Is it necessary to jack up the trailer to get the wheels off the ground for winter storage? I have done it both ways in the past but have not in the last couple. Now with brand new tires all around on the trailer I was thinking of doing it again this year.
I’ve never done it, even on a pleasure boat that weighed way more than your tiller rig. I just would check the tire pressure before storage and make sure they were all at the proper pressure.
Grouse
Ive done it both ways. If it isn’t a concrete floor though, I would definitely do it. I haven’t done it in a number of years because I was getting a bit concerns of suspending the trailer in that manner since it wasn’t a design consideration or “normal” load situation. Just my mind playing games maybe, but my new boat is much heavier than my previous ones so I didn’t want to risk anything.
When I put mine in the barn (dirt floor) for the winter I back it up onto some 2x10s so they are not sitting on the dirt. I always want my boat to be quick to grab I guess.
I jack it up. Main reason for me is so I can trim the motor all the way down. (Skag will hit the floor before its fully trimmed.)
-J.
I don’t worry about it if it is on concrete. But if I am on gravel or dirt I will put the wheels on scrap chunks of wood to sit on.
So what is the reason for keeping tires off of non-concrete/asphalt surface when storing?
Thanks
Pete
I jack it up. Main reason for me is so I can trim the motor all the way down. (Skag will hit the floor before its fully trimmed.)
-J.
Be very careful here. If you bottom out the hydraulic cylinder, you risk a cracked cylinder. This happened to me.
My theory on what happened was that with the cylinder bottomed out, in cold temps a slight vacuum occurred in the opposite side of the cylinder. It pulled in a slight amount of oil over several very cold months due to a very very slow valve or seal leak. Come March, we hit 80 degrees, the oil expanded in the heat and boom went the cylinder because it couldn’t get by the closed valves.
Leave her up an inch or two and put a piece of wood in there to keep it from leaking all the way down.
So what is the reason for keeping tires off of non-concrete/asphalt surface when storing?
Thanks
Pete
Curious too. Mine stays on a dirt floor in an I heated pole barn. Going good since 2006.
So what is the reason for keeping tires off of non-concrete/asphalt surface when storing?
Thanks
Pete
I am not sure of the why, but the dealer told us the same thing about our camper/trailer at the lake. Put wood under the tires, don’t leave them in the dirt.
I was told you should put the tire on wood to keep them from rotting. I think the extra moisture is not good for them. I have always done it but it could be an old wives tale.
I’ve read something along the lines to jack up the trailer to prevent flat spots in the tire. Not sure if that is really something to be concerned with?
-J.
Nope. I just inflate to specs and park in concrete garage floor.
Excerpt from 2015 Boating Magazine article:
“If you plan to keep your boat on a trailer for winter or other long-term storage period, it’s a good idea to block up the trailer. This takes the strain off the suspension system and deters tire rot and flat-spotting, saving you money and extending the longevity of your trailer and its components, whether you store your boat trailer on a paved surface or not.
This also thwarts would-be thieves, who’d have a hard time stealing your boat and trailer without wheels. At the same time, it gives you a good opportunity to thoroughly inspect and, if necessary, replace or rebuild components such as the brakes, wheel bearings, hydraulic surge actuator, trailer lights, suspension system and more.”
Article also suggests shackling the axle to the trailer frame with chains if tires/rims are removed for storage.
Not happening. 
Excerpt from 2015 Boating Magazine article:
“If you plan to keep your boat on a trailer for winter or other long-term storage period, it’s a good idea to block up the trailer. This takes the strain off the suspension system and deters tire rot and flat-spotting, saving you money and extending the longevity of your trailer and its components, whether you store your boat trailer on a paved surface or not.
This is my general practice when I store my 18′ boat. Jack the boat up on 4 jack stands on the concrete floor in my garage, doesn’t take much time and cant hurt.
I always put mine on jack stands.
I’m about dying reading some of the replies.
How long do you guys put your boat away for? You make it sound like it’s a classic car that hits the street (lake) twice a summer lol
I’m about dying reading some of the replies.
How long do you guys put your boat away for? You make it sound like it’s a classic car that hits the street (lake) twice a summer lol
7 months, labor day until the end of March.
For you guys that put them on jack stands, do you go into the boat at all in the off season? My only concern with putting it on jack stands is I am in and out of the boat quite a bit during the winter, fixing things, modifying things, hooking up my graphs to get coordinates and do updates. I just wonder how stable the jack stands are when you are going in and out of the boat.
I’m about dying reading some of the replies.
I mean I converted half my garage to a zero gravity room. I tether my boat with a little slack and then just hit the zero gravity button and suspend the boat in the air all winter.
If you aren’t doing this I am not sure how your boat even works come spring time.
I just wonder how stable the jack stands are when you are going in and out of the boat.
Very stable. No worries there.
-J.
The relieving suspension thing gets me, if your trailering your boat any bump in the road crack or accidentally hit pothole would do more potential wear on suspension than sitting idle. I could see it coming into play with a large off shore boat but your standard 21 or less foot fishing boat I believe to be not very beneficial. I just toss the wood under the tires in the winter to potentially reduce tire rot, and there is always scrap wood in the barn. But with that the tires are sitting out the remainder of the year as well. I figure the boat trailer is out in the elements 8 out of the 12 months in a year and the remaining 4 months probably wont hurt anything sitting like it does the other 8 months.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>sticker wrote:</div>
I just wonder how stable the jack stands are when you are going in and out of the boat.Very stable. No worries there.
-J.
Camper tires make sense because they could sit there a long time. I don’t do the boat as I know it will get moved as soon as the snow is gone. I believe trailer tires should be changed every 5-6 years because of just sitting not because of tread wear. But thats mainly because i’m old and fat and don’t want to be changing a flat on some highway in the middle of the night.
Camper tires make sense because they could sit there a long time. I don’t do the boat as I know it will get moved as soon as the snow is gone. I believe trailer tires should be changed every 5-6 years because of just sitting not because of tread wear. But thats mainly because i’m old and fat and don’t want to be changing a flat on some highway in the middle of the night.
Apparently you aren’t that old because why would you be up that late?
Just waking up from nap #8 for the day? 
The relieving suspension thing gets me, if your trailering your boat any bump in the road crack or accidentally hit pothole would do more potential wear on suspension than sitting idle. I could see it coming into play with a large off shore boat but your standard 21 or less foot fishing boat I believe to be not very beneficial. I just toss the wood under the tires in the winter to potentially reduce tire rot, and there is always scrap wood in the barn. But with that the tires are sitting out the remainder of the year as well. I figure the boat trailer is out in the elements 8 out of the 12 months in a year and the remaining 4 months probably wont hurt anything sitting like it does the other 8 months.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Jon Jordan wrote:</div>
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>sticker wrote:</div>
I just wonder how stable the jack stands are when you are going in and out of the boat.Very stable. No worries there.
-J.
I have 2 sets of cheap 3 ton jack stands (maybe $20/set) and it takes maybe 10 minutes to get the boat set up on the jack stands and is very stable. Also no big deal if I need to drop it back down and use is as it is maybe 10 minutes…
I feel bad for you guys putting your boat away on Labor Day. But, more fish for the rest of us!!!
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