Yamaha supplied SX230HO trailer

[scopeusa]

My 2008 SX230HO came off the showroom floor in March 2010. Yes the trailer has been in and out of salt water but every time its been thoroughly pressure washed. Effectively I went away for six months and just prior to that I notice a few rust bubbles appearing coming from under the galvanizing. The outer galvanizing on the 4" x 2" box was still looking pretty fair. When I actually came to get the boat out of the shop six months later I could not believe my eyes! The pics tell the story. I decided to bite the bullet and rebuild it as to ship another trailer to the islands costs a packet in reserved deck space (longest x widest x highest) plus 37.5% import duty. I guess this is the reason never to touch a box section trailer. I used pre-galvanized 4" X 1 1/2" channel (you can effectively wash that out) and 4" x 3/16" plate and cut up the outer chassis, it was easier with the grinder than the plasma cutter. The cross members were salvageable but had to be reinforced at the ends, I guess they drained more effectively. The suspension hangers and front V hook up and winch bracket were recovered along with the mudguards and brackets. The worst bit was grinding off the galvanizing for welding and the rust on the old parts. The axles and springs were fine. I protect the springs with Evinrude blue totally waterproof grease. This works like a charm and does not emulsify when dipped in the ocean and does not cause pollution. Eleven years in and the little clamps on the springs made in thin steel are still as new. I will not say the trailer is pretty but its stronger now than it has apparently been for years and the boat normally lives on the lift when in use. To think I had to tow the boat to the ocean to get it off the trailer in that condition makes me cringe, especially when as I put it back into the shop with the forklift, the front port chassis section snapped. A lucky escape you might say!

 

[haknslash]

Pressure washing alone does not remove salt crystals. Soak the new trailer down with Salt Away, Salt Terminator, etc and let it work.

 

[scopeusa]

Thanks but that's not really possible inside 25 ft of box section. I use salt way in the engines its worth its weight in gold, but I have never found 4,000 PSI @ 4 gallons per minute not to wash salt away. The galvanize on the outside of the box which has been washed was perfectly fine. The galvanize under my bunk boards where the boat sits on wet carpet that drys slowly and cannot be washed, unless the boat is not in residence, stood up just fine.

 

[haknslash]

I could pressure wash the boat, run my hand along the gel and still feel the salt. If I lived near salt or dipped trailer I salt all the time I would have an aluminum trailer. Hope your new trailer lasts ad gives you years of use.

 

[scopeusa]

Perhaps you need a more powerful pressure washer with more GPM? The trailer came with the boat, I would not have purchased it if I had a choice. As I said the galvanize on the outside of the trailer was perfectly OK. It rotted from the inside out, hence my discovery after the event. My rebuilt trailer is just a standby until I get to ship in a 40' container of construction materials. I will buy a new aluminium one in Florida and strip it down completely enabling it to be shipped in component form and therefor take up little or no space. The old trailer will fetch the cost of a new aluminium one in Miami.