Boat trailers & spare tires

[lew]

After reading a thread this morning about someone having a flat tire on his boat trailer, I thought I'd throw this out there for anyone new to towing a trailer.

 

1st off.....ALWAYS CARRY A SPARE FOR YOUR TRAILER

 

The wheel wrench for your tow vehicle may not fit the lug nuts on your boat trailer and if so, you'll be stranded on the side of the hiway even though you thought you were prepared. Be sure to carry the proper sized wrench for your trailer wheels.

 

It's a good idea to loosen the lug nuts & re-tighten them once in awhile to be sure they don't become siezed on the wheel over time which could also leave you stranded on the side of the road.

 

It's also a good idea to carry a flat piece of wood incase you need to jack up your truck or trailer on soft ground. It'll keep the jack from sinking into the dirt as you crank up the vehicle.

 

Check the tire pressure on your trailer tires before EVERY trip. I carry a tire guage, compressor and a couple cans of the aerosol puncture sealer in my truck. I also increased the length of the compressor plug wire by 25' so it can reach the trailer tires without having to remove them.

 

And be sure your trailer wheel bearings are in good shape & lubricated

 

Just a few thoughts that may help a newbie out.

 

Anybody else got anything to add ??

[John]

All really good advice there Lew, some of these were new to me when we chatted about this subject at Lakair...........thanks.

[Garry2Rs]

Great advice!

Basic tools and a spare set of bearings in the truck is cheap insurance. I trailer long distances and have a spare hub and bearing set. The cost was only about $65.00, but the one time I needed it, it was priceless!

Garry2R's

[canuckjack]

Wise advice Lew I definitely hadn't thought of all those possibilities...seems I've got some trailer prep to do

[dave524]

Don't assume you can use your vehicle jack on your trailer, especially if the tire is flat and the axle close to the ground. Those scissor type jacks come in handy and are pretty cheap , collapse to a low height.

[smally21]

no better way to spoil your day than a flat tire. frustration, headaches, high blood pressure, getting creamed by passing traffic, kids screaming in car, expensive cottage rental going to waste, etc., all avoided by some good preperation.

good reminder lew.

if i stop to help a fellow boater and he has taken no precautions i have a mind to leave him there.

its always the dude with the junkiest trailer and oldest car that doesn't carry a spare or jumper cables.....

[Fisherman]

if i stop to help a fellow boater and he has taken no precautions i have a mind to leave him there.

its always the dude with the junkiest trailer and oldest car that doesn't carry a spare or jumper cables.....

 

What, that never happens to me, only the other guy..definitely a good idea to have a spare bearing set and tools to replace them on the road.

[cityfisher]

Great advice!

Basic tools and a spare set of bearings in the truck is cheap insurance. I trailer long distances and have a spare hub and bearing set. The cost was only about $65.00, but the one time I needed it, it was priceless!

Garry2R's

 

Great Advice lew !, Good point garry, im going to get a spare bearing set as my bearings exploded last weekend on my quad trailer !

[danbouck]

When towing a loaded tinny and you blow a tire and don't have a jack follow these simple steps:

 

1- chug a beer

2- leave one beer out of the cooler

3- set the cooler next to the axle

4- breath

5- lift trailer

6- push cooler under trailer with feet

7- set trailer on cooler

8- change tire

9- chug other beer

10- lift trailer

11- remove cooler

12- open cooler for another beer

13- get you wife to drive the rest of the way

 

[Billy Bob]

Blew a tire 2 weeks ago just after I got off the Church St ramp on the way to the boat launch....not good but I was well prepared......I even had some orange collapsible cones to set out to protect me from all the nuts speeding to work...

 

Looked up the receipt to find I had them there CAR tires (radials) on my trailer for 12.5 years and now Sam's Club no longer carries that size (175/80/13). I called around and around and no one had them but they insisted a trailer tire was better for my applications (they cost a LOT more per tire). But then I remembered Mr Fox Tire in Buffalo that sells just about any tire you need including used tires (that's where I got my spare). Told the guy on the phone what I wanted and said can you get me anything close to what I need in a car tire that has a load rating of at least 1179 lbs....he said "I have 4 different manufactures of the 175/80/13 tires you're looking for"....cheapest cost $34.99 with mounting included.....I hopped into my Tundra and got them mounted and balance and new valve stems to boot.

 

So Sam's Club charged me $28.99 12.5 years ago and I got them replaced for only $6 more per tire....COLOR ME HAPPY....

 

Bob

 

Moral of the story: you don't always need trailer tires at trailer tire prices if you can get a car tire with the proper load range to handle your boat.

[NAW]

There are some good points here guys. A few more things I need to throw in the trunk..

 

I bought new tires for my trailer this spring. They are one side bigger the ones I used to have on. But I kept my spare the same size. I figure it will OK to use as a spare to nurse me home. The original where 4.8, 4 bolt, and the new ones are 5.7, 4 bolt. What do you guys think? Should I spend the extra $50 and get the correct size spare?, or will one size lower work??

[aplumma]

Blew a tire 2 weeks ago just after I got off the Church St ramp on the way to the boat launch....not good but I was well prepared......I even had some orange collapsible cones to set out to protect me from all the nuts speeding to work...

 

Looked up the receipt to find I had them there CAR tires (radials) on my trailer for 12.5 years and now Sam's Club no longer carries that size (175/80/13). I called around and around and no one had them but they insisted a trailer tire was better for my applications (they cost a LOT more per tire). But then I remembered Mr Fox Tire in Buffalo that sells just about any tire you need including used tires (that's where I got my spare). Told the guy on the phone what I wanted and said can you get me anything close to what I need in a car tire that has a load rating of at least 1179 lbs....he said "I have 4 different manufactures of the 175/80/13 tires you're looking for"....cheapest cost $34.99 with mounting included.....I hopped into my Tundra and got them mounted and balance and new valve stems to boot.

 

So Sam's Club charged me $28.99 12.5 years ago and I got them replaced for only $6 more per tire....COLOR ME HAPPY....

 

Bob

 

Moral of the story: you don't always need trailer tires at trailer tire prices if you can get a car tire with the proper load range to handle your boat.

 

 

With a light load you can get away with doing the wrong thing but as a rule use the correct tire they are made entirely different and if you have a blowout and go for an insurance claim it can be denied.

 

Here is a laymans guide to the difference between road tires and trailer tires. (Cut and pasted from Taskmaster)

 

Special Trailer Tires Vs Passenger Tires

 

There are distinct differences in the way passenger tires and trailer tires are

designed, engineered, and constructed. There are also differences in the service

requirements between the tires on your car or truck and those on your trailer.

Traction, or grip, is a key element in the design of passenger tires. Traction

moves your car or truck down the road. Traction allows you to stop, turn and

swerve, and traction also gives you the ability to tow your trailer. Another

important consideration in passenger tire design is “ride”. Ride, traction, and

handling are all achieved in passenger tire designs by adding flex in the sidewall.

By making the sidewall more flexible, tire engineers maximize tread contact with

the road, thus increasing traction and allowing the driver to maintain better

control over the vehicle.

Traction is only a factor on trailers equipped with brakes, during braking

operations, because trailers are followers. In fact, sidewall flexing in a trailer

application is a negative. Sidewall flexing on trailers carrying heavy loads;

trailers with high vertical side loads (enclosed/travel trailers); or trailers with light

tongue weights, is a primary cause of trailer sway. Automotive radial tires with

their flexible sidewalls notably accentuate trailer sway problems. The stiffer

sidewalls and higher operating pressures common with Special Trailer (ST) tires

helps control and reduce the occurrence of trailer sway. Bottom line, trailers are

more stable and pull better on tires designed specifically for trailer use.

 

For trailer use, it is important to match the tires to the application and payload.

Since Special Trailer (ST) tires are constructed with more and heavier materials,

they are tougher and more bruise resistant than typical passenger tires. This is a

plus because trailer suspension systems are generally stiffer and less

sophisticated than automotive suspension systems. A tire designed to operate in

the more demanding trailer environment will provide end users a longer service

life and withstand the added abuse tires on a trailer experience.

Bias ply Special Trailer tire technology has been moving trailers around America

for nearly 30 years, and more recently, the ST Radial arrived on the scene

providing the same durability and dependability in a radial trailer tire. For many

trailer buyers, tire decisions are purely price based. The allure of an equal price

and the word “radial” for that price draws some customers to the passenger tire.

Taskmaster hopes this explanation of the differences will help you make a more

informed decision on your next trailer tire purchase.

[DanD]

One other thing a lot of people don’t even consider; is the age of a tire.

It doesn’t matter how much tread there is or if you don’t see any heavy weather checking; after 8-10 years of age, they should come off the road or never put on the road and that’s regardless if they have never been used.

Rubber never stops “curing”, drying out and loosing it elasticity; where the steel belts will not longer be held or bonded to the rubber and they’ll likely blow out.

In some European countries it’s the law that a 5 year old tire cannot be sold or run on the roads.

Every DOT approved tire has a date code of when it was manufactured, you just need to know how to read the code.

Even if you’re buying “new” tires for your vehicle and you can't believe the deal you’re getting on them; check the date code; they may have been sitting in a warehouse for a number of years.

This site explains the date code pretty well.

 

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=11

 

Dan.

Edited July 28, 2010 by DanD

[lew]

 

check the date code; they may have been sitting in a warehouse for a number of years.

 

 

Dan, I remember an episode on 60 Minutes a couple years back where they talked about this exact same thing. It talked about big name tire stores selling new tires that were infact often 7 or more years old.

 

I think they said tires should be replaced after a maximum of 7 years but I may be wrong on that number.

[Garnet]

The donut tire on GM will fit most trailers.

 

And the most important thing CAA RV Plus $225, what was I thinking about all these years.

[Billy Bob]

With a light load you can get away with doing the wrong thing but as a rule use the correct tire they are made entirely different and if you have a blowout and go for an insurance claim it can be denied.

 

Here is a laymans guide to the difference between road tires and trailer tires. (Cut and pasted from Taskmaster)

 

Special Trailer Tires Vs Passenger Tires

 

There are distinct differences in the way passenger tires and trailer tires are

designed, engineered, and constructed. There are also differences in the service

requirements between the tires on your car or truck and those on your trailer.

Traction, or grip, is a key element in the design of passenger tires. Traction

moves your car or truck down the road. Traction allows you to stop, turn and

swerve, and traction also gives you the ability to tow your trailer. Another

important consideration in passenger tire design is “ride”. Ride, traction, and

handling are all achieved in passenger tire designs by adding flex in the sidewall.

By making the sidewall more flexible, tire engineers maximize tread contact with

the road, thus increasing traction and allowing the driver to maintain better

control over the vehicle.

Traction is only a factor on trailers equipped with brakes, during braking

operations, because trailers are followers. In fact, sidewall flexing in a trailer

application is a negative. Sidewall flexing on trailers carrying heavy loads;

trailers with high vertical side loads (enclosed/travel trailers); or trailers with light

tongue weights, is a primary cause of trailer sway. Automotive radial tires with

their flexible sidewalls notably accentuate trailer sway problems. The stiffer

sidewalls and higher operating pressures common with Special Trailer (ST) tires

helps control and reduce the occurrence of trailer sway. Bottom line, trailers are

more stable and pull better on tires designed specifically for trailer use.

 

For trailer use, it is important to match the tires to the application and payload.

Since Special Trailer (ST) tires are constructed with more and heavier materials,

they are tougher and more bruise resistant than typical passenger tires. This is a

plus because trailer suspension systems are generally stiffer and less

sophisticated than automotive suspension systems. A tire designed to operate in

the more demanding trailer environment will provide end users a longer service

life and withstand the added abuse tires on a trailer experience.

Bias ply Special Trailer tire technology has been moving trailers around America

for nearly 30 years, and more recently, the ST Radial arrived on the scene

providing the same durability and dependability in a radial trailer tire. For many

trailer buyers, tire decisions are purely price based. The allure of an equal price

and the word “radial” for that price draws some customers to the passenger tire.

Taskmaster hopes this explanation of the differences will help you make a more

informed decision on your next trailer tire purchase.

 

Thanks for this above info but who ever wrote it never took into consideration that almost all cars on the road these days are front wheel drive. So the rear tires act just like my trailer tires....they follow along as they are told...Bottom line is I only got about 3-4 years on trailer tires with my rig but with the radial car tires I got 12.5 years of high speed towing all over the USA and Canada....

[xkempx]

After reading a thread this morning about someone having a flat tire on his boat trailer, I thought I'd throw this out there for anyone new to towing a trailer.

 

1st off.....ALWAYS CARRY A SPARE FOR YOUR TRAILER

 

The wheel wrench for your tow vehicle may not fit the lug nuts on your boat trailer and if so, you'll be stranded on the side of the hiway even though you thought you were prepared. Be sure to carry the proper sized wrench for your trailer wheels.

 

It's a good idea to loosen the lug nuts & re-tighten them once in awhile to be sure they don't become siezed on the wheel over time which could also leave you stranded on the side of the road.

 

It's also a good idea to carry a flat piece of wood incase you need to jack up your truck or trailer on soft ground. It'll keep the jack from sinking into the dirt as you crank up the vehicle.

 

Check the tire pressure on your trailer tires before EVERY trip. I carry a tire guage, compressor and a couple cans of the aerosol puncture sealer in my truck. I also increased the length of the compressor plug wire by 25' so it can reach the trailer tires without having to remove them.

 

And be sure your trailer wheel bearings are in good shape & lubricated

 

Just a few thoughts that may help a newbie out.

 

Anybody else got anything to add ??

 

Thanks Lew, That was my post you read today, The small piece wood is a very good point, I'll remember that...I just took it for granted that things wont break down.....

 

Thanks Again for all the helpful hint and tips while towing a boat or just about anything...Thanks and happy fishing...

 

I'm going in 8hrs to go fish....I'm looking over it all.....Lol

[Radnine]

When towing a loaded tinny and you blow a tire and don't have a jack follow these simple steps:

 

1- chug a beer

2- leave one beer out of the cooler

3- set the cooler next to the axle

4- breath

5- lift trailer

6- push cooler under trailer with feet

7- set trailer on cooler

8- change tire

9- chug other beer

10- lift trailer

11- remove cooler

12- open cooler for another beer

13- get you wife to drive the rest of the way

 

 

 

This is why I come here.

Thanks Dan, for the truly usable advice (as opposed to the drivel that everyone else was muttering).

Jim

[danbouck]

This is why I come here.

Thanks Dan, for the truly usable advice (as opposed to the drivel that everyone else was muttering).

Jim

 

[MillerPhoto]

Highly recommend that you carry spare trail light bulbs, and a spare fuse that is identical to the one in the tow vehicle.. One time on a curvy backroad heading home from a night of fishing, and almost rear ended a guy cause he had no tail lights on the truck, or the trailer! I stayed back, but close enough that if someone was to try and pass me that my lights would have the guys boat lit up, and prevent a accident. Once we reached a stop sign I pulled up beside him and told him. He said he knew but had no spares, he forgot to unplug the trailer (older trailer) when launching, and shorted out the lights. I had a older vehicle with various fuses and always carried spares, so was able to give him one to replace his. Told him next time it happens if hes in a pinch, steal the fuse from the horn or the radio till you get home, better then getting rear ended by someone sleepy at the wheel or just not paying attention and doesn't see him hauling a boat with lights out.