goona
06-12-2015, 03:10 PM
Well it all started one day when I was hosing out the boat after a day out on the water. I saw what looked like a rust hole in the rear lower channel of the under carriage and proceeded to poke it. To my dismay my finger went through it into the channel. Oh not good. So I started looking around trying to find a trailer manufacturer that could rebuild the under carried and the obvious place to start was right here on Ausfish,
I read with interest about Bretts (aka brett62) awesome build of his vey own trailer from scratch and can be seen in this link http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php/198961-Boat-Trailer-project?highlight=Brett+trailer This trailer is seriously a work of art and better than any production trailer out in my opinion.
I asked Brett half jokingly on his rebuild if he wanted to do another one and when he replied with a yes what have you got I was stoked. Brett came around and ha a look at my rapidly rusting undercarriage and took a heap of measurements and then drew it up on auto cad. I checked the measurements as Brett is away for 20 days at a time and home for 10. On his next return home he again dropped in and we double checked everything and he gave me a cutting list so I could obtain the steel. Brett also asked if I was handy on the tools and being a chippie by trade I said yes. So I was to help cut the members and Brett would weld it all up. I asked Brett what he would charge and he said nothing just pay for the cut off wheel and the welding rods. I was blown away and said I need to pay you something of which he again said he wouldn't accept anything from me. That man is a true gentleman. Brett didn't know me from a bar of soap.
Brett redesigned the trailer with "C" channel this time so it could be hosed out as that was the problem last time as salt water got trapped in the channels and hence it rusted from inside out. I got all the steel and delivered it up to Bretts house however our weekends didn't align so Brett ended up doing all the cutting and welding by himself. This was unbelievable taking time out of his days off to build my trailer for someone he has now only meet briefly 2 times before. I cannot thank him enough for his generosity.
So Brett cut it all and welded it all up and even lent me his box trailer to take I to the galvanizers. A big thank you also goes to his family for letting me take Brett away from them on his days off and for also lifting the undercarriage onto the box trailer which weighing in at 220kg was no mean feat.
I took it to the Galvanizers and then picked it up all the while Brett said just keep the trailer until I come back up when he welds the last 1800mm rails onto the A frame as these two had started to rust. The galvanizers did a good job and I was ready to do the switch over. The neighbour let me use his driveway as there is more room and a lot flatter. So unbolted all the U shackles and jacked up each side of the "A" frame and rolled the under carriage out. All my running gear (Axles, springs, brakes. bearings etc) was still in good nick as we only replaced it about 1 year prior. Getting the spring bolts out etc was near on impossible so a lot of grinding an drilling later I finally got it separated. When I rolled the old carriage out and stood it up against the fence it literally collapsed.
I lifted the new carriage on car stand and rolled the tyres, axels etc under and bolted it up. Hooked all the brake lines up etc and then took it up to Brett for the A Frame work which again he took time out on his days off to cut the last 1800 section from the rear and weld in the new section. This also involved pulling off the lights ad brake lines etc.
Attached are a few pictures of the project. This undercarriage is 10 times better than the previous one being stronger and a much better design allowing me to hose it out properly. I feel much safer knowing it wont collapse on our Stanage trips on that rough as guts dirt road that we drag it along. I also had a little problem with the Sensa Brake unit where it would pump up the first time but subsequent times it wouldn't so this was also replaced.
Now getting back to Brett and his outstanding generosity. I felt guilty not helping out and taking him away from his family when he was home after doing 20 days away with work let alone all the work he has done and the outstanding job of what he has produced being better than most production trailers and no matter what I offered him whether it was money, a weekend away, buying the materials for his deck even offering him my labour to help him with his deck etc he always came back with the same answer. No its all good and I wont except anything from you just get me in contact with a supplier that can get me a good price on the purchase of the materials for my deck. Truly an outstanding gentleman. Brett I thank you very much for all your hard work, for saving me thousands of dollars and for producing and outstanding trailer. I am truly indebted to you and if there is anything I can do you just sing out and I'll be there.
I read with interest about Bretts (aka brett62) awesome build of his vey own trailer from scratch and can be seen in this link http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php/198961-Boat-Trailer-project?highlight=Brett+trailer This trailer is seriously a work of art and better than any production trailer out in my opinion.
I asked Brett half jokingly on his rebuild if he wanted to do another one and when he replied with a yes what have you got I was stoked. Brett came around and ha a look at my rapidly rusting undercarriage and took a heap of measurements and then drew it up on auto cad. I checked the measurements as Brett is away for 20 days at a time and home for 10. On his next return home he again dropped in and we double checked everything and he gave me a cutting list so I could obtain the steel. Brett also asked if I was handy on the tools and being a chippie by trade I said yes. So I was to help cut the members and Brett would weld it all up. I asked Brett what he would charge and he said nothing just pay for the cut off wheel and the welding rods. I was blown away and said I need to pay you something of which he again said he wouldn't accept anything from me. That man is a true gentleman. Brett didn't know me from a bar of soap.
Brett redesigned the trailer with "C" channel this time so it could be hosed out as that was the problem last time as salt water got trapped in the channels and hence it rusted from inside out. I got all the steel and delivered it up to Bretts house however our weekends didn't align so Brett ended up doing all the cutting and welding by himself. This was unbelievable taking time out of his days off to build my trailer for someone he has now only meet briefly 2 times before. I cannot thank him enough for his generosity.
So Brett cut it all and welded it all up and even lent me his box trailer to take I to the galvanizers. A big thank you also goes to his family for letting me take Brett away from them on his days off and for also lifting the undercarriage onto the box trailer which weighing in at 220kg was no mean feat.
I took it to the Galvanizers and then picked it up all the while Brett said just keep the trailer until I come back up when he welds the last 1800mm rails onto the A frame as these two had started to rust. The galvanizers did a good job and I was ready to do the switch over. The neighbour let me use his driveway as there is more room and a lot flatter. So unbolted all the U shackles and jacked up each side of the "A" frame and rolled the under carriage out. All my running gear (Axles, springs, brakes. bearings etc) was still in good nick as we only replaced it about 1 year prior. Getting the spring bolts out etc was near on impossible so a lot of grinding an drilling later I finally got it separated. When I rolled the old carriage out and stood it up against the fence it literally collapsed.
I lifted the new carriage on car stand and rolled the tyres, axels etc under and bolted it up. Hooked all the brake lines up etc and then took it up to Brett for the A Frame work which again he took time out on his days off to cut the last 1800 section from the rear and weld in the new section. This also involved pulling off the lights ad brake lines etc.
Attached are a few pictures of the project. This undercarriage is 10 times better than the previous one being stronger and a much better design allowing me to hose it out properly. I feel much safer knowing it wont collapse on our Stanage trips on that rough as guts dirt road that we drag it along. I also had a little problem with the Sensa Brake unit where it would pump up the first time but subsequent times it wouldn't so this was also replaced.
Now getting back to Brett and his outstanding generosity. I felt guilty not helping out and taking him away from his family when he was home after doing 20 days away with work let alone all the work he has done and the outstanding job of what he has produced being better than most production trailers and no matter what I offered him whether it was money, a weekend away, buying the materials for his deck even offering him my labour to help him with his deck etc he always came back with the same answer. No its all good and I wont except anything from you just get me in contact with a supplier that can get me a good price on the purchase of the materials for my deck. Truly an outstanding gentleman. Brett I thank you very much for all your hard work, for saving me thousands of dollars and for producing and outstanding trailer. I am truly indebted to you and if there is anything I can do you just sing out and I'll be there.