My
30 foot Cobra Terminator came on a triple axle boat trailer
made by "South Florida Trailers"
Here's
some of the highlights of my trailer rework
I
needed to haul a pair of 26 foot steel I-beams for my Boat
House (my utility trailer is just too small) so I used
my boat trailer. While I have it out from under my boat, I
figured I'd 'catch up on the maintenance' that's obviously
been neglected for quite some time.
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I
reworked the 'bunks' on my boat trailer. This view (on
the left) shows the condition 'as received'. Of particular
note; look closely at the center 'bunk' section and
notice there is no diagonal bracing for the long black
carpeted 'bunk'. Every time the boat was loaded, those
three center support posts were subjected to severe
longitudinal strain. They even showed signs of failure
and subsequent repair. I certainly cannot imagine why
the trailer manufacturer would have designed it this
way or why the previous owner would have not made an
effort to correct the problem.
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I
took care of that 'design problem' right away by tying
all the bunks together so they take advantage of the
heavy braces already located on both ends (as you can
see in the finished product shown on the right). Heavy
pressure treated 2" by 8" planks now properly
support the hull and 2" by 6" side guides
ensure it loads straight every time. All surfaces (that
come anywhere near the hull) are now fully covered with
soft carpet to ensure no damage occurs during launch
or recovery (the way it should be). When I complete
my Boat
House I'll repair the gouges in the bottom of the
hull from the carelessness of the previous owner.
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Using
some scrap aluminum I got at the local recycle center
and some sealed LED light assemblies I bought online,
I fabricated new light brackets for my trailer.
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I
incorporated these lights into the side braces that
support the fenders. Nice bright, sealed LED lights
are quite an improvement over the old (leaky, corroded)
'bulb and socket' lights. I also installed six new tires
and two new spares. I always carry a high-lift jack
and a hydraulic jack (with a nice wide pad on the bottom)
so I can change a tire in any situation.
All electrical connections are soldered then sealed
with heat shrink to ensure long life.
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I
mounted four clearance lights along the rail forward
of the wheels. Next, I turned my attention to the brakes.
Now
I see why the boat pushed me all over the road as I
was coming down the 'Grapevine'- no brakes!
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I
completely disassembled the surge brake unit and ordered
replacement parts as required.
While
I was waiting for my new stainless brake tubing and
master cylinder, I performed some corrosion control.
All rust was removed (with wire brush or sandblasting),
all parts were scrubbed, then primed with Petit Rustlok
primer.
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Both
drum brake assemblies were completely shot. I guess
nothing surprises me anymore. Doesn't anyone understand
the concept of 'preventive maintenance'?
So
at this point we've sandblasted and primed all six rotors, and installed new brake
assemblies, new bearings and races, new seals, new stainless
brake lines, and a new master cylinder.
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During
the recent rework of the bottom of my Kevlar
Cobra Terminator, I noticed several areas of the
gel-coat that had rock damage. On closer inspection,
it's pretty clear to me the trailer wheels throw debris
up onto the underside of the sponsons during towing.
This is not acceptable.
Never one to ignore a problem, I widened the fenders
and completely enclosed the wheel wells. Now there will
be no road debris thrown anywhere near the bottom of
my hull.
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While
I was at it, I added the rear bumper to my boat trailer.
I chose 5" steel channel to fit properly inside
the existing frame rails and I need the additional weight
to ensure the trailer does not float at the boat ramp.
This
extended bumper will protect my Arneson ASD-8 and Surface
Drive Prop as the entire assembly protrudes out an additional
45" beyond the transom. I'll post some better photos
after the boat is back on the trailer with the Arneson
ASD8 drive installed.
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After
carefully measuring the angle of the local boat ramps, It's
pretty apparent I'll need rollers to safely retrieve my Cobra
Terminator.
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I
starting with 4" by 6" angle iron (welded
in pairs) then drilled holes for the rollers.
Sand
blasted, primed, and painted it's time to mount the
rollers.
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The
bottom of my Offshore Powerboat has twenty feet of flat
area where rollers can properly support the hull.
Correctly
angled to fit the tunnel, these rollers automatically
center the hull as it's loaded.
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Later,
I may even anodyne, prime, and paint the rest of the trailer
frame.
There's
more to towing than just adding a hitch
When I
bought my truck, I was told it already had the "Towing
Package" installed. Sure it had a receiver bolted on
the back, but did it have all the other (unseen) towing equipment?
My GVWR sticker had been removed from the door post and the
"Towing Package" is not indicated by the VIN. After
a detailed inspection, it turned out to not have the factory
"Towing Package" installed. So I researched, located,
and installed the proper components myself.
I mounted
the correct oil cooler and thermostatic bypass valve behind
the grill and plumbed into the engine oil lines with stainless
steel braided aircraft lines. I also mounted a high-capacity
transmission cooler behind the grill (next to my triple air
horns) and plumbed it into the existing transmission fluid
lines. According to the book, my towing capacity is now 10,500
lbs. based on my properly equipped engine, transmission, rear
differential ratio, tire size, and my four wheel drive (with
the proper class three hitch and weight distributing bars).
With my 30 foot Cobra Terminator fully loaded, I'm pulling
under 6,500 lbs. so this is a very comfortable load for my
towing rig. I'm very satisfied with the results.
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I
was concerned about factory brakes having enough stopping
power. After reading through a lot of truck and towing
related forums, I decided I did not need to replace
my four factory disk brake rotors with slotted disks.
I did learn however, it is recommended that I replace
the front rubber brake hoses with a set of stainless
steel braided lines. This inexpensive modification firmed
up the brake feel and is more resistant to 'brake fade'
while towing heavy loads.
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If
you've ever parked on the boat ramp, you know how inadequate
the 'parking brake' is. Up to this point I used a chock behind
the drivers wheel. Barely adequate for my smaller boat, this
is definitely not safe for holding my 30 footer.
After
some more research, I decided on the Mico
Brake Lock system. Since my ABS splits the front
disk brakes into separate left and right systems, I
needed two solenoids for the front. After some shopping
online I obtained all the parts. I hooked up the solenoids
to the existing front brake lines after mounting them
on the frame rails. I used a new 12" brake line
from my local auto parts store to connect each solenoid
to the respective front brake hose. Installation only
took a couple hours and now I've got excellent holding
power at the flip of a switch. Now I'm not concerned
that my truck may want to 'take a swim' whenever I park
on the boat ramp.
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If
you've been parking trailers very long, you already
understand how difficult they can be to park in a tight
spot.
To
make it easier, I mounted a receiver on the front of
my truck (normally hidden behind the front plate).
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I
just remove the front plate and attach the trailer ball.
Now,
maneuvering my trailer into a tight spot is a breeze.
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Even
with four wheel drive, you can get stuck on a slippery boat
ramp. To improve my 'grip' I selected the Detroit Truetrac limited slip differential made by Eaton.
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Installation
only took a couple hours.
Now,
I have lots of traction even on the slickest boat ramps.
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While
we're setting up for towing, I also made the exhaust flow
better with the addition of an all stainless steel exhaust system from JBA performance exhaust.
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The
kit was complete and installation only took a couple
hours.
I
noticed a little performance improvement, and it sounds
great.
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My
turbine
powered boat is now complete.
Thanks
to all those folks who have provided tips, technical advice,
and information to help me with this project.
Soon I hope to be skimming across the waves at 120 miles an
hour with a permanent grim etched on my face!
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