Spare Wheel and Tyre

[pow2gran]

I have bought a twin axle trailer but it does not come with a spare wheel.

So thinking about it a twin axle gives a level of redundancy. Would you know if you had a puncture any way unless it was a complete blow out?

My Mazda CX5 comes with a repair kit as a spare. Why not use a repair kit for a twin axle trailer?

The probability is that the bearing is more likely to fail so carrying a spare bearing/hub might be more beneficial.

I have breakdown cover for the trailer but do I really want to try it?

Carrying a spare wheel adds weight and will rust as it gets dropped in the sea.

Any thoughts and opinions would be appreciated.

Not intending do do any European travel with it in the coming year unless you count Scotland!

[A1an]

My thinking is that if you don't have it you can't use it.

Those repair kits are as much use as tits on a fish. They are only any use at sorting slow punctures and you should've spotted a soft tyre in your trailer checks before leaving.

You have your pride and joy on the trailer, what's another £60 for the peace of mind you can get it home.

I'd rather tow my own boat home than let a recovery company do it.

A spare set of bearings is part of my standard tool kit when towing.

[breezeblock]

Originally Posted by pow2gran

I have bought a twin axle trailer but it does not come with a spare wheel.

So thinking about it a twin axle gives a level of redundancy. Would you know if you had a puncture any way unless it was a complete blow out?

My Mazda CX5 comes with a repair kit as a spare. Why not use a repair kit for a twin axle trailer?

The probability is that the bearing is more likely to fail so carrying a spare bearing/hub might be more beneficial.

I have breakdown cover for the trailer but do I really want to try it?

Carrying a spare wheel adds weight and will rust as it gets dropped in the sea.

Any thoughts and opinions would be appreciated.

Not intending do do any European travel with it in the coming year unless you count Scotland!

bearings should be about £20 max and a few basic tools I would recommend a spare wheel the argument about it goes rusty is hardly worth talking about unless you take your wheels off to launch the boat somehow

[paintman]

My boat trailer is twin axle & the caravan we had was also twin axle.

On the caravan's inaugural run we had a tyre fail on the motorway. First I knew about it was other drivers coming past honking & pointing down. Tyre was shredded so no idea how long it had gone. Nothing in the handling to suggest there was a problem. The car I was towing with was a Mk2 2.8 Granada saloon so a big heavy car & the van had a Bulldog anti-snake bar fitted - the old type that looked like a big flat metal bar.
Didn't have a spare & took a while to find a tyre place to get it replaced.

Bought a spare ASAP & would never consider using a trailer without one. It simply isn't worth the risk Seen too many trailers/caravans stuck at the roadside due to lack of a spare.

The can of squirty stuff which seems to be standard in a lot of cars now might work on a small puncture but nothing bigger - as my eldest found out on his Megane Sport when the tyre valve failed. It's the type with a sensor & the nearest ones were in Germany. Fortunately a standard one fitted & got him out of the sh1t until the right one arrived.

[Bushrider]

Have a twin axle boat trailer too and regardless that I never had an issue with any of my car tires with this trailer I had within 2 years 3 flat tires .
One was my fault - hit a tricky curb stone near Biffers house but the other times once on an Italian motorway with the boat on and last time with an unloaded (!!) trailer .
For me no question to carry a spare wheel or not .
I tow often 1500km one way and if you use the spare wheel already after half of the distance you start to worry about the remaining distance without spare ..

[Pikey Dave]

I have a twin axle. I carry 2 spares & a complete hub with bearings. I've had loads of trailer punctures over the years, mostly sidewall damage from clipping curbs & filling station petrol pump plinths.

[Last Tango]

I think you'll struggle to find someone who'll advocate not carrying a spare.

Spare wheel, spare set of bearings and a couple of split pins....

[Poly]

Originally Posted by pow2gran

So thinking about it a twin axle gives a level of redundancy.

it does, but thats limp to the services redundancy, not keep going 500 miles on a bank holiday weekend redundancy!

Would you know if you had a puncture any way unless it was a complete blow out?

Everytime I stop at a services, car park etc I walk around the trailer checking the hubs and straps. Perhaps I am paranoid. Other drivers will also point out flats.

My Mazda CX5 comes with a repair kit as a spare. Why not use a repair kit for a twin axle trailer?

Have you used one? I have and it worked. But it also meant an otherwise repairable perfectly good tyre had to be replaced. It also meant that I had no spare (as it helpfully came with one dose of gunk) and the replacement gunk was half the price of a new tyre!

The probability is that the bearing is more likely to fail so carrying a spare bearing/hub might be more beneficial.

1. they are not mutually exclusive; 2. I'm not sure about the odds - if you look after the hubs and keep an eye on them spontaneous, unexpected, total failure should be rare. A nail in a tyre is unpredictable.

I have breakdown cover for the trailer but do I really want to try it?

my experience even in relatively populated areas is 1. they send out the normal guy with a van - perhaps an hour - but he can't actually do anything; 2. they send a recovery vehicle - another hour; 3. then you might get relayed down the country each time they will need the right sort of truck to be able to load and secure a trailer (not all can).

You never breakdown 5 miles from Indespensions unless its 2pm on a bank holidy saturday afternoon and they aren't open again until Tuesday. Kwikfit (etc) don't stock trailer tyre sizes in many branches so even if you can get recovered it might not be useful.

Not intending do do any European travel with it in the coming year unless you count Scotland!

in rural areas those response times could be much worse.

[Last Tango]

And.....if you've no spare for the car, is there a jack?

You can get round it with a four wheel trailer using a block but not with a single axle one.

[ShinyShoe]

Originally Posted by Last Tango

And.....if you've no spare for the car, is there a jack?

You can get round it with a four wheel trailer using a block but not with a single axle one.

And Mr AA / Mrs RAC will have a jack and be happy enough to fit the spare if you cant, but you need a spare to fit.

Spare doesn't have to be on the trailer...

[pow2gran]

Thanks guys. You've won the argument - spare it will be!

[Xk59D]

Don't Carry spare bearings myself as they are those sealed for life things, pros and cons with those of course. I figure if one goes I'm not changing it roadside anyway, need to get hub off and to a shop. A spare hub would certainly do the job of course as per above depending on your trailer. I think sbs only use sealed for life last few years so check what type you have.

[breezeblock]

Originally Posted by Xk59D

Don't Carry spare bearings myself as they are those sealed for life things, pros and cons with those of course. I figure if one goes I'm not changing it roadside anyway, need to get hub off and to a shop. A spare hub would certainly do the job of course as per above depending on your trailer. I think sbs only use sealed for life last few years so check what type you have.

the sealed for life bearings go to a pretty high torque and use a one shot nut as well I believe so even a hub change might not be straight forward to get done on the side of the m8

[Xk59D]

Correct, it is a one shot nut and you need a bar to torque them down. I've lost a wheel on a normal bearing boat trailer, the wheel went about 500 yards up motorway, how it never went over the centre reservation or hit anyone I don't know.

[Bushrider]

Forgot to mention in my post - this will be my next investment for the trailer :
https://www.tiremoni.co.uk/

May be somebody has already experience with this kit ?

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Bushrider

Forgot to mention in my post - this will be my next investment for the trailer :
https://www.tiremoni.co.uk/

May be somebody has already experience with this kit ?

That looks interesting, are they reliable?

[Bushrider]

That's the question ..
I talked to them and they say yes .
Few people reporting in single cases issues with sensors but I think it's worth to try .

[Xk59D]

There are loads of these kits on eBay for about 35 quid.

[Bushrider]

35 quid ?
Think you will need at least the TM 210 with 4 sensors = twin axle trailer and they cost around 180 GBP [emoji15]

[Xk59D]

As I said....not new things.

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/LCD-Wireles...UAAOSwjkdZ8aUU

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wireless-Ca...8AAOSwULNZgGd3

I bet when you are dipping them all in salt the good ones will be no better than the cheap ones.