Trailer Flats?

[Frank C]

Note: I created this poll because I've been curious for a long time about the issue of a trailer flats.

1. Past reading tells me there have been numerous flats on 26Xs
(but I don't recall anyone who had a controllability problem)
2. Yet, I don't ever recall reading of a flat on a 26M trailer ??
3. And the issue of controllability & handling a flatted trailer will benefit from some owner reports (especially a single-axle trailer)

So, please contribute your story of trailer problems, tires, bearings, springs ...
and the driving control, or lack thereof, that you experienced.
- Thanks!

Just below is Louis' story of losing a trailer wheel, which incited this poll.

I remember last Summer, trailering to my Marina and hearing a "THUD" at approx. 55 MPH...
there goes my starboard alum. wheel passing me up lickety-splitty
Hint to the kids is that dragging the Mac "weight" on its trailer behind a Ford F 150 is slower without the detached wheel...
Note to my fellow Mac Sailors...I've learned to torque my lugs the hard way... Hope youall dont learn this "hard luck" lesson...but thankfully, the Mac and trailer suffered no damage. Dragging a Mac on its trailer at 55 MPH with no wheel sure makes a lot of noise though...

Thanks, Louis! Can't help but kibbitz here just a tad ... I've read of a dozen MacX owners who've lost a wheel (or suffered a factory tire blow-out),
on our "terribly under-built and over-taxed, factory, single-axle trailer." But, has anyone here
ever experienced (or read about) a serious accident because of losing a tire or wheel from a Macgregor trailer?????

I thought not.
A primary reason why I have a single axle with upgraded & upsized tires.
Given a basically sound tow vehicle, the trailer is just that ... trailed!

Question #2: has anyone ever heard of a MacM (with 15" tires) suffering a blow-out?
----=> I thought not. Reason #2 why I trust a single axle with upgraded & upsized tires.

Question #3: has anyone here ever "heard" (listened to) a tandem axle trailer
backing thru a 75-degree reverse turn - on an asphalt lot - to enter a mast-up storage slot?
----=> I thought not. Reason #3 why I prefer a single axle with upgraded tires ... maneuverability!

[LOUIS B HOLUB]

Frank C...yep...no question that upgrading the wheels (alum), and tires are an important choice for the flimzy Mac trailers, and that parking, positioning, and backing a single axle is so much easier. But Im always concerned when travelling in heavy traffic without a duel axle system, especially after my mishap noted above (due to negligence). A few macs in my marina have some real nice alum. dual axle trailers...I sure would like having one...distance trailering would be less tense with 2 axles
happy sailing to you and yours...

[Chip Hindes]

I've read of a dozen MacX owners who've lost a wheel (or suffered a factory tire blow-out),
on our "terribly under-built and over-taxed, factory, single-axle trailer." But, has anyone here
ever experienced (or read about) a serious accident because of losing a tire or wheel from a Macgregor trailer?????

I thought not.

With all due respect (there's that term again ) this is the wrong question, and the answer while insteresting certainly proves almost nothing and isn't the last word on the subject.

The question is not only "have you had a serious accident?" It's, have you had a serious accident, or have you had an accident which cost serious money, or serious time, or inconvenience, or caused you to have to leave your boat unattended on a busy highway or in a bad neighborhood or at night while you ran to God knows where for repair parts, or caused damage to your boat, or put you only slightly onto a narrow shoulder trying to remount your wheel with traffic whizzing by you about six feet behind your back at 70mph, or how many times have you been nearly blown off the highway by a passing semi or stiff crosswind?

There are any number of other very valid questions which are impacted by the single/double axle decision, and upgrading to a bigger axle and tires doesn't answer all of them favorably by any stretch, partuclarly when a new, larger axle, wheels and tires don't cost enough less than a second axle to buy you dinner for two at a decent restaurant.

Before you even bother beginning to answer questions a) through zz), how long have you had your boat, how far and under what conditions do you trailer in a typical season?

Six months a year traveling back and forth between the ramp and the 75- degree back up turn to the mast up storage slot? You got me on that one, you don't need two axles, skip to question aaa).

While I'm on that subject, exactly how many of you have to back thru a 75-degree reverse turn - on an asphalt lot - to enter a mast-up storage slot?

I thought not.

Keep settin' up those straw men, and I'm happy to keep knockin' 'em down.

[LOUIS B HOLUB]

I noted in the poll that I lost the wheel...but there was no loss of control at all. It seemed that the trailer sit right down on the pavement, no squirrel or whipping at all. The only actual damage was to the "U" bolts holding the axle when they slid on the pavement. I subsequently replaced them with no problem a week or so later. I can say that loosing a wheel on the open road does leave the tow vehicle in good control. It was easy to slow down, and pull into the center "turn" lane on this 4 lane highway. Repairs were done right there in the middle--no problems. My comment is that if you loose a wheel....dont panic. The vehicle and trailer wont be any handling problem.

[Chinook]

We had our flat on the freeway in Miami, doing 60. Fortunately, I had modified the trailer by adding a second axle, and the situation created no serious problems. The failed tire was in shreds by the time we hit the off ramp, though. We've gotten into distance trailering, including a 16,000 mile circuit of the US in an 11 month period. The tandem axle setup for this kind of road work has been really nice.

[delevi]

I fortunately haven't had a problem but I do intend to get a second axle and some aluminum wheels. Probably in about a year. I'm saving boat bucks for nice UK sails, autopilot, a dodger and bimini. Since I do about 80% of my trailering from the mast-up storage to the ramp, the trailer upgrades take a lower priority than boat upgrades.

Leon

[Chip Hindes]

I have never had a serious tire or wheel problem but in three trips to FL and back (1500 mi ea way):

1st year: The offside tire on my single axle trailer, with less than 2000 mi on it, threw a big chunk (about 3"x3") of rubber, exposing the cords. I am unaware that I hit anything, and have no idea what caused it. Changed to the spare and continued on. The chunked tire is still my emergency spare.

2nd year: Now my trailer has two axles. An offside tire was losing air; found a nail in the tread. Stopped at a garage, had it fixed and continued.

3rd year: An onside tire was losing air. Found a sheetrock screw in the tread. Stopped at a garage, had it fixed and continued.

A number of interesting items here. I've made the trip to FL perhaps 15 times in the past 25 years and I have never once had a tire problem with the vehicle, but the trailer, three times in three trips. Are trailer tires more susceptible to damage? They are more heavily loaded, which may help explain incident 1. The trailer is wider so the offside tires tend to be closer to the shoulder where there is more likely to be debris; that might help with the first two but the third was an onside tire.

All three incidents occured on the southbound leg. Though interesting I can ascribe no particular significance; it's got to be a coincidence.

The real significance is, in each case I discovered the problem during my hourly walk around and was able to correct it before it had a chance to develop into a real problem.

[Catigale]

The real significance is, in each case I discovered the problem during my hourly walk around and was able to correct it before it had a chance to develop into a real problem

Thats the take home for me on this one....new habit for me this season

[Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL]

An offside tire was losing air; An onside tire was losing air.

I don't recall hearing about an "offside" and "onside" tire before?

[kmclemore]

An offside tire was losing air; An onside tire was losing air.

I don't recall hearing about an "offside" and "onside" tire before?

Terminology usually reserved for the UK, but I got it. There they call it 'nearside' and 'offside' but it amounts to the same thing... it refers to the side nearest to the driver ('nearside' or 'onside'), and the opposite, that which is 'offside' of the driver (i.e. on the passenger's side). Naturally, in the UK those sides are reversed from ours.

[Chip Hindes]

Terminology usually reserved for the UK, but I got it.

Dang! Don't know how I picked it up, unless it was by spending too much time reading Brit car repair manuals.

Which could describe pretty much anyone who has ever owned a Brit car.

Badumpbump!

Naturally, in the UK those sides are reversed from ours.

There's nothing natural about it. Driving on the left side is about as unnatural as anything gets.

Badumpbump!

[adrian.oliver]

Naturally, in the UK those sides are reversed from ours.

There's nothing natural about it. Driving on the left side is about as unnatural as anything gets.

Badumpbump!

Just to educate you guys across the pond, I have two theories that perfectly explain why the left side is obviously the natural side on which to drive:

Carol Greene, the author of Enchantment of the World: England, stated that the British way of driving on the left side of the road is a carryover from the days when men rode horseback and used swords. In a combat situation, the sword was drawn from the left side and wielded on the right. Apparently, when automobiles were invented, the custom of staying on the left persisted.

But I prefer the other explanation of this practice which derives from the use of horse-drawn vehicles. To pass each other on the narrow roads, the driver positioned his vehicle so that he could see the edges of the vehicles, especially the hubs of the wheels that projected and were most likely to snag each other. Continental practice was to have two or four horse teams driven by postilions, i.e., a rider sitting on the lead horse and controlling it directly with reins. In order to have optimal control, the postilion sat on the left leader, as most people are right-handed and the postilion would have been in control of the other horse on his right. The postilion would therefore have a poor view looking back over his team and any vehicle to his right, but a good view of any vehicle on his left. Therefore Continental (particularly French) practice was for vehicles approaching each other to take the right side of the road. British stagecoach teams, on the other hand, were invariably driven by a man from the top of the vehicle at the front. His position would seem to be less critical, but practice seems always to have been that he sat on the right side and had a good view of the side of his own vehicle if approaching vehicles passed on that side. Hence English practice was to pass on the left, i.e., to take the left side of the road. British practice was invariably followed in empire countries, and still is in India and many other South Asian countries.

So what happened in the good old US of A?

[mike uk]

I had a tyre failure on my single axle UK trailer. It was caused by an object hitting the tyre and/or getting caught up in the plastic mudgard. The result was bent metal mudguard brackets, totally destroyed mudguard, destroyed tyre and damaged rim on wheel. The trailer stayed in a straight line at 60mph.

I have been close to deciding to add a second axle but am not so sure now for the following reasons.

My experience with my single axle was in fact positive - it stayed in a straight line. But was that just luck? This thread might help to decide on this point. Any thoughts?

When parking my trailer at home I unhitch it from the car and pull the front end of the trailer round 90 degrees. I then re-hitch and push it backwards up the drive with the car. I don't think I could do this with 2 axles.

The event which I experienced was caused by debris destroying the tyre. But couldn't this just as easily have destroyed two tyres on a twin axle? In fact, when a tyre disintegrates isn't it highly likely that the flailing steel ply will damage the adjoining tyre? So I am beginning to wonder what advantage there is in twin axles?

Related to all this is a question about tyre pressures which I have long been unsure about. The UK trailer has 12 inch wheels which say maximum pressure when measured cold 90 psi. What I am unclear about is this - is 90psi the absolute maximum ie is it the breaking point so don't even get near it - or is it meant to be the normal running pressure? I've had differing advice from all sorts of tyre experts including speaking to people at the tyre manufacturers. Any new views on this would be most helpful.

mike

[Chip Hindes]

So what happened in the good old US of A?

I read this many years ago but have no idea whether it's valid:

Back in our good old days of horse drawn wagons, it was customary for the driver to dismount and drive from beside the wagon to give the horses a break on the load they were pulling. The brake lever on the wagon was on the right hand side because most people are right footed, so they drove from the right hand side so the brake could be used as well. The roads were barely wide enough to let two wagons pass, so it became customary for two wagons approaching each other to pass on the right side both because it was possible for the driver to actually walk in the ditch, and to avoid crushing the driver in the event they passed too close and made contact.

On reflection, this seems way too stupid and complicated. I think maybe we did it just to jerk the Brits.

And it appears we won. Besides the Brit commonwealth nations (of course excluding our smart buddies in Canada) the only other semi-civilized nation that drives on the left is the Japanese.

In fact, when a tyre disintegrates isn't it highly likely that the flailing steel ply will damage the adjoining tyre?

You could use similar logic to explain why an airplane shouldn't have more than one engine.

[Catigale]

Ive read the same explanations for the right and left, so it must be true....three readings cancel urban mythology - got that one from a website too..

Abigail rushed home from school and started waxing the Golden Cheetah, her 17 foot Island sailboat today....