USIA Dry Suits - Waders - Dry Bags

Tag Archives: repair

The Glue Room Guys: Saturday Repairs

Posted on by Posted in Team USIA

Here at USIA we not only build the most durable dry suits and bags in the world…we also repair them. Our customers keep saying our gear is “bombproof,” meaning it can stand up to just about anything you could throw at it. However, there comes a time when you’ll need to send in your dry suit, waders, or dry bag in for some work. We typically see suits that we made 20 years ago still in use coming through our repair facilities for tune ups. And our repair guys, Chris and Dave, are the best in the biz. When we get slammed with repairs, our trusty glue room guys go above and beyond to get the job done.

Here are a few photos of their day…

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How we get started on a USIA repair Saturday

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The glue line is essential

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Three in a row, ready to go !

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Wrist seals and glue are a good combo

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Stop! Zipper time!

If you have a dry suit, waders, dry bag or anything else waterproof that needs repair, chances are we can help you out. Call us 800-247-8070 and the Glue Room Guys will hook you up!

Why Our Waders Stand Apart

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why-our-waders-stand

Look around and you’ll find all kinds of waders made by all kinds of wader companies. Boot foot. Breathables. Bag style. Chest or hip. The choices are as extensive as your imagination. And, just as there are countless wader brands, there are also countless claims of durability and function. Wader X will last you years of use. Wader Y will be the most comfortable you will ever wear. While you can never be trustful of marketing gimmicks, you can be a savvy shopper and do your due diligence when it comes to making your wader purchase. We at USIA feel our waders stand above the rest. Here’s why:

Made In The USA
This might not be an important detail for some, but for most American outdoor sportsmen, this is a make or breaker. People who care know that buying a product made in the USA helps our country in so many ways. American jobs are created, good paying jobs that allow people to raise families. The money spent in America stays in America, circulating the money supply for more domestic investing. You may not think of this benefit, but keeping things local reduces the shipping, thereby reducing the amount of fossil fuels burned in the process. We all love conservation, don’t we?

Workmanship
The people that build your USIA Waders are professionals who embrace a certain amount of pride in their skills. They aren’t just employees working for a paycheck. We are all outdoor enthusiasts, all focused on the success of our company, and all invested in the quality of our Waders. Most people in the USIA family have been with us for many years, and plan to be with us for many more. When you have that sort of pride in your work, you tend to put out a superior product.

Customization
Most waders you find online or in the sporting goods store are as is. You get what you see. Stock sizes and stock accessories. Maybe you didn’t want the D-rings, or you wanted plastic ones instead of aluminum. Maybe you didn’t want the company logo. Maybe you wanted a shotgun shell holder or a more waterproof pocket. With as is waders, you have no or limited choices. With USIA Waders, you have literally hundreds of possible combinations of color, footwear options, pockets, and other accessories to choose from. The only limits are your imagination.

We Repair
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Got a call from a prospective Waders customer the other day. Said he had been looking high and low for a pair of waders that would last him more than one season. He was a little distressed about how his neoprene waders have been developing holes and his DIY repairs have been adequate but he knew he needed a more permanent solution. I was straight with him. Even the most bomb-proof waders will develop leaks over time. Ours is no exception. But our repair services are second to none, and when he found out how inexpensive it is to repair our Waders, he was sold. While we don’t like to see our Waders in for repairs, the reality is that stuff happens. Because of that, we offer full repair services for very reasonable prices.

Don’t Trash Your Trailer

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boat-trailers

Photo Credits: licenseplatebracketcentral.com | onlinetowingguide.com | floridasportsman.com | aaatrailerrepair.com | thehulltruth.com

 

Quick anecdote: Towing the SAV home from the coast after another great day out on the water along a dark, straight stretch of highway. Suddenly there’s a violent ‘crash’ and the truck starts to pull hard to the left. At the same time, sparks are flying in the blackness behind us like its a Fourth of July picnic. Then, as if it were late for some unknown appointment, a lone tire speeds past us then veers off into the night. It took a few seconds to figure out what the heck was going on, and as the truck eased to the shoulder, it was more than obvious that the boat trailer had lost a wheel. The culprit: worn-out bearings.

We outdoor enthusiasts spend a lot of time and money on our equipment, and boaters especially love to baby their toys, but for some reason trailers are treated like some unwanted stepchild. And think about how a trailer must feel. It does all the hard work lugging around that heavy boat on its back all day. And then when you get there, it gets unceremoniously dunked into the water, then its left behind while the boat gets to go off and have all the fun. We neglect them, let them sit for months, work them tirelessly and when we do work on them, its usually just some spot repairs or tire inflation. To save time, money and embarrassment, spend time on your trailer. Here are some ideas.

The Four Ts

Trees are a major hazard in the off season. Limbs, leaves, needles, sap-they all can cause big problems so try to keep the trailer clear of them.

Tilt the trailer so water has a chance to escape.

Give the trailer some tender loving care by washing it off after each time you use it, especially if you are putting it into salt water. In the off season, clean and lubricate the rollers, winch and gears. Make sure all the lights work and repair any wiring problems as they arise. Look for rust spots and take care of them.

Take off the tires and store them covered somewhere out of the sun, then cover the hubs and brakes to keep them clean and dry.

Keeping Your Bearings

One of the most neglected yet most important apects of trailer maintenance is bearings. Its not enough to just add grease once in a while through an outside fitting. While that may work for a while to keep fluid levels topped-off, the best way to keep them full of fresh lubricant and prevent corrosion is to repack them at least once a year the messy, old fashioned way. If you have a newer trailer with grease fittings on the axle, here is a quick tip on how to properly re-grease your wheel bearings. The grease fitting in the axle goes directly into a small hole located within the race where the rear wheel bearing sits. If you attempt to put grease into that fitting, and the axle and bearing is cold, the grease will not properly push the old grease out of the bearing, in fact, it may just blowout the rear wheel bearing seal. To maximize the effectiveness, drive your trailer a few miles and get the axle and bearings heated up from just driving them. While the axle and bearings are still warm, insert your grease gun onto the axle fitting and start pumping in the new grease. It will displace the warmer old grease and will be much more effective in displacing most all of the old grease. The newer style axles with the grease fittings are much more convenient, if you know the trick to properly use them.

After you’ve taken care of the hub bearings, move on to the greasing axle, making sure to inspect it first for any potential problems like broken welds or bent frames.

On The Road Again

When you’re hauling, make it a habit of checking the trailer hubs and and axle bearing for excess heat. If it feels too hot to the touch, have a closer look at it and repair it immediately.

This year and every year, make and stick to a serious maintenance plan for your trailer and avoid being passed on the highway by your own tire.

Sources: redtrailers.com | spyderlinks.net | BoatUS