[Rhodes22-list] Advice / Recommendations - Purchase of used Rhodes 22

[thebooker]

I will second Alex's excellent advice about trailer and add my experience.

I told seller of my boat (5 hours away) I wanted hubs greased and brakes
checked. I even bought new tires for trailer. I was assured all I asked had
been done. I drove up, fairly heavy rain, hooked trailer to my truck and
drove home, over 5 hours away. I drove in some extremely stressful
conditions at times - 3 lanes of heavy traffic, no breakdown lanes. I
checked hubs twice early on for heat and felt none. (Considering what
followed, I am still puzzled about that). A wheel coming off in that traffic
would have been a catastrophe. 

I got home, worked on boat a day or so and launched. A stranger standing
next to my wife said: "Tell your husband the left wheel is about to fall
off" She kept quiet till launching was over (we live 3 blocks from launch
site). When I got home and inspected wheel, the axle was lying against the
bearing housing. I was actually very afraid the empty trailer wouldn't make
it to the repair place a mile away. Wheel was obviously non vertical. Yes, I
am lucky beyond belief.

Inspection showed brakes in left wheel a pile of metal rubble, no sign of
outer bearing, only dried up grease on inner bearing. Other wheel only dried
up grease. Marina paid for repairs.

At the very least, take a few minutes to knock of bearing hubs and look for
fresh grease. Of course can't see inner bearing even so. 



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Brooks Bridges
1986, Recycled 2006 "Changes"
Cambridge, MD
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