trailer places.Also if you haven't done so you can turn your existing tongue round 180 degrees to raise the trailer by around 50mm. Cheers.

I look at it like this. You own a mass produced boat like many others do including myself.They are all built to a price with the #1 priority for the manufacturer being making as much profit as possible and being as efficient as possible at the same time.At the end of the day they couldn't care less if it takes you 2 seconds to change a light or 3weeks once the deal is made and they have your money. I bitch every time I change the oil filter on my ute how stupid it's placement is.It's still there in the same spot waiting for me next time round. Same with Plumbers,electricians,car manufacturers etc,etc.They will all put things where it's easier for them and not necessarily you. I've changed plugs on cars in 5 minutes and others took way longer due to accessibility and labour involved. Besides,if everything was well thought out,bullet proof and un breakable we'd all whine and complain how much the initial purchase price is. At least you know that you've made life that little bit easier for yourself and perhaps later the new owner Jim. cheers.

I would sell that motor and buy a 30 to stay legal for your own good.All boats will steer well out of the water no matter what as there's no load,water pressure and speed put on the steering system and prop.They all suffer what is known as torque steer due to the rotation of the prop,water drag, etc which needs to be counter acted by adjusting the outboards trim tab a few degrees either to the left or right depending on the direction the outboards pulling towards.(Fwd powerful cars experience something similar also known as torque steer.)At the very least get that hull re-rated for the 40. Cheers.

Hitting tyres on curbs,driving up gutters etc can and will damage tyres internally if done often enough even though there's no obvious damage externally with the naked eye. People don't realise how complex tyres are internally and the abuse they have to sustain day in and day out under everyday driving conditions on our cars let alone trailers of any description. Like some one else said the 13" and even the 14" tyres are slowly going by the wayside as there is an ever decreasing demand for them but it will be a while yet. If you go the 14" route ensure you have enough clearance inbetween your guard and top of your tyre so they don't scrub out.(The extra 1" will decrease that gap by 1/2".) Having said all that I would do my best to stop hitting kerbs,keep the tyres inflated correctly,Minimise there sun exposure by covering them if in the sun,if your rig is parked up for some time raise the wheels of the ground on stands or move the boat slightly to a new contact patch on the tyre(This is good for both tyres and bearings) of you could take it for a short drive every few weeks and replace the tyres every 5 years regardless of condition. This is what I've done my whole driving life and hasn't failed me yet other than the unavoidable odd puncture. In summary by the best you can afford,look after them and they will give you the longest service life. Cheers.

The lunch in the hull etc is the builders version of burying all the rubble,rubbish and crap in the front yard of new homes. I went back to the dealer with a rusty tape etc that they left in my hull when I lifted the floor and have theme what for.That tape saved me 2k on the purchase of my boat not to mention the kick in the xxxx I gave them all. good job mate.