TRAILERS and TRAILERING

[Instigator]

How about a positive, enjoyable thread to participate in to help keep our minds off of all the constant news of our country going down in flames?

I sometimes, even feel guilty for thinking about boats during this time but, sometimes we all need a break…….

So, to trailering…..

Been thinking of this for a while.

As trailer boaters, we all deal w/it and some to different degrees than others and I don’t see it discussed on here.

I have plenty of friends in Fla that only tow 3 mls to the ramp so a pc of crap trailer w/no brakes, lights that don’t work and no straps, seems OK……..

Then you have us northerners that look at 2 hrs to the ramp as a short trip.

Our trailers become a bit more important!

I am very luck to have a nice shop behind my house that gets compliments all the time.
I always reply that to fully appreciate it you have to have had to changed a transmission, in your gravel driveway, while laying on a sheet of cardboard!

I think trailering is the same.
To appreciate a nice, well handling, easy loading trailer, you have to have towed w/a piece of crap before.

Most of us on here have done both the above!

The subject surfaced yesterday while re-engineering the bunks on my 25’ Checkmate project trailer……, for the 3rd time, before even using it!

Most of us are into the older boats and most of them are on trailers newer than the boat.
Many/most were bought used.

Many were never adjusted for your new boat.

My Checkmate trailer is a perfect example.
Came on a nicer, newer, alum trailer w/disc brakes. (front axle only)
One of the attractions to that rig.

It only had two bunks.
Both parallel to the keel, about 1’ to its side.
That was it!

No keel guide rollers, no additional support for the rest of the hull/weight etc.

I have passed on buying boats due to this.
Our boats spend 98% of their lives sitting on their trailers.

What if the bunks are out of alignment, bad/damaged rollers etc?
The bottoms of many older boats have settled on to those misaligned bunks!

Many sellers/owners aren’t even aware of this.

Another thing, especially for those of us that tow, is handling.

Does it sway?
Does it fish tail in turns?
Is it stable only at low speeds?

On long distance road trips, speed to me is everything.
The difference between towing at 65 Vs 55 is nothing for 50 mls but is huge for 1150 mls!

To that end, tongue weight is a huge deal!
When I converted my single 454 Bravo to twin V-6 loopers I figured I added 200 lbs of weight.

More importantly, I moved the center of that mass, aft about 3’.

When I towed it home, as purchased, it towed perfect at 80 mph.
After the conversion, trailer as is, it didn’t like anything above 55 (swaying)!

The basic rule of thumb is tongue weight should be 10% of total weight.
My total, towed weight is approx 52-5500 lbs.

Meaning, 520 - 550 lbs tongue weight.

I had 150!

After moving the boat 2’ forward and shifting some weight in the boat, it’s now right there.

A road test of 80, on cruise, proved its effect.
What an improvement and was free!

Heres a pic of my set up to be able to weigh that capacity.

Those that know and or learned, like I have, feel free to contribute.

I do numerous Ohio to Fla trips and always do them banzai, non stop, 17 1/2 hrs.
Only way I can do it is at 80, so that is always the target for my trailers.

Oh yeah, LETS GO BRANDON!

[FUJIMO]

...o.k. i'll contribute to this. i agree..."LET"S GO BRANDON!!!"......

[FUJIMO]

[XstreamVking]

I have 5 trailers that I use periodically. Before using for a long out of town trip I jack them up and spin the tires and listen. Last time I inspected one it had 2 bad bearings and trashed seals. I also keep complete hubs with bearings and grease, so it's no big deal to change. Rather do it in the shop rather than on the side of the road. Tires is another biggie, I have settled on the carlisle's. They are now made in the USA. NEVER had a problem and they are speed rated at 86 mph. Carry a NEW spare, jack, and a 18v impact gun just in case. Just pulled 10 hrs with my enclosed car hauler (old Z-28 inside) and zero drama. All my trailers have tinned wire and led lights with waterproof connecters. Maint is the key.

[Chaz]

Ifin your going to replace the bunks. Prime them with Killz "primer-sealer" and then paint them with something like Run-olium. The poison they treat wood with these days, likes to eat aluminum .. at an alarming rate ...

[FUJIMO]

...flashback. remember "old" alligator alley stream? remember the nice crown that two-lane road had on it, and how fast everyone used to go? i was young, trailering my 17', mercury powered, valuble to me little boat across the alley, with my new, very cute girlfriend, to boat in the "islands" in southwest florida. well...i had a tire schred...on a sunday...going across the alley with her, with no spare. right smack-dab in the middle of the everglades in july. from that experience on, i always had the best prepared trailers possible.

[XstreamVking]

FUJI, your story brings back memories. I was about 20 yrs young pulling my little allison to the keys. Hot GF and Trans -Am going at full tilt on the alley. I had a bearing/hub smoking bad. The conundrum that I faced was how to tell the GF that my plan was to leave HER with the boat while I went to Immokalee and got parts. God was with me that day as an old couple in a camper truck pulling a boat stopped and lo and behold he had a hub and bearings in his tool stash. Wouldn't take a dime and helped me get going. I swore (a lot) that I would NEVER be in that position again. Lesson learned!

[Dave S]

My brother bought a Howard flat bottom boat with a 2 axle trailer....G60 tires on mag wheels..... the wheels were wobely so Checked the lug nut.... pooped the bearing cover off..... nothing wrong......so home we tow........Wheel passes use going down the road......G60 ran true and for what seemed a1/2 mile in the grass...THEN we saw the 4 bolt to 5 bolt adapter.

[David]

When we bought our ski boat I did not think we needed a top line trailer just to put the boat in the lake in the spring and pull it out in the fall. And a short drive. John Spaeth told us that the boat sits on the trailer most of its life, so a good trailer is better. Amortized over 30 years of boat life = who cares.

[H2OPERF]

Great thread Gary, Fuji/Stream I was that kid too.. to keys all the time no spare no jack... what could happen... Now i carry a trailer shop with me... axle jack ,spare hub, electric drill with cutting wheel, hammer, chisel, 3x cans fix a flat, plug kit lol.

[H2OPERF]

Was looking at a new trailer the other day for the STV... man have they gone up in price. I guess the galvanized aint so bad after all..

[4Speed]

When the wife refused to ride any longer in the STV, I purchased a new pontoon (keeping the STV). I was surprised to see the trailer that the dealer had under the pontoon on the lot, a single axle that I probably wouldn't tow over 45 mph. It was short money considering the cost of the boat itself to upgrade to that I call a real trailer with tandem axles, oil filled bearings, spare tire bracket (and spare) breaks, heavy duty tie down straps and a quality tung jack. I feel if you upgrade your trailer, do the trailer maintenance, you will probably get you money back if you ever trade or sell the package.
I only tow about 100 miles/ year... from the dealer to the lake in the spring and from the lake to the dealer in the fall.

[XstreamVking]

This was perfect timing for this thread. Guys getting their stuff out for the 1st time in months. May remind them to check things out b4 they just head down the road...

[Instigator]

Great stories All.

My first pleasure boat was a 14’ glass boat w/a 40 hp JohnRude.

We slalomed behind 2 or 3 days a wk.

Blew a tire on the way home after a late session.
The rig didn’t weigh anything so didn’t bother myself w/a spare.

We we’re on the outerbelt around Cols, to far to tow home on the rim and late enough, no stores open to buy a spare.

So we unhooked it and let it sit by the side of the road.

Came back the next morning w/a spare.
To get to the boat, I had to pass it, to get to the next exit, get off, and get back on the freeway the other direction.

So I look over when I pass the boat going the other way and I could see the motor was gone!

It was a small enough that it was just clamped on and not bolted.
So during the night, someone cut the cables, fuel line and stole it.


And yes to the road tool box.
On one trip to Lake Erie (3hr tow at that time) w/a friend following w/his boat.
We stopped for gas to see friends trailer picked up a nail and had a flat.

I pulled out my plug kit, pulled the nail, and aired it back up.
My friend was blown away that we could do that on the road.

An hr later he called my cell to inform me I now had a flat.
Pulled over, plugged it, a can of fix a flat and off we went.

Later that night, on docks behind the boats we were doing the math at how much time/$$ we had saved….

[Instigator]

Lesson: Never listen to a seller telling you the tires are fine and you don’t need a spare.

When a buddy and I went to Syracuse NY to p/u my first twin OB 24’ Sonic, I didn’t obey that rule.

About 2 hrs into our return trip, on the NY turnpike, we blew a tire w/no spare. (Don’t remember if it had one but was flat????)
At midnight!

Left my buddy in the boat, w/the beer, stereo blaring, while I went for a spare.

Pass a 24 hr truck stop and hit that exit.
I hand my turnpike ticket to the toll booth worker who immediately sticks his head out the window looking for the trailer!
He says, your ticket is for 4 axles, where’s your trailer?

Told him I had no clue what he was talking about and that was the ticket the earlier toll booth worker gave me.
He didn’t believe me but let me go.

Get to the truck stop and luckily they had a 14” trailer tire which I gladly paid them $160 to install on my rim! (another lesson)

Got back on the turnpike, after getting a pass for 2 axles…………., pass my boat in the other side of the road, did a u-turn at the next cop car turn around, woke up my buddy, cleaned up the empties, bolted the wheel on and hauled assss!

Now when we got off the turn pike (now it’s 3:00 AM) I hand the ticket to the toll booth worker who looked at the ticket for an eastbound vehicle w/two axles and we were west bound w/four!