Wheel Bearing Grease

Joe,

Gotta agree - plusses and minuses. Always so, it seems. I've got a great EZ Loader trailer in back at EQ that has a bent axle from a big hit, so they are all vulnerable. The oil reservoir hubs are sturdy gadgets and appear to be almost (always so) idiot proof. Probably milky colored oil if a seal leaks or is damaged. And you are 100% right -- lots of units on the road for a long period of time will tell. If I ordered a new trailer I'd give them a try.

My Air Dock just arrived, so trailering is no longer an option!!

Dusty
 
All Right Dusty! Good Move! I want to see a photo of your latest C-Salt floating on that great big pillow! Sure sounds like a nice alternative to a Hydro-Hoist. How's the cost compare? I'm sure the installation would be simpler than for the Hydro-Hoist. Let us know how it goes. Good luck! Joe.
 
Larry,

The Air Dock (pix at airdock.com) is just for old folks - you and Nancy don't qualify! Cool gadget fer sure. Daughter has one here in the Cove for their C Dory and it works great. Two air bags fastened together. When inflated, they hoist the boat completely out of the water. The best part for me, you don't have to have it permanently installed. Just tie it to dock cleats like a boat. NO DANGED BOTTOM PAINT.

Joe,

I don't know the other systems - this one is just North of 2K and well worth it. Bottom paint is a PITA here -- very few places are WA State qualified, temperature constraints, and very labor intensive. EQ is a qualified facility, but the line formed a couple of years ago!! I like to keep the boat in the water - much more convenient, and our launch ramp is a zoo when the fish are here.

Dusty
 
Hey Dusty: That Air Dock sounds like a slick deal. Sure a nice way to avoid bottom painting. The fact that you can just tie it off to the dock without having a permanent, extensive mounting lash-up sounds like it might be practical for my use as well. Our slips are shared by two boats so if it doesn't reach over half way across the slip it should work OK.

Oh yeah, how old do you have to be to qualify for one of these contraptions. You didn't specifically say and since I'm only 72, I'd like to know if I qualify or whether I have a waiting period.

Thanks for sharing the info. Also congrats on the new CD in the works!

Have a good one and save a few for seed!
 
Hi all,
I just though I would jump in here I have tried all the bearing types including the lube one they all work ok to some extent but the fly in the oitment is the seals or I should say the seal surface. The seal surface is just plain old iron and rusts quickly in salt water and once that rust gets under the seal lip by by bearings. I have replaced the bearings in my trailer at least once a year since I got it. My last try I am hoping will work a little longer. I bought some special paint that the ferrys here use it goes on like water and soaks though rust and is spoused to stop it. It is harder then rock and you have to grind it off . I cleaned of all the rust on the seal surface and painted them and about and inch back, will know for shure this spring when I check them. I also found that the diaminter on the seal surface is under size by .018 on one side and .015 on the other not a great job of machineing. I have an EZ loader an you have to change the whole axle not just one side like on other trailers. If this dosen't work my next try is to get a new axle and have the seal surfaced hard cromed.
Richard
 
Hi Mark,

You probably qualify!!! I'll give a full report on the Air Dock when it's out of the boxes and under the boat. Come on down old (huh?) friend. Belly up to the bar at the Seattle Boat Show rendezvous -- then come on up to Deception and I'll demo the dock. Larry and Sandy (daughter) have one 3 minutes from the house, and they really like it. Added plus for AK drivers -- no fiberglas rash from running into an air bag instead of the dock. :wink:

Dusty
 
There is one other positive of the Air-Dock versus the Hydro-Hoist. As a family just found out at Lake Washington, if your Hydro-Hoist connection starts leaking and you don't catch it, you end up with a $10,000 water bill. The Air-Dock connections are not as likely to freeze and then break, and if they did, the compressor noise should alert you that there is a problem.

"Chivita" Dave
 
Dusty,

What about marine growth on the Air Dock? Do they have some kind of anti-fouling coating? Their web site only mentioned algae.
 
Larry,

I haven't researched it, but son-in-law says the gent at Air Dock said he could paint it with antifoul paint for marine growth. It is light enough that you can pull it out of the water and flip it for cleaning, so not sure which way I'll go.

Dusty
 
Hey Dusty,

You've got a point on the rash avoidance benefits of the Air Dock. According to their website, they make a lot of models to cover a range of boat sizes. What model did you come up with as optimum for the 22' CD? I need to find out what the width of the unit is to determine how much of the slip it will occupy.

I'd take you up on that Air Dock demo but it will probably be tough to make it down for this year's SBS/CBC. Not likely, but not impossible.............yet. I've made the last two and I hate to break the string but it's a "fur" piece of travel from Fairbanks.

Mark
 
Mark,

I'll PM you on this. I told Ken at Air Dock I wanted one just like Larry's. (Son-in-law) Larry will be here today and he'll know. And my name is...

Dusty (pretty sure, cuz I looked in a mirror)
 
Dusty, did you get your Airdock and, more importantly, how do you like it? (and what model did you get?)

Or comments from anyone else with the Airdock?

One concern is theft prevention if you're gone from the marina for a week or so. Any way to chain/lock it under those circumstances?
 
Yup, got my Air Dock, but it's still lin the garage waiting for a lazy old grump to assemble the contraption.

Larry and Sandy, daughter and son-in-law have the Air Dock under their 22 CD about 10 minutes from here and really like it. If it ever quits raining I can send you some photos. As for stealing the unit, dunno. I'll ask Larry for his thoughts.

I'll have to check on the model number -- get back to you.

Dusty
 
dogon dory":3bh8lhjt said:
Simplest solution if theft is that bad in your area.

Relocate!!!
Click to expand...

:lol: I'm not like Da Nag, though last year's appreciation in our little corner of North County Coastal is certainly a temptation. One more year's worth of appreciation will buy me a new '25 with all the goodies so I'll pass for now. :mrgreen:

Thanks for the offer, Dusty. Soon as it stops raining up there I'll look forward to the photos.
 
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