Hello, and thanks for the suggestions regarding my trailer vibration!
As to the tires having flat spots- visually the tires seem to be fine and have no dry rot or any indication of flat spots but I guess that doesn't mean that they're not there. I see that I can order a new tire and wheel combo online for less than thirty bucks each so that might be the way to go.
As to the tongue weight-- I think that might be worth checking on. The boat tows great until I get to about forty and then starts vibrating. The vibration starts to go away at about 75 and is gone at 80. Obviously I prefer NOT to drive 80mph with the boat behind me but this has been the only way to get rid of the vibration. My fellow drivers must think I'm a real a**hole when I go flying by them with a boat in tow!
Because the vibration goes away at high speed, I don't think that it's an aerodynamic problem- but I could be wrong?? I use a tow bar that has a high side and a low side to attach the ball to (forgive me if I don't have the terminology right). I use the high side because my volvo is a t5 and is pretty low to the ground. The trailer seems to connect to the ball at a flat (level) angle. Maybe I should try the low side so that the trailer tips forward a bit at the tongue??
If I wanted to increase the weight at the tongue, what is the best way to do that? I thought about putting a sack of gravel in the cubby, but it's not going to be easy to get it in and out. Are there weights that you can buy to attach to the trailer?
As to the alignment-- I wouldn't know how to check that visually. Everything appears to be straight. I have to say that the trailer is not very stiff but I don't know if that is normal or not. If I give the trailer a lateral shove it definitely flexes and wobbles a bit, but I can't imagine that I new one would be much stiffer...
Anyway, I will try everything that you all have recommended- Thank you!
John
Hello everyone,
I am new to the Capri 14.2 (purchased an '86 late last summer and sailed it twice) and new to this forum too.
I have a question about towing:
I use a Volvo V70 to tow the boat and have found that between 45 and 65 mph I get a lot of vibration out of the trailer- enough to make my teeth chatter! The tires look ok with lots of tread and the boat is centered and strapped down tight. The previous owner says he greased the wheel bearings right before I picked the boat up. I asked my local Discount Tire if they could balance an 8 inch wheel and the guy looked at me like I was crazy.
Can these small wheels be balanced? Should I just order a new set of wheels and tires? Or do I have some other problem? Any advice or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
John
Still, it seems that it would be pretty darn hard to bend the spindles or the axles on this trailer considering the boat only weighs about 400 pounds...
Maybe the previous owner towed it with bad bearings until it siezed?
Rob,
you mentioned that maybe the springs are the problem... They could be adding to the problem but I dont think that they would make the wheel wobble when the trailer is jacked up. Still, it seems that it would be pretty darn hard to bend the spindles or the axles on this trailer considering the boat only weighs about 400 pounds... Maybe the previous owner towed it with bad bearings until it siezed?