Trailering a lesson learned (long)

[Rick Sergeant]

My son-in-law and I had an educational experience trailering (bunks, single axle, no brakes) our boat last week. After loading the boat (Targa 17) and pulling off the ramp to prepare for departure we realized the boat was not level (down a couple of inches on the port side). We considered refloating the boat but since there was so much activity at the launch ramp it was decided to just secure it for travel (snug to the bow roller, buckle buddies, etc.) and head home. Near home we encountered a panic stop situation during which we heard a relatively loud thunk from behind. Soon thereafter my son-in-law noticed the trailer "did not feel right" and the boat was now sitting level. We babied the rig home where we discovered the starboard side tire at an irregular angle and wobbling on the spindle. When we removed the wheel and hub assembly it was obvious the rear bearing had come apart. Since the hubs had been recently serviced and the bearings had not seized we think the torque generated by the boat settling in the bunks during the panic stop broke the rear bearing. We have learned a number of lessons from this experience:

1. make sure the boat is level before hitting the road.

2. we did not have enough equipment in our emergency trailer bag

things we had -

grease gun

extra grease

pliers

hammer

extra set of bearings

paper towels

duct tape

bungee cords

additional things we now have -

spare pre greased hub and bearing assembly

chisel

hand file (fine) and/or Emory cloth

channel lock pliers

extra lug nuts

extra cotter pins

extra dust cap

short (5") piece of PVC

hand cleaner (ie. gojo)

3. be prepared to do anything in your power to get the wheel back on the trailer

because if you can't drive into the repair shop it is next to impossible (at least

in Lexington, Kentucky) to get road service



sarge

 

[Tony Payne]

Sarge...



Coming home from Herrington? Pretty sure I saw a targa on Sunday.



Glad to hear it turned out ok!



Tony

 

[Major Mark]

Hey Sarge,

any reputable towing company should be able to flatbed a boat & trailer from point of breakdown to your choice of repair facility. I'm operations manager for one here in WI, & we do it frequently during the summer. If it's a larger boat, it can sometimes can present a slight problem with getting the boat weight far enough onto the rollback to make for a safe damage free move if the trailer doesn't have a swing tongue. In those circumstances, it is sometimes better to load the trailer onto the rollback backwards & leave just the tongue hanging off the edge. In the case of a larger boat, we sometimes will dispatch our 53 foot lowboy to handle those large dinghys....LOL Just make sure during loading you watch your skeg! A good operator will have you remove the transom saver & go to full tilt until ready for traveling, then resecure the saver. Also, make sure they use wood blocks between the tongue and their deck instead of using the trailer leg. Those are not designed rigid enough to handle the boats weight while going down roads that aren't extremely smooth.

And if you have full coverage insurance on your boat, you may have some form of breakdown coverage to reimburse you for the towing expense. I know my policy covers up to $250 per incident. (yes, I have towing insurance on ALL my vehicles, even though after being in the industry for over 28 years I know most of the towing companies throughout the midwest, ya never know when you will get somewhere where you don't know a soul!) $250 of coverage costs me $10 per year in premiums and covers up to 3 incidents per year. That's cheaper then carrying a spare hub assembly and you get to repair it at your leisure at home where all your tools are, or have it taken somewhere for repairs if your not so mechanically inclined or not near home!.... LOL



"Major" Mark (outranks a non-comm..LOL)

 

[Donald Fruge]

That list looks legit.....you should see ken's list.....LOL



Glad it turned out ok, lessons learned.....





Wolf

 

[fatrap]

I can't see how that thunk made a bearing go bad. I've seen some real trailer abuse and never seen a broken bearing. The only way I've seen a bearing fail is due to lack of lubrication or improper installation. mmmmH!

fatrap

 

[Texas Transplant]

I had one do similar last year. Seemed to happen when I ran over a curb/bump in the parking lot. When I got home the bearing buddy was gone. While attempting to replace the bearing buddy, I found out the bearing had come apart. Was probably having the problem all along, just didn't know it. When I hit the bump, that's all folks!



Tex

 

[Larry Harp]

Hey Major, does AAA cover towing boats? I've always wondered.



Harpo

 

[Major Mark]

not to my knowledge, no trailers are covered, only the tow vehicle, but we are NOT a AAA vendor. IMHO towing insurance on your auto policy is a better buy then a AAA membership. Insurance costs $5-10 per year depending on amount of coverage ( I personally pay $8 per year for $100 of breakdown service on 2 vehicles, tow, tire change, etc) usually covers up to 3 incidents per year & you use whatever towing service your most comfortable with.

The only downside is you have to pay for the service at the time of breakdown & submit the bill to your agent for re-imbursement (my guy usually can get a check mailed within 3 days). AAA memberships costs $10 enrollment fee (usually waived), $51 per year for primary member, $26 per year for member's associates (wife, kids, etc). Those rates are the current rates for AAA in WI.

Downside to AAA.. annual cost is high, you are at their mercy as to when they get around to servicing you (in WI that could be days in the winter), upside...they do have nice travel map guides if your planning a trip. Atlas, maps, or mapping software can do the same things usually for less $$. Again, just my personal opinion as a consumer, not speaking as a company representative (<<legal disclaimer in case a AAA rep reads this..LOL)

 

[Larry Harp]

Thanks Major, I guess I could have called AAA myself. I've had AAA for years. They've saved my bacon several times with more stuff than just towing. I can think of several times they've come out and unlocked a car for me or my daughter. One time I hit a chunck of metal on the freeway causing an instant blowout. It was a HOT summer day and I was a factory sales rep in those days and I was dressed in a suit and my van was loaded with samples so I couldn't get to the jack. I just called AAA and caught up on my phone calls and paperwork while they came then I stood there and watched the guy change the tire. THAT was worth the 50 bucks. I like having it mostly for my wife and daughter.



Harpo