Hauling a Sunfish from Austin to Boston

J

Johnmark Coy

New Member
I am moving from Austin to Boston (2,000 miles) and wanted to haul my Sunfish up there. A buddy of mine said that the wheel bearings would burn up if I tried to tow my boat since the wheels are so small compared to wheels on a car. I have the standard trailer that came with my mid 80s boat and was wondering what yalls thoughts were. Am I nuts? Or is this doable and my buddy is being overly cautious?

Thanks,

JM
 
Your buddy is overly cautious. Do make sure that the bearings (and everything else on the trailer) are properly serviced before you take off. And check the bearings at each stop to make sure they didn't overheat. Consider the possibility of a tire failure; be prepared for that.
 
sell me your trailer cheap :)

seriously though i would say it'll be fine. maybe repack the bearings before you go if you're worried about it.
 
I think you can make the trip without incident but:

(a) Before the trip, replace the wheel bearings with new ones and make sure the wheel bearing grease is ample and properly installed; keep the old set of bearings as spares. The fact that you have them means that you won't need to use them (Murphy's Law #22a.5.)

(b) Have at least one good spare tire. WalMart sells a nice 5 lug spare tire for about $50. Also, have the tools you need to change a trailer tire and replace the wheel bearings on the side of the road (been there, done that.)

(c) Every time you stop, place your hand on the wheel hubs to see if they are hot. If so, you may need to change the bearing(s) to your spares. Also check your tie-downs each time you stop.

(d) Make sure your lights work. If they don't, refer to my article on the subject: http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/03/r/excerpts/maib/08/december.htm

Have a good trip.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
 
FYI: You can buy complete spare hubs at Amazon. They're pre-greased and can be installed on the road with a minimal of trouble.

Fred
 
I pulled a sunfish from KC, MO to Skaneateles, NY with an trailer that was older than yours. I did replace the bearing and I did have a spare and a jack. Like others have said check the bearings when to stop and keep the the speed reasonable.

You shouldn't have any problems.

Good luck.
Randy
 
Towed from Yuma AZ to Ft Worth TX in Aug on 8 inch wheels, no problems. Remember to check bunk nuts and bolts also, I had one get a little loose after a couple hundred miles on the road. Last move from TX to FL I put them both in the back of a 26 foot UHaul, trailer and all.
Your "buddy" just wants your Sunfish :)
uhaulsunfish.jpg
 
be sure to frequently place the back of the hand to your wheel hub during the trip just to double check for excessive heat off the bearings.. I towed loaded 1300 miles last year w/ 8" tires and everything was fine. Also be sure that tires are true and round or you may get some vibration which could not only be rough on your bearings but on your experience as well. As a sidenote, you'll likely get better mileage w/ a small trailer than you would cartopping (wind resistance).

ALAN..I cant imagine much more miserable than replacing bearings on the side of an interstate !!
 
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