Fun with trailers

[stevej37]

Mowed lawn for the first time this season...found a few places that needed some topsoil.
Hooked my trailer up to my Fit and headed for the closest nursery...about 5 miles away.

Before I left, I did a look-see of the trailer because I hadn't used it for at least 2 years. All looked good.
Nursery was very busy..had the payloader dump one yard in the trailer after I paid and I took off.

Only a mile from there, I feel an increasing load slowing me down. Pull over and I have one tire almost flat and the other one on the rim

I brought no tools with me and made the stupid mistake of just looking at the tires instead of airing them back up.
I pulled off the road as far as I could, but the trailer was still partially on the pavement.
Unhooked it and headed home.
I figured I would prob get a ticket on it because of the way I had to leave it.

I returned with my battery powered Bauer Inflator and two batteries.(just in case it wore one down.
After filling the tires to 35 lbs each (one 3amp did both!)...I backed up...hooked the trailer back up went the remaining four miles home with no issue.

Lesson learned. It could have ended a lot worse.

[hcoles]

Yes, lesson learned. Probably many of us (including me) have learned the lesson of keeping the air up on small tires hauling a heavy load. My lesson... on Hwy 80 hauling a very small boat on a small trailer. Tire got smoking hot and failed. I now don't remember the details of how I got it fixed, but I remember the lesson.... don't ever own a boat.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

I've definitely lucked out with underinflated/dry rotted tires in the past.
No more.

Amazing how hot the tires can get.
Wheels and rims are so cheap, I'm almost considering replacing them as yearly expendables as insurance against heartbreak.

This guy is wide and likes to find potholes (when it is fully loaded with mulch).

I always get scared inflating them to the max pressure before a drive. I reach my arm out as far as it can go to get as far from the tire as I can.
If you came up behind me and popped a paper bag, I'd s#$% myself!!!!

[porsche930dude]

Yeah iv had some get smoking hot too. Even towing just a few miles which is why i never checked the pressure. One time i got a ton of pea gravel I threw on a different set of wheels because the tires were better but the offset was wrong. With a load it just barely rubbed the inside of the wheelwell. When i was about 10 feet from pulling in my driveway it went off like a cannon super loud. No big loss but lesson learned

[LakeCleElum]

Run my trailer tires at 50 LBS PSI.......Under inflated causes heat. Heat causes failure.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

Run my trailer tires at 50 LBS PSI.......Under inflated causes heat. Heat causes failure.

Yep...I was just thinking of getting it home. Tomorrow I'll add more with the compressor.
The gal running the payloader was very generous with a 'yard' of topsoil.
The trailer was well over half full....and it the soil was dripping wet.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by stevej37

Yep...I was just thinking of getting it home. Tomorrow I'll add more with the compressor.
The gal running the payloader was very generous with a 'yard' of topsoil.
The trailer was well over half full....and it the soil was dripping wet.

She was pranking you Steve. She saw a guy pulling a 2-yard trailer behind a Fit and decided to spice up her day.

She's probably still talking about it around the water cooler - "And, and, and here's the best part! When we dumped the topsoil into the trailer the rims almost hit the asphalt!! Haw haw haw!"

[stevej37]

I was thinking, as she tipped the bucket into the trailer, what a great commercial it would make for the Honda Fit!.....until the tires went flat.

Next time I'll just call and get it delivered!
The cost of the topsoil was only $20

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by stevej37

Hooked my trailer up to my Fit and headed for the closest nursery...about 5 miles away.

Honda Fit???

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

Honda Fit???

Yep...5 speed m/t
Never got it out of 4th.
It's a pullin' machine now!

[rfuerst911sc]

The only trailer I currently own is my small boat trailer . Last year I bought three new wheel/tire combos with one being the spare . I am installing a metal tool box to the trailer , in that box will be a jack and enough tools to do a roadside tire change at a minimum . As I get older the thought of sitting on the side of the road with cars flying by is less appealing than it used to be .

Every spring I touch every vehicle/trailer/tractor etc. that has wheels and do basic maintenance . It's just a routine I do to make sure everything is ready to go . But it it sits for a month or two I have to follow up with tire pressure checks . You got lucky as it could have been worse .

[911 Rod]

I hate trailers. They give an anxiety attack just thinking about them.

[Joe Bob]

Personally, I have two cars and two inflators. If you go out and buy a new one as a result of this thread, make sure they can pump a tire up over 45psi.

[stevej37]

^^^ The Bauer inflator that I used...was purchased for my bike tires. Works great for them.
With the two flats on the trailer...it took about 5 minutes per tire, esp slow the last 10 lbs.
And the thing was getting real hot.

[KFC911]

I have had/changed exactly one flat on the side of the road in my life... bass boat trailer decades ago. I had a utility trailer loaded with about 1.5 yds of wet topsoil have the tongue snap about ten years ago ... metal fatigue methinks and behind the safety chains . Man did I luck out ... I still shudder when I think about it....

I only haul stuff in my truck now... working on another load of sandrock today .

[stevej37]

^^^ What is sandrock??
I googled it and came up with nothing.

[porsche930dude]

I was at the town garage getting a load of woodchips. They load them for free. And there was somebody with a pretty trashed harbor freight trailer about folded in half. The next week i passed by there was a big sign "Not responsible for damaged property" lol Iv got 4 trailers the first one 4x8 my dad built in the 70s off of a pop up camper frame I use it the most. I bent the axle once so built a custom one with square tube and it strong as heck. The second one is 7x 14 I built it off a camper frame i got for free. Its good too but the 14" tires are often overstressed i want to put 15s on it. The bantam jeep trailer i mainly just use in the woods for firewood. The little tank trailer i built all custom from scratch for the tank but i use it all the time to pick up customers lawn tractors because it tilts and its low makes it so easy to load throw a strap over it and go. Just have to make sure youve got enough psi in the little 8" tires.