Tandem axle trailers

[Chris F.]

I was told by a Nitro dealer that a spare tire wasn't necessary when I bought my 901 with a tandem axle trailer. Most of my trips are less than 50 miles one way. What are your opinions.

 

[Steve Rizza]

I don't care care how many axles you have,a flat tire flapping around cannot be good.



Neither is a axle stub dragging along the highway.



Neither is leaving a $30,000 rig filled with gear alone at night along the highway while you go and try to find a spare tire to buy.



My advice...buy a spare.



Steve

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Get a spare. Cheap insurance and contrary to what some believe, you can't pull a tandem with a flat on it unless you chain the axle up.



TOXIC

 

[Roy Cody]

$250.00 for a matching wheel and spare is cheap insurance compared to the overall price you paid for your rig!



RoyC

 

[Bruce Freeman]

and just think what that tire will do as it comes apart to a pretty glass fender and boat. The spare don't have to match (fancey wheel) it just has to be the right size and hold air..

BF

 

[Brian G]

At least get a can of fix-a-flat!

 

[Bill McElroy]

ALWAYS have a spare....regardless if you have a single axle or dual.

 

[Greg J.]

UPS delivered my spare and bracket last night. Same slotted rim, only it's not chrome, and a plain black tire mounted on it. The rim is painted silver and appears to have a clear-coat over it. I'm gonna put a tire cover on it so I didn't need it to be chrome to match the trailer wheels. $89.95 for the tire and rim through Tracker Marine Center in Nashville.

 

[Gene B]

I can't believe a dealer would tell someone they don't need a spare. Even if for no other reason than increased sales.



Gene

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Waterwings, wax the rim and put dressing on the tire before you cover them.



TOXIC

 

[Staci Matheis]

My thoughts as well, Gene.

What a ridiculously bad answer.

That salesperson ought to lose their job.

 

[Bill McElroy]

Geeez Me!!...If someone does something nice,....you're writting letter's to their boss,.....now if someone doesn't feel an "option" is necessary (for whatever reason),..they should be fired??!!

 

[Chris F.]

 

[Chris F.]

It was the owner of the business that told me that!

 

[Bill McElroy]

well,...he ain't gonna fire himself!! LMAO!!!

 

[Staci Matheis]

Mac.....



The comment that a spare is not needed for a tandem axle trailer is just plain wrong. That person is a menace to the customer. Chris at least had the sense to ask someone else; think about all the potential buyers out there who would have taken the salesperson's word as gospel.



Tracker Marine, as we all know, gets a high percentage of first time buyers. The salespeople need to be particularly sharp to assure that those buyers receive maximum enjoyment from their purchases.



Finally, as I stated, that was a ridiculously bad answer to give the customer. How could you ever trust that salesperson - or the dealership that employs them - to give you correct information? I wouldn't. That person needs to find a position more suitable to their abilities and talents.....



me

 

[Staci Matheis]

Then, I would walk away and find another dealership.

This one obviously doesn't care about the customer.

 

[Chris F.]

Next dealer is 200 miles away. I have had worse experiences with them.

 

[Christopher Laurencio]

Maybe the Dealer meant to get an aftermarket one that would be a lot less expensive than a Nitro spare, the dealer could have been doing a good gesture.

 

[Staci Matheis]

"I was told by a Nitro dealer that a spare tire wasn't necessary"



I have absolutely no idea what was going through that dealer's head to make such a statement - but I seriously doubt that he had the best interests of the customer in mind.

 

[Dan J.]

me! - "That salesperson ought to lose their job....The comment that a spare is not needed for a tandem axle trailer is just plain wrong."



Shaw Grigsby, Larry Lazoen, Duke McArtle and I traveled over 200 miles with Shaw's brand new (1996) Triton up on 3 wheels with the fourth wheel's axle of his tandem safely chained up. (From mid-PA, to Clayton, NY) A spare tire (of which we had no access to on a Sunday) wasn't/isn't necessary. I prefer and always suggest a spare tire, HOWEVER, it is not a necessity with a tandem axle trailer and a little common sense and forethought.



me! - I guess you can start sending letters about me (not you, me). I have never been fired from a company (of the four I've been employed with in my life). Maybe I'm due!



ROFLMBO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Steve Rizza]

Dan,

I realize it is not neccessary, BUT, (BIG BUT), for all the trouble it is to carry a hunk of chain,jack up the trailer axle,take off the flat tire,chain up the axle,bolt the chain together so the axle is up out of the way,let down the axle and go on your way.......



or ..



jack up the trailer,pop on your spare and go on your way....



Common sense and forethought is to have a spare.



Why the salesman would tell somebody they don't need a spare is beyond me(not ME!).

 

[Dan J.]

Steve R - I was not privy to the original conversation between Chris F. and the salesperson (as I'm guessing many of us were not), nor would I ever state that a spare would not be my personal preference. Having said that, I know of many customers (DOZENS just at our location over a decade) that trailer short distances (less than 50 mi. was the amt. given originally by Chris F.), whom have chosen not to purchase a spare for whatever their reason. I can't fault their reasoning nor their logic, nor would it ever be my place to weigh on their judgement. Most of all, I can't fault a salesperson for stating the facts. A spare tire is not necessary for a tandem axle trailer. Common sense would dictate that any person with a vehicle in tow should make whatever preparations they deem fit for a worst case scenario. (ie: chains & bolts - $20, spare tire/wheel - $250-ish, AAA membership - $50 annually, etc....) I strongly suggest a person manufacture and travel with a tow box carrying a host of roadside necessary items, for a flat tire is an easy fix compared to a bearing spun at 1:00am, let alone a slough of other things I have witnessed or experienced. Common sense and forethought is "in the eye of the beholder."



I feel that stating a person should be fired for expressing a physical fact is ludicrous and warrants much less attention than the matter has already received. IMHO

 

[Staci Matheis]

Dan -



My background is in the trucking business.

I've chained up much bigger axles than any of those on bass boat trailers.



I stand solidly on my statements.



me

 

[Dan J.]

me -



My background was (ret.) big ticket (6-8 figure) sales.

I've expressed concerns with consumers and the public without arbitrary bias, much contrary to insisting on their removal from their occupation for stating a fact during a conversation heard second hand.



I stand solidly on my statements, especially the last line of my previous post.



Dan J.

 

[Bob G.]

My opinion is that it doesn't really matter what the sales guy told Chris. Common sense says to have a spare tire for your truck, car, boat trailer or any other kind of wheeled contraption being driven or towed on public roadways.



Should the sales guy be fired? NO! Thank him for his opinion and order the spare tire option anyways. Going to another dealer is not an option here unless I was willing to drive to another state for the sake of a sales guy and his opinion.



Bob G.

 

[Staci Matheis]

As usual, the "middle ground" is the best solution.

Thank you, Bob!

 

[TrepMan]

OK Tox or others what the heck is "put dressing on the tire before you cover them."????



I will not get into the discussion between Dan and me! as I know ZERO about a 2 axle trailer. BUT What I can't understand is WHY any manufacturer sells ANY trailers w/out a Spare as STANDARD?? You can NOT buy a car w/out a Spare so why a boat???

 

[Steve Rizza]

I agree that saying the guy should be fired is a little over the top.



I got a spare tire for mine at the local bone-yard.I believe it's an old Ford rim with a tire for $5.

It just lays in the bed of the truck,no need to have a fancy $200 spare.



Trep,

spyay it heavily with Armor-All before you put a cover on it.It will help keep any trapped moisture from rotting it.(I assume)



BTW...My S-10 had an optional spare tire....I laughed and told them if I had to pay for a spare,there was no way I was buying off of them.

$15,00 for a new truck and I had to PAY for a spare!!!!



I didn't just fall off of the turnip truck yesterday..LOL

 

[Dan J.]

Trep - The spare tire "why isn't it included controversy" boils down to pricing structure of individual package units. Adding a matching wheel/tire to each unit increases the pricing structure overall. If other mfg.'s did it as a standard, you would find the rest, most likely, falling in line. However, when a customer has a choice of a $200-300 matching wheel or tire, or a "get the job done" for $50-75, they can be inclined to save the money to buy more fishing stuff! LOL!!



Dressing the tire is using an external lubricant to emulsify the organic rubber for storage in an effort to prevent cracking or seperation. Waxing or coating the rim is also a great idea, especially for steel wheels. (Using a rust inhibitor to prevent the bead from breaking.)



The auto industry generally provides an emergency "donut" and offers the upgraded wheel/tire for added revenue. The same upgraded wheel/tire can usually be aftermarket outsourced for much less.

 

[TrepMan]

Steve and Dan J. - Thanks for the info.



Ok - So my spare tire is NOT covered its mounted and blowing in the wind when I go fishing, should it be "dressed"??



Dan - I thought you were FISHING!!!

 

[Bob G.]

Trep,



Do NOT put a dress on your spare tire....people will talk...more than they do already!!!



Bob G.

 

[Staci Matheis]

OK..... I concede.....

"Firing" was a bit over the top.....



Since it was the owner of the dealership..... Would you guys settle for making him chain up 10 axles on trailers... When he's exhausted from a day of fishing... At night... When it's raining... By the side of a busy highway... Without an adequate shoulder... On the side of the trailer nearest the highway?



Oh yeah... and without flares.....

 

[Greg J.]

How many of you remember a few years ago when you could pay extra for a rear bumper on a new pickup?



Just got through about 30 minutes ago mounting my new spare tire mount on my single-axle trailer. Dressed the tire and waxed the painted rim (both sides, 2 coats) this morning, and it's in the garage until warm weather hits (hopefully soon). When we purchased our boat last October at BPS a spare tire was never mentioned, but when we went to pick the boat up at the Tracker Marine Center the service manager (great guy) mentioned we could purchase one if/when we wanted. Personally, I feel better having the spare.

 

[Dan J.]

Trep - Fished from about 12-5 with a buddy to break in a new ride. What a gorgeous day! It just started out a little too cool for a morning run. After a trip to the "Awful House", we were good to go. We got a handful on a spoon and three nice spots on a jerkbait. The water is still in the mid 40's, but on the rise. The good times are a comin'!!

 

[Staci Matheis]

Here's a novel idea.....



Maybe all the boat manufacturers could get together and agree that the safety of their customers was important to them....



Maybe they could all agree to put a "utility spare" on ALL their trailers. Not an expensive "matching" wheel and tire - just a basic rim and tire that wouldn't push the cost of production up any more than necessary. That way, none would sacrifice their "competitive $$ edge" over the other at the expense of customer safety!







Nah..... Be real, Staci..... That would NEVER happen.....

 

[Greg J.]

Not to wear this topic out, but my spare tire mount came with a padlock, but I'm going to purchase one of those vinyl-coated cable locks and secure the tire and mount to the trailer frame. Doesn't do much good to use a basic padlock for the tire when someone could just remove the 4 nuts on the mount and take the whole dang thing.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Use a quality dressing made for tires also. I personally Do not use Armor All. It used to be the scourge of the industry. Armor All used to make the rubber/vinyl it was applied to, dry and crack. I can't believe that they have not reformulated their product after all of the negative attention they got. Another thing.....Take care of ALL your tires both tow vehicle and boat. Put a quality tire dressing on them on a regular basis. Although expensive, 303 Aerospace Protectant is a good product.



TOXIC

 

[Greg J.]

Toxic,

I've also ceased using Armorall for my tires and trim. Now I use Meguiar's (tire protectant & leather treatment) and Mother's Back-To-Black for rubber trim. Haven't tried the 303 brand, but see it mentioned often.