Trailer suspension

[rossymtb]

I have the opportunity to buy a old Snipe inflatable boat trailer, But the axle had been replaced and would need some work. I.e bearings renewing or stripping cleaning ect, Beam needs a good wire brushing and hammeriting and wheels need painting. Also needs mudguards and a jockey wheel

My main issue is i couldn't recall it having suspension. Would a sib boat trailer need suspension?

And how does £150 sound its only 10 mins away from where i live.

Also looks as though its some sort of axle from a transit van as the hubs are huge nearly as big as the 13 inch wheels.

[Nos4r2]

£150 sounds like a waste of £150 if it doesn't have suspension, mudguards and a jockey wheel unless you're only ever going to use it as a launch dolly.

[whisper]

Old snipe trailers can be a mare!

It could have a few different types of suspension, a sprung plate under an u shaped section Wishbone (Although I have that on my sib trailer) or the more usual type like this which is the better one:



Mudguards and jockey wheels are cheap enough from gooutdoors etc.

But trust me, they can be a money pit to get them right and that's a trailer without breaks.

However, post a pic if you can and also look on ebay and see what else is about. a brand new trailer could be a really good buy for you.

What size is your boat?

[rossymtb]

Its 3.8m my boat.
Trying to attach a picture of a very similar trailer

[HughN]

Originally Posted by rossymtb

I have the opportunity to buy a old Snipe inflatable boat trailer...

A boat trailer that is inflatable? That must pack away nice and small - where do you pump the air in?

[jyasaki]

No axle visible in the pics. I'm curious as to how the spindles are mounted. Bolted or welded directly to the frame? That would make replacement and/or alignment challenging.

And, as the OP said, the question of suspension is a good one: unless there's a torsion type arm, I can't see how any would be mounted.

You probably could get away without suspension if the overall load were light, but it would get pretty ugly on a rough road, with the tires bouncing the trailer all over the place. Not to mention sidewall wear.

jky

[rossymtb]

Went for a different one in the end with the same suspension setup as a erde trailer but with 13inch wheels. Needs some modifying to fit my boat better. So will post some pictures when it is near complete.

[rossymtb]

Trailer 99% complete minus a breakaway cable and a prop bag.

Made bunks to fit the bottom of my boat and a easy clip on and off for the lighting board. Anything else I should think about adding? Except a 4wd system and a extra 100bhp to my car.

[9D280]

Probably a bit late in the discussion now, but I think that type of lightweight trailer would have suspension units rather than the axles that a heavier trailer might use, which may explain the apparent lack of any springing if it's been a bodged replacement.


FWIW I priced up a total rebuild of the trailer my rib came on - By the time I had replaced all the knackered bits the cost was going to be similar to new. I sold the original as a launch trolley.