Trailer/ Boat wash

[danny412]

A mate of a mate of a mate etc, had once heard about this, any ideas for improvements.
Seems to work ok for now, will be better once I find something to spray the water a bit better.

[Blackened]

G'day

Run down the hardware and get some proper spray heads they use for fixed sprinkler systems in the garden, you only want a heavy mist

Don't forget to aim some around the inside of the wheels/hub/brakes

Dave

[Roughasguts]

As Blackened said get some proper sprinkler heads the ones that are blue, or Red, that spin aren't bad, I would be more keen to have them inside the steel channel to flush that out though.

But what you really need is to wash the trailer in hot soapy water, it's only hot water that washes salt off properly.
And then if using the fine sprinkler heads, the water may cool to much to be effective.

I just run warm / Hot water through me gurnie, there less than a hundred bucks now, and you can just fill a bucket with hot water tip some soap in and they will suck from that.

[jtpython]

Thats a brilliant idea.
I use hotwater /boiling from the hotwater system with dishwashing liquid to wash my boat down works an amazing treat. Just buy the 5 litre containers of dishwashing liquid from the Hardware store. And throw a bucket of it over the trailer once i give her a good soak
JT

[charleville]

Have often thought about doing this but have had concerns about salt retention and therefore rust developing at the tie-on points, under the cable ties.


I used to just use a garden sprinkler under the boat for five minutes until we had water restrictions imposed.

I think that the garden sprinkler worked pretty well with a lot less trouble.

[Dean1]

Mmmm looks like you could be creating another problem and maintenance etc. Spray heads blocking up from salt etc yuck. I think stick to the gerni personally 8-)

[danny412]

Thanks for all the replies.
The sprinkler heads I tried didnt spray upwards, only designed to spray down.
I think i might invest in a gurnie, at the moment we wash the boat with car wash and a soft broom.
Whats good to spray on bearings, wheels, axles etc to prevent rust??

Danny

[Chimo]

I have a similar system on my trailer with proper fine spray heads and it has worked well.

It works less well now as the the Council dropped the water pressure to save water.

To get any pressure you need to split the system into two and then rinse one side of the boat and trailer at a time the way that Air Berth does their spray system. As a two part / half and half with less sprinkler heads you can more pressure and get a good rinse. Also mount a couple to hit the brakes and springs but go for a drive to dry the trailer off after the rinse or the brakes will turn to sh..t

If you fit an in-line filter as used with drippers etc the heads wont block either.

Cheers
Chimo

[PADDLES]

each to their own i suppose, but that looks like an awful lot of effort to go to when it's pretty easy to aim the hose under there anyway. be good for the older gents who've had enough of crawling around under boats or someone with a crook back though. you'd want to have a spray aimed straight into each of the gal blow holes in all cross members too. pretty ingeneous though, i'm impressed.

[Noelm]

I was just thinking the other day (no smart remarks about me thinking) I reckon that in really "Boaty" areas like say around the Sunny Coast, Sydney and places, a Boat wash, sort of like a Car wash, but uses hot water, and a high pressure hot water nozzle, "special" salt disolver "stuff" and easy Boat/Trailer/Car moving around might be a good business these days, would anyone pay a couple of bucks to get their Boat properly washed and desalted?? geees might have just let my million dollar plan out of the bag!

[TheRealAndy]

I have a polycraft. i dont wash my boat :D:D:D:D:D:D

[Pete62]

Good thoughts and ideas form the crew as usual.IMO u can't beat the Gernie and hot water. I am lucky to have a C**r Lovers on the way home so for $2 I can wash down the boat and trailer then I flush the motor at home. Noel, the ideas man.......... rush down to the patent office and register that idea............BOAT LOVERS.......... that's a great idea, I had a simmilar idea for cars coming up off the beach, a drive on grate that cleaned the underside of the car. Cheers, Pete.

[Chimo]

I reckon Boat Washers and Grate Car Washers would work and make some money if:
1 you could employ staff and not pay them or their on costs
2 be able to direct all boats so they had to use yours
3 be able to direct all cars off all beaches in say SE qld to use yours

otherwise the the ingrained Aussie individuality of boaters and drivers would
ensure that the only one who made real money were the agencies that :
1 issued the permits
2 made sure the staff were trained
3 undterook safety inspections etc etc

Have a nice day! :-*

Cheers
Chimo GOM & Lifestyle Consultant;)

[SgBFish]

Thats a brilliant idea.
I use hotwater /boiling from the hotwater system with dishwashing liquid to wash my boat down works an amazing treat. Just buy the 5 litre containers of dishwashing liquid from the Hardware store. And throw a bucket of it over the trailer once i give her a good soak
JT

JT do not use dishwashing liquid it is highly alkaline and will react with your galvanising. Use car wash.

[Crocodile]

Heres a laugh.
Took my Suzuki and tinny thru that car wash thing at Rainbow Beach.
Because the car is so short the tinny was in the wash as well and filled up with water, must have been half a tonne of water.
It took about 20 minutes drain out
Shows how strong those little trailers really are.

[maztez]

Looks like you guys have solved a problem for me regarding my newish tinny that even tho I wash her after each trip , she still has a surface of white powdery stuff . I thought that it may have been a reaction with the ali .I use car wash but it still leaves the white stuff so now Ill try HOT water when I wash and see what happens.
thanks guys
cheers Terry

[bushbeachboy]

I own a Polycraft too, and I like to clean it, although I'm not too concerned about corrosion. Rust in the trailer is another matter. So far all I've ever done is give it a thorough hose-down after every trip, then sprayed Inox all over the place. The rust seems to be under control - for the moment anyway.

[Noelm]

Maztez, I found on my small tinny that if I used a good quality car wash it stayed pretty good, but if I just hosed it, then it would get these tiny white "pimples" does not damage anything, just looks crappy, even though it is in the garage, it still got those white dots all over it.

[maztez]

Yeah Noel m I keep my tinny in the garage as well and wash with good carwash but still get it .Im going to try with hot water and hopefully fix it .
cheers Terry