Towing long distance

[bex]

Travelling from Miami to Atlanta to pick up a good deal on an '02 GPR, want to know if it would be a problem hauling it back with the trailer to Miami.

Total mission would be about 600miles towed at 55mph. Its a very well kept shorelander trailer, genuine model.

Any notes or precautions before I make the journey?

Any help would be appreciated cause it will be a night mission most likely!

Thanks

[Dockside]

Bring with you an extra tire, tire iorn, a jack and grease gun. befor you leave jack up each wheel and spin it while listening and feeling for grinding or play in the hub. If there solid and spin smooth give them a shot of grease and you should be fine. When my dad bought his boat witch is 5500lbs it dumped wheel bearing on the way home (6hr drive) We got lucky it didnt sieze till we got it home but it was makin some bad noises for a couple hrs #-o

[bex]

thanks for the heads up, i'll take the necessary precautions and think that the light weight of the trailer and ski should keep me good if I keep the speeds down.

appreciate the heads up...thanks

[Joe8]

When i picked up my ski i had to drive it 900kms back home luckily with no incidents, then on my 3rd trip out one of the bearings collapsed and it was undrivable, luckily there was a store nearby and i was able to get a bearing set, then take it to a mechanic who happened to be open to press the new bearings on.
Grab the top of the tire and push/pull on it. you should be able to feel any play in the bearing.
If i were you i'd pull the hubs off and repack the bearings with grease. it'll take you less then 30mins and give you piece of mind. remeber to use waterproof marine grease

[giguchan]

gee....
and i was wondering about from NY to Fla... 1200 miles... aint never had the balls to do it..

[K447]

thanks for the heads up, i'll take the necessary precautions and think that the light weight of the trailer and ski should keep me good if I keep the speeds down...Stop and check the temperatures of the wheel bearings and the tire sidewalls every so often.

First check after 20-30 minutes, then every hour or two thereafter.

All you need to do is hold the back of your hand on the outer sidewall of each tire, and also the outside of the wheel bearings.

Nothing should be so hot that you risk burning your skin. If it is too hot to touch, then it needs attention.

Hot tires are normally caused by too low tire pressure.

Check the specs for your trailer, and make sure you have the correct size and load rating tires, and the correct air pressure for those tires.

If the trailer tires are more than about 5 years old, replace them.

Hot bearings mean they need more grease, or may need replacing. If the bearings or wheels have any side to side slop or play, have them checked or replaced.

While you are stopped, also check the PWC hold-down straps, the trailer hitch, and all the lights. Total time to check everything is under two minutes.

Make sure you position the bow winch and roller to properly position the PWC on the trailer. It needs to be far enough forward to put about 10% of the total trailer weight on the hitch.

Also make sure the bunks under the hull are in the correct position to support the hull. Other threads on here have discussed how to position bunks.

[giguchan]

my thing was always to make sure the tongue weight was done properly too much, too little i think can add or decrease the strain on the TV(tow vehicle)
but everything else you said seem to make great sense.
Thanks for the post.

[ArmyRXP]

gee....
and i was wondering about from NY to Fla... 1200 miles... aint never had the balls to do it..


I have done this trip then up thru Ohio on the way home. averaged around 65-70 mph just pull them and clean them, inspect then repack with marine grease and on your way. Total trip was about 2500-2800 miles.

[giguchan]

Like Joe said...
peace of mind.... you can't pay enough for that.. one less thing to worry about and a few less grey hairs..

[Inkaddict]

my thing was always to make sure the tongue weight was done properly too much, too little i think can add or decrease the strain on the TV(tow vehicle)
but everything else you said seem to make great sense.
Thanks for the post.


Ive done NJ to Florida twice with a double trailer. Generally before we go we change the wheel bearings just for piece of mind... Their cheap enough. Also.. Bringing a spare is a MUST... Bringing 2 may be over kill but the day you need 2 you'll be glad you had it. We had a tire blow on 95 in NC at 5am.. 10 minutes later we were on the road again. ;)

[jet ski o'clock]

+1 on the 2 spare tires.i also bring the replacement hub and spindle kits with me when i run long distances.also bring a good hydraulic jack this way if the tow vehicle gets a flat you don't have to use the oem jack.enjoy your trip.

[giguchan]

10 Min?
that ain't too bad... it wont win you pit competitions but at 5 am you cant get any better than that.

When i was planning the trip i never took.. I had allready bought 2 spares and had them mounted on the trailer. I did not think to bring extra bearings, grease or anything like that.I dont even own a 2 ton floorjack. I guess the OEM bottle jack would work.. In a jap 4-runner.. i aint got much room... hence looking for a sequioia now..

[K447]

...also bring a good hydraulic jack this way if the tow vehicle gets a flat you don't have to use the oem jack...For the trailer, I use the Easy Lift D shape jack (http://www.sturdybuiltonline.com/Easy-Lift-Jack_p_456.html), also sold as SeaSense (http://www.buzzillions.com/reviews/seasense-easy-lift-trailer-jack-reviews), and probably some other names.

Just set it against the axle, and move the tow vehicle a few inches to lift the trailer axle. The tow vehicle brakes hold the trailer in place while it is lifted. Works well, and is very quick to use. Can be used with only one person.

http://www.sturdybuiltonline.com/assets/images/jacks/Swivle/ezjack.jpg
http://images.buzzillions.com/images_products/00/95/1956056_raw.jpg

[giguchan]

What a handy dandy contraption! I'll have to see if there are any videos on this thing in action... I would like to see it work. either way it's better than NOT having anything when your stuck!