Long distance towing a small wheel trailer?

Have my PA 12 on a Harbor Freight Trailer. Want to make a trip To TX (550 Miles) Trailer has new tires &
wheel bearings(small wheels) what are my chances of making it ? Have as spare mounted on the side of the trailer. Will keep the speed down(65mph). Do you guys think I will make it.

While I don't like the little 8 inch wheels and related tires for any distance trailering, people do it all the time and have few problems.

I have a HF trailer with the 12" tires and I would think if you keep to 60 MPH you'll have no problems - as I have not in the last two years. If you have 8" tires and run 65 MPH I believe your chances are not so good. Check your tire ratings on the sidewall - the 12" that came with my trailer are rated (If I remember correctly) for 55 MPH and you can buy better tires but those original (Chinese) tires are not the best.

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2012 PA-14 Dune; 2013 PA-14 Yellow.

I have a light weight 8" wheel trailer that I haul down the interstate at 70 mph. Have taken several 4-6 hour trips with no problem. I just make sure that I have the bearings checked/greased before each trip. Should be no problem.

Guys, you need to check the rating on the tire for maximum speeds. I was using the Harbor Freight 12" tires on my trailer until I discovered they were only rated for 45mph! Not wanting an interstate speed blowout, I have since replaced them with a set of tires rated for highway speeds, and the cost wasn't that much more. I admit I regularly drove 2.5 hours at 55mph or higher with no problems, but knowing they are only rated for 45mph was more than I needed to know to change them. It's fairly easy to check them, too. Just do a Google search for tire ratings and then read on your tires what it is for the comparison. You might be surprised.

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Richard Laughlin
Lafayette, LA

Finally Retired, Fish Beware!

2013 Hobie Pro Angler 14
2012 Hobie Pro Angler 12
2001 Hobie Hank Parker Edition Outback

I would err on the side of caution and get the better tires...

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Towed my Harbor Freight trailer with kayak all over the state for years without issues. The key is keeping bearings in good shape. Keep the speed down and check for heat at every stop. If you are real concerned. Carry an extra wheel drum/hub assembly and a few tools to change it.

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Sonnybass
West Columbia, SC
2010 Hobie Pro Angler
2005 Hobie Outback (2)

I have a Trailex with 8" wheels. I drove from No. VA to Everglades City, FL and back without problems. I drove at highway speeds, over 70 mph often. Maybe I was lucky, I don't know.

Same as Old Timer with two kayaks on board.

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I'm right 98% of the time. The other 3% I don't worry about.

I would up grade to at least 12 in., seen many a bad trailer story...my long-haul trailer has the 15" cargo load tires... got them all checked out for my last 8 hour interstate pull ... had to have both replaced. Took care of that. Got all the way to my destination, noticed one looked a little low... I touched the valve stem and it came off in my hand... tire went poof and flat... no idea why I didn't sling it on the "I". Been running 8-9 hours, 70-80 mph and loaded with two Hobies...and all my fishing gear...

redsinthehead.....perhaps you have some of the faulty Chinese valve stems that go back to 2008 http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news ... /index.htm
Since the number of faulty stems produced exceeded 30kk, who knows how many were never taken off the shelf or remained installed in tire rims.
I discovered one of the defective stems on my galvanized trailer rims (the rubber was visually rotting) and had both replaced locally, by our Les Schwab tire store....they installed stainless steel valve stems...it's bullet proof and would highly recommend those stems.

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Dr.SteelheadCatcher
Warrenton, OR

Doc, I think it was just dry-rotted from age... I guess I neglected to tell the yoho that replaced my tires to also replace the valve stems.... I always thought that was SOP... but I guess not...

I have the HF boat version of the trailer. I modified it with superstrut to carry 3 Kayaks (Outback, OK Scrambler, and a tiny kids kayak). Towed it from PA or OBX, about 350 miles. Ran it 70-75mph not a problem.

I used to pull an old snowmobile trailer with these tires, loaded with 2 350lb ATVs. With regular trips 100 plus miles. Only ever had one tire blow out.

The key to these tires are the bearings like people said, but even more importantly tire inflation. Make sure they are right at the max pressure. If these tires get low on air, the sidewall flex more, due to elastic hysteresis in the rubber, the tires will heat up tremendously and fail.

Always check the tire pressure and at stops, feel the tires and bearing for excessive heat build up.

I have used one of the harbor freight trailers with the 12" tires to haul my 900# Harley Dresser all over the west and pulled it at freeway speeds from Los Angeles to Wilmington, NC in 4 days with no problems. A few years later (after many other hauls) I was making the haul back to the west coast and shredded a tire somewhere around texas but found a bass pro shops that carried a replacement. I now carry a spare on the trailer all the time. I am on my 3rd one love them, the current model is fitted for a Pro angler and an Outback . Just maintain them-keep the bearings greased and use common sense as per conditions of the road.

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Have Fun-Will Travel
2013 Outback-Sand
2014 Pro Angler-Papaya

I to have a small trailer with 12" tires to haul 3 hobies. I switched to Karrier S-Trail ST145/R12 Radial Trailer Tire - Load Range E tires on mine. Going with a Radial it helps with cooling the sidewall down a bit, but still they are only rated for 65 mph so that's where I keep it when hauling my trailer. Plus my truck gets better mileage between 65 & 70 so it's a win/win.