Andrew Posted May 17, 2005 Posted May 17, 2005 I've been looking and looking for a trailer for Vaztr for months - I've checked Ebay, the paper, the local trading post, garage sales and NOTHING has come up (except a few on ebay for $1000AU - how can I justify that for such a 'cheap' boat). So I end up forking out $34US for the Glen L plans and book for the 1000 series trailer. 2 days later a trailer appears on ebay with a $250AU 'buy it now' - so I do - and it's registered - and it's only 7 hours drive away. Ah well - when all's said and done, I can see that the trailer will need some mods anyway, so maybe the book and plans aren't a waste after all A Quote
Steve Day Posted May 20, 2005 Posted May 20, 2005 Andrew, That's the way it works for me, too. Just can't win. It must be a bit frustrating looking at all of the neat stuff over here in the states on Ebay and not being able to get to it. I was looking for a trailer a while back and couldn't find one within a 1000 miles of my location here in Nebraska. Then, one day I looked and there was one just like I was looking for about 200 miles away! I bought it and brought it home straightaway. What really frustrates me is when you MISS one like that. :x We'd like to come your way, but the Florida Keys, Bahamas and the Caribbean are calling first. Steve Quote
Andrew Posted May 31, 2005 Author Posted May 31, 2005 Wish it was a sailing report!! Picked the trailer up on the weekend. Left on Friday at lunchtime, Me, SWMBO and the three kids - drove for 8 hours - SWMBO and the kids had lots of 'drive thru' food (I can't, I'm a coeliac [celiac US]). We stayed in a motel overnight, the girls (7 and 9) thought it was the best, just like being on a holiday!! Went to get the trailer @ 9.00am the next morning. Trailer looked a little rusty (it's only surface rust so it's no big problem), when the guy tells me that one of the bearings is shot and will need replacing - thanx a lot buddy!! So I pay the cash, hitch up the trailer and start to think about how I'll be able to replace a bearing with NO TOOLS, NO WHERE TO DO IT and NO BEARING, with SWMBO and the 3 kids in the car! So an executive decision is made - we'll stop every 30Ks if we have to, and we'll be back in Canberra by July. First stop - Bearing feels OK... No, bearing feels better than OK - it feels fine, maybe I just got lucky - Kids get some more drive thru Second stop - Bearing still feels good - I'm feeling a little better - kids want more drive thru, but I am strong Third stop - bearing temp hasn't changed - I feel good about the bearing, but a bit miffed that I've been stopping every 30Ks for no real reason except to let the kids whinge about wanting MORE drive thru. Fourth Stop - Did 100Ks this time, bearing is behaving better than if I had changed it :shock: - I give in and the kids get drive thru Fifth stop - did 300Ks, obviously the guy didn't know what a shot bearing was! I picture him sat at home, comfy, relaxed, watching the footy, drinking the beer that he bought with the cash I gave him and laughing his head off at the guy who's taking 2 months to do a 700K journey :x . About 60Ks out of Canberra the kids have realised that we haven't had drive thru for a while AND its getting dark - 'Dad, why don't we book into a motel and you can have a rest?' :roll: - Nice try. Home - 9 hours after the journey began. It's dark, I'm grumpy, SWMBO is mumbling something about '...that bloody boat...', the kids have spent 17 of the last 32 hours in the back seat of a car. Was it worth it? Morning - and there in the carport is a trailer sat next to a pile of plywood that looks like a boat Damn right it was worth it! So now I've got some trailer work to do - which distracts me from VAZTR once again, but at least it's part of the same project, and I can see how good it will look when VAZTR gets to sit on it. Quote
Frank Hagan Posted June 1, 2005 Posted June 1, 2005 Great report, even if it isn't a sailing report! We seem to go to great lengths to get trailers for these little boats; I think its because boats last longer than trailers, so its rare that you find a really good used one. I think I've put more in my little trailer than it would have cost to buy new ... new hubs, tires, a fix for the rust that ate away one side of the frame, etc. And, I had to buy it with a boat on top of it that I had to sell. To make matters worse, I bought it from a dead guy who couldn't sign the pink slip over (the DMV was really perplexed at that). It sounds like you got a good one, and it was worth the drive. Of course, seeing all that fast food might not have been that fun. Eating a gluten free diet must be tough. Quote
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