My shiny set of wheels before she set sail from the US

Last week I wrote about getting my trailer repaired and gal dipped to extend it’s lifespan for a few more years.  The idea is quite sound, and had the potential to save me quite a few dollars so I don’t have to buy a shiny new set of wheels.

Over the week I’ve had a huge number of emails and phone calls asking me for the details and also urging me to share the outcome of my experience.

Well, short answer?  I’m too late!  Externally, the trailer looks in pretty good nick.  There are a few bubbles of rust  coming through the paintwork, and the cross beams are quite heavily pitted with rust as a result of stone chips.

When I dropped the trailer off last week, we discussed that the cross beams would need replacing, and that I’d get a full quote once they had the opportunity to assess the internal frame using a camera.

I’ve got the report.  Unfortunately the rust on the internal walls of the tube frame are beyond repair, and it’s highly likely one whole side of the frame would need replacing to salvage the trailer.  The costs have blown out to about half the cost of a new I-beam trailer and I’m seriously considering my next steps.

On one hand, cosmetically I love the Stratos trailer, and salvaging it will still be cheaper than a new one, but looking beyond the short term pain of forking out more hard earned dollars on the boat, a brand spanking new Aluminium I-Beam trailer will alleviate a lot of headaches in the future.

Looks as though I have 12 months of saving to do…