Trailer frame re-build Ep1 - breaking the trailers backbone

The old trailer frame developed too much rust damage. It wasn't galvanized and looks like it was epoxy painted long ago. I tried to maintain the outside with metalfix and zinc primer but saltwater got inside the 3x2" box beams and it rusted from the inside out. Holes were beginning to form at various spots in the frame.

So the boat and trailer were carefully towed to my shed with the intention of just replacing a few beams that looked bad.

There was a space limitation to fit the ute in behind a storage container so pulled the Teria into the shed backwards on it's trailer using a turfer winch.

Backing the boat in with a turfer winch

Turfer winch

The ute was connected to the trailer again, ropes tied to the deck cleats to hold it and the car inched forward incrementally to pull the boat back off the trailer. Wooden ex-railway sleeper blocks were laid under keel, props and ropes to chain plates held the hull upright.

I forgot to remove the tilt bolt, a critical error. The trailers main frame bent like Plasticine, creating an inadvertent tilt-trailer action as the hull weight bore down on the aft roller of the trailer. The trailers backbones had been broken.

On a positive note, it was better it happened in the work shed. The frame was declared a write-off and a new one needed to be built.

Bent frame

The rusted A frame joint buckled

A bent trailer frame

Well so much for replacing a few beams idea - starting to look like some major surgery is required.