Sat on the A1 (M) Waiting for the AA :-(

Vincent Vega · 14 January 2014, 13:00

I picked up a new to me RIB this morning. After about 3 hours driving I decided to stop for some fuel and when I did, noticed smoke billowing from one of the wheels on the trailer.

I'm now sat on the A1 (M), 80 miles from home waiting for the AA. It's cost me £120 already and a further £4.44 per mile if they can't repair it and have to recover it to home. :-(

I'm in my wife's Seat Alhambra and their breakdown service is only for the car, not the trailer. Gutted.

PeterM · 14 January 2014, 13:18

Feel for you . I've done some pickups of 'unknown' trailer and been lucky enough to just about get them home.

Is that a standard unbraked hub? If it is it looks in very poor condition .

Any rumbling/grinding/screeching noises at all ? I always think its the change in noise that signals bad things going on.

Different mind set - you could have lost the tyre, - the entire boat into a ditch , taking the car and you with it - so a tow home expensive but could have been worse.

I now carry spare hubs, tyres ( if I have the correct ones spare ) , grease and tools . Stop every so often to check the play in the bearings and heat being generated ....

Hope it works out .....let us know and take lots of pics of whats failed - looks like the bearing outer race has managed to come out of the hub - no easy task when you want it to let alone when you don't !

And has the hub then slide outwards on the stub axle? - whats the outside look like ?

Chris Caton · 14 January 2014, 13:21

that's a bummer, hope you get sorted!

steco1958 · 14 January 2014, 13:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vincent Vega

I picked up a new to me RIB this morning. After about 3 hours driving I decided to stop for some fuel and when I did, noticed smoke billowing from one of the wheels on the trailer.

I'm now sat on the A1 (M), 80 miles from home waiting for the AA. It's cost me £120 already and a further £4.44 per mile if they can't repair it and have to recover it to home. :-(

I'm in my wife's Seat Alhambra and their breakdown service is only for the car, not the trailer. Gutted.

Feeling for you, but that is why I am with the RAC, it is me that is covered, whatever vehicle I am in/on.

2 cars, Motorhome, and Motor Bike, aal covered, and if towing that is covered also.

Not bragging, but it is something to concider next time you look at breakdown cover.

Steve

kerny · 14 January 2014, 13:43

What a stinker

hope you get back home okay. The bloke you bought it off should have told you that the bearings needed checking before you drove it away at least then you would have had the chance to sort it out before driving off with it.

Some people just don't have a conscience all they want is the money and don't give a toss about the consequences.

matt h · 14 January 2014, 14:00

Did you check the bearings before you left?

samt · 14 January 2014, 14:17

I always jack up each wheel and check before towing an unknown trailer but ironically the only bearing failure i've had was on my own trailer which i was complacent with.

Quote:

Originally Posted by steco1958

Feeling for you, but that is why I am with the RAC, it is me that is covered, whatever vehicle I am in/on. 2 cars, Motorhome, and Motor Bike, aal covered, and if towing that is covered also. Not bragging, but it is something to concider next time you look at breakdown cover. Steve

Depends what level of cover you have, both have very similar options. AA cover me as a driver and cover the trailer providing it is not unhitched from the car when they arrive..

paddlers · 14 January 2014, 14:23

Over the years I've been recovered twice by the AA whilst towing a boat. They've been really good although last year when my gearbox blew a seal I had to wait 4 hours. As an apology they gave me 12 months free this year!
Good luck with the recovery.

Vincent Vega · 14 January 2014, 14:38

Cheers for the advice guys. The chap I bought it off told me he'd greased and re packed the bearings and that everything should be good to go. I stressed that I had a 5 hour journey and he assured everything should be ok.

I'm speaking to him at the moment about him covering the recovery costs so hopefully he'll be reasonable and refund me the £380 that I'll be out of pocket. He seems a good guy so hopefully it's just an honest mistake and he wasn't trying to pull one over on me, I'd rather look for the good than the bad.

I'm just lucky I decided to stop after 3 hours of driving, I had planned to drive straight through and if I had the boat, and possibly the car would have been littered over the A1. It could have been worse and I'll certainly learn from the experience. As we tow to Spain each year I'll make sure our breakdown policy covers the trailer as well and not just the vehicle.

Hopefully the recovery vehicle will be here soon and I can carry on home. :-)

Ribochet · 14 January 2014, 15:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vincent Vega

Cheers for the advice guys. The chap I bought it off told me he'd greased and re packed the bearings and that everything should be good to go. I stressed that I had a 5 hour journey and he assured everything should be ok.

The vendor has told you "porkies" - those bearings have not seen grease in a "Month of Sundays".

At least you and your new RIB are OK

Chris Caton · 14 January 2014, 15:01

doesn't look like that's seen any grease or new bearings in a while !

A1an · 14 January 2014, 15:04

They are as dry as Ghandi's sandals

I have a box of old but serviceable bearings that I take with me when I pick up a boat trailer.

jambo · 14 January 2014, 15:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by steco1958

Feeling for you, but that is why I am with the RAC, it is me that is covered, whatever vehicle I am in/on. 2 cars, Motorhome, and Motor Bike, aal covered, and if towing that is covered also. Not bragging, but it is something to concider next time you look at breakdown cover. Steve

The AA is the same it's the person no matter what vehicle.

Sent from my iPhone using Rib.net

kerny · 14 January 2014, 15:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ribochet

The vendor has told you "porkies" - those bearings have not seen grease in a "Month of Sundays".

At least you and your new RIB are OK

Agree!! I didn't want to say anything but like you say at least everyone and rib is okay. But it ain't anything that can't be fixed. Lets hope you get some money back which can go towards new bearings and hubs and by the look of the inside of the wheel on the pic new wheels as well.

Barrowboy · 14 January 2014, 15:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerny

Agree!! I didn't want to say anything but like you say at least everyone and rib is okay. But it ain't anything that can't be fixed. Lets hope you get some money back which can go towards new bearings and hubs and by the look of the inside of the wheel on the pic new wheels as well.

Glad you, the rib and the car are all ok. It really could have been a lot, lot worse.

You now know the character of the person you've bought the rig from so if I were you I would have an experienced person check the outboard VERY THOROUGLY INDEED before you go anywhere near the sea with your family.

Best of luck

Vincent Vega · 14 January 2014, 15:30

Yep, my plan, when I finally get home, is as you say, new wheels, bearings and hubs. At least I'll then know exactly what condition everything is in. :-)

Vincent Vega · 14 January 2014, 15:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barrowboy

Glad you, the rib and the car are all ok. It really could have been a lot, lot worse. You now know the character of the person you've bought the rig from so if I were you I would have an experienced person check the outboard VERY THOROUGLY INDEED before you go anywhere near the sea with your family. Best of luck

You're right, that was the first thing I thought of. I'd planned to have it serviced before I used it but that's even more important now.

Cheers.

Vincent Vega · 14 January 2014, 16:27

Finally heading home, the boats on the AA truck. :-)

treerat · 14 January 2014, 16:35

Never a good feeling. I found out the hard way that the AA wouldn't cover my trailer when the trailer failed. They only covered the car (fleet policy).

As I looked harder it turns out that they were not alone. The car is covered, the trailer is covered if the car fails but if the trailer fails and you don't have the trailer cover - no sir.

Green flag on the other hand

Glad it's resolved and it's not just private sales. I bought a new to me boat that a main dealer had taken in as PX against a new boat. Only just made it home, bearings were shot to pieces, only traveled 50 miles so there was no way that they had serviced the trailer before pick up as per the sale

Welcome to the zodiac club

Chris Caton · 14 January 2014, 16:35

well, at least you and the boat etc are safe, tomorrow is another day!