f311fr1

If you have aluminum wheels carry a torque wrench and torque your lug nuts every 400 to 500 miles.

fountain 47 sc

Great advice. I'm glad I posted this. A lot of things that can be overlooked. THANKS!

Magic34

I suggest at the minimum having 2 spare tires. The wood to drive up on makes things a lot faster like suggested. I purchased a 20 ton bottle jack. It is small and compact and not as heavy as a floor jack. Also, you would need 2 floor jacks to lift your trailer with the boat on it. You need the jack in case you need to strap an axle up. Pick up a small section of 4 x 6 beam and have it cut at an angle so you can use that to drive up on. I'd keep 2 on the truck as they dont take up much space.

I lost a bearing on the London Bridge in Havasu on the way out of town. I needed a new axle, so carrying an extra hub would have done nothing for me. Try to get the boat as light as possible for transport, meaning very low on fuel and no water. Pack gear in the truck, not the boat.

Have your bearings repacked and new seals put on before a long trip (1000+ miles roundtrip). Do it at the beginning of every season if you tow a lot.

A few other things... Always make sure you have water for yourself in case you are stranded for a few long hours. Flashlight in case you have problems at night. I would put 3-4 small cones in the truck as well to use as a warning if you are doing something on the side of the road. Trucks flying by on the highway while you are working on something from the drivers side can get to your nerves. Have a small air compressor and tool kit also. Rechargable impact would be cool, but not necessary if you the tools you need ready to go.

The most I tow is about 700 miles roundtrip. I cant stand being in the truck more than 6 hours at a time.

Good luck and have fun.

heavyhauler

Do you have a spare truck and trailer to carry everything on the list?

Jupiter Sunsation

Did you see what he is towing? 370SS is a beast on a trailer! He must have the dual axle trailer with the airbag suspension on the Ford Explorer.

heavyhauler

Or you could just install a downlink to OSO, and if you have a problem, with its 45,000 members you are bound to be close to someone who can help. Otherwise, better put dual wheels on that Explorer.

MOBILEMERCMAN

Everyone was shared some good advice. I can add a few suggestions. I always stop and check the load, straps, tires, bearings one hour out. At the first stop and every fuel stop walk around the rig check with the back of your hand tire temp. Touch the bearing hubs and notice temp. Tires and bearings get hot before failure so at first hour get a base line and compare as trip progresses.