Hello Everyone,

If you own one of steel trailers may I ask you to check the the main beam that runs aft from the hitch mechanism to the cross member which is just aft of where the the side beams fork out left and right. You're looking for internal rust that eats through to the point where the this girder just snaps.

I was recovering my boat a couple of weeks ago to have some land work done. All went well until I was driving the rig up the slipway. There was an almighty bank, and then an awful grating sound. The offending beam, which is essentially a box girder, has snapped on both vertical planes, and the bottom horizontal plane. I had to hammer the hitch off to separate the boat from the car and leave the boat and trailer in the water until the next dat. This all happened at around 19.30 and there was no-one else in the boatyard. The new piece has been replaced and welded in, and I am having some extra cross plating in to add strength. The night in the water did the brakes no good and they are now seized - being sorted today I hope.

My trailer is 13 years old and probably not that well taken care of by me, although it had an extensive refit about 4 years ago, and a service last year.

The nightmarish thought is what would have been the result if it had happened at 60mph on the motorway.