New tires on the canoe trailer

[Robin]

For the move north next week, I needed a spare tire for my square stern canoe trailer. So I got two bigger tires that lifts the axel a little bit higher off the ground and will use the smaller originals as spares. Good to have a little extra ground clearance while cruising the North Maine Woods gravel roads later this year.

 

[lowangle al]

Nice setup Robin. Do you have inside storage for the boat or will you use a cover? Will you leave it on the trailer between uses during the boating season at least or can you manage to get it on saw horses by yourself. I'm curious because I'm in the process of buying a twenty foot boat with a trailer. Thanks Alan

 

[boatstall]

Smart decision Robin. I have upgraded rim size over the years on all my trailers, and have no regrets. Not only do you get a little more ground clearance, but the wheel bearings turn slower, and heat dissipates better with slower rotating assemblies, both hubs and tires. And a slightly higher weight rating on larger tires helps on longer tire life. Win - win all around.
I upgraded from 8" to 13" rims on my square stern trailer. Required new hubs for the 5 lug rims, but was almost the same price as bearings and seals for the old hubs. No regrets.
Did have to upgrade the jack for the trailer, due to the increased ground clearance.

That is one sweet rig you have. Wishing you safe travels on the move.

Bill

 

[Robin]

Nice setup Robin. Do you have inside storage for the boat or will you use a cover? Will you leave it on the trailer between uses during the boating season at least or can you manage to get it on saw horses by yourself. I'm curious because I'm in the process of buying a twenty foot boat with a trailer. Thanks Alan

The house we bought has a 4 car garage so the canoe will stay on the trailer inside. Funny how these things work out. I’m loaded for an early road trip to my daughters house to drop off canoes and my wife’s perennial garden plants under the tarp and a cab full of hose plants. 650 miles round trip

de

 

[Boreal Birch]

Wish I lived closer, I would volunteer to help you with the hauling and the heavy lifting. Maybe later do some fly fishing for LL Salmon or Squaretails from that beautiful square stern canoe.
Seeing Maine has been on my bucket list for years, as has been eating a fresh caught Lobster Roll.Save travels, keep checking the rear view mirrors so some Mass Hole (as my Vermont friends say) doesn't rear end that boat.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Don't forget to self quarantine.. sure.. Like my kids coming up would either. They may come July 4 weekend.
Don't forget to make a bumper sticker. Saying you now are a Maine resident. Some of the locals have been antsy and it is for sure not fair. When it is time to get that new license call BMV ahead. I just got mine renewed and they said "we won't make you take an eye test. Just send the money and we will send you a new license. We are so backlogged "

Birchy I am sick of lobster. When the markets crashed in March the poor lobstermen had no place to peddle their crustaceans. So we would meet them in empty parking lots to exchange cash for lobster( looked shady but wasn't). It still is running around $6 a lb. As it is sometimes cheaper than steak we eat it twice a week. Unfortunately I don't know how to fish for salmon. We have one of the four Maine landlocked salmon fisheries.

But there is something more appropriate: Fishing on West Grand Lake in a square stern.

Mud up that license plate!

 

[Boatman53]

Robin, if you need a hand with unloading or something when you get here lat me know, I’m not far from Appleton. You might still have my number from when we met to give you that canoe. If not let me know with a PM.
Jim

 

[VernAK]

Beautiful square stern!
Besides the increased axle clearance, The decrease in RPM is often beneficial. I've gone to quite heavy duty trailers with 13" tires because of our many miles on rougher roads....Alcan and Dempster.

 

[Odyssey]

There'll be good times ahead in Maine.

 

[Robin]

Did have to upgrade the jack for the trailer, due to the increased ground clearance.

That is one sweet rig you have. Wishing you safe travels on the move.

Bill

Bill, My jack and lug wrench from my Tacoma are a good match. I’m wondering if I should bolt the spares to the trailer? Maine has a great reputation for honest folk so I wouldn’t worry about theft at boat ramps, just curios if this is a common practice. I have never owned a boat trailer.

Boreal Birch, Thanks Brother, my door is always open, I have a fly rod but little experience in that type of fishing, never too old to learn.

YC-As luck would have it my Connecticut plates are expiring next month so I won’t be considered “from away” for too long. My wife isn’t so lucky. Tomorrow my 3rd round trip in a day to Maine in 9 days, plus I’m picking up those two Chestnuts, will be glad when things settle down.

boatman53-Thanks Jim, I appreciate the offer, we have movers taking care of that, when I get settled maybe we can hook up for a paddle. Actually, lots of Maine folk here, might get a gathering in the mix down the road.

VernAK-Thanks, I still love my regular canoes, this square stern make things a little easier as I “mature” haha

Odyssey-Thanks Brad, that’s the plan, you know your always welcome.

 

[boatstall]

Bill, My jack and lug wrench from my Tacoma are a good match. I’m wondering if I should bolt the spares to the trailer? Maine has a great reputation for honest folk so I wouldn’t worry about theft at boat ramps, just curios if this is a common practice. I have never owned a boat trailer.





Bolting spares to the trailer, in a perfect world, is definitely the most convenient. The spare tires are never left behind, and the tow vehicle does not need to be unloaded to get to the spare.
Locking devices for mounting spares are available that deter the less aggressive, but in a world of battery powered angle grinders, nothing locked down is safe today.

I personally carry my spare within my tow vehicle, but that is primarily because all of my trailers live outdoors, and none of the boat covers would also protect a spare mounted to the trailer, and I'm not running the sort of rigs that would feel right with a separate cover on the spare. UV exposure in Louisiana prematurely damaged a couple of my spares, decades ago, so I haven't mounted the spare to any of my trailers because of simply keeping them out of the sun, but that should not be an issue for you, because of your ability to store indoors.


If you do buy a mount to attach your spare, or spares, make sure that the lug nuts for that spare tire mount, are the same size as those on the trailer hubs.

And if I were to buy a device to mount a spare to the trailer, I would upgrade to the style that allows not only the spare, but also provides for the mounting of a spare hub along with the spare tire.
The combination of having a spare hub, with it's bearings, grease and seals, along with a spare tire, will get you home most of the time.

I think there are equally as many trailer hub bearing/grease issues disabling boat trailers as flat tires. Hot hubs hitting cold water when launching repeatedly between maintenance intervals, requires more routine maintenance than most realize. I don't hook up to a trailer without having topped off hub grease, and checking for any play between hub bearings and axle, as well as confirming proper tire pressure. I also pull the hubs annually, inspect bearings and seals, and change either the hub oil and/or grease.

I may be preaching to the choir, just now remembering that you have probably a zillion miles pulling really loaded trailers. But also not sure how many times you backed those trailers into cold water with warm hubs. Disregard if needed.

Bill