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Trailer problems...solenoid & bearings


BCA1313

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We have a 2001 LSV23 and while the boat has been great the trailer is having some problems.

1. Last weekend after having no issues the surge brakes won't release while backing up.  I checked power to the trailer and all of them show power...checked the blue one to be double sure.  I am assuming now that the solenoid is faulty and needs to be replaced.

2. I checked the fluid and noticed it was a little low to topped it off and noticed that the clunk noise diminished quite a bit which was a nice surprise.

3. I had put the fluid in at the storage facility and had the nice drive home.  I didn't notice until later that grease seems to be coming out of all the wheel bearings.  Red grease on the outside and green on the inside.  It looks like someone just squeezed it out and is all over the inside of the wheel with some on the outside too.  When putting my girls to bed they said that they say the trailer wheel smoking while they were outside.  I didn't notice this but they did.

I am a little stumped.  Would adding more fluid to the reservoir cause something to go wrong with the wheel bearing grease?  I can't see how but the timing  is too coincidental.  

It seems I need to buy new hub seals.  Is there a way to figure out which ones before taking them apart?  I have to put the whole thing, with boat on jack stands so would like to be quick about doing it one wheel at a time.  

Any help is appreciated.

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Sounds like solenoid to me, and they are usually replaceable, but I’m not sure what that entails on a 2001 trailer.  I had problems with my Boatmate hitch Last summer and ended up replacing the entire hitch assembly.  It was just a couple pins and remove the whole assembly and replaced it with one sent from oem.  It was $200 for the entire assembly iirc, but Boatmate was cool and covered it under warranty even though it was 18 months since it expired. 

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33 minutes ago, Bozboat said:

What’s the maintenance history on this trailer?

brake fluid level and axle grease pushing out are not connected

I just got the boat a month ago so I don’t know. Will most likely just rebuild all the hubs and instal bearing buddies so I know they are set unless there are other recommendations  

not sure how to pre-order the bearings and seals since I don’t know the sizes  

 

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since it was low on fluid, you probably need to  bleed the brake lines, sounds like you could have a trapped air bubble, that can be all kinds of a pain in the butt. I had to bleed them on the trailer for our 05 this year when i got it out of storage, took about half an hour.

As far as ordering parts without taking anything apart, no. Especially with older trailers, just take one apart, get the parts ordered, and hope the rest of them are the same. On the trailer to our 2002 only 1 axle had breaks, and of course the bearing assemblies were different, took me a week to get the parts and the job done, thankfully i did it while the boat was in the lake.

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Thank you all. I think I have figured it out and will fix next week. Two things. 
 

Solenoid is probably bad and I think since it’s older I am just going to pay the $200 and replace the whole surge setup since by the time I buy the solenoid and the new emergency cable I am half way there already. 
 

The hubs. I think when the fluid was low and I I stalled one or two things happened. I may have put too much in and it’s causing the brakes to just drag and overheat. Not enough to really feel when driving but enough. Also could he air in the system. 
 

Good news is after this the trailer will be in great shape and I will know maintenance 

Thanks 

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Your wheel cylinders might be leaking. Mine were leaking causing the brake shoes to swell and drag. There is a trailer store here that sells the entire assembly just bolt on. I would check to see if there is a trailer store near you. I took my hub with me to make sure I got the right size seal.

 

 

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23 hours ago, OLDGUY said:

Your wheel cylinders might be leaking. Mine were leaking causing the brake shoes to swell and drag. There is a trailer store here that sells the entire assembly just bolt on. I would check to see if there is a trailer store near you. I took my hub with me to make sure I got the right size seal.

 

 

Aren’t wheel cylinders for drum brakes?  Mine is dual discs. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Literally recieved our 2020 23 lsv and sent back the brand new 2020 trailer. It was already rusting everywhere. Great boat horrible trailer. The dealer is trying to get us a galvanized or aluminum trailer. If not we will order one from another trailer brand. I have owned plenty of boats here in Miami I dont think that trailer would have stood the test of time. 

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3 hours ago, jcancio said:

Literally recieved our 2020 23 lsv and sent back the brand new 2020 trailer. It was already rusting everywhere. Great boat horrible trailer. The dealer is trying to get us a galvanized or aluminum trailer. If not we will order one from another trailer brand. I have owned plenty of boats here in Miami I dont think that trailer would have stood the test of time. 

avoid aluminum and get a painted galvanized boat mate, luv mine, cost $5000

saw a guy launching his boat during an incoming tide with his aluminum trailer snd when boat slid off the floating trailer floated up under the launch dock

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2 hours ago, granddaddy55 said:

avoid aluminum and get a painted galvanized boat mate, luv mine, cost $5000

saw a guy launching his boat during an incoming tide with his aluminum trailer snd when boat slid off the floating trailer floated up under the launch dock

Thank you for the heads up lmao that must have sucked

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IME, there are basically two sizes of trailer bearings, one for 3500lb axles, and one for 5200lb axles.  typically the 3500 lbs axles have 5 lugs and the 5200lb axles have 6 lugs.  I would start there with what bearings to purchase and get the bearings that fit those axles sizes.

If you have a tandem most likely you have 3500lb axles.

https://www.amazon.com/WPS-Trailer-Wheel-Grease-171255TB/dp/B00M4J6RFW/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=3500+axle+seal&qid=1595008448&sr=8-6

 

 

Edited by cla10beck
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  • 2 weeks later...
On 6/30/2020 at 11:22 PM, BCA1313 said:

We have a 2001 LSV23 and while the boat has been great the trailer is having some problems.

1. Last weekend after having no issues the surge brakes won't release while backing up.  I checked power to the trailer and all of them show power...checked the blue one to be double sure.  I am assuming now that the solenoid is faulty and needs to be replaced.

2. I checked the fluid and noticed it was a little low to topped it off and noticed that the clunk noise diminished quite a bit which was a nice surprise.

3. I had put the fluid in at the storage facility and had the nice drive home.  I didn't notice until later that grease seems to be coming out of all the wheel bearings.  Red grease on the outside and green on the inside.  It looks like someone just squeezed it out and is all over the inside of the wheel with some on the outside too.  When putting my girls to bed they said that they say the trailer wheel smoking while they were outside.  I didn't notice this but they did.

I am a little stumped.  Would adding more fluid to the reservoir cause something to go wrong with the wheel bearing grease?  I can't see how but the timing  is too coincidental.  

It seems I need to buy new hub seals.  Is there a way to figure out which ones before taking them apart?  I have to put the whole thing, with boat on jack stands so would like to be quick about doing it one wheel at a time.  

Any help is appreciated.

The solenoids rarely go bad.  I added a second ground to mine and it works perfect.

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