Tips for trailering

[J.A. Veil]

I am writing this post as a heads up to those of you who use trailers to haul your kayaks.

I do not trailer my kayaks, but I do trailer my 16' center console boat. I have never had a problem with the tires until this morning. John Rentch and I were returning from the Eastern Shore about 11:30. Half way across the Bay Bridge I sensed more resistance from my trailer. I looked in the side view mirror and saw that the left trailer tire was completely flat. It had not been flat when we left the ramp 10 mins earlier (I heard a funny noise a minute or two before noticing the flat tire -- perhaps I ran over something that punctured or sliced the tire).

The right lane of the westbound bridge was closed. I was able to slow down to 20 mph, move over partially into the empty right lane, and watch the tire self-destruct as I continued across the bridge. It is never a good sight to watch rubber chunks bouncing behind your tire.

As soon as we were off the bridge, I pulled off onto the shoulder and assessed things. I always carry a spare tire and a lug wrench that fits that size lugs. I first tested each nut to make sure I could budge them loose (they loosened). I got the scissors jack from my minivan and raised the trailer frame. I had 4 of the 5 lug nuts out when an emergency truck from the Maryland Transportation Authority pulled in behind me. As that man began to assist, a second truck pulled in front of me. The two men removed the old tire, put on the spare, and got me on my way. One truck followed me to the first exit where he was able to add some compressed air to the tire.

I send a special thanks to Alfred Finch, Jr. and Ronnie Whetsall, the men who helped me. I was well on my way to solving the problem on my own, but they were professional and kind to help out. They made sure we got safely underway again.

After that long story, here are my trailering tips. Always carry a spare tire that matches the lug pattern of your trailer. The lug nuts on the trailer wheels may not be the same size as the nuts on your vehicle tires. Make sure you carry a wrench that fits the trailer lug nuts. Also check the lug nuts periodically to make sure they are not frozen in place. Finally make sure that your vehicle jack can be used to lift your trailer.

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[reddogge]

Glad you were OK. I had it happen a couple of times. One time at 70mph in NY. I just happened to look out my right side mirror and saw smoke so immediately pulled over and it blew. One more tip. Make sure your jack has grease on the screw. Mine didn't and luckily my buddy had one.

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[J. Rentch]

Don’t know what was worse- the fishing this morning or this experience!

[bignose]

Glad you guys made it back O.K.
Looks like it's time to retire that tire.
Scary enough when something like that happen on the open road, but up on the bridge, Zowie!

I once towed a borrowed trailer from Havre de Grace to Ellicott City. The wheels looked "loose" when I got home.
Upon disassembly, I found that both wheels had completely disintegrated bearings with just the bearing races intact, and the only thing holding the wheels on was the thrust washer and cotter pin.

BTW, I always wonder about stuff coming off of the bridge while fishing underneath it.

[Yakmac]

Wow, that could have been really bad especially on the bridge. Glad everything worked out.


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[Yak67]

Thanks John for the helpful insight. I'm glad you guys were safe and got some assistance too. As a guy who trailers his Yak (PA-12) on a regular basis, this is great insight. I was just wondering the other day at what point do we change out those tires???

I have been running mines steady for 3-yak seasons now.

And I don't submerge my wheels in water if this matters?

Yak67
2017 Hobie PA-12 Camo
2016 Hobie Outback LE#217

[Mark]

John,

Good tips.

I'm glad you and John R. made it across safely and that you got assistance.

I bet that was the longest 2 miles you've ever driven.

[J.A. Veil]

Thanks John for the helpful insight. I'm glad you guys were safe and got some assistance too. As a guy who trailers his Yak (PA-12) on a regular basis, this is great insight. I was just wondering the other day at what point do we change out those tires???

I have been running mines steady for 3-yak seasons now.

And I don't submerge my wheels in water if this matters?

Gary - I don't have any precise criteria for you. I think visual inspection and common sense are good starting points. Check for tread wear as you would on your vehicle. Take a look at the side wall for any evidence of damage or cracking. A three-year old tire should not be in dry rot yet. If the tread is still decent you should get a few more years of use out of those tires. Even though Pro Anglers are heavy in the world of kayaks, they are light compared to most trailer loads. You are not overloading your trailer.

Keep an eye on your tire pressure. On my boat trailer, the recommended pressure is considerably higher than on my van. Boat trailers almost always require that the wheels get submerged on each launch and retrieve. I don't think the saltwater harms the rubber much. It probably has more effect on the metal rims, hubs, and lug nuts.

Another thing that can go wrong with trailer wheels is the bearings. I use bearing buddies on my hubs and make sure they are sufficiently lubed. Most of my trailering runs are 30 minutes or less. I suspect your trips are longer. It is good practice to place your hand on the hubs when you reach your destination to see if they are hot (warm is fine, hot is not).

I want to repeat one of my recommendations from the original post. You might have all the necessary pieces and tools to change a tire on the road. But if the lug nuts are rusted so tight that you cannot budge them with a hand-held wrench, you will be stuck on the road. To avoid this, check your lug nuts at least once each year to make sure they can be loosened with a wrench. You only have to prove to yourself that you can budge them -- you don't need to remove them all the way. Then hand-tighten them again.

[Big Mike]

Bearing buddies make a dirty job easier but they are not without pitfalls. I have my hubs repacked by my local trailer shop about every 18 months and it’s $115 with parts. I did it once by myself and it’s a job you do once by yourself. This puts eyes of someone who does this for a living on the bearings and other critical parts on a frequent basis. I trailer my PA about 3-4 days a week in season so it’s cheap insurance to me.

[AmberjackYakin]

Good posts, I used to just carry my ocean kayak torque in back of my truck bed with an extender, but I've moved to using a trailer last year as it reduces on and off load times.

I check my trailer and vehicle for those long trips like a pre-flight checklist. Always carry a spare if your hauling a trailer regardless of distance to fishing spot. I usually have a Stanley Jump Starter/Air Compressor in my truck just in case. I add Grease to bearings every 500 miles per manufacturers requirement and just repacked recently(there's plenty of DIY videos out there, pretty simple).

I had an incident this year where somehow one of my harbor freight ratchet strap broke loose, carry extra straps! !

[Slobber Bob]

It's also a good idea to have an adjustable wrench, a punch or screwdriver, small hammer, and some heavy grit sandpaper or fine file with you too in case the hub bearing(s) ever fail. I've had bearings tear up in my work trailer before while going down the road. The punch and hammer are used to tap off any bearing parts that might be stuck on the spindle and the sandpaper is used to smooth out any gouges the failed parts may have been left on the spindle so you can fit the new bearings back on.

[captmikestarrett]

I have the worlds worst trailer on my big boat. I carry three sets of bearing/ spare tire/ spare hub/ two jacks/ big grease gun/ spare tube of grease/ X bar for the nuts and spare lugs. Also carry teflon tape/ sanding strips and the best tool ever. A grinder and 110 converter. Trailer is now 10 years old and I have replaced about 8 sets of bearings, four sets of lugs and two brake disks. I hate my trailer..

But my small boat trailer has never had a bearing fail in 18 years of owning it. All original in fact except tires that dry rotted.

Capt Mike

[manlystanley]

Glad it worked out for you all in the end! Bummer it happened on the bridge. Hopefully the rim did not get bent of scrapped.

This past week, I took my wife and my two youngest girls to Branson, Missouri. While there, I ran over this huge bolt-like thing that deflated my tire in less than a minute. I did have a spare and all the right tools So, I used it as a teaching opportunity for my girls (ages 14-16) to change the tire, with my instruction. They could do it all, except for getting the lug-nuts loose and fully tight.

These two girls are adopted from China and are both small even for Chinese standards. They tried jumping on the breaker-wrench, but 80-lbs just did not do the trick. They are both straight A's in school and both are in advanced math and science. So, I have no complaints.

Best Regards,
Stan