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I’m picking up my new to me Max in may and driving it 900 miles home. Curious what you all bring on longer trips as far as trailer parts. The boat and trailer are 3 years old so shouldn’t be too beat up. I believe the old owner kept the boat on a lift in the summer and only used the trailer for storage in the winter. Any input would be much appreciated. As most, I don’t want to get stranded hours from home with trailer issues.
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For me, as long as tires are good and a spare is present i'd go as is.
Sure others will have a laundry list of things but i've done 1800 miles a couple of times with older trailers and as long as tires are good i'm good.
Post up pics of the new whip
A 3 year old trailer should not have a problem as long as tires look good. I'd be more interested in what truck you are using to tow that rig and where to, high mountains with steep grade?
I carry a harbor freight aluminum floor jack and a breaker bar with sockets sized for my truck and trailer lugs all summer to make the inevitable tire change a little easier. You wont have any problems with anything else mechanical on a newish trailer.
make sure you check that the tires have the correct air pressure in them.
Good info above. In addition to that I always carry with the trailer;Quote:
Originally Posted by korey
* an old towel (in case I have to lay on the ground)
* a couple of flares
* flashlight
* and a cell phone charger...to call AAA!
Well, I should say "you won't have problems with anything else THAT YOU CAN HANDLE ROADSIDE"...Quote:
Originally Posted by korey
I had a bearing fail on my '18 trailer last Father's day... Call the tow truck!
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All great suggestions!Quote:
Originally Posted by Branden967
Regarding the air pressure- bring along a tire pressure gauge and check pressure. Depending on your truck (if you have a 120v outlet), you could bring a small compressor. Or of course stop by a gas station to fill the tires if needed.
Otherwise best of luck!
Huh, ok, how'd they get the boat up there? :confused: There is no front tire on the trailer to winch it up. And when the bed is raised at an angle, as you pull the boat up, wouldn't the rear trailer steel rollers hit the ground?, the angle would be pretty steep. I need splaining please.Quote:
Originally Posted by korey
It was a horrible, cringy experience to watch them drag it up there. They use some plastic sliders under the tongue and rear of the trailer to keep metal from dragging and drag it on up there. At one point of the process, both axles are pretty much off of the ground. I never want to see that again.Quote:
Originally Posted by Isaguel
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You would have scrapped less if the tow operator lowered your tongue jack lol......
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Funny story about that... I suggested that when he hooked up to it. When he disagreed, I said, "well man, as soon as you hook up to it, it's yours. And it's worth $80k to me." He ended up ripping the jack off of it and paying me $200 cash to not call his boss. I got the adapter and fulton and the f2 upgrade and never looked back.Quote:
Originally Posted by larry_arizona
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I have a Tahoe for towing, so luckily my father in law is letting me use his Chevy 2500. That thing will have no problem towing for that long. I’m going lake George NY to Chicago so eastern NY will be hilly but OH, IN, and IL will be flat.Quote:
Originally Posted by Isaguel
These guys are spot on about good tires, a spare and checking air pressure. The jack in the 2500 Chev should work if needed. Having replaced all 4 tires over the last 3 summers the only other thing I can think of is a big hammer or something to pound a destroyed fender back into place (and avoid the tow truck joys) should you have a nasty blow out with collateral damage. When a rear tire blows it likes the buckle the fender right in towards it. Ask me how I know...
And maybe a few helpers to share in driving or flat changing. It's a lot more fun on the side of a busy freeway when it's 95 degrees out.
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I keep a non contact temperature gun in my truck. I check hub temps every time we stop and sometimes in between stops. My hubs, wheels, brakes, and tires are always within a few degrees of all the others. That's peace of mind right there.
I love the IR thermo gun, great idea!!!
Also don’t forget your Boatmate trailer comes with 5 years free roadside service for the trailer AND tow vehicle.
Also, most boat insurance policies come with roadside service for trailer and tow vehicle.
I have thought about picking one of these up too.
Trailer-Aid Tandem Tire Changing Ramp, The Fast and Easy Way To Change A Trailer's Flat Tire, Holds up to 15,000 lbs, 4.5 Inch Lift (Yellow) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000I4JPZE...DAHBJH18K73DAC
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I picked up a Trailer Aid ramp just because. Stores easy and I can use it on my travel trailer too. Wheel chocks would be a good idea to have.Quote:
Originally Posted by larry_arizona
Go to a hardware store and get plastic wrap. I used a 24” roll and wrapped all the contact points of the cover and any areas that may get hit with raid debris.
Have the right wiring adapter and a ball lock for those times when you disconnect. I also use a long locking hitch pin in the break-away coupler when I park.
I would call Boatmate and get a list of their service centers along your route.
What is this adapter you speak of? I have been wanting to upgrade my jack. Do you have any pics?Quote:
Originally Posted by korey
https://www.boatmateparts.com/produc...s.php?itmId=59Quote:
Originally Posted by TXSurf4
Fulton makes one as well, but I like this one better, it connects to 4 holes on the trailer instead of just the center pivot stud on the fulton brand adapter. The nuts were a significant pain in the but to tighten, but it's done now with the better part of one season of service.
This is a great reassurance on paper. I am still waiting for boatmate to clear up my costs for the hub failure on my trailer when it was 6 months old. It was very difficult to get any service to help when i had no cell service at the location of the hub failure, i was still 400 miles from home, and it was late sunday afternoon, the closest town (Moab UT) was 25 miles away, none of the local tow service would even consider pulling the boat op on their truck deck, pull the trailer to town on 3 wheels,Quote:
Originally Posted by larry_arizona
oh yes, get a small wood block (4x4x4) to block the failed axle up so you can 3 wheel in.
have a great trip! i vote for adventure free.
I can vouch for Boat Mate's 3rd party roadside service being useless in a similar scenario. So was my State Farm roadside. After a couple of hours of both of them trying to get me help, I called and had someone there in 20 minutes. It was a $250 tow for 60 miles to my house. Called my State Farm guy on Monday morning and he said, "I wish I had a way to tell all of my customers to just skip the 1-800 number and do it yourself" then he cut me a check for the tow on the spot.Quote:
Originally Posted by yearround
Thanks for sharing. I tried to get this done when we took delivery of the boat back in 2019 but this wasn't available then.Quote:
Originally Posted by korey
I'm cheap so I made one out of two 4x4's and a piece of plywood on top. Works great in the driveway. Never needed it yet on the road. Also, wont work for leaf spring axles.Quote:
Originally Posted by larry_arizona
Not sure the color of the boat you are picking up or how meticulous you are about the finish but a set of Rock Tamers might not be a bad move for the trip and when trailering any where. I use mine all the time.
1/2 Socket set and if it's a long trip I bring my cordless impact gun
Small sledge hammer like others mentioned to beat back a fender or loosen a stuck rim.
2 by scraps wood for shimming under jack and other misc used
Jumper pack with light and compressor
Tarp, towel, jump suit
If you run aftermarket tires make sure you have the correct lug nuts for the spare.
I ran into this 2 weeks ago in a snow storm. I put on the spare and the nuts wouldn't tighten up on the spare. I was fortunate that I had left the oem security nuts in the gloves with the key.
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If you're really planning for any kinda mishap, some big ass zipties and the right sockets to remove a brake caliper (and a piece of wood to put between the pads). I've had a caliper freeze up and just removed it leaving it connected to the brake lines and zip tied it to the frame. A set of hub seals and bearings and grease could be something as some have had hub failures, but that would be a Pain to change on the side of the road (ask Russ).
A three-year-old trailer should not have a problem. Just check the tires and the oil level in your trailer to make sure everything is ok.
I am sure your trip is already done but for those who will make similar trips, a 1/2" battery impact is lug nut socket is great to have. I made an "easy jack" from 3 pieces of 2x8 lumber screwed together in a stair stepping arrangement. Similar to what was linked on amazon but cheaper since I had the scrap wood lying around. I don't make long drives without a trailing arm hub assembly in the truck. my 17 trailer has had 3 different hubs go bad a total of like 6 times in the last year and boat mate has not taken care of any of them. They never respond to my emails. I also bring a 1/2 torqur wrench to make sure the lugs are tightened properly.
Apologies for reviving this thread, but I wanted to add that traveling in a trailer sure has its charms and conveniences, but I have to admit that I lean towards a different preference when it comes to long distances. Personally, I enjoy traveling with more comfort and speed, without the hassle of driving or worrying about spare parts and other details along the way. That's why I often opt for train trips. In fact, I recently booked tickets at dbfahrplan.com for a trip to Europe, and I'm genuinely excited about this upcoming adventure. There's something delightful about sitting back, relaxing, and letting the train take me to my destination.
I've now added a 2nd spare wheel to my trailer.
+1 on the wood idea rather than bothering with a jack.
Extra bearings, grease gun and grease. Extra cap for hub. I finally ditched the vault and I'm retrofitted to bearing buddies. Vaults can suck it.
Air compressor. 1/2" cordless impact. A telescoping lug wrench lives in my boat since the trailer is rarely moving without the boat.
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