Long distance trailering

JohnVTX · Mar 20, 2016

Not needed. Strap it down and go.....

cb32863 · Mar 20, 2016

JohnVTX said:
Not needed. Strap it down and go.....

Exactly. Towed my 235 from Tampa, Fl to Mpls, MN. Just have at it.

Rick Webb · Mar 20, 2016

I'd change the bearings and tires keep the old ones as spares but not worry about the rest.

centerline · Mar 20, 2016

I agree that the only issues you may encounter is with the bearings or tires.... there is very little road debris that you will be driving over that will ever cause damage to the boat, without taking out the tow vehicle first.....
The tires and bearings may be in perfectly good condition, but just be prepared... after towing a few miles, get out and feel the bearing hubs... if they are hot to where its even slightly uncomfortable to lay your palm on them, you have a problem... and if they are cool, check them again in another 50 miles.... if there is no change, you can stop worrying abot the bearings.
But make sure the tires are fully imflated to their max pressure... and check on them perodically to insure they are still in decent condition... a low tire will generate a lot of heat, whereas a tire properly inflated will stay as cool as possible, considering the travel speed and the pavement temps...

Meriachee · Mar 20, 2016

A light boat on a light trailer. Cool. Enjoy the drive.

rgranger · Mar 20, 2016

Your second biggest problem might be forgetting it is there. That trailer is so small and light you might not feel it on the highway and it may be hard to see if your tow vehicle is large. A trick I learned years ago is to put a small red mark (dry erase) on my mirrors. When I look in the mirrors to change lanes, the red mark reminds me that I'm pulling a trailer.

Jackdaw · Mar 20, 2016

cb32863 said:
Exactly. Towed my 235 from Tampa, Fl to Mpls, MN. Just have at it.

Not that that trip was drama-free or anything......... ;^)

walt · Mar 20, 2016

Since that is a small boat, you may have a single axle trailer and you need to worry about balance as the single pivot point will be more sensitive to weight distribution. If the last time the boat was loaded and it did not end up all the way forward on the trailer, the balance may be off with too little weight on the tongue and the trailer will not be stable. Or maybe someone left some heavy stuff in the back end of the boat. Tongue weight should be on the order of 10% to 20% of the trailer weight. I dont know what the boat plus trailer weight is on that boat but if you measure tongue weight and its under 100 pounds.. you likely will have problems. If its over 200 pounds.. "likely" no problem. I dont have the same setup so my numbers could be off but if the towing is a new thing for you, probably worth checking and easy to do with a bathroom scale.

Edit - I see this is a 14 foot dingy.. total boat plus trailer is likely under 1000 pounds. 100 pounds tongue weight would be 10% of 1000 pounds so likely would be just fine. Point being if the tongue weight is too low, the tow will be unstable.

Benny17441 · Mar 20, 2016

Would be nice to carry a spare tire just in case. Since it seems you may be driving straight through make sure the trailer lights are in good order and there are some side reflectors in the trailer. Think about the weather ahead and choose a god 2-3 day weather window through all points.

Delezynski · Mar 20, 2016

Trailer tires are only good for 5 years, even if NOT USED! So, take care. We have towed our boat from Mexico to San Francisco, back to Az, then back and forth from Phoenix Az. to New Orleans, then back to Florida... Did a number of Youtube videos showing the trailering and cruising. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyGH1-xOhCotpV_zhSzQq7g

Greg

Rick Webb · Mar 20, 2016

Another thought, make sure you have a lug wrench that fits the lugs on the trailer (probably 3/4") and that you have a jack that will fit under the axle of the trailer when the tire is FLAT. Lug nut sizes are not as "standard" as they once were and with those little tires it is hard to get a jack under the axle. It is not good practice to jack up a trailer from anywhere other than the axle. A couple of pieces of 2 X 6 about eight inches long come in handy to use as a chock, to rest the tounge jack on where it is soft, or to pull the flat tire up onto to get the jack underneath the axle.

RussC · Mar 20, 2016

2500 miles in 2 days is seriously hard core driving. especially this time of year, and with a load. better pack plenty of sandwiches

Crazy Dave Condon · Mar 21, 2016

I have been towing for over 40 years as a dealer and privately. A lot of good information. Do check the bearings and racers and if not in good shape, replace them and add buddy bearings so you can grease the axle. If the tires show dry rot, aged and so on, replace them. Carry a spare on rim, tools, and a couple of chocks not to mention a jack of some kind. Always have 10% of the pulling weight on the hitch. Cross chain and make sure the hooks on the chains are hooked in backwards to keep any bumps from being hit causing them to come out if in the other way. I would make sure the bow eye if no additional safety chain on it, has a good line roped to the bow eye in the event if the strap breaks and so on. On strapping down the back end of the boat to the trailer, twist the strap to keep it from slapping the side of the hull as the air stream will cause that. Highly suggest a second strap for that length. When leaving go 20 miles and pull over to check everything. I always told my customers to pull over every 100 miles and check again. It also helps just to stand up and stretch out if tired anyway. It was nothing for me to travel twice in a row from VA to FL picking up boats without stopping at a time. Wised up with age.

kerryedwards · Mar 27, 2016

A non-contact thermometer (about $30 at HF) to check temperatures of hubs and tires will give advance warning of any problems in bearings or tires usually. I check my temperatures every time I get fuel.

Crazy Dave Condon · Mar 28, 2016

You do not need to buy a thermometer. If you feel a slight heat that is fine and will be a little warmer during the summer. However, it too hot to touch,then you know you have problems.

njlarry · Mar 28, 2016

Have the bearings regreased, carry a spare bearing and hub assemply too as the history of that trailer is not known. Remember that those smaller trailer wheels are spinning much faster than your tow vehicle's bigger wheels. A hf infrared laser thermometer is handy for alot of things. I check hub temps after the first 15 min, then 30 min then every hour. A trailer wheel failure can be tragic and they are so far back you likely will not be able to hear or feel a problem.
Good luck, the odds are with you.

Ranger_12 · Mar 28, 2016

Like njlarry said be sure and take an extra set of bearings and seal for at least one side. If you don't know how to pack wheel bearings have someone teach you before you leave. It will cost less than a digital thermometer, like crazy dave said you can feel excess heat. Just be sure you can change a wheel bearing on the road by yourself, its no big deal and if you leave prepared you shouldn't have any trouble .
I own an auto parts store and you can't believe the amount of people who have trouble on the road and ruin their trip just because they didn't service their bearings or just put some grease in a buddy bearing instead of cleaning, inspecting and packing the bearings properly.
Spend some time checking your lights also. If you are prepared you will have a safe and uneventful
trip.
Don't forget to carry a small tub of bearing grease, if you do have trouble it won't be if front of a store!

kerryedwards · Mar 28, 2016

You're right that a non-contact thermometer is not necessary but it can tell you things by differences in temperature that your hand can't detect. For instance a tire running lower psi not visible to the eye will show up as running a few degrees hotter than than the others. It can also detect differences in hub temperatures which a hand can't detect which may indicate the beginnings of problems. But the most important feature is that you can learn all these things without bending over and getting your hand dirty.