On 29 Sep 2003 17:08:44 -0500, Donny wrote:
Hi Gary,
I just returned yesterday from a 10 hour ride from far Upstate NY to
Northeastern NJ to pick up a CHERRY of a trailer. It is hydraulic,
with stainless steel disks on one axle, (twin axle trailer).
We had a panic stop situation in heavy rain, unloaded trailer. The tow
vehicle, (Chevy Astro van), has antilock brakes. We stopped short and
straight, leaving me no doubt about how well the trailer brakes work,
even without a boat.
The seller advised letting air out of the tires for a better ride, but
it seemed to, "hop", all the way home, seeming to develop a
vibration/occilation of sorts that would start when we hit a small
bump, and continue for a second or two. It wasn't the brakes locking
up in any way. Anybody know what would cause this? Is it just a
product of the empty, flexible trailer? (FWIW, I'm a professional
driver, so the trailer was thoroughly pretripped, and everything was
tight).
The springs are set for the max weight of the loaded trailer and there are NO
SHOCKS on a trailer. If it is empty the springs will not compress much (when
loaded the friction between the leaves provides a little damping) and the bumps
in the road cause an empty trailer to bounce on its tires like a basketball.
Reducing tire pressure somewhat when empty would help, but then you would have
to pump them up again before loading.
JJ
Also, the hitch receiver, and the corresponding hitch bar that has the
ball attached, RATTLED all the way home, driving us crazy. I know it
won't do this with the boat on, but is there a way to stop this? We
tried a bungee cord around the bottom of the hitch bar, tying it up
above to the bumper, but that didn't do it. If i had a couple small
nails, I would have driven them into the gap as a quick fix. Any ideas
how to stop this next time?
My 2¢
My vote's for standard hydraulic as well.
Reason: KISS
Hope I helped.
Donny
1974 Trojan Sea Raider 25'
www.picturetrail.com/sixbennetts
http://thebayguide.com/rec.boats/donny_bennett.html
James Johnson
remove the "dot" from after sail in email address to reply