The Helpful Things To Have When Trailering Boats [Blown Tire Repair]
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
- Found In: Boating Tips, Fishing Tips
Do you have all the tools you need to change your boat trailer tire… even if it happens on a busy interstate highway?
A fishing trip can be over before it even gets started if you blow a tire out. It’s even worse if you’re unprepared for this and can take hours of your time and extra energy.
I recently had a boat trailer tire blow out during rush hour on an interstate in Florida, and I was forced to change it out on the shoulder during rush hour.
Luckily, I had all the tools necessary to make this change quickly and easily. This allowed me to safely change my tire and get off the shoulder of the road and on my way.
When this happened, I decided to grab my camera to show you the tools you should always keep in your car or boat when trailering it to and from a fishing trip.
In this article, I go over the tools you need to change your boat trailer tire and give you my top tips for a blown tire repair.
Top Tips For A Blown Trailer Tire Repair
In this section, I give you my top five tips and tools you need to change a blown tire on your boat trailer.
1. Check Air In Your Spare Tire Before Any Long Trip
You want to make sure your spare tire has the right amount of air in it before taking off on your trip. The only thing worse than having a blown tire is having a blown tire and a nonfunctioning spare tire. Being out in the sun can cause your spare tire to deflate without ever using it, so be sure to check the air pressure on your spare tire regularly.
2. Get A Good Jack
A nice, easy-to-use jack like the one in the video below makes changing out the blown tire on your trailer much easier.
It will make things go over smoother and quicker than the standard jacks that come with vehicles.
Plus, this type of jack typically gets down lower which is essential for those of us with small trailers that get very low to the ground when a tire goes flat.
Click Here To See The Pro-Lift Jack I Always Keep In My Truck
3. Get A Good Tire Iron / Lug Wrench
A good tire iron is going to make changing the tire out much faster than just a wrench.
Almost all vehicles come with a tire iron when you purchase them, you just need to make sure the tire iron fits the bolts on your trailer.
My personal favorite is a 4-way cross lug wrench because they have a variety of sizes to be ready for fixing your equipment or others in need of help too.
Also, they allow for a quicker change of tire because they can spin entirely around when pulling the bolts off or putting them back on… saves from having to do a half turn before the ground blocks further ration.
4. WD-40
WD-40 is something I always keep in my boat. It is a timeless tool to use on anything that might be stuck due to corrosion or rust, especially since virtually everything on your boat and trailer will get wet with saltwater in someway.
WD-40 can work wonders for nuts and bolts that are too tight or stuck… especially helpful for those of us who are dunking our trailers into saltwater.
5. Adjustable Wrench
An adjustable wrench is a universal tool that can be used for so many different applications.
You should always keep one in the boat or car.
They can do everything from unscrewing the bolts for your spare tire to acting as a makeshift hammer.
Tools For Changing A Blown Tire Video
In this video, I show you the tools I used while changing out my blown trailer tire on I-4.
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Conclusion
No wants to blow a tire going to or from a fishing trip. However, these things are bound to happen at some point.
Having the tools mentioned above will make the time that this does happen much easier.
The best part is, these are simple and easy-to-find tools you can leave in your vehicle or boat. They will not only come in handy for changing a trailer tire but also a regular car tire (and SO much more).
If you have any questions about how to change your trailer tire or have a suggestion for something that we left out, let us know in the comments.
Tight Lines!
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Very helpful advice. Thanks. I also carry a 12 inch pipe or so with a diameter that fits into the cross bar. Gives me some leverage, should it be needed.
Good video. Scan through the suggestions below. They are good. I carry much of what was mentioned, plus safety triangles for front and back of the boat and truck. It’s very important to check the air pressure in the spare tire regularly – easy to neglect.
Thanks for making time to leave the helpful comment Glenn!
One precaution for boost trailers especially sal water use
, I purchase lug nuts that are closed on the outside /top. No water gets to the lug threads to rust. Available ar auto parts store around $ 1 each.
Thanks for leaving the helpful suggestion!
I also have had more flats than I care to count. I have a dual axle trailer. I tow with a Yukon XL and there is a small compartment in the rear on the port side that I can store a 12,000# bottle jack that I use under the axle of the flat. Often the axle is so close to the ground I can’t get the jack under. To get the axle higher I carry short pieces of 1 x 6 board and two 12” pieces of 5/4” x 6” boards screwed together and one end cut at a 45 degree angle. I use this board to make it easier to drive the good tire on to raise the axle. Depending on the ground I may need a couple of the 1 x 6 to achieve the desired height. I also carry a 4 way lug wrench and store that, the boards and a pair of gloves under my Husky cargo liner. Thanks to other contributors I will be adding a small piece of carpeting.
Thanks for leaving the helpful tips Michael
Put a cable lock on your spare tire if it has a hub, otherwise it isn’t coming off. I would suggest having that extra hub.
Thanks for adding the helpful suggestions Bob!
Great topic that rarely gets discussed, thanks a lot.
Thanks for the kind words Jack!
Hey Luke. I always carry a 2 Ft square 3/4in piece of plywood in my truck to put the jack on in case I have to pull over in soft dirt. Blew a tire on the Crosstown Exp and that piece of plywood saved me!????
Great suggestion David!
One item worth investing in is an anti-seize paste It comes in a small bottle with a brush attached to the cap. Apply it to each lug bolt once the lug nut has been removed then screw on the lug nut and tighten. Failing to do this can result in lug nuts that have to be removed with a cutting torch.
Thanks for making time to leave the helpful comment Joe! I’ll have to check that paste out… I had a tough time with a couple of the bolts when taking off the busted tire even though I do take pretty good care of my rims (washing them off with frest water every trip).
Consider keeping an extra hub with bearings ready to go in a sealed box in the tool box of the truck (I’ve done a bearing job on the tailgate of my truck before. Drove 30 miles to get bearings and back, only to realize I had the wrong bearings. Not a stellar day).
I had a blowout a few months ago on my trailer and I had no jack suitable for the job. I was waiting on confirmation from SeaTow trailer service when a FWC officer pulled into the parking lot. He had a scissor jack and we worked together to get the tire changed. Very thankful for his help (I have a suitable scissor jack in my tool box now).
Thanks for making time to leave the helpful comment Thomas!
I burned out a bearing on I 75 on the way to Tennessee on vacation. Luckily I had a spare set packed with grease and races in the truck. Got it off the highway and changed it there. My daughter thought it was the end of the trip when it happened. She called me McGyver the rest of the week.
Having gone through this more times than I care to admit – few more things to keep on hand:
Zipties – you’ll be surprised how handy these are. Recently they held a seized up brake assembly that i had to remove and hang off the trailer. And this was on a brand new 2018 trailer…
2×8’s cut to about 10-12in. Make sure your jack can actually get high enough to lift the trailer. If not, those 2×8’s are a life saver. Act as wheel chocks in a pinch too.
Nice to have – Portable inflator that can top off tires.
Few more things I keep on hand:
Extra safety chain.
Extra winch (or at least a strap with hook)
Extra tow straps
Extra hub and grease
Pair of Jack stands – because I’m paranoid
I tow through the Everglades a lot… getting stranded there isn’t fun!
Great suggestions Raj! Yes, it’s even more important to be ready for anything when trailering down in the Everglades.