Part 4 of Mitch’s complete trailer rebuild A jockey wheel is a great, affordable addition to any trailer. Before you attach the new jockey wheel, remove any wiring and brackets that are in the way. Find a suitable position that won’t interfere with the winch post or trailer hitch.
Hold the jockey wheel vertically in the rough location it is to be fastened (my trailer is upside down, due to the total rebuild). Align the holes in the mounting plate with the draw bar and insert two U-bolts surrounding the draw bar in the process.
With the mounting plate loosely attached to the drawbar, operate the jocke wheel through its full range of motion to check for clearance of the hitch point and the winch post. In my case I had to move the mounting plate back around two inches.
Once you’re happy with the location of the mounting plate, tighten the four bolts so that they are nice and firm. Operate the wheel through the full range of motion again and check for clearance. Mark where the mounting plate is so that when you remove it for painting, you know exactly where it needs to be.
To bring the trailer back to life, it’s time for a coat of paint. There are a few different methods you can employ, for example spraying or rolling. Killrust™ offers pressure packs or paint tins – I opted for the paint tin and roller. After you have prepared the surface and wiped it with wax and grease remover, it’s time to roll on the paint. Make sure you don’t go overboard as too much paint will cause runs
Timber split, wires frayed and blown bulbs. It’s time for an updated light board! There are so many designs on the internet these days; choosing what is best suited to your boat can be quite confusing.
The new telescopic trailer light board from ARK™ takes the guess work out of buying a new light board. Its lightweight and compact design is very easy to use with eight different adjustments from 85cm to 185cm, and it also comes with a built-in number plate holder and light. Easily the best light board on the market.
As you can see, the end result has turned out pretty good. You could spend extra money on a pneumatic spray gun and compressor but at the end of the day, that’s the price of a new rod and reel combo!