Trailering?

[6or7dazeaweek]

If anyone's trailering their rig between locations, it's a good idea to carry a spare tire. When I bought my landscape trailer, I also picked up a mounted spare for it. As luck would have it, I got a flat on the road this summer and was happy to have a spare mounted on the a-frame.

The sad thing was, my jack that came with the truck would not lift the trailer high enough to remove the tire.

I always carry one of those 4 way lug wrenches underneath the seat of the truck so that was a blessing in disguise. Now getting the tire off the trailer was another matter. I found a convenient piece of 4x4 in the bed of the truck and propped it up against the trailer frame in front of the tire at an angle. I loosened up the lugs and then used the truck to pull the trailer & load forward enough to lift the tire far enough off the ground to do the swap. You have to be careful that you don't go past the high point & have to repeat the proceedure. Now, I make sure the 4x4 is part of the toolkit. Oh yes, and on the return trip, I stopped off at the tire center to get the original repaired....just in case. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[George2615]

I also have a 4 way wrench under the seat since truck and trailer lug nuts are different sizes and I picked up a cheapie 2 ton floor jack at HF for about $20 and keep that under the seat as well. Its always nice to have a few 2x4 or 4x4's to use for shims too. When trailering I throw a couple small jackstands in pickup too.

 

[RedRocker]

I bet your FEL will lift the trailer, assuming you have one.

 

[Highbeam]

I had to purchase a full size spare of the same 10 ply rating and size as the OEM trailer tires for 150$ to fit the trailer. I throw it in the truck bed now since I have no mount on the trailer for it. I also throw a 4-way wrench, 2 wheel chocks, and a chunk of 4x12 lumber for the tongue jack. In a pinch the tractor can be offloaded and used with the binders and chain to do some lifting if the truck's jack isn't enough.

I just need to figure out a spare mount on the trailer.

 

[George2615]

Yes it will, I did lift the trailer the day I bought it in September. I drove 6.5 hrs to PA to pick up my trailer and towed it home. When I got it home I noticed the left front wheel making a noise when it moved. So with it still hooked to the truck I picked the back end off the ground with the tractor and removed the wheel and drum assembly to check the brakes and found the dealer had forgot to inspect and adjust the brakes which were too loose. The 6.5 hr ride back had shaken the lower brake adjuster holding spring off and the rotating drum wore off one end of the spring. No damage to the shoes or drum, just the spring. I went to the local auto parts store and matched one up. I called the trailer dealer and they mailed me a new spring, They would have send a new drum, shoes and spring kit but told them I only needed the spring. The trailer weighs about 2400#.

 

[hudr]

On a two axle trailer, I have taken a come-along or a load binder and "chained up" the affected wheel. Loosen the lugs while it is still on the ground, bind up the axle w/ the wheel off and you can limp home. I wouldn't do it very far or very fast as the load on that side is now on one wheel and the spring levelers are kind of in a bind.

 

[QRTRHRS]

On a two axle trailer with leaf springs, raising one axle by driving onto blocks will raise the other off of the ground empty. I don't know how well it works loaded or if it would work with torsion suspension. You can also buy plastic ramps made to easily do this. There is also a device that you place against the axle then pull forward slightly. As you do, the axle will lift. I would still go with a bottle jack if the trailer was a tandem dually.

 

[jimainiac]

In addition to having the spare mounted on the trailer, I like to mount a box with the tools it takes to change it. On our single axle utility trailer I mounted a small toolbox on the tongue with a lug wrench and bottle jack and blocks, etc. On our dual axle equipment trailer I mounted a large box on the a-frame for chains, binders, lug wrench, blocks, etc. On this one I don't bother with a jack, just run the other wheel up on a block - learned that trick with our horse trailer.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I bet your FEL will lift the trailer, assuming you have one. )</font>

In a pinch, so will just about any rear-mounted implements. I had a 2-tire blow-out on my trailer earier this fall. I was in a situation where the jack wouldn't raise the trailer high enough. I backed the tractor (with Woods BB840 mower attached) up to the rear of the trailer, chained the two together, then lifted the trailer a few inches, THEN jacked it the rest of the way up. I might still be there on the road-side, had I not done what I did.

In addition to the jack, a 4-way lug wrench, a couple 8"X8" blocks, the spare tire (of course), and some penetrating oil, I carry a set of spare wheel bearings (Saved me one time already in this life! Be sure to pack the bearings in a plastic bag, along with enough wheel bearing grease to perform a road-side bearing swap.) , some 16 ga. wire (for emergency repairs to trailer BRAKE wiring. Blow-outs CAN do damage to the wiring....), and the ultimate road-side emergency repair item---- A cell phone (along with a copy of the yellow pages)

I've learned a few hard lessons over the years. One is, if you have all the neccisary items for dealing with an emergency, it's far less likely to happen. Call it the high price for NOT having that emergency.

 

[Highbeam]

The problem with a tongue mounted tool box is that it gets in the way of the WD hitch saddles. I realize some folks don't use them but I do. The needed items ride in the pickup currently. I do like those diamond plate trapezoidal boxes though.