Trailer towing problem 2024
Frisbie385 reply :
New to this site so hopefully so hopefully I am posting in the correct spot. I had an issue towing my boat and trailer this weekend. Quick background. Boat and trailer is a 2000 Bass Tracker Pro Team 175W. I bought this last year and have had it out a ton with no issues. Friday 3-18-16 we went to Mozingo Lake about 40 miles from home and had no issues on the way up. On the return trip home I stopped to drop my friend off (probably 30 miles into the return trip with no issues still). When I got back on the highway after a mile maybe I noticed something was wrong. My truck felt like it had the brakes on and when I let off the throttle there was a horrible shake/vibration in the truck and the truck slowed more than normal. This continued for several miles and eventually smoothed out some. I have not towed the boat since but I have checked a few things.
Bearings look and feel great. No slop in the wheels and sounds smooth when spun. They have not been replaced since I have owned the boat but I have greased them.
Tires do have a noticable flat spot (maybe 3-4 inches long) on the inside portion of the tire. The inside looks to be worn more than the outside. I assume the tires are the original ones.
Anything else I can check would be much appreciated. Could this be caused by the tires being in the condition I described?
Scott F reply :
Did you use the parking brake on the truck at all? Does the truck work normally after you dropped the trailer? Does the trailer have its own brakes? Can you jack up the trailer and check each wheel for looseness or bearing wear?
Frisbie385 reply :
I did not use the parking brake. Truck drives fine after I unloaded the boat and trailer. There are no brakes on the trailer. I did jack both sides of the trailer up and checked the bearings. No slop and both wheels rotated fine. Smooth and no noise.
J Francho reply :
What is the tow vehicle? Do you have a trans cooler? Can you see the trans temp? Maybe it overheated?
Frisbie385 reply :
2013 Tundra Crew Max with the 5.7L V8. It does have a transmission cooler. Transmission temp was fine at them time. The truck should have absolutely no issue pulling that boat.
NinjaAbassin reply :
I have no idea about this stuff, but maybe the trailer brake controller was or is engaged? If your truck has one?
Frisbie385 reply :
I do not have a brake controller installed
senile1 reply :
I know you have already answered this so my apologies, but are you absolutely 100 percent sure you have no brakes on the trailer? With the flat spot on the tires and the behavior you described, it sounds just like trailer brakes that locked while you were driving down the road with a full head of steam causing the flat spot.
tomustang reply :
Has the temp been near freezing in your area? Rain?
J Francho reply :
Well, it's got to be the trailer. Uneven wear on the tires suggests the axle is out of alignment. Does the trailer run off center, or crooked when towing in a straight line? I had this happen when my axle was replaced on my Xpress. Actually wore out a tire in just the mile I drove before returning it to the trailer shop to fix the alignment.
BrianinMD reply :
I agree with senile....sounds like it has surge brakes that didn't release.
J Francho reply :
On 3/30/2016 at 2:26 AM, Frisbie385 said:There are no brakes on the trailer.
Can't be surge brakes, if they don't exist. Pretty sure they aren't standard on that boat anyway. No reason for them.
Robeng reply :
Sounds like trailer brakes engaged to me and or tire/wheel issue of trailer assuming tow vehicle is fine.
Frisbie385 reply :
I am positive there are no brakes on the trailer. When this was happening I was able to see both wheels spinning (not locked up) through my mirrors. There was no wobble in the wheels either. I am replacing the tires this week on the trailer and I will have them check the allignment if they can.
The temp was around 26 when we left at 5:30am and on the way home it was around 55.
senile1 reply :
On 3/30/2016 at 3:01 AM, J Francho said:Can't be surge brakes, if they don't exist. Pretty sure they aren't standard on that boat anyway. No reason for them.
He did say that the boat and trailer were 2000 Bass Tracker Pro Team items so if it is the trailer that the boat came with I'm pretty certain the statement above is correct. It is definitely something wrong with the trailer. I hope it is an easy fix.
Al Wolbach reply :
I suspect you have trailer tires that are just old. There is a code on the tires that will tell you the date of manufacture but I do not know the code. After tires reach a certain age they can actually come apart internally and create a wobbling motion that only gets worse unless you slow down, and then only for a short time. Replacing the tires will of course fix the problem if I am correct. Ask the tire outfit to tell you the age of the tires they are removing. If my memory serves me correctly any tire over 5/6 years can be suspect.
Kevin22 reply :
Trailer tires should be replaced every 6-8 years, and regularly checked after 5. Any flat spotting, side wall bulging, or uneven tread wear means time for new tires. Always replace ALL tires, unless they are relatively new. While you have the wheels off be sure to inspect the trailer. Tires don't just flat spot, something happened and you need to find out what. Is your axle welded or held on by U bolts? Check those for a crack.
Way2slow reply :
Sounds more like a brake caliper sticking on the truck than something with the trailer to me. Since the trailer does not have brakes, there is almost no way that trailer could put enough drag on that truck to cause the problem he was having. A tight/sticking brake caliper on the truck could do it in a heartbeat though..
Before spending a bunch of useless money on the trailer, give it another chance. If/when it does it again, pull over and try to do something to feel the brake rotors on the truck. I'll bet money at least one of them will draw a blister on your finger when you touch it. Throw something in the truck to lay on and you can feel the rotors from the back side if the wheels won't let you touch them from the front. If you happen to have a laser temp gauge, check them with that.
tomustang reply :
Yotas, sticky calipers from water, more common complaint than you think...
Frisbie385 reply :
I appreciate the help guys. I am going to replace the trailer tires in the next few days. They need it regardless if they are they problem or not. If I have the problem again I will pull over and check to see if anything is hanging up. Thanks again!
senile1 reply :
On 3/30/2016 at 8:26 PM, Frisbie385 said:I appreciate the help guys. I am going to replace the trailer tires in the next few days. They need it regardless if they are they problem or not. If I have the problem again I will pull over and check to see if anything is hanging up. Thanks again!
Let us know what you find out. This is an interesting thread and I am curious.
Tucson reply :
On 3/30/2016 at 5:41 AM, Al Wolbach said:I suspect you have trailer tires that are just old. There is a code on the tires that will tell you the date of manufacture but I do not know the code. After tires reach a certain age they can actually come apart internally and create a wobbling motion that only gets worse unless you slow down, and then only for a short time. Replacing the tires will of course fix the problem if I am correct. Ask the tire outfit to tell you the age of the tires they are removing. If my memory serves me correctly any tire over 5/6 years can be suspect.
Here's the tire age code: 4 numbers, the first two address the week of mfg, the 2nd two note the year. i.e.: 2612 means the 26th week of 2012.
Hog Basser reply :
Sounds like the "death rattle" my jeep has when I go over 50MPH on the worn out mud tires I need to replace. Usually an alignment or tire wear issue causes this.
rboat reply :
I think Al is right on this one. I had old trailer tires that started making a rumble like they were flat. It would slow you down and make it shake through the whole truck at a certain speed. When I got new ones, the tech showed me how the inside of the tire had kind of separated and caused the problem. New tires, problem solved. Trailer tires do not last too long, even if they are not used much. I hope that is your problem because it is an easier cheaper fix than most other things. Good luck, let us know what you find.
Maxximus Redneckus reply :
Sounds like a bent axle to me it dont take but 1/16 of a inch to make it shake and its very hard to notice with the nakkid eye.may have to get it lazered on a alingment machine
Frisbie385 reply :
I had the tires replaced and "knock on wood" the trailer is smooth and no issues. Hopefully this solved my problem. Thanks for the input everyone!
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