Re: wheel fell off while towing, what do I do??
I agree, your very lucky, I have seen this happen and cause far worse things happen to the tow vehicle as well as the occupants of the tow vehicle.
When I worked in the RV business and this type of situation happened, we would not repair the spindle, we always replaced the axle that way any unseen damage was taken care of.
Of course it depends on where the boat and trailer are sitting, if at home, jack it up and get a new axle with hubs for it, replace and have the piece of mind, if sitting on the side of the road, it is probably best to have a roll back pick it up and take it home for you and then get a new axle and replace it. Besides any surface damage to the spindle, I would be pretty sure that it has bent the spindle as well, even if not apparent...
Unless you are lucky and it has a bolt on spindle, welding a new spindle on, takes some skill as well as being able to make sure it is straight, they use jigs in a factory to ensure straightness...
In the future, when you buy a trailer or anything on the trailer, it is prudent to jack it up, and check the bearings before attempting to take it home, I do this on boats, travel trailer, utility trailers, etc. It really does not take that long and it sure can save you a world of heat ache..
Again, glad your okay, and you just have to deal with a wheel falling off.
Dave