July/August Issue 62 - Flipbook - Page 20
TLC GARAGE SERVICES & RECOVERY
RECOVERY OF THE MONTH
NEWS
20
We received a call asking if we
recover boats on trailers. We
answered: “Of course we do!”
We gathered some more info on
size of the boat, weights etc.
As it was on the A358 main road
going towards Minehead – an area
we’re called to a lot – we knew the
location and saw the boat had been
there for a week already.
Two people had already attempted
the recovery – someone had
recommended us to the customer
as they had seen we have an SLA
and have done similar jobs in the
past.
We dispatched an SLA and our 4x4
for extra assistance and to fence
off for a safer working area. On
arrival we found the jockey wheel
was U/S, the other wheel bearing
was completely shot, and the wheel
was sat at an angle where it wheel
had come off and other attempts to
recover had been made.
The stub axle was now buried into
the ground. We dug down 10 inches
to find the stub axle and got a
scaffold board and a slippery under
it to aid getting it on to the bed.
We utilised the front winch on our
4X4 snatch, and blocked off a nice
thick fence post to help to steer it
onto the bed. Upon loading, the
trailer was unfit to hold the boat
securely too!
We had to put extra straps on the
boat and trailer to hold everything
together to make it safe to transport.
At the other end, to unload on a
customers driveway, we jacked it up
on the bed, slid the wheel back onto
the stub and put a wheeled skate
underneath and strapped it up.
We managed to tow it off the truck
with our 4x4 and reverse it on to the
customers driveway, and into his
garden exactly where he wanted it!
This shows just how trailers with
boats, caravans and etc. are in poor
condition and this customer has
certainly learnt his lesson. Luckily,
no harm was done (other than the
customer’s pride).
We then went back to the yard to
have a coffee and a sandwich,
ready for the days’ next adventure!
