Non-trailering guy has some trailering questions

I pulled my boat out to do some work on it. I've never trailered it before, as I keep the boat on a lift in the backyard. I don't have a tow rig, so I got my neighbor to pull it for me with his truck. When we got home, I noticed that one of my tires is flat (it's a dually trailer), and that the boat is sitting a little katty-whompus on the trailer towards the stern. The starboard side is sitting on a chine towards the very back.

Is there a way to remove the flat tire (and get it fixed) with the boat on the trailer?

Is there going to be any problems with the boat sitting on a chine? The front part of the bunk isn't even touching the boat. I plan to have it on the trailer for the next 2 - 3 weeks while I do stuff to the boat.

Re: Non-trailering guy has some trailering questions

you can jack it up and have the tire repaired or replaced, same as you would a car..block wheels, don't put any parts of your body in pinch points....

Re: Non-trailering guy has some trailering questions

You can lift the trailer with the boat on it with a regular hydrolic floor jack that rated for the weight you are lifting no problems, however if your talking a fiberglass boat I would certainly work on getting it on the trailer straight. If your gonna be towing it anywhere or be inside bouncing around you would be running a risk of glass damage I would think.

Re: Non-trailering guy has some trailering questions

One suggestion... When you are changing a trailer tire, ALWAYS have a vehicle hooked up to the trailer... Far less likely that a trailer is going to roll off a jack when there is no way it can move.

Re: Non-trailering guy has some trailering questions

smokingcrater said:

One suggestion... When you are changing a trailer tire, ALWAYS have a vehicle hooked up to the trailer... Far less likely that a trailer is going to roll off a jack when there is no way it can move.

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Excellent advice! Thanks!

Re: Non-trailering guy has some trailering questions

with a tandem trailer you don't even have to use a jack. you can make a ramp out of pieces of 2x6. position the ramp and use your tow vehicle to pull the good tire on top of the ramp.



that's obviously one you can buy but should give you an idea how it works.


forgot the second part about crooked on trailer...prob ok if you don't trailer it anywhere but if the lake/river is right there might as well straighten her out if possible.

Re: Non-trailering guy has some trailering questions

by the way its not called a dually its called tandem or double axle just put a jack under it left it up and do what needs to be done.

Re: Non-trailering guy has some trailering questions

sw33ttooth said:

by the way its not called a dually its called tandem or double axle just put a jack under it left it up and do what needs to be done.

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Thanks... told ya I don't trailer!

So I was looking at the boat on the trailer in the daylight (pulled it out at night), and it's not that it's on crooked, it seems the forward section of the bunk was loose, and then lowered/dropped when the boat was loaded. I was thinking of using a floor jack to raise the bunk back up to the hull and then securing it, but if I do that, how do I know when to stop raising the bunk? Do I stop when it's just touching it, or when I feel some resistance in the jack (but how much)?

This all would have been avoided (I think) if I had given the trailer a once-over before using it (it's sat on the side of the house for over a year), but when I asked my neighbor if he could do it later in the week, his answer was "right now is about the only time I'll have", so it was all done in a rush.

Re: Non-trailering guy has some trailering questions

how do I know when to stop raising the bunk? Do I stop when it's just touching it, or when I feel some resistance in the jack (but how much)?

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i would either shove the boat off/back in in the water, and fix it, or yes put the jack under it hope the jack doesnt harm the hull if it slips off. jack it up till its level with the other side then bolt it down.