One flat safety concerns with dual axles?

[MachSchnell]

I have a 600-700lb dual axle trailer with a 3300 lb 1990 Cobalt 222 on it. This will be my first dual axle trailer. It was built to match the boat and now has four brand new tires, new brakes and freshly packed bearings.

If one tire on a this dual axle setup goes flat, can it safely be driven a short distance to a tire repair facility? I'll be picking up the rig up in a few days and don't know the tire dimensions so I can't pick up a spare ahead of time.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[Dave1251]

Re: One flat safety concerns with dual axles?

You should not try to drive on one tire after a flat. The tire will be overloaded and blow within a few miles.

 

[MachSchnell]

Re: One flat safety concerns with dual axles?

You should not try to drive on one tire after a flat. The tire will be overloaded and blow within a few miles.

Hi, Dave1251. Thanks for the reply. Can I ask if it would depend on the load rating of the tire and weight of the boat and trailer?

Thanks again. Nice to meet you!

 

[Jeff-in-PA]

Re: One flat safety concerns with dual axles?

My '18 Celebrity is on a single axle trailer and I have one spare for it. My '24 Starcraft pontoon is on a dual axle trailer and I have two spares for it.

If you run something over, chances are you will get flats on all tires on that side. I suggest a spare for each axle.

Jeff

 

[dingbat]

Re: One flat safety concerns with dual axles?

My '18 Celebrity is on a single axle trailer and I have one spare for it. My '24 Starcraft pontoon is on a dual axle trailer and I have two spares for it.

If you run something over, chances are you will get flats on all tires on that side. I suggest a spare for each axle.

Jeff

Assume you carry two spares in your car as well?

 

[Bondo]

Re: One flat safety concerns with dual axles?

If one tire on a this dual axle setup goes flat, can it safely be driven a short distance to a tire repair facility?

Nope,... When you have a Flat tire, you have a Flat... Running it at All will ruin the tire,+ rim in No time...
Just like your car, you need a Spare,+ a Jack that fits...

 

[45Auto]

Re: One flat safety concerns with dual axles?

Usually the reason for having multiple axles is because a single tire cannot be rated high enough to take half the weight of the boat. For example, you could safely carry a 5000 lb boat on a dual axle trailer with each tire rated at 1800 lbs. However, a blowout on one side means that the single good tire on the blowout side is now carrying 2500 lbs, about 40% over it's maximum rated load of 1800 lbs.

Many trailer tire dealers recommend replacing both tires on the side that had a blowout, since the remaining good tire was probably severely overloaded.

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoTrailerTireFacts.dos

Depending on your tire size, your boat may be light enough that you could get away without overloading the remaining tire if you have a blowout.

 

[j_martin]

Re: One flat safety concerns with dual axles?

I used to haul junk cars stacked up on a tandem trailer. The terrain was rough, and flats were a weekly thing. When a tire went flat, I would just wrap the end of one of the tie down chains around the axle, pick the flat tire up off the road, and finish taking the load in. Then get the tire fixed.

Loads were 6-8000 lbs over two 6000 lb axles.

Going over to boat trailers, if you could jack the flat up off the road, tie the axle to the frame with a short piece of chain, or even a few rounds of rope, and take the tire and rim off, you could likely crawl a few miles without further damage to anything.

hope it helps,
John

 

[SuperNova]

Re: One flat safety concerns with dual axles?

I used to haul junk cars stacked up on a tandem trailer. The terrain was rough, and flats were a weekly thing. When a tire went flat, I would just wrap the end of one of the tie down chains around the axle, pick the flat tire up off the road, and finish taking the load in. Then get the tire fixed.

Loads were 6-8000 lbs over two 6000 lb axles.

Going over to boat trailers, if you could jack the flat up off the road, tie the axle to the frame with a short piece of chain, or even a few rounds of rope, and take the tire and rim off, you could likely crawl a few miles without further damage to anything.

hope it helps,
John

I agree.

I've been towing tandem axle trailers for quite a few years now and had the misfortune to have flats a couple of times. I can assure you that when a tire goes flat, that tire and wheel still have a bunch of weight on them and will drag. You won't make it a mile without a spare.
Having said that, I also had to learn the hard way, and the first flat I had I did not have a spare. So I jacked up the axle, removed the wheel and tire and tied the axle all the way up against the frame (not as easy to do as it sounds, by the way). The tire that was left on that side was NOT happy. Even with 80 psi in it, it looked flat. BUT, going VERY slowly, we made it 10 miles to the house. We made sure we missed every bump or hole that we could and the ones we had to hit, we creeped through. It took us about 3 hours to make the 10 miles.
By the way, the boat is a 28 foot Wellcraft with an empty curb weight of 5600lbs and it's 100 gallon fuel tank was full as well as it's 10 gallon fresh water tank, plus assorted gear. The trailer is another 2000 lbs. This is not a light rig.

 

[MachSchnell]

Re: One flat safety concerns with dual axles?

I agree.

I've been towing tandem axle trailers for quite a few years now and had the misfortune to have flats a couple of times. I can assure you that when a tire goes flat, that tire and wheel still have a bunch of weight on them and will drag. You won't make it a mile without a spare.
Having said that, I also had to learn the hard way, and the first flat I had I did not have a spare. So I jacked up the axle, removed the wheel and tire and tied the axle all the way up against the frame (not as easy to do as it sounds, by the way). The tire that was left on that side was NOT happy. Even with 80 psi in it, it looked flat. BUT, going VERY slowly, we made it 10 miles to the house. We made sure we missed every bump or hole that we could and the ones we had to hit, we creeped through. It took us about 3 hours to make the 10 miles.
By the way, the boat is a 28 foot Wellcraft with an empty curb weight of 5600lbs and it's 100 gallon fuel tank was full as well as it's 10 gallon fresh water tank, plus assorted gear. The trailer is another 2000 lbs. This is not a light rig.

Thanks for the great replies, everybody. I know what I'm dealing with now and what kind of limits I'm facing if the situation arises.

I just want to be a good boy scout - prepared!

 

[Silvertip]

Re: One flat safety concerns with dual axles?

Look at it this way, you have four tires holding up the load. One tire goes flat so the other three tires now have to hold up the load. Guess what, you now very likely have three overloaded tires. A telephone call could would be the reasonable way to find out what size and load range tires are on this trailer. Then buy a tire and wheel. If the trailer is custom built, the builder should be able to provide one.

 

[boat1010]

Re: One flat safety concerns with dual axles?

I have had two flats with mine. First time I saw the tire fly apart when I got the flat so stopped and replaced the tire. Rim was OK. Second time didn't know it went flat. It was the back tire on the passenger side, yes I check the mirrors all the time. Could not tell it went flat. So finally another car informed us of the flat. Pulled over and yes I had to replace the rim also. I just carry one spare and have never had more than the one flat.

 

[Seon]

Re: One flat safety concerns with dual axles?

Last year while towing my JD tractor and tandem trailer on my gooseneck equipment trailer one of the tire blew. I wasn't aware it blew until the next morning when I went to unload the tractor and trailer. My tow vehicle is a 1 ton Chevy crewcab dually so it didn't handle any different.
Talk about lucky .

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: One flat safety concerns with dual axles?

I've spent a fair amount of time driving "big trucks," heavy duty utility trailers and flatbed goose necks. My take on this is that you should change the flat tire if you can, but can drive a short distance at low speed on a single tire/dual axle setup, if you have to. Bear in mind, however, that this may not be true if the boat is heavy enough to be pushing the limits on the rig, even when all four tires are serviceable.

Your enemy is heat and tire flex, which is pretty much what causes the heat. Drive very slowly and very carefully for a short distance and you might be fine. That said, the best advice that I can give is to do this only when absolutely necessary, such as a need to get off of a dangerous road.



???

 

[jeeperman]

Re: One flat safety concerns with dual axles?

Sometimes you have no choice. Like when a wheel bearing went out on the highway and by the time I noticed and pulled over the spindle was damaged beyond use.
Had no choice but to chain the axle to the frame and continue on.

And I would not be running a tandem axle trailer without tires rated to carry the load on three.
If four is required to carry the load but not three, I am in worry mode.

 

[180Fisherman]

Re: One flat safety concerns with dual axles?

Just to play devils advocate here there are plenty of 22' boats being dragged around on single axel trailers. Duel axels are overkill for that boat. I don't think duel axel trailers come with dumbed down versions of the axels and tires you find on a single axel trailer. I'd bet you could ride for quite a while with a flat. You may not even know you have a flat until the enxt time go to check tire pressure. My 18' Wellcraft came from the dealer with a duel axel trailer and surge brakes. Talk about overkill.

 

[109jb]

Re: One flat safety concerns with dual axles?

Just to play devils advocate here there are plenty of 22' boats being dragged around on single axel trailers. Duel axels are overkill for that boat. I don't think duel axel trailers come with dumbed down versions of the axels and tires you find on a single axel trailer. I'd bet you could ride for quite a while with a flat. You may not even know you have a flat until the enxt time go to check tire pressure. My 18' Wellcraft came from the dealer with a duel axel trailer and surge brakes. Talk about overkill.

If you are saying a tandem axle trailer will have axles rated the same as a single axle trailer if the two trailers are rated for the same load, you are dead wrong.

Lets say you have a 6000 pound trailer rating. On a single axle trailer you need a axle rated for 6000 pounds and each tire rated for 3000 pounds. On a tandem, you get by with 2-3000 pound rated axles and 4-1500 pound rated tires. The manufacturer is going to put the lowest cost axle that gets the overall trailer load rating he is looking for. So, you aren't going to get 2-6000 pound axles under a 6000 pound rated trailer.

 

[180Fisherman]

Re: One flat safety concerns with dual axles?

Are there 6000 lb single axle boat trailers available?

 

[MachSchnell]

Re: One flat safety concerns with dual axles?

And I would not be running a tandem axle trailer without tires rated to carry the load on three.
If four is required to carry the load but not three, I am in worry mode.

That's a brilliant reply! Thanks again.

 

[109jb]

Re: One flat safety concerns with dual axles?

Are there 6000 lb single axle boat trailers available?

6000 pounds was just an example. Substitute any weight rating you want it is still the same. take a 3000 pound rated trailer. It could have one 3000 pound axle or 2-1500 pound axles. Do I have to list every combination for you?