towing mill long distance

[240b]

 How many spare tires do people usually carry?  Im going from AL to VT.

[taylorsmissbeehaven]

I dont have a spare for my mill but I would really like to have one. It worries me every time I move it. I dont know how long your mill has been sitting, but I would do a very thorough inspection of the tires and replace if necessary. If they are in good shape I would be comfortable with just a single spare. Thats all I have for my vehicle. Brian

[Magicman]

I do not know the age nor condition of your tires but if they are 7 years old or older, replace them.  Air them properly and I carry a spare.

[moodnacreek]

Pack wheel bearings. Have tongue weight just right.

[terrifictimbersllc]

What mill do you have and how old are the tires?

I carry one but my tires are not very old. 

Also carry cordless impact wrench, race car style jack and safety cones and triangles. 
Try to drive in the right lane and keep it in your mind how you would get over to the breakdown lane in a few seconds. In my experience it is the engine side tire that is most likely to fail. 

[Chuck White]

You could pick up a spare tire on the rim at Tractor Supply for right around $100.00

[Old Greenhorn]

When you buy spares pay very close attention to the load rating. Dennis (TerrificTimbers) enlightened me at length on this subject on Saturday as he detailed his experience. It surely put the fear of the unknown into me with what he learned getting that experience. Get the right tires, don't save a buck, because it will end up costing you a lot more than a buck in the end.

[Gere Flewelling]

My mill was towed from southern Alabama to my place in New Hampshire when it was new.  I didn't have a suitable vehicle back then to make the trip.  I thought they were going to put it on a tractor trailer and deliver it.  I was quite surprised when they told me they had a driver that was going to tow it to me.  It arrived with the original tires and a new spare with no issues.  I am sure it traveled the whole way at highway speeds or above as the driver said he never made any overnight stops on the way up.  I think he said it was around 1,500 miles.
The mill made it just fine like it only came from the town next door.  If your mill is new, I would take a single spare just in case, but not worry about it otherwise.  If it is used, I would want to try to determine when the wheels were last greased and if there is any dry rot in the tires, grab a couple of spares.  Good Luck!

[tacks Y]

How many spare tires do people usually carry?  Im going from AL to VT.

Did you buy a mill down there?

[terrifictimbersllc]

If you want a high quality tire on a rim, I don't think you'll do better price wise than Woodmizer.

[WV Sawmiller]

   I'd make sure I had a high level of confidence in my tire quality before starting my trip then would carry just one spare if it was me. If I tore up a tire along the way I'd fix or replace it ASAP but would be very surprised if I could not find one within a few miles of wherever the old one died.

   I took my mill to a local trailer shop last summer and had the brakes and bearings serviced. Now days it seems it is just as cheap to replace the entire hub with a prepacked one as to repack bearings. Good luck and have a safe trip.

[SawyerTed]

The forks on a tractor or loader are very hard on the sidewalls of sawmill tires.  Don't ask how I know, but I learned this not once but twice!  

At the time a complete spare with wheel from Woodmizer was about the same cost as a similar tire installed on my existing wheel at the local tire shop.  I did both, new tire and a complete spare from Woodmizer.

OGH's comment regarding load range importance is spot on!  Trailer manufacturers are notorious for putting on cheap tires that minimally meet the load requirements of the trailers - various kinds of work trailers, boat trailers and campers included.  By going up a load range, from C to D for example, you will gain peace of mind and tire longevity.  

[barbender]

Ted, on that note, the local family owned tire shop that I use for most everything has been getting everyone to switch their 14K trailers from 10 ply load range E tires to 14 ply load range G tires. They're just a lot tougher of a tire and it has ended most premature tire failures.

[GAB]

The forks on a tractor or loader are very hard on the sidewalls of sawmill tires.  Don't ask how I know, but I learned this not once but twice!  

Ted:
Welcome to my club - the slow learner club.
GAB

[sawguy21]

If the trailer is not new pay attention to the date code on the tires. It is 4 digit number stamped on the sidewall at the end of the DOT id, the first two are the week it was made the second the year. If it is much over 5 years replace it. A blown tire at highway speed is no fun and changing it on the the shoulder is downright scary. I have been there.

[jpassardi]

I would have to agree. If I were going from Alabama to Vermont, I'd put 2 new ones on and take the existing ones for spares unless they're rotted.

[scsmith42]

Lots of good advice thus far in this thread.  What I'd add is this.

1 - not all tires are equal.  Many inexpensive tires are speed rated and are more likely to blow out on a trip at 70mph versus their lower speed rating (typically 60mph).  Be sure to buy good tires.

2 - most trailers us an "ST" tire.  These are typically a bias ply and have stiff sidewalls.  Many trailer users opt to replace them with "LT" tires (light truck), for a couple of reasons.  First and foremost, tires designed for pickup trucks are usually made to a much higher quality standard than trailer tires.  Think liability.  When a trailer tire blows, you usually don't lose control of the trailer. However when a front tire blows, bad things can happen.  The only negative that I've heard about LT tires is a claim that the sidewalls are weaker and the trailer sways more.  Personally I've never had that problem.

3 - There is a tradeoff in increasing load ratings on trailer tires.  Recommended air pressure is correlated to load ratings, with higher load rated tires having higher inflation pressures.  The higher the inflation pressure, the more vibration and bounce is conveyed to the trailer.  Personally what I'd suggest is knowing the weight of your sawmill, and adding a 30% - 50% safety margin - but no more.  On my Baker, the mill weighs 9000 lbs and has a pair of 5000 lb axles on it.  I use E rated tires because they are rated for around 3,500 lbs per tire, or 12,000 lbs total tire capacity for a 9000 rated trailer.  I would not want to increase to G rated because the increased inflation pressure would put a lot more vibration wear on the mill when towing.  Also, I would not want to drop to ST rated because there would be minimal if any safety margin of the tow weight versus the tire rated capacity.

I've had good service from Maxiss Commercial LT tires on many of my trailers, as well as Michelin LTX on the high end horse trailers.  

Before  embarking on the trip, I'd make sure that the tires are at maximum recommended inflation pressure and that they are less than 5 years old.  Max inflation pressure is important because when tires are under-inflated the sidewalls flex more as they spin.  Excessive sidewall flex creates excessive heat, and excessive heat can cause a rapid spike in air pressure - leading to a blow out.

Scott

[Magicman]

I replaced the tires that came on my 5th wheel to Maxxis because i knew that I would be putting serious miles on it and wanted what I view as being the best. 

[Southside]

Can't stress enough about running max inflation, under inflation kills tires.  Myself I have gone to 14 ply tires on every trailer, max inflation, AND I insist on having them balanced. It's a discussion every time at the trailer shop but the ride quality and longevity is worth it. I have had stock trailer tires make 100,000 miles almost always running with a load on the trailer. Those were G rated and balanced / rotated every 10,000 miles.

[TroyC]

Ted, on that note, the local family owned tire shop that I use for most everything has been getting everyone to switch their 14K trailers from 10 ply load range E tires to 14 ply load range G tires. They're just a lot tougher of a tire and it has ended most premature tire failures.

I agree on the G rated tires on the 14 K trailer. The original 10 ply lasted me about 12,000 miles, had 3 separate out of the 4 on the trailer. Replaced them and results were about the same. Went to G rated and problem solved. Also went to D range 14" on my single axle and they are much better tires than the C range.

I balance all tires if they fit on the balancer! Less bouncing makes them run cooler and last longer.

[240b]

i bought one spare tire with wheel, hopefully it will be all i need.   the tires are all new on the mill.   i just don't like towing trailers.