MacGregorSailors.com

Following up on Frank C's thread on this last March, I always enjoy and learn alot when reading posts here about the trouble people got into when out on the water (and how they got OUT of it) due to wind, sea state , weather etc etc. But things can go wrong on land too as I found out on Monday when a boat trailer tire had a blow out on my way down the interstate home from Lake Champlain. Besides the loud 'cannon shot' of the tire actually blowing, all was fine and I stopped the whole rig without any problem, but I contribute that to the fact that I have a tandem axle trailer. I can't imagine what the mess would have been on a single axel. Which brings me to my question: Have any of you had a blow out with a single axle trailer.......I don't mean a slow deflating flat, but a blow out?

THe interesting twist to my story is that for some reason (and I've never done this before) I took my three year old trailer to a trailer service place just to have it checked out before I left on my 1000 mile trip. He noticed something that I never had.........that the trailer had been delivered to me with 3 bias ply tires and one radial. He said that could cause a problem down the road and so I ordered a new rim and tire (he didn't have them in stock to install before I left on my trip) and figured I'd use the radial as my spare when I got back. Still, the service guy was a little concerned so he gave me a spare (I had not had one originally with the trailer) to bolt on for my trip. Sure enough..........I had a blow out during this trip and guess which tire blew?? You got it, the radial. It's just amazing that in the three years I've had the boat I was fortunate not to have the tire blow until this outing for which I was prepared for it. Be careful out there, and check to make sure your tires all match !!1

I was lucky, a fellow motorist flagged me down when he saw this. I was on my way to Santa Barbara for the weekend. I pulled off the 101 freeway and found a Big-O Tires, they moved my spare into place for Free!! I lost less than a half hour. My boat was very new at the time, I am sure the trailer had less than 400 miles on it including shipping from Newport Beach to Newport Beach where my dealer is. The replacement tire was a pain to get at American Tire, that took 90 minutes. Big-O will get all my future business, including the fleet I have for my company.
(Plus, ya gotta love a company brave enough to use the phrase Big-O in there logo)

Blew out a tire at seventy miles an hour on a power boat trailer I was towing,
new tires new rims single axle trailer. Lets see non towing radial tires
Tire shop said they were ok for a trailer, rims were not cheap either.
Tire blew sheared off the lug nuts tire and wheel flew across freeway (no one was hit lucky) ground down the leaf spring bolts to mush, called the auto club they sent a flat bed trailer truck, guy tells me he cant tow it. Auto club tells me its not covered under my towing membership. Called
a tow company came out with flat bed truck, wow look its the same guy as the first, charged me eighty bucks to tow me off the freeway.
Was able to get all the parts I needed from a trailer place 8 miles away.
fixed it and on I went.

lesson: upgrade auto club card for rv-boat 200 mile free tow.

No radial tires ever again.

No more fancy rims.

slow down a little

There are ST rated radial tires that are great for our trailers. They run much cooler than bias ply. I'll always have radial tires on my trailer. The trailer tires I've had problems with are the bias ply ones.

aya16 wrote:Blew out a tire at seventy miles an hour on a power boat trailer I was towing, ...

slow down a little

Yeah, 70 mph is a bit fast for the CA freeway, trailers limited to 55.
Going +15 mph won't land you in jail, but sounds like it could plant you at Forest Lawn!

I didn't have a blowout but both brand new tires that came with trailer were loosing their tread after only a few thousand miles on a trip. They were Carlisle 4 ply nylon ST225/75D15; pretty much junk I decided so I went to slightly bigger radials. Had to raise the fenders. I was looking at Terry's (tlperrine) trailer at Granby last weekend. He had dual axels and said he added the second after he lost a wheel when the wheel studs sheered off.

BB

aya16 wrote:Tire blew sheared off the lug nuts tire and wheel flew across freeway (no one was hit lucky)

I was lucky enough to be refueling my Triumph GT6+ as I watched in horror (ok, perhaps awe) at a trailer wheel rolling down the road, across the parking lot, into the station, and bearing down on my GT.

Stupid enough to actually consider trying to stop the tire, which was probably moving at around 30 mph (idiot) logic and fear prevailed and I watched (this time in horror) as the wheel hit my bumper, went airborne, sailed completly over my car, and continued on rolling into the open garage behind me.

No one was hurt, but I never found the trailer that lost it!

Michael

Come on no one else ever went 70 mile an hour towing?
The tires I had installed on that trailer were car tires just that, not made for a trailer. I will always use trailer tires is what I wanted to say, radial or not, if its for a trailer and they are all the same.

also a tire life is about the same if you use it alot or a little, they rot when sitting even though there is a lot of tread left.

wow my tire made it all the way to florida....

Come on no one else ever went 70 mile an hour towing?

Got mine up to 90 to see how it would pull after the dual axle upgrade.

On the way back from Dropping daughter#2 off at MTSU south of nashville we followed a truck (pickup) northbound all of the way into St Louis, he was pulling a dual axle closed box trailer generic white "Dooley" style. 18 or 20 footer. He never got under 90 and mostly was a few MPH above 100.

It was a fast trip but I layed back about 1/4 mile because I wanted to see the accident. It never happened. How I dont know.

My rig just feels a lot better at 60 than at 70 mph..I imagine if you blow a tire it is much nicer at 60 too...

I've told the story before about hitting 85 knots (92mph) by GPS in my Expedition towing the two axle trailer.

With the second axle, if I have a blowout at 70-80mph, I'll probably just pull over and change to the spare.

I must sheepishly admit to having driven my single axle MacX at over 90 on the flats going out of New Mexico... it was clear weather, flat road and I just let the car roll and it crept up there... I wasn't trying for any speed records... and surprisingly it ran just fine. I did bring things down a notch when I noticed, though!

I've not had a flat on a towed trailer, but I have on the tow vehicle while towing due to debris in the road I couldn't avoid. I'm very cautious about the made by dates of the tires, sun exposure, alighment, pressures and balancing. Good thing, too. My Expedition loves to tow the Mac instead of the 8x26 TT because there's no buffeting or wind resistance to speak of... I've glanced down a few times in the hills to see a significant advance over the speed limit.

I never stop to change drivers or refuel without also walking around and checking tires and axle hubs, hitch and chains. This practice has prevented some nasty surprises.... like the hitch ball almost coming off the hitch while towing a suburban from Atlanta to Ft. Myers with the Expy

I never stop to change drivers or refuel without also walking around and checking tires and axle hubs, hitch and chains. This practice has prevented some nasty surprises.... like the hitch ball almost coming off the hitch while towing a suburban from Atlanta to Ft. Myers with the Expy.

I go 'walkabout' too, usually right after the first few miles, then after each hundred or so when I stretch my legs. I make it a practice of actually putting my hands on the items in question - the tires get a pat to feel their pressure and temperature, the hubs to test their temp too, the chains get a rattle and the winch and securing straps get a tug as well, and I even have look at the lights if it's nighttime.

As for the ball coming off, I had that almost happen once too and I learned my lesson. Henceforth whenever I install a ball I tighten it down to the proper torque and then drill a 3/16" hole in the threaded bit that extends past the nut, as close to the nut's face as I can. I then install a split pin (cotter pin) and peen it over. This will absolutely prevent any backing off of that nut.

Can you imagine, two hundred yards from home after a 2100 mile trip from Canada down to Alabama when KaaBooomm! my one remaining 4 year old TiTan gave out. Mind you, there was a 10 inch piece of tread missing which may have been a factor. Now I am stuck with a 2 yr old bias Carlisle which doesn't seem to have a high reputation on this site, and an unused Milestar M-108 radial which was slipped on me last year. Shame on me for not paying attention when I bought it.

So what's a fellow to do? ....Go all radial and what make, or go biased and with what make.........Recommendations please.

Thanks,

Ron