What Do I Need?
 

I'm leaving Tuesday morning from MA and going to FL to haul my boat back for the first time, what should I bring?

Bunch of face masks, wipes-cloths, and a fake id from another state :)

I'm only planning to get out of the truck to hit the head and I'll hide my plate.

Make sure to have a good spare and with so many shops closed a spare set of wheel bearings would be a good idea. A set of tools to do repairs and a Jack. I would also ask the seller to have the wheel bearings serviced and tire pressure checked.

Padraig

Then before you leave, pull one of the wheels and check that they actually did the work. Ask me how I know.

Lol. Funny answer to my funny post. :)

Yup. All the above. Cheap temp gun works great too check bearing temps every 2 hrs or so. Air pressure gauge too. Set tires near max psi recommended.

Long Drive, recommend 2 spares. Unless tires were replaced within the year. Heavy enough jack, or wood platforms to drive up on to change flat.

I've only used the trailer three times, but it's a new Myco triple axle with one spare. I should of got the second spare instead of the ladder, I don't seem to use it much.

I appreciate the information, I'm bringing all my drinks, snacks and a pillow.

pee cup...........:grinser010:

yea I thought about saying two spares but then thought carrying two was just something a paranoid bastard like me did.

Padraig

I'll pile on top of the wheel bearing comments. Jack, blocks, grease gun, get 'em serviced before the haul, verify or watch 'em do it. On 95 with trucks whizzing by is no place to have a trailer bearing/wheel breakdown especially north of DC...sh!thole of all roads.

Grease gun, brake fluid (if hydraulic brakes) ,ratchet straps. I have nursed a hot bearing 500 miles by pumping grease in it once an hour, had a brake fitting take a mystery sh!t on the way back from key west and roasted another bearing so bad that I had to jack and tie the axle up so I could get off the highway. Nothing like a 1000 mile tow, Good luck and take it slow.

I brought a buddy's 33 Donzi with less-than-stellar trailer home two years ago. In the parking lot we picked it up at, I serviced the trailer while he was in bank doing paperwork. We had asked everything to be greased and it wasn't touched haha. Tires were cupped badly, found a few loose lugnuts, tightened them. Found one bearing full of water and very rusty. Pumped that sucker full of Mobil 1 syn grease until rust quit coming out of hub, ran slightly warmer than rest and made it all the way home at 75 mph on highway with checks every time we stopped. Also pumped fresh grease into other 3 hubs until brand new tube of grease was empty. Topped off brake fluid but surge brakes were shot, darn glad I had Duramax with exhaust brake in Vermont hills. Cupped tires ended up shaking loose a fender bracket letting it flop around somewhere in Ohio, stole a couple non-critical bolts/nuts in parking lot to re-affix.

I packed cordless impacts, two spare tires with same hub pattern I borrowed, floor jack, grease, pancake air compressor, and all the tools necessary to change wheel bearings although didn't have spares packed since axle model was unknown at time.

Moral of story, take the hour to check everything when you pick it up, throw fresh "good" grease in hubs, air up tires, and roll. Pack loaded for bear and you tend to not have issues. Pack lightly and everything falls apart usually haha.

Bring every tool you think you may need to work on the trailer. When one of the wheels/tires comes rolling past you while you're going 70mph down the freeway you're going to wish you had them.

Every sellers trailer is "I'm good condition"...

Winter 2018 I sold my 32' Fountain to a guy from Rhode Island, we live in northern Michigan. When he asked about the trailers condition I said good but bring every tool he needed to repair a trailer. Who wouldn't with a unknown trailer.

Like everyone else said, new bearings, tires and brake system serviced to have a worry free trip. All those parts are always on the clock with trailering. If you don’t do them now, you’ll just be wondering in the furture. I had a guy come to the house and do my trailer quite reasonably (st pete beach)

Also, you’ll want a turbo diesel. There are gassers that can get the job done, but the range is terrible and stopping so frequently for fuel slows you down.

The only downside to the diesel is that they have so much torque, you won’t know when a trailer bearing is failing and turning to molten metal! ;)

yea ,,agree on wheel bearings ....
i had the time being off work ,,so i decided to check my wheel bearings,,,had 4 bearing that were bad...no i dont trailer very far.

Thanks, all great ideas, I'll bring everything listed and hope for the best. I have AAA for the truck and Boat US unlimited towing for the trailer, I haven't used either and I hope I don't need them.

Don't forget spare light for the trailer and some wire butt connectors and electrical tape, and of course a work light/flashlight.

If it has surge brakes, I would make certain that it is properly lubricated so that it slides back and forth as it should. Hitting your brakes on the highway may be enough to engage your surge brakes, but sometimes a slow acceleration is not enough to release them if they are sticky at all. A dragging brake will heat up the drum/disc, spindle,bearing, and grease causing the grease to escape and then bearing failure. Has happened a couple of times to me.

^^^^ Good advice. I always goose the accelerator a little after hitting brakes (or even downshifting) just to make sure the coupler is fully extended so the brakes don't drag.
I'd pack everything mentioned prev and add a set of triangle safety reflectors (or flares) and maybe a reflective vest in case you break down on the side of the road at night.

I would also add
1) Tubeless Tire Patch Kit
2) Quality Mini Air Compressor, I also made a long battery cable extender so it will reach from either rear trailer tire to truck power port.
3) Lots of beverages and Ice

I picked up another box of DEF and a fuse kit, when I fist picked up the trailer and put it on the rental truck, it blew two fuses.

Why cant you have 2 spares and a ladder? We have a ladder and 2 spares on all 5 Mycos. On my cabin cruiser, I even have 2 large tool boxes.
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Bring a Saint Christopher medal.

I just haven't used the ladder, I'm always loading from the back of my boat to keep the deck clean. I think I'll have them add another spare in the fall when I bring the boat back down, yours looks good.

I made it back from Hialeah and it was a long trip, 3100 miles in three days. Unfortunately when my truck was parked at Renegade a guy backed into my truck, luckily it didn't damage my hitch. I couldn't yell at him because I don't speak Spanish.
I give anyone that tows a wide load like a cruiser or a cat a lot of credit, some of the roads got really narrow and it would of been difficult towing something with a wider beam. I learned one thing, truckers don't give a damn about anyone on the road, just get out of their way.



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Here’s what is in my bag from a thread I had on here a year or so ago.

-Cordless impact, batteries, and charger
-Home Depot wheel lug nut socket set with all the different sizes
-tire plug kit with a bunch of extra plugs
-harbor freight thin work gloves (a few pairs)
-harbor freight plier and dyke set for pulling stuff out of a tire
-lights. Light that goes on my head, couple that go on the ground, etc.
-12v air compressor
-bottle jack
-misc pieces of wood
-Jigga clean waterless hand cleaner
-temp gun
-road hazard triangles
-road hazard led puck lights
-zip ties
-light adaptors
-test light
-harbor freight electrical repair kit
-hammer
-pry bars
-class V adaptor for hitch
-cash for toll roads

things I need to add before any trips include;
-complete hub
-leaf spring
-winch strap
-second spare
-cashbar had a great idea on building some little stair steps out of 2x6” to use to drive wheels up on to get other ones off the ground instead of a jack, or someone else said find a curb.

I probably have about $400 into everything so far, which when you figure in what roadside assistance costs isn’t too crazy. I usually tow at night which is great because there are fewer cops, less traffic, and lower temperatures. Sitting on the side of the road helpless one time will make you never want to do it again. Plus at night no where is open. Also just how my life is, I would have some stupid $50 part be what keeps me stuck in some podunk town losing out on an event or three days of work for something stupid.

Someone earlier said to double double check work after it’s done, so true. We took my dads 21’ sea ray to Cumberland poker run a few years back, lifelines and all right after the trailer bearings were re done. He usually leaves it in a dock so we don’t trailer it much but when we took it out at Cumberland we must have put it on the trailer different because it had never towed so good. Stopped to get gas at the marathon right before getting on 77, I could smell something was hot. Nuked a new set of bearings. Found a shop we could drop it off at (on a Sunday in the Bible Belt) that was sketchy. As we were backing the boat in I told him to take a picture of the whole thing in case it disappeared. The next Friday it was done, 5 hours there and 5 hours back. Great waste of 10 hours.