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Random Quote: Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.
I’m throwing this out there to see if I forgot anything. I’m leaving NJ next week and headed for Florida, boat in tow. I am driving an F350 with a gas 5.4. The boat is a 23 Reg. with twins. I’ve had the truck all checked out and installed new bearings, rotors and brakes on the trailer. Lights all rewired and I bought a spare trailer tire. I installed new tie downs on the front and the back of the trailer. I’m using heavy chain on the bow just as a precaution. It’s a bunk trailer and I added additional supports. I hope I covered it all but this is my first long hall trip. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks, Andrew
I am getting ready to do the same thing in a few weeks, only Florida up to Cape Cod. Everything you just said is on my to do list, but what are people doing with their engines on long hauls? I have seen people put a block of wood in between the engine and motor mount, then lower the engine down on it. If I put it all the way down where the actual trim begins it only leaves me about 12" from the skeg to the ground.
I actually spoke to the local Yamaha dealer on this issue. I have 150hp. He explained that Yamaha makes a rubber bushing that goes between the engine and the trim pistons and is recommended on Yamahas 225 and larger. He showed me one and it acts as a shock absorber. It looks like a 9" rubber tube that cost $60 each. I was also worried about the transom. He told me to keep the engines up with the lock in place. He told me I had nothing to worry about but I will check it along the way.
Thank you, Andrew
I think you will want to buy a spare hub, with the bearings packed already, with the tools you would need to change it out. Also, see what you need to change a trailer tire on the side of the road. A small assortment of wooden blocks for chocking or banging with...carpet scrap for your knees...work gloves, rags, hand cleaner. Do you have a jack that will lift that trailer? Just some thoughts. I am going to Miami this august from SC, that will be my longest trip so far and I have the same thoughts and questions going through my mind.
__________________ "All bad precedents begin with justifiable measures."
Julius Caesar
I think you will want to buy a spare hub, with the bearings packed already, with the tools you would need to change it out. Also, see what you need to change a trailer tire on the side of the road. A small assortment of wooden blocks for chocking or banging with...carpet scrap for your knees...work gloves, rags, hand cleaner. Do you have a jack that will lift that trailer? Just some thoughts. I am going to Miami this august from SC, that will be my longest trip so far and I have the same thoughts and questions going through my mind.
I always carry an infrared thermometer so I can check both hub and tire temperatures all the way around. Often, new bearings are installed tighter than they should be, so you'll want to check them carefully at first. Make sure you have the tools required to loosen them if they are running too warm.
Triaxle trailers do loosen up the bearing every time you do a very tight turn.Don't ask me how I know.On long trips,two spare tires are nice with one set of extra bearing and a hub.A full size grease gun is a must.
One tool that is a must is a very good file(Bastard).If you ever burnt a bearing and were on the side of the road,that bearing will melt on the axle.,You will need that file to clean everything up.
A lot of good advice already there. I drag the rig out onto the Parkway the day before and run it to 70 for 10 miles or so, gives me the warm'n'fuzzies that we're ready. I highly recommend AAA personally. I blew a tire on the Tahoe on 95 in GA and the membership paid for itself that night, let someone else deal with it.
BTW, unless you are going to Key West or will only drive 6 hours a day, it won't take 3 days. I do the same run twice a year - 18 hours is about my average driving time.
Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it. As far as the hub goes I saved the older ones as a back up. I’ll bring one with the tool to change it. I like the idea of taking temperature readings along the way. I’ll need to pick up a laser thermometer.Bunger79, I think I’m missing something on the wedge. I went to the website and I couldn’t find anything that would apply. Could you explain what the wedge is?Thanks for all the advice, Andrew
I think you will want to buy a spare hub, with the bearings packed already, with the tools you would need to change it out. Also, see what you need to change a trailer tire on the side of the road. A small assortment of wooden blocks for chocking or banging with...carpet scrap for your knees...work gloves, rags, hand cleaner. Do you have a jack that will lift that trailer? Just some thoughts. I am going to Miami this august from SC, that will be my longest trip so far and I have the same thoughts and questions going through my mind.
Excellent points! I had to change two tires in the same night. Don't rely on the stuff that comes with your truck, be sure to have a good jack and a good lug wrench. Don't forget a good work light too, you don't need the brightest one in the world, but it may need to burn for some time. Also some flares and/or a reflector kit to keep folks from running you over while you are tending to your trailer.
After my wee hours blowouts (two-20 miles apart) I purchased: six new tires, led flashlight, primo bottle jack, 18" breaker bar with extension and deep socket, portable 12v high pressure air compressor, and an extra wheel for the extra spare for the trailer. Remember, no matter what towing service you have, they may not be able to find the correct tire, mounted on a wheel with the right bolt pattern, at two in the morning. Also, most rigs are too tall to go on a flat bed wrecker, so whatever needs fixing has to be fixed where it gave out!
A clean change of clothes and some hand cleaner would have been a real luxury that night too! Hope you have an uneventful trip.
Scroll down to the Yamaha pics/instructions and you'll see it being used. (I assume you have Yamahas on your Reg.) You only need one per engine!
Also make note of the caution about avoiding damage to the grease zerk fitting - it dictates which piston you slide the wedge over (on our F225, we put the wedge on the port side piston).
I'm really glad I through this out there. I have some more preparations to do. I am going to have a separate bag with flares, jack, light, small compressor and all the tools mentioned. The only thing I don’t have is additional spare tire and a good grease gun. I have a week to get it all ready. Thanks again for all the great advise.
Make sure the jack fits under the trailer with a flat tire. Trailer axles tend to be much closer to the ground that those on a car/truck. Also, make sure you have a lug wrench that fits the lug nuts on the trailer. A 3/8" socket set may not give you enough leverage to remove a well tightened lug nut (ask me how I know!).
I carry a 2-ton floor jack; Sears has them for a reasonable price, in a plastic case that is easy to pack. It makes changing a tire on trailer or truck MUCH easier and safer. The small air compressor that drives off a 12v plug can come in handy as well.
I can't believe nobody mentioned, get road side assistance for your trailer! Just like AAA for your car. You have no business being out htere on your own, responsible for anything that might happen. I have trailer assist through Boat US.
Now here's my story; I was heading from NC to Key Largo for a month long business trip so I decided to drive and take the boat. I stopped in Cedar Key to visit my mom before heading all the way down. Went fishing with some friends in CK followed by a late night out. The next morning I drove down to Naples to visit another friend. I was begining to get pressed for time so there was littles sleep that couple of days. The final leg of that trip would take me from Naples across alligator alley then down to Key Largo. For those who are not familiar with alligator alley I believe there's only one place to turn around, and about a mile past point I lost my transmission.
I called AAA and learned that nobody wanted to to come help, it was too far and considered dangerous at 3:00am. I called AAA and told them that all the towers were refusing to come out there they pulled their magic and forced (threatened with loss of business) someone out there. When that guy called me and learned I was towing a boat he said I would have to leave it! I then called Boat US and started all over again only to learn that they had no record me having trailer assist with my membership! I had just added it to my membership a few days earlier, and had a confirmation number too! Anyway, trailer assist wasn't coming and the tow truck guy was.
When the tow truck finally came -after about three hours - I told him my story and asked if he could tow the boat also, he said had no ball on his truck which was true. I asked if he could put the boat on the flatbed and tow the truck, again no way the truck had to go on the faltbed. I asked if he could put the boat on the flatbed and just leave the truck for the locals to feast on! Nope! So what can I do? Well he asked do you have any money? For $4 a mile he'd give it a try. We chained my trailer to his truck and pulled it 44 miles. I was a wreck, but he got me there.
Since I was in a real bind I had him drop me off at the first car dealer we came to. I shopped around waiting for the place to open and found a nice late model used Explorer I thought my wife would like. The salesman obviously didn't recognize my urgency and made me go through the whole bickering process during which I did get a better deal even though I would have paid sticker just to get out of there. Apparently the guy didn't realize there was some dude in his lot when he arrived from NC with a boat and no way to get it home. Just after 11:00am I was on my way. Over the course of about 60 hours I; drove 800 miles, went fishing, got plastered more than once, nursed a hangover, dealt with the tow guys, bought a car, and never slept!
I made it to my first meeting later that same day but we decided I probably should go get some rest instead, so we went to the bar!
Andrew, sorry for hijacking your thread...but get roadside assistance for you trailer.
Scroll down to the Yamaha pics/instructions and you'll see it being used. (I assume you have Yamahas on your Reg.) You only need one per engine!
Also make note of the caution about avoiding damage to the grease zerk fitting - it dictates which piston you slide the wedge over (on our F225, we put the wedge on the port side piston).
Have a safe and fun trip!
Thanks for the info on the wedge. I spoke with them today and they shipped them out today. I'll have them just in time.
I also picked up a 2 ton piston jack and a 12v compressor.
I hope I cvered it all!
First long trailering trip. 
