Most cars are 100'lbs, Trucks 140'lbs. I torque my trailer to 140'lbs. You should contact the trailer manufacturer to get the correct specs. Depends on stud and lug size and axle rating and weight. CLEAN contact surfaces on hubs and wheels are critical. Doubley so with dually wheels. Rust can cause them to loosen over time.

I think it's pretty much standard boat maintenance that most take for granted (Wheels didn't fall off last year or last trip so we are good to go), but once you have a wheel fall off or boat trailer fall off it becomes standard routine practice, almost like forgetting to put the plug in :lolhit:

Stand at the ramp sometime and watch people maneuver their trailers to get an idea of the torque being put on the wheel, axel, and studs. Never thought about it until I watched a buddy back his boat in. If you turn sharp one set is skidding across the pavement, thats got to be hard on things

My dad lost a bearing on his semi trailer, oil bath style heavy duty. Watched both duals and a brake drum go through the median and oncoming lanes. These are well maintained trailers, when a bearing goes through its hardness it doesn't take long to self destruct. It's always scary when you see it or it happens. You can pm and pm things, but that does not mean a freak incident won't happen. I always give the camper, car trailer, boat trailer, or snowmobile trailer a quick couple pumps of grease before I go anywhere far. I always pop the caps before I add grease though. What's it take, 15 minutes to check the grease and the cotter pins are still in?

In the article, the guy should have had the trailer registered and inspected per state laws, there is no excuse for laziness for safety.

I was riding my GSXR on I-495 around DC many years ago, and noticed what appeared to be another crotch rocket approaching in the oncoming lanes.
Only, it didn't have a headlight on it.

Turns out it was a 22.5 or 24.5 (wide) Super Single wheel/tire that had broken free from one of those GIANT 8 wheel cranes. I saw the crane limping over to the side of the road sans one wheel/tire which is only how I put it all together.

The Super Single hit the jersey-wall a couple hundred feet in front of me, went straight up in the air around 50 feet, and cleared 4 lanes of traffic to fall of the other side of the bridge to my right.

It's not a commercial trailer and most likely does not need to be inspected. I am not aware of any boat trailer that needs to be inspected in mi. I think that may have been a typical attempt to sensationalize media. On a side note he also had unregistered rifles at home...Lmao. Not a crime. ...but media would like you to think so.

I was on the receiving end of a very similar situation I an active construction zone. Car in front of me hit the wheel sending it up and right it landed and bounced back to the left just in front and over my hood of lifted ave.

I have seen this a few times. The most recent being a dually truck that the axel separated, so both wheels hub and axel were bouncing down the highway. It hit a truck transporting diesel causing a hazmat scene and then a full size Chevy crushing the cab. The driver was luck and only suffered cuts and a headache.
We are driving faster more complex vehicles. We just need to remember that there is a weak link somewhere. Im sure lawyers love to see accidents involving recreational vehicles.... Disposable income

I'm a just recent former NYS guy, and we DO have to inspect the trailer. The problem is, they check lights and tires (brakes only over a certain size). The only time they would c heck bearing is if the tire was visibly wobbly or angled.

Two points -

Stupid writer - "1999 Ford van that was hauling a dually boat trailer, a set of two wheels side-by-side on a axle on each side of the trailer. One of the wheels came off the axle and bounced across the highway."
Take a good look at the boat trailer loaded on the roll off. It is clearly a standard tandem axle boat trailer.

Second, pic of the car - wow, thin metal between the windshield and sunroof cut clean. Very random to have a tire roll at and over your car, at highway speed but one has to wonder if the car had a solid roof, would things have ended different?