Spare tire and Mount

[leeatmg]

I have never trailered my boat very far (longest was 100 miles to the dealer) so I never bothered with a spare for the trailer, nor a spare mount either.

Does anyone have a preferred mount to carry a spare on the trailer? Also - I have seen a number of folks upgraded their tires and/or rims by now. I'd be surprised if I have more than 1500 miles on the trailer in the four years I've owned the boat. I'm a novice at this stuff, so...is there a reason/need to upgrade either? I'm thinking about a long road trip this spring with the boat, which is why the question about the spare. But what about the tires and rims?

Thanks...

 

[PEARCE]

If you're still running the original bias tires then I would at least have a spare on hand and be prepared to change it on your trip. You might be okay but you never know. Four years is getting to the end of a trailer tires life no matter how many miles are on them. If it were me I'd replace them with a set of radials. Maxxis makes a very good tire that I've had a lot of experience with. I just replaced my six year old Maxxis with a set of Kuhmo 857 radials that are a high speed trailer tire. Most trailer tires are only rated up to 65 mph because they can't cool down as well as normal car or truck tires. The 857's are rated up to 99mph and are a D load range tire. I tend to tow the state speed limit or more on whatever road I'm on and we trailer quite a bit.
As for your rims they should be fine As long as you haven't hit a curb or something and bent it out of shape. If you do get new tires, be sure to get them balanced. Hope this helps. Got any more questions or concerns just holler.

 

[leeatmg]

Another question, then - where is the best place to get said tires? I'm assuming most standard tire dealers (Discount tire, etc.) carry these kinds of tires and rims?

 

[Julian]

I put Maxxis M8008 ST Trailer Tire - 205/75R14 100R on my trailer. At the time the going price for them was $116 apiece, I got lucky and bought a set of four NEW 205/75-14 MAXXIS TRAILER M8008 ST RADIAL 75R14 R14 75R TIRES for $496 with $100 rebate and free shipping! Great price! Thanks for pointing this out! That is under $100 delivered each!!!! This was from Discount Tire Direct.

Took the trailer to my local tire place and they charged $15 each to mount and balance them.

 

[PEARCE]

Discount is where I get all my tires. You'll probably have to order them since most Discount tire or American tire don't keep Maxxis or my Kumho's in stock. It will take a couple of days to a week to get them in.

 

[maboat]

Discount Tire has Goodyear Marathon radials...if you want the best

 

[leeatmg]

Goodyear vs. Maxxis vs. Kuhmo... Why one vs. the other? If I decide to trailer this thing long distances, I'd want the best. I don't like road troubles. I don't like slow either - I'd certainly be doing the speed limit wherever I traveled. I've got a big Ram pickup to pull her now, so I'm considering 1500 mile plus trips if I feel comfortable that I have the right equipment.

Any advice on a spare tire mount for the trailer?

 

[Julian]

Goodyear vs. Maxxis vs. Kuhmo... Why one vs. the other? If I decide to trailer this thing long distances, I'd want the best. I don't like road troubles. I don't like slow either - I'd certainly be doing the speed limit wherever I traveled. I've got a big Ram pickup to pull her now, so I'm considering 1500 mile plus trips if I feel comfortable that I have the right equipment.

Any advice on a spare tire mount for the trailer?

I just bought a basic angle mount one at basspro....

 

[PEARCE]

I carried my spare on the V under the bow strapped down with bungee cords till I got a rack welded on over this winter. I was having the fender fixed at the same time and I'm really pleased. I've never wanted to have my spare mounted to the frame rail.
As you can see in my signature I have a camper too. I do a ton of research on tires and talk to a lot of people about trailers and tires that they use and the luck that they've had with certain brands. Everybody has an opinion about certain tires good and and bad and I'm not going into that. All I can tell you is I've not heard or read many bad things about the Maxxis trailer tires. Our first camper came from the factory equipped with Maxxis and they held up very well and I was impressed. I replaced them with the same thing when it was time and put thousands of miles on the new ones before we upgraded to the fifth wheel we have now. The same day that we bought the current camper I took it straight to Discount for a new set of Maxxis. The only reason I switched to Kumho this time for the boat trailer is because I wanted a speed rating higher then the normal 65 mph. I read lots of great reviews on them and I decided to give them a go. They really look beefy on the trailer right now.
It's just up to you to decide. There are a lot of guys that have gone to the Maxxis if that helps. Good luck.

 

[leeatmg]

Thanks for all the replies...good information there. Would never have known that trailer tires had speed ratings...once the boat comes out of deep storage (which in MN is sometime in April, we hope!) I'll be changing them out and dealing with the spare issue.

 

[Julian]

Yeah....I never knew they had a speed rating either! I know I've exceeded that rating routinely. .....whoops!

 

[Boat Crazy]

If you go to the Maxxis site you can add your zip and it can tell you where the closest dealer is. I thought my closest one was 1 hr away and was willing to drive it. I was surprised to find there was one in my home town. I got mine for less than $100 each plus mounting and balancing.

 

[-klb-]

One of the things that is still on my to design list is a bow stop mod, that contains a spare tire mount, small tool box, and step. I figure it shouldn't be too tough to hold a small hydraulic jack and lug wrench.

 

[leeatmg]

One of the things that is still on my to design list is a bow stop mod, that contains a spare tire mount, small tool box, and step. I figure it shouldn't be too tough to hold a small hydraulic jack and lug wrench.

Keep us posted...I never did the bow stop mod either...that would be a good time to do it...

 

[maboat]

he speaks!

Great idea but I do worry about tongue weight. Not that those individual things are a lot, but everything adds up and I know these boats are pretty close to 500lbs tw from the factory

 

[-klb-]

500 Lbs is probably a bigger deal for some members than others.. I'm pretty sure I confirmed that my F150 is rated over 600 lbs tongue weight, and my stainless draw bar is 600. I know that the F15o factory tow package receiver is 9,000 load distributing rated, so it is a heck of a lot stiffer than your average hitch package.

 

[maboat]

You know I have a Cummins Ram HD. Its not the tow vehicle I'm concerned about. Its the trailer.

The trailer+boat is about 500lbs tw from the factory dry. Load the boat with fuel and standard array of gear and your up to around 600lbs already. Adding spare tire, puts it over I'm sure. Thats where I'm at now. Then a tool box and hydraulic jack sitting way forward on the trailer probably gets close to 700 or more.

It may be wrong, but I've often read that tongue weight should not be over 10% of trailer gross. This trailer gross is 6,000 so wouldn't that limit the tongue weight to about 600?

 

[-klb-]

Actually, the trailer is a concern no matter how you slice it.. (or maybe much less of a concern if it were sliced into pieces, just not as useful)

On one hand, I almost prefer having any extra frame mounted weight on the tongue than on the axles. I haven't heard any stories of bending the tongue, or wearing out the surge brake slide pins.. But I do remember reading about bent axles that had no obvious cause. I am pretty intent that what I do be limited to spare tire, jack, and lug wrench, so not all that much extra weight.

If I towed more, or farther, I would probably be wondering if I should build something similar to the Sherline tongue weight scale, or just modify a cheap hydraulic jack with a pressure gauge, and calculate out the conversion ratio. (since I am unlikely to just find one with a 1 square inch piston)

 

[maboat]

Actually, the trailer is a concern no matter how you slice it.. (or maybe much less of a concern if it were sliced into pieces

LMAO!

On one hand, I almost prefer having any extra frame mounted weight on the tongue than on the axles. I haven't heard any stories of bending the tongue, or wearing out the surge brake slide pins.. But I do remember reading about bent axles that had no obvious cause.

I agree. I don't think bending or breaking the tongue is a concern. I think it has more to do with balancing the load and stability of weight while traveling down the highway. I bet those bent axles were overloaded. People load a lot of crap into their boats and don't realize how much it adds up. If the boat is full of fuel, there is not much payload left on the trailer to be carrying the two-or-more cases of beer and ice and other crap that I usually bring (4 batteries, 3 anchors, blah blah blah)

I would probably be wondering if I should build something similar to the Sherline tongue weight scale

Funny that you should mention it. It just so happens I own one of those Thats how I know so much about my tongue weight

 

[txav8r]

@leeatmg I never had the radials but if I were planning more than an average 100 mile trip on used tires, I would upgrade to them. The rims are fine if they are in good shape...unless you just want something pretty.

The standard side mount spare tire holder was perfect to me. It mounted in a way, that I could step onto the trailer tongue with my right foot, then my left foot onto the covered tire mounted vertically, and then my right knee up on my hydroturf padded anchor locker and swing into the boat. The cradle mounts may be great, but I always wanted a good floor jack and tools in a lockbox where that cradle would go.

So if I had the same boat stock again on an MFI trailer, I would brace and weld the bow stop post, add the vertical side mount spare tire with a vinyl cover over it, and have a lockbox built to mount in the V. I am with Kevin and Mark...I don't think that much weight is an issue if you have even a 1/2 ton truck. Now if your trying to pull this with an Odyssey or crossover that isn't load rated higher, it may be more of an issue because your already maxed out.