Whaler Central - Boston Whaler Boat Information and Photos

Posted by lulurage on 03/28/10 - 4:46 PM

I pulled my new to me 2000 model 18 Outrage 200 miles and noticed some vibration. Yesterday i hit the highway with wife and kids ready for our first family outing and my wife's first comment on the road is you can't forget you are towing a boat can you. The vibration got worse as we continues. I pulled over and checked all four wheels on tandem trailer and on our SUV. The tires appear to be bouncing. Any suggestions?

Posted by Joe Kriz on 03/28/10 - 5:04 PM

Bias or Radial ply tires?

Bias ply tires will bounce on a trailer until they warm up. This usually doesn't take very long.

How old are the tires?
When is they last time they were balanced?

Posted by Binkie on 03/28/10 - 5:33 PM

You need new tires. The tires on my utility trailer were rotting. A friend had bought a boat that was sitting for several years, and gave me the wheels, becuase he bought new ones. They looked good, no rot so I put them on my trailer. The first time I used the trailer, I had all kinds of vibration. I ran my hand around the treads, and couldn`t find any separation or unevenness. I bought two new ones and all is good again. Your boat was probably sitting for a long time and the tires permanently flat spotted.

Posted by HarleyFXDL on 03/28/10 - 5:45 PM

Bring the tires to a tire store and have them balanced. Once on the machine, they will be able to confirm your suspicions.

Posted by JohnnyCW on 03/28/10 - 6:33 PM

Your tires likely need replacing regardless of their age but for your own personal information you should check how old they are...

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=11

Posted by CES on 03/28/10 - 7:06 PM

Also, when you have your trailer up on a jack, spin your wheels too. If there are grinding or are a little shaky or wobbly on the hub, you may have some bad bearings. I had something similar happen to me this past summer while in Georgia and my bearings were bad.