Lots of questions about trailer hubs while on the road
 

With all the people on this forum who have towed their boats long distances I figured this is the best place to ask people who have experienced this problem.

I'm making a long distance trip to look at a boat and if I buy it I'll be towing it home. The owner says he's not sure about one wheel bearing. I have AAA Plus RV, but I'm not sure how they would help get a bearing fixed.

Where/how would AAA take a trailer with a boat sitting on it ... I have no idea. But I'm going to ask on some travel forums.


So my first question is ...

- What do you do if you're away from home and a bearing lets go?


I would imagine transporters run into this problem all the time.

I watched a video on YouTube of how to replace bearings, and I could bring a bearing kit with me, but there are two problems with that idea.

1. I've never replaced trailer bearings and can't see myself on the side of the road going through that process. ... and what if a spindle is bad?

2. The owner isn't at the boat's location, so he can't tell me what size spindle.


Another idea I had was to bring a pre-assembled hub with me. Something like this.

http://www.dyersonline.com/Products/...Hub__UW-2.aspx

But again, I don't know what size spindle.

The only information I have is this picture of the trailer.

http://kijiji.ebayimg.com/i23/06/k/0...?set_id=1C4000

So, is there any way to tell what size hub to get, or is there a standard for 5-lug boat trailers?

Could a regular car repair shop replace the bearings if I removed the hub from the trailer?

Is there some kind of roadside assistance service that will take care of this kind of problem? Has anyone here with AAA had a trailer mishap that was taken care of?


Thanks for any help.

If you have a hub in question have it inspected/repaired BEFORE you start out on your trip. It will be alot less expensive to do that before than once something lets go.

In fact, if that one is in question, maybe the previous owner did not keep up on maintance for those and all should be checked out.

Make several phone calls to businesses in the area of the owner and make an appointment before you leave so you when you arrive you can take it directly to the shop and not wait too long.

Rick

I totally agree with rv. Have the seller service the trailer with the agreement that if you buy the boat you will pick up the bill on the trailer mainenence. I carry spare parts for almost any trailer repair and so that I can limit the chances of a roadside repair, I carry a pyrometer and shoot every hub and tire on both my Kodiak and boat trailer at every fuel stop. If they are not close in temp. , this could indicate a problem. Pyrometer costs less than $100.00. Good luck. Doug

Look like 5-lug wheels so I would guess they are 3500 lb axles, which for the most part are usually 1 3/8 to 1 1/16 tapered spindle, I said usually. How far are you towing the boat? If there is any doubt at all pull the hubs before you go and inspect, you know the whole ounce of prevention thing...

You can pick up spare bearing sets at West Marine but there are a few different sizes and without knowing exactly what size you need its a little difficult. And I'm sure they aren't the highest quality stuff but they should work to get you home if need be.

Anymore I'm so paranoid when I take the boat out I have a couple hundred lbs of tools and spare parts on board, but I'd rather have it than not have it and many a boater has been helped by my onboard stash/tool selection. I don't tow very often but when I do I have a bin that has all my trailer tools/parts in it that I throw in the truck, goes something like this:

2 ton jack with two jack stands
Extra set of bearings, races and seals and extra Bearing Buddy, extra cotter pins.
Ball peen hammer and brass drift - for driving races if need be
File - To take the 'mushroom' out of the brass drift if need be
Grease - two or three extra tubes
12 volt tire inflator
Ratchet straps - to strap an axle up and limp off the highway if need be
Two rolls of blue paper towels
Two full cans of brake cleaner - to clean old grease off brakes/hubs

Stuff I need to put in my bin -
Extra spindle nut
Extra hub

I also have a bag that weighs about 60 lbs that I call my 'O sh!t bag', that has all my pliers, breaker bars, cutters, screwdrivers, lugnut sockets, etc that pretty much any time I'm in something with an engine I carry it with me. And I have a pretty decent sized set of ratchets/sockets that stay in each one of my vehicles (it should be obvious at this point that I love tools :D ).

You can't be prepared for everything but I at least try to be prepared for some things. Changing bearings/races is pretty easy to do and can be done on the side of the road if need be, but you have to have to the parts/tools to be able to do it.

Seen a boat trailer on the side of the road with flames coming out of the wheel because of hub failure. Breakes, bearings, or lack of grease????

Food for thought

All of the above?? :grinser010:

It reminds me of back when I was just out of high school and we used to take my dad's boat to the lake, about 50 miles each way. For two years it had bad tires and we would just stop about every 20 miles and put air in them, then one night coming back about 10 pm and I looked in the mirror to see the passenger tire laying down a James Bond smoke screen, we finally ran out of places to get air! We were about 5 miles from the golf course I used to work at so we just limped it down there with that wheel in the ditch, bouncing and slamming the whole way until we got to the course and tucked it back behind one of the barns. I left my old boss a note I would be out first thing in the morning to get it, of course we got hammered and I didn't make it out there until around noon :drink: on a Sunday.

Ahh the stupid **** you do when you are young...

Thanks for the info.

Unfortunately this has to happen on a Sunday, so no repair shop is open. And the owner is not near the boat and has no way to arrange maintenance.

I was planning on taking my 3-ton floor jack. And I always carry a toolkit, and a manual and 12-volt air pump, as well as a tire repair kit. I'll add a jack stand, chain, fire extinguisher and a couple of small pieces of 2x4.

I think what Ill do (besides grease the hubs before I leave) is buy one straight and one tapered pre-assembled hub before I leave. Then I'll return the one that doesn't fit and keep the other for future needs.

In lieu of a pyrometer, I've been told to hand check (put my hand close but don't touch) each hub. And if I feel excessive heat take a spray bottle of water and shoot it on the hub. If it steams or sizzles I've got problems. Of course, that might not work so well if it's raining.

After some research it looks like AAA Plus RV will get the trailer to a repair shop if I can't fix it.

Heck, I might just be overly paranoid. The owner didn't say the 4th bearing was bad. Just that the other three were good. Maybe those were replaced and the 4th was deemed not in need of replacing.

Thanks again.

I disagree. I would call a trailer repair place and have them check it out to see how they look. Pull the bearing out to check for grease and see what needs to be done. Spare this and spare that - the only thing that you need is the part you don't have. If the trailer was in salt water, then I would have new bearings installed automatically.

I carry enough spare parts and tools to fix just about anything on the road. I even have a spare spindle at home, but your not going to replace that on the side of the road with hand tools.

I have a AAA RV+ membership. They will take care of trailers if they break down. If your truck breaks down while towing, they send two trucks to tow you in.

I've watched enough video and read enough articles this weekend that I think I could probably change bearings in my sleep. It doesn't seem as intimidating as I first thought.

So I ordered some bearing kits. The toolkit that I always carry has almost everything I need, except a brass punch set and channel locks, which I'll buy this week.

Good to know AAA Plus RV gets you out of tight spots.


BTW, a pre-trip inspection by a trailer repair place is out of the question, as the trailer is on a military base and no one is there at the moment to approve it.

Your taking a huge risk in my opinion. Just way too much can go wrong. Think of the liability and murpheys law if a tire files off and causes injury, damage or death. Why not just take a extra day off from work and have piece of mind? If the owner of this boat has the serial number of the trailer contact the manufacturer and they should be able to supply you with the part numbers. If that don't work find a marine/trailer supply store close by.

bad bearing
 

It sounds like you have already made up your mind to buy the rig and start home. Listen to these guys and get the dam thing fixed before you head out on the road.

I can't agree more...if it were me, I'd change my plans around to accomodate bearing inspection and repair (all of them). The dangers of being caught with a breakdown on a highway don't make the gamble worth it. Big bucks are at stake here between the truck, boat, trailer, all of them secondary to your saftey and those of your fellow motorists.

You didn't mention bringing along a spare tire or two. If the boat has been sitting you can count on a bad tire or two along the way. You also never mentioned the distance you intend to pull. Going 3000 miles across the country or 300 miles across the state?

have them replace 4 tires and 4 sets of bearings, it will add a year to your life just not having to worry about it for hours and hours on the road, b/c its not if one of those eight things will go wrong but when.

Just checked into AAA RV Plus and they don't cover boat trailer issues unless you're in Minnesota or Iowa.

Hmmm ... that's not what their Web site says. I should get my upgrade papers this week. I'll see what they say.

Here's what the Web site says after putting in my Zip (not in Minn or Iowa).

Vehicles and services covered under Plus RV

Duel-rear-wheel campers/motor homes, motorcycles, travel trailers and boat trailers will be provided towing, extrication/recovery, and tire service.

That's news to me. Thank you for checking. I will be all over them in a few minutes.

Both MDSmitty and I belong to AAA Mid-Atlantic (Region). They DO cover boat trailers when you have Plus RV membership. I just confirmed.

http://www.aaamidatlantic.com/
http://www.aaamidatlantic.com/CarDri...#anchor-plusrv


Also, check into Boat US' Trailering Club:

http://www.boatus.com/trailerclub/tatow_tr.asp

The boat hasn't been sitting. The owner doesn't remember the size and he is not at the boat's location to look, so I can't bring a spare. Supposedly they are in very good shape. I'll have to make that decision when I get there. However, there are 3 West Marine stores in the area, so at least I have a known source for replacements, and I can pick up a spare there when I start heading home. I've also plotted a few West Marines on my route. I carry a tire repair kit for nail holes. And there's always AAA as a last resort.

~950 miles.

In the short term, I don't have any plans to use the trailer again after this trip. The boat will be going in a boatel.

In the long term, I may use the trailer a maximum of twice annually for a 1/2 mile trip on 25MPH streets to the community boat ramp. (where the boat will be driven to my boat lift for the summer as soon as my community lifts its pier-replacement moratorium).

So I'm obviously a little reluctant to put a lot of money into the trailer unless it's absolutely necessary. From my research it looks like I could easily spend in excess of $1,000 on tires and bearing replacement. That's over a buck a mile ... or over 1/3 the cost of a new trailer. Instead I'd probably just tow it to a local marina and spend an extra thousand or so to have a flatbed transporter come pick it up and save me the stress of that long tow.

But I'll weigh all the information in this thread and elsewhere and apply it to the situation when I see what I've got when I get there.

Thanks again for the advice.

Good luck on the road. Please bring a good quality digital camera to document the exciting journey you are going to undertake.

I have a 3 year old triple axle aluminum trailer that I have towed up to 600 miles in a weekend. It has 6 new tires, new springs, new bearings and I would still go over that trailer with a magnifying glass before embarking on a 950 mile ride. As far as putting money in the trailer, keep in mind it is a tool to get your boat around. Anything related to that boat will cost you money but it will always cost more when it is an emergency.

If you are just going down to check it out first, buy a plane ticket and fly down. It will be a lot cheaper than driving and if you decide you don't want it you will save a ton of money.

Another thing I just noticed looking at this picture again, is that the tires on the trailer aren't even the same size, at least not in this picture. And it looks like the fender has suffered from a blow-out or two already.

http://kijiji.ebayimg.com/i23/06/k/0...?set_id=1C4000

I don't know if you have your heart set on this boat or what, but I would think you can find something a lot closer, especially in the MD area than Florida. Any more pics of the boat?

I apologize, I never noticed that link with the picture of the boat/trailer. YOU WOULD BE INSANE TO DRIVE DOWN TO DRAG THAT BACK WITHOUT HAVING THE TRAILER SERVICED FIRST ALONG WITH 4 NEW TIRES IN ADDITION TO A PAIR OF SPARES. THAT IS A 50-50 TRAILER AS IN NO MORE THAN 50MPH OR 50 MILES TOTAL TRAVEL.

There's ton's of members here on OSO from Florida. Perhaps you can post a thread in GBD and have someone take a look. OR better yet contact Ed Cozzi to survey the boat. After seeing that pic definetly DO NOT pull that trailer 950 miles without having it serviced and new tires. Its not the getting stuck on the side of the road part its the causing an accident part I'd be worried about.

I have another boat in the area to look at if I don't go for this one.

I had already checked about flying. Flying to this boat would only save half the time of driving when you factor in connections and puddle jumpers, and it would cost about $300 more than driving, not including the taxi ride or rental car.

Besides, I'm thinking about stopping on the way down and playing a golf course I've always wanted to play.

I think the tire size must be an optical illusion caused by the wheel chock. I can't imagine any trailer not having matching wheels.


To make a long story short ... there are only two models of boat that fit what I want. Which is SOB, about 24 ft., with a deadrise that handles bay chop well, will do 60 without straining with a 300, isn't butt-ugly style-wise and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Those two being a mid-80's Checkmate Enforcer and a Progression 24. As of right now I'm only able to find five Enforcers throughout the country for sale on the Web. This particular one is not only the cheapest, but it also requires the least amount of work (at least going by the pictures) of what I want it to be.

But I'm also willing to walk away if in person I determine there are any conditions that would make the final cost unreasonable. There are none closer than 300 miles away. And the cheapest Progressions I've seen are $14,000 more than this boat.

I have a friend that brought his 26' Checkmate from the lakes in NY State to here in Long Island Sound, after a couple of months of running around things started busting left and right. He went out and bought a PowerPlay the next season. Maybe I missed where you do your boating but my point is if it's in the Chesapeake you'd do better with some other boats. Checkmate is a great lake boat, but in the day to day chop of the bigger waters I've seen their limits being stretched first hand. I've been on both and the Progression is a more stout boat without question.

Cool man, sounds like you've done your research and know what you want. I only wish I would have known about OSO before I bought my boat a couple years ago, it would have expanded my search 10 fold...



Now that is NO optical illusion, you can look all the way around that rim and see that rear tire is way smaller than the front one. There is also some wierd photoshopping going on at the bottom of the pic as the driveway doesn't line up and you can see a line in the grass. There are alot of people that do a lot of dumb sh1t to boats and trailers, especially older ones.

I like Checkmates, always have and grew up about 10 miles from the factory. But my brother has also spent about 2 years replacing all the rotted wood in an old Checkmate (I gave up on the boat years ago), make sure you look things over good on it, especially the floor and bulkheads. Not to say other manufacturers didn't have poor build quality, my boat will be getting stripped and re-rigged this winter for sure.

You may also want to check out the Checkmate forum, www.checkmate-boats.com

Thanks, I've been reading that site for a while. Especially the restoration forum. So I know what I might be getting into.

I've read a lot of restoration articles and enough accounts of surveyors not finding structural damage over the last few months, and just finished the book Runabout Restoration just to make sure I wanted to take a chance on an old boat. For something I'm going to use 20-30 days per year I just can't justify spending the $$$ on a newer boat. Restoration is cheap ... $$$-wise.

I'm not looking for a project, but I'm fairly handy with tools, so if I screw up and stumble into one it wouldn't be the end of the world. And I have a ton of vacation time that I need to take or lose anyway.

I've lived on the Bay and on a boat most of my life. I'll only be out in the Bay to run from one tributary to another, from the Bay Bridge up to the Inner Harbor, so the chop is usually not too bad. I'm used to running wide-open in Bay chop in a 20-footer, so this is a step up for me.

There are quite a few mid-20's Checkmates running around in front of my house that seem to do OK in the weekend mixing bowl. Certainly much better than the 13' Checkmate I drove a few times when I was a teenager:o.

PowerPlay's and Progressions are great boats, but big bucks. And like I mentioned in a previous post, even though I can afford it, for the number of times I'll use it I just can't justify it.

Good luck man! Let us know how the trip goes!

You do not need a pyrometer to check wheel bearings. I tow in 100+ degree heat. Touch the hub lightly with your fingers. If adjusted and lubed it will be hot to the touch but not burning. You can tell if there is a drastic difference when you walk around and check them all.

Cool...Have a safe trip :)

So are you telling me that boat trailers and trailer tires are engineered so poorly that they're in danger of falling apart even after mild use? Is this a brand problem or all trailers and trailer tires?

I'm very familiar with cars, having done everything from rebuilding engines to replacing the suspension and rear axles. I'm currently restoring an old Mustang. I know how cars are engineered. So besides the problem of water getting into bearings I'm kind of incredulous that trailers would be engineered that poorly.

You need to be careful of steel trailers that have been used in salt water. I bought a brand new Nordic along with their in-house trailer (steel). What a joke, after 3 years is was total garbage, and it was worse on the inside of the tubing. Doesn't matter how much they get cleaned also, salt will eat a steel trailer in short order. It looks as if your new trailer is steel, just make sure you tap on the tubing to make sure it's solid. Also, I know the Chesapeake is brackish, but I would expect too much life out of your trailer once you start dunking it.

Trailers just have the potential for more issues because of the way they are used. They spend a lot of time sitting, when they are used the wheels are submerged completely in water, usually they are warm from the road so warm hubs in cool water can cause water intrusion. The tires get flat spots, again from sitting so much and dry rot if they are out in the sun all the time. Trailer tires aren't as robust as regular tires usually, and most of the time a trailer is engineered with the axles/tires to just barely carry the weight of itself and the boat. They just require a little routine maintenance that's all.

No but trailers are usually not used for 200K miles like most cars. Cars are much better engineered but even with the simpicity of the trailer you need to be on top of them. I have never had a wheel bearing go bad in a car but have had over 20 go bad on boat, utility trailers over the last 20 years but then again I have owned probably 20 trailers in that time period.

Three years is all I got with a steel trailer. Rotted from the inside out. As a matter of fact it was so bad it had to be shipped to lotto on a flatbed.
At the end of each season I run thru the bearings, inspect etc and always expect to change each seal. By the following spring when this boat was shipped it was a total waste of time.

I have a aluminum I beam trailer. I have seen some steel trailer manufacturers seal the tube sections and put a guage on the tubes. This seems to be a good idea. You can maintain air pressure in the tubes to keep the water out.

I wouldn't get near a steel trailer if is was the last thing on earth after my experience. It'll affect my next boat purchase also, no aluminum...no deal. Even if it's sealed from the inside, road debris and misc cracks will cause quick rot from the outside. Aluminum I beam all the way. I had it on my PowerPlay and loved it.

Aluminum I-beam all the way!

That trailer pictured is likely to have bearing AND tire problems in the first 100 miles. I have had 13 blow-outs and 1 full bearing replacement on the side of I-95;(the wheel flew off & bounced over my sister & her family in their mini-van!) in the last 12 seasons of boating/trailering....and I do routine maintenance as well as carrying all the tools & parts previously mentioned. I carry two spares and a fully assembled hub,(ever since the I-95 scare). Trailering a boat you will eventually deal with these issues;only question is when.....
Good luck on that trip!!