What is your plan for changing tires on the road? Scroll down to read more as we help you think through your options!
Do you have a way to change your tire on the road?
Sometimes you have options: I travel alone long-distance quite often. If I'm on an unsafe road I'm not at all above calling a service to come fix a flat - however not all situations allow for that.
Is it worth it? Maybe it will cause my horses too much stress to stand on the trailer for the length of time it would take someone to get to me and have the tire changed and get me on my way. In which case - I would need to do it myself.
Impact Wrench: As a female - I will tell you I CAN NOT manually loosen the lug nuts on my trailer or truck tires. Like no way, no how, not possible. Invest in an impact wrench. Don't let the man in your life tell you that you don't need one. Buy the dang wrench. I have used mine several times and it makes changing my tires a BREEZE compared to how it used to be!
Two spares: You also might consider having two spare tires instead of one. If you are out in the middle of nowhere you may not be able to find a tire shop that carriers your specific trailer tire. And you don't want to go too far without a spare trailer tire in case you blow a second tire.
Trailer AND truck jacks: Be sure you have the right jack for the job. The jack you need for your trailer and the jack you need for your truck are two different animals. The one for your truck should be in there from the manufacturer, however if you have a used vehicle, it would be worth double checking. Here is the trailer jack I currently have and it works great.
Dress rehearsal: Haven't ever changed a tire on your truck or trailer before? Let me tell you, stranded on the side of I-70 in a zillion degree heat is NOT the time or the place to realize you have no freaking idea how to get the spare tire out from under your truck bed. Like seriously. Don't make that your educational moment. Know your way around your vehicle and your trailer's tire change process and it will greatly streamline things.
Prevention: How can you reduce the number of blowouts and flats you experience on the road? While you can't entirely prevent a tire problem - you can reduce your chances of having one. Firstly, make sure to check your tire pressure on your truck, trailer AND YOUR SPARES before heading out. You might be surprised how often you discover a leak that way or find that the change in the air temperature dramatically changed your tire pressure. Secondly, SLOW DOWN seriously, your trailer tires were not made to do 80mph down the interstate fully loaded. Thirdly, make sure you know your weight limit on your trailer and try to stay under it a bit. You might even run through a weigh station fully loaded before your trip to double check that you are ok. Fourthly, check your tread. No matter how careful you are to follow all the other tips if all of your tires need changed it is not the time to head off on a road trip yet.
Proper care and maintenance will make a much more pleasant trip.
With all of this in mind you are sure to have the smoothest hauling experience possible. Don't leave it up to chance. Be informed and be ready!
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